Here are notes about some wines recently drunk. Thiese notes give comments according to my taste, which never pretends to be universal. It is the contrary !

Champagne Louis Roederer 2003 : not bad, but not really exciting. It is refreshing, nicely built, but lacks emotion.

Montrachet Chartron et Trébuchet 1991 : already mature, with signs of evolution. It is a wine which normally should not be kept as long as 19 years, but as it is, accepting the evolution, it is a very great wine. I love the smoked aspects, which do not hide the remaining fruits. I have adored this Montrachet, not powerful, not with an extreme personality, but giving pleasure.

Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape 1990 : this is a « wow » wine. All in it perspires glory. Very genuinely Chateauneuf, it fills the mouth with body, charm and accomplishment. A pure pleasure.

Champagne Comtes de Champagne Taittinger 1995 : there is a great similarity between the Beaucastel and the Taittinger, as the impression of full accomplishment is there. This champagne combines honey and yellow fruits. I adore this expression of champagne which is very unconventional as it is neither wine like nor romantic like. Great pleasure

Champagne Dom Pérignon in magnum 1998 : not bad, but not really inspired. It is the second day, when the bubble was softer, that I recognised what I like in Dom Pérignon, the white flowers and the romanticism.

Rimauresq Côtes de Provence 1983 : if I had to fall in love with a wine, it would be this one. It has the ripeness of the Côtes de Provence, with a fantastic maturity given by age. I adore this wine, full of qualities. Age adds to such wines a minimum of 6 Parker points (this is an image, but not far from the truth).

Champagne Krug 1995 : this is a nice champagne, but at this stage of its life, there is a certain lack of emotion. Nice, but not emotional enough.

Clos de la Roche domaine Dujac 2004 : I have even more admiration and adoration towards this wine than what I feel for the Rimauresq 1983. This is for me, what I adore in Burgundy. This wine is an elegant perfect gentleman.

Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2004 : I had ordered this wine to see how it behaves next to the Clos de la Roche for the same millesime. Alas, there was no fight. The Clos de la Roche was too perfect compared with the Rayas, which is a wine that I adore. But the charm of a CdP cannot compete with the complexity of a Burgundy of this calibre.

Champagne Salon magnum 1997 : when this wine was presented for the first time I was invited by Didier Depond to attend the ceremony. And I found it a little light. And Didier told me : “wait and see”. And I must say that at this stage of its life, this champagne performs as I like Salon : romanticism and personality. I love it for its grace, knowing that the power is not there.

Château de Selle, vin des domaines d’Ott 1999 : nice modern style wine, full of charm.

Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape 1985 : charming wine, all in grace, more pleasant for me than the 1990. This is said from memory and not through a comparative tasting.

Mont-Redon Châteauneuf-du-Pape 1978 : put together with the Beaucastel 1985. The two are completely different and react differently with food. I would be embarrassed to choose which one I prefer. Probably the Mont-Redon would be my favourite, due to the velvety charm and the elegant construction.

Champagne Laurent Perrier Grand Siècle in magnum having around ten years : age benefits to this champagne. Recent ones were rather uninspired, but this one is a wine that I adore : as soon as the magnum is served, it is time to open the next one ! It is what I name a “champagne de soif”, a “champagne for thirst”.

These wines were drunk during vacation. I open more easily champagnes because in hot summer, this is what is more acceptable. And the format of magnum is absolutely necessary if I want to work a little less by opening. I work twice less !

The wines of South of France are perfectly adapted to this period of time, wines of sun.

If I had to name two wines, it would be Clos de la Roche Dujac 2004 and Rimauresq 1983.