I will try to describe some recent wines, using the “PIME – PAME – PUME” method. (see definitions hereafter).
At the beginning of the year, I posted a message concerning 76 wines. I will use the same method as in this message posted on the Robert Parker forum :
http://dat.erobertparker.com/bboard/showpost.php?p=2507155&postcount=1
I add the symbols of sizes for clothes (S, M, L, XL, XXL) to describe how much I disliked or adored a wine, compared to what I expected.
The wines are normally with an age above or equal to 50 years, but I have added some wines which were included in particular dinners.
There are 21 PUME (performing under my expectation), 25 PIME (performing within my expectation) and 54 PAME (performing above my expectation) which shows that I was particularly lucky and happy during this period of approximately 5 months (I have excluded the young wines, and the wines that I have already commented).
I wish you a pleasant read, and I add some other information at the end.
I begin with what I disliked to finish with the best. In each category it is ranked per year.
1 – 21 PUME
101 – PUME – XL – Anjou Caves Prunier Rablay 1928 – I have drunk many times this wine which can be very interesting. This one was tired and had not a great interest
102 – PUME – XL – demi-bouteille de Champagne Bollinger 1959 – sadly, this wine that a friend of mine opened only for me but that we shared with as many friends as it was possible to pour glasses, had an awful metallic taste
201 – PUME – L – Vin Nature de Champagne, Caves Prunier, vers années 1920 – This wine had interesting aspects. It is a still wine, rather bitter, which did not please me.
202 – PUME – L – Grenache Vieux « Superior Quality » Années 30 – 1930 # – My friends were conquered by the unusual taste of this wine which evokes light Port wines. But for me, this wine could be so much better that I was displeased.
203 – PUME – L – Château des Tuileries, Graves Supérieures 1941 – some traces exist of what it could have been. But this wine does not talk enough to excite my interest.
204 – PUME – L – Coteaux du Layon Chaume, Château de la Guimonnière 1945 – really drinkable, but it did not give me enough emotion
301 – PUME – M – Beaune Leroy 1953 – not bad, but not really great
302 – PUME – M – Chassagne Montrachet Moillard Grivot (Tasteviné en 1951) 1947 – too far from the taste of a Chassagne
401 – PUME – S – Château Sigalas-Rabaud 1896 – Many people were enthusiast about this wine as it was their first wine of the 19th century. But for me, it did not shine as I expected, as it is a wine that I have tried several times
402 – PUME – S – Grenache Vieux des années 20 – 1920 # – better than another bottle that I had opened recently, it is pleasant because it is very unusual. But this is not enough to give me a frank pleasure
403 – PUME – S – Château Brane-Cantenac 1921 – strange wine whose taste is good, but which corresponds to none of my references
404 – PUME – S – Chateau Pajot, enclave du Chateau d’Yquem, Haut-Sauternes 1923 – extremely subtle, giving much emotion. But I did not find what I expected from a very unusual wine
405 – PUME – S – Château Climens Barsac 1928 – The wine was great, but had not the charm that it can give. It is miles under a legendary Climens 1929 which was a pure treasure
406 – PUME – S – Volnay Champy P&F 1945 – not bad, but delivering not a great emotion.
407 – PUME – S – Châteauneuf du Pape Clos des Papes 1949 – drunk without food, this wine was a little fading. But with the sauce of a duck, the wine revealed very nice qualities. The bottom of the bottle offered me a nice deep wine, but it was not enough to have a full pleasure
408 – PUME – S – Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 1953 – I expected a little more from this wine, even if it was good
409 – PUME – S – Corton-Charlemagne Bouchard Père & Fils en magnum 1955 – Of course it is a great wine. But I had to taste at the same time the 2007 of the same wine. And, despite my usual love for old wines, I preferred the spontaneousness of the very young CC.
410 – PUME – S – Grands Echézeaux Domaine de la Romanée Conti 1956 – nice DRC wine, but a little in shadow
411 – PUME – S – Vouvray sec Caves Prunier 1959 – not bad at all, but lacking a little structure and emotion. Created a good match with the food
412 – PUME – S – Hermitage La Chapelle Paul Jaboulet aîné 1978 – a good wine, but I have never had the emotion that I expect
413 – PUME – S – Côte Rôtie La Mouline Guigal 1990 – This perfect wine, which I adore as a symbol of the success of youth, drunk after some symbols like Pétrus 1959 or Latour 1953 appeared too young to be appreciated as it should. I still love it
2 – 25 PIME
501 – PIME – Château Guiraud Sauternes 1893 – Very great wine, as great as I expected.
502 – PIME – Nuits-Saint-Georges Camille Giroud 1928 – this wine that I drunk recently many times, using a lot that I have, is a real pleasure, and convinces about the success of 1928 even for very simple wines
503 – PIME – Château Loubens Sainte Croix du Mont 1928 – for me it is not a surprise to see this wine so good, but for my guests it is a surprise
504 – PIME – Rioja Federico Paternina 1928 – performs very well. The year is brilliant
505 – PIME – Nuits-Saint-Georges Camille Giroud 1928 – as I know perfectly well this wine, exactly as the Nuits Cailles Morin 1915, I know in advance that it will be great. And it is a very understandable wine, which amazes everyone by its youth for eternity
506 – PIME – Château Beychevelle en magnum 1928 – this wine offered by Bernard Pivot, a wonderful journalist talking about books and literature, the most famous in France in this field, had a lovely young colour, and was extremely lively, charming and balanced.
507 – PIME – Nuits-Saint-Georges Camille Giroud 1928 – as I expected as usual a great wine, I had it. A very interested testimony of what a NSG can become when it was made in 1928
508 – PIME – – Moulin à Vent Chanson Père et Fils 1945 – I expected an excellent Beaujolais. And it was what I wanted
509 – PIME – Champagne Pommery Brut 1947 – The wine has lost its bubbles, but the impression of sparkling is inside the taste. More and more I love old champagnes which offer tastes which are out of this world.
510 – PIME – Beaune Bressandes Joseph Drouhin 1955 – elegant, agreeable but not really great.
511 – PIME – Chateauneuf-du-Pape Domaine de Montredon 1957 – Exactly as pleasant as I expected. A little simple.
512 – PIME – Chateauneuf-du-Pape Bouchard et Cie 1959 # – a convenient Burgundy, with certainly an external input of sunny wine
513 – PIME – Château Chalon Vichot-Girod de Névy-sur-Seille 1959 – a delicious vin jaune that I have paired with a magnum of Dom Pérignon 1966 and the combination of the two is to die for
514 – PIME – Puligny-Montrachet Les Pucelles Boisseaux-Estivant négociant 1959 – a nice Puligny of a great year
515 – PIME – Rioja Siglo Felix Azpilicueta Martinez 1959 – Nice wine, helped by the year
516 – PIME – – Meursault Auguste Prunier 1959 – This wine is very agreeable, not promising a lot, but bringing a very easy pleasure.
517 – PIME – Château l’Angélus Pomerol 1961 – what is interesting is that this wine has been drunk as if it were the Saint-Emilion. We expected a lot, and we found a lot. This is a compliment for this Pomerol which performed at a level which it should not have. I put a PIME, as expecting "the" Angélus, I had the pleasure that I was looking for.
518 – PIME – Château d’Yquem 1967 – I expected the best, and I had it. A very great academic Yquem, with a balance which is rare
519 – PIME – Champagne Krug magnum Vintage 1973 – immense champagne, corresponding exactly to what I expected
520 – PIME – Château Suduiraut Sauternes 1976 – Even if young, this wine has already a sympathetic perfection. All what it will get with age is already within its taste.
521 – PIME – "Y" d’Yquem Graves blanc 1980 – I know very well this wine which is always generous. Genrally I love "Y" in good years, and this 1980 belongs to the good ones. It is really "generosity" which characterises this wine
522 – PIME – Château Haut-Brion Graves blanc 1983 – drunk at the same time with the "Y" 1980, it shows an incredible contrast. This wine is precise and strict. This wine is perfectly made for gastronomy
523 – PIME – Champagne Dom Ruinart rosé 1986 – I have a special inclination for this rosé, one of the best. Very long in mouth and specially deep for a rosé
524 – PIME – Vosne Romanée Cros Parantoux Henri Jayer 1989 – I expected a perfect wine, and this wine is perfect. Made with a remarkable precision combined with charm. I prefer the unconventional approach of La Tache 1961 drunk at the same time
525 – PIME – Champagne Salon 1995 – I know very well this champagne, and I see that it improves with time. It has a strong personality that I cherish.
3 – 54 PAME
601 – PAME – S – Vin inconnu (Pauillac ?) 1904 – This wine was brought by a friend. The bottle had the from of a Burgundy bottle, but it could be of any region. The year was possible. The wine was very nice and lively, and by adding our guesses, we decided that it would be a Pauillac 1904 of a great origin. A very lovable wine
602 – PAME – S – Chambolle Musigny Maison Remoissenet et Fils 1947 – I love that such wines prove that after 62 years, there is still a life for these wines. A very good demonstration
603 – PAME – S – Côte-Rôtie Audibert & Delas 1949 – Absolutely delicious, with an easy message, full of joy. Ruby colour, highly charming
604 – PAME – S – Clos René Pomerol 1950 – extremely nice surprise. Pomerol goes well in 1950
605 – PAME – S – Château Latour Pauillac 1953 – The colour is of a great youth. The delicacy of this wine for esthete is remarkable
606 – PAME – S – Bonnes-Mares Chanson Père & Fils 1955 – It is hard to imagine how such wines perform so well. It seems so easy.
607 – PAME – S – Château Sigalas Rabaud 1959 – I expected that it would be great. And it is. A purely solid Sauternes
608 – PAME – S – Clos Haut-Peyraguey Sauternes 1959 – Good surprise to see this delicate Sauternes performing so well.
609 – PAME – S – Chevalier Montrachet Bouchard Père & Fils 1988 – extremely generous, gorgeous, a great wine full of pleasure
701 – PAME – M – Malaga Larios solera 1866 – I was sceptic about such a Solera. But what is inside is really old. I would not be surprised that more than one half of this bottle contains wine of more than 100 years. The wine is delicious, and the subtlety of its pepper comes only from a great age. I have adored.
702 – PAME – M – Château Guiraud Sauternes 1893 – It was a good surprise to see that this Guiraud of a magic year could give an emotion that I was not expecting at this level
703 – PAME – M – Cos Labory Saint-Estèphe 1928 – Nice performance. The wine is great and accomplished
704 – PAME – M – Château de Rolland Barsac 1929 – it is incredible how things look easy with such a wine. A pure pleasure
705 – PAME – M – Chateau Léoville-Poyferré Saint-Julien 1943 – juicy, generous, it is a wine without any problem, as if 1943 was only 15 years ago from today
706 – PAME – M – Château Lafite-Rothschild Pauillac 1943 – The perfume of this wine is invading. All in it is softness and subtlety. It is the definition of a velvety wine. A great pleasure, above what I expected.
707 – PAME – M – Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 1947 – after an awful smell, a delicious wine, full of body
708 – PAME – M – Chateauneuf-du-Pape Audibert & Delas 1949 – everything seems easy. Strong and sweet altogether. A nice wine
709 – PAME – M – Chambertin Joseph Drouhin 1949 – This wine is a miracle. It shows the best aspects of what Burgundy can be, with an endless charm.
710 – PAME – M – Château Carbonnieux blanc 1953 – It is probably the best ever Carbonnieux white that I have drunk. The colour is magnificent and the complexity is remarkable. The final is mineral, delicate, salty. The fruit is great.
711 – PAME – M – Château Pontet Grand Cru Saint-Emilion 1955 – excellent wine from a year which performs wonderfully
712 – PAME – M – Champagne Krug Clos du Mesnil 1985 – If it were necessary to give a definition of refinement, this wine would be the one. All is elegant, precise, and of a unique charm. Salty with an oyster, it becomes rather sweet with caviar
713 – PAME – M – Corton Charlemagne J.F. Coche-Dury 1996 – Even if I was expecting the best from this wine which I have had the chance to drink several times, I give a "PAME", as such a successful wine is always a surprise. The nose is the richest perfume, and in mouth, it is an invasion of pleasure. The combination with a foie gras made by Daniel Boulud was unforgettable
801 – PAME – L – Clos des Lambrays 1915 – all what has been made in Burgundy in 1915 is great. This rarity is a new demonstation
802 – PAME – L – Clos Vougeot Paul Dargent 1928 – This wine with a rather ordinary structure benefits from the wonderful year 1928. And it gives a broad pleasure. The colour does not show signs of age, the wine is generous, with a clear message. A great pleasure
803 – PAME – L – Aloxe-Corton 1929 – A friend of mine came by airplane from Paris to the South of France with this wine, brought it by car to the restaurant where we shared it. Opened at the last moment, this wine, with a provocative easiness, with no name of producer on the label, was insultingly wonderful. A dream.
804 – PAME – L – Château Puyblanquet Saint-Emilion 1929 – It is impossible to imagine that this wine is 80 years old. It is great, precise, with velvet, charm and length.
805 – PAME – L – Belem‘s Malvoisie Vin de Madère 1934 – This wine is more than pure pleasure. It is great. And I adore such sensual wines, deep, and with an imperishable length.
806 – PAME – L – Château Bensse Médoc 1936 – I would never have expected that a rather unknown wine of a very small year would give so much pleasure. The red is ruby. The wine is subtle.
807 – PAME – L – Château La Mission Haut-Brion 1943 – As I was born in 1943, I have drunk many wines of this year, and my impression is that this Mission is the best Bordeaux 1943 that I have drunk. The colour is young, the nose is noble, and the densiity of this wine is rare. A very great wine, enlarged by a pigeon
808 – PAME – L – Pommard F.de Marguery 1947 – This wine which was paired with a Cros Parantoux of Henri Jayer 1986 had less perfection, but largely more charm, the Burgundian charm that I cherisch. With the bouillon of a chicken, it formed a legendary combination
809 – PAME – L – Chateauneuf-du-Pape Réserve des Chartres 1947 – I fell in love with this ordinary wine. Serenity, simplicity, but a wonderful balance. I love such simplified wines when they perform so nicely.
810 – PAME – L – Corton Cuvée du docteur Peste Hospices de Beaune Protheau 1953 – a marvel. It summarizes all what I like in Burgundy
811 – PAME – L – Château Haut-Brion blanc 1953 – I thought I had opened a 1983 and I discovered on the cork : 1953. What a nice surprise ! The wine is absolutely glorious. One of the best white Haut-Brion that I have ever drunk. Totally balanced, rich, complete, unctuous and charming.
812 – PAME – L – Château La Gaffelière Naudes 1959 – this wine "is" perfection. This could be the definition of what Bordeaux should be
813 – PAME – L – Château Canon 1959 – This wine has a military structure. It is a wine which has a perfect constitution. Strict, of a great intensity it does not neglect to be charming.
814 – PAME – L – La Tâche Domaine de la Romanée Conti 1961 – All in this wine is perfection. It is complicated and complex, and kaleidoscopic. It is incredibly truffle, and when drinking, I had the impression to chew a truffle, but not only that, as notes of roses arouse. The final is incredible
901 – PAME – XL – Chypre Commandaria Ferré 1845 – I am not rigorous enough, because I should put a "PIME" to this wine, which has the ultimate perfection, my best ever wine. But it is so great that I rank it within the PAME.
902 – PAME – XL – Chypre Commandaria 1845 – This one is greater that the Ferré, with candied oranges, when the Ferré has more pepper and liquorice
903 – PAME – XL – Château Latour 1928 – It is certainly one of the greatest Latour that I have ever drunk. When I drink it, I feel gravity, and I fall in meditation, to try to catch every piece of the message of this extremely complex and perfect wine. Coming from the cellar of my son, it has even more value for me.
904 – PAME – XL – Volnay Clos des Santenots Domaine Prieur 1945 – I would never have expected such a glorious wine. It shows perfection
905 – PAME – XL – Château Suduiraut 1947 – an extraordinary performance of an immense wine. It gives a feeling of perfection
906 – PAME – XL – Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 1947 – It is most certainly the best Pichon Comtesse that I have ever drunk. In my glass, I have what I would consider as the ideal taste of a Bordeaux wine. 1947 could represent now the ideal taste for a wine for me, as 1928 and 1929 were my ideal twenty years ago.
907 – PAME – XL – Château de Fargues Sauternes 1955 – Immediately, when I sip it, I think of Yquem 1955, a glorious Yquem. This one is different and has grace and elegance. It is charming and subtle.
908 – PAME – XL – Puligny Montrachet maison Pierre Ponnelle 1957 – who would expect from that wine to give such an emotion. We were amazed to see that
909 – PAME – XL – Château Bédat, Podensac, Graves Supérieures 1959 – I love such miracles. This sweet wine which I have certainly bought for less than $5 performs divinely. Charming, agreeable, this wine, when one accepts that it has not the structure of an Yquem, brings a great pleasure, as age gives a specific charm.
910 – PAME – XL – Bâtard-Montrachet Chanson Père & Fils 1959 – I think this wine is perfect. The colour is pure gold. It is extremely serene. A great wine
911 – PAME – XL – Riesling Hugel Sélection de Grains Nobles 1976 – This wine which I received as a gift of the regretted Jean Hugel looks like Jean : a lesson of elegance, race and perfection. Even if rich, this wine as a unique airiness. It is the demonstration of what Alsace can create.
1001 – PAME – XXL – Château Rayne-Vigneau Sauternes 1916 – I have rarely smelled such a tantalizing perfume. It is not necessary to drink, as the scent captures my brain. Honey, caramel and candied fruits are generously combined in this wonderful wine which has given me a unique sensation : the freshness evokes menthol, which is fabulous.
1002 – PAME – XXL – Champagne Mumm Cordon Vert années 1920 # – This wine was included in the lot that I have bought with 11 Lafite 1900, 12 Sigalas Rabaud 1896 and so on. This Mumm will be present in my paradise. It could belong in the top 20 of all the greatest champagnes that I have drunk. I have had a physical shock when I drank it.
1003 – PAME – XXL – Château Haut-Brion 1923 – This wine justifies completely the trip that I make along the years, opening the glorious and famous years and also the more discrete years. Because this Haut-Brion 1923 is perfect. Generous, it is absolutely not handicapped by this year and could compete with the greatest ones.
1004 – PAME – XXL – Chambertin J. Faiveley Tasteviné 1949 – drinking this wine after Pétrus 1959, I thought that it would be difficult. But in fact, this wine summarises exactly what a perfect Burgundy should be. Drunk with Chinese people for whom 1949 is an important year, the pleasure was more intense. This wine has youth, charm, velvet, perfection.
1005 – PAME – XXL – Corton Charlemagne Bouchard Père & Fils 1953 – When opening the wine, I have rarely experienced such a stinky smell. But five hours later not any ugly trace remained, and this wine is purely shining at a rare level. My friends and I we voted for this wine as first of the wine of a dinner with eleven wines. This wine is pure happiness.
1006 – PAME – XXL – Champagne Salon Mesnil sur Oger 1959 – drunk several times, this one was largely above every other, and justifies the legend
1007 – PAME – XXL – Pétrus Pomerol 1959 – drunk several times, this one was significantly above others. This wine explains perfectly why Pétrus has such fame.
As this ranking is made by comparison with my expectation, it is highly relative. So, I needed to add something. I gave notes to some wines which I consider as particularly brilliant. I gave notes only to some of them :
100 – Chypre Commandaria Ferré 1845
100 – Chypre Commandaria 1845
100 – Champagne Mumm Cordon Vert années 1920 #
100 – Corton Charlemagne Bouchard Père & Fils 1953
100 – Champagne Salon Mesnil sur Oger 1959
100 – Pétrus Pomerol 1959
99 – Corton Charlemagne J.F. Coche-Dury 1996
99 – Chambertin J. Faiveley Tasteviné 1949
98 – Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 1947
98 – Château Rayne-Vigneau Sauternes 1916
97 – Champagne Krug magnum Vintage 1973
97 – Riesling Hugel Sélection de Grains Nobles 1976
97 – Champagne Krug Clos du Mesnil 1985
96 – Château Haut-Brion blanc 1953
96 – Château Latour 1928
96 – Château Suduiraut 1947
96 – Château Haut-Brion 1923
95 – Château d’Yquem 1967
95 – Vosne Romanée Cros Parantoux Henri Jayer 1989
95 – Clos des Lambrays 1915
95 – Château La Gaffelière Naudes 1959
95 – La Tâche Domaine de la Romanée Conti 1961
95 – Château de Fargues Sauternes 1955
94 – "Y" d’Yquem Graves blanc 1980
94 – Château Haut-Brion Graves blanc 1983
94 – Champagne Salon 1995
94 – Château Latour Pauillac 1953
94 – Château Guiraud Sauternes 1893
93 – Chevalier Montrachet Bouchard Père & Fils 1988
93 – Château Lafite-Rothschild Pauillac 1943
93 – Chambertin Joseph Drouhin 1949
93 – Belem’s Malvoisie Vin de Madère 1934
93 – Volnay Clos des Santenots Domaine Prieur 1945
92 – Château Canon 1959
90 – Château Carbonnieux blanc 1953
Of course, as I am not used to notations, this is only an indication. But these wines were absolutely successful when I drank them. Sorry for this long message, but I hope that you have found interest in some of this information.
(la vue de notre table, un soir d’été)
