1969 Ch Pichon Baron & 1969 Ch d’Yquem…

It was Vic’s turn to celebrate his big round number with a fine dinner at Shang Palace, Shangri-la Singapore, on 09 July 2019. Quite unusually, the number of wines drunk that evening was considerably less than usual but what mattered most was quality, the birthday boy himself springing a pleasant surprise with a couple of 1969s, no less. Nobody minds pushing the boat out for Vic’s special occasion. Many happy returns!!

2008 Philipponnat Clos des Goisses Extra Brut, poured from magnum. Smooth, dry but reticent. Full-bodied yet exuding a feminine feel in its delicate fleeting concentration of citrus, pomelo and melons, replete with mild toasty characters amid yeasty overtones. Developed a deeper tone over time with further depth but without any significant complexity. I felt this champagne wasn’t quite as exuberant as a magnum tasted last year at a FICOFI event. May be shutting down a little. Perhaps best to lay down for a few more years.

1999 Domaine de Montille Puligny-Montrachet Le Cailleret 1er, courtesy of MH. Poured from magnum. Somewhat reserved on the nose though complex white floral characters are clearly discernible, but this wine fans out very beautifully on the palate with a gentle glowing intensity of pears, nutmeg and aged chalk, imbued with a lovely delicate density amid traces of earthy pungency. Still fresh and youthful, layered with subtle nuances as it took on a elegant sheen of creme de la crème over time, becoming almost ethereal. Very close in character to a Montrachet Grand Cru, which isn’t surprising at all as de Montille’s plot of Le Cailleret is immediately closest to that Holy Grail of whites on exactly the same north-south line. This is where the smart money should be.

2003 Domaine Faiveley Chambertin Clos de Beze Grand Cru, courtesy of Sanjay. Bright vermillion. This wine exudes a deep aromatic bouquet of red and dark plums and red cherries that promised tremendous verve on the palate, tautly drawn with exciting acidity and tension, highly supple, amply layered with ripe fruit amid traces of earth as it finished on a note of ferrous ore. Excellent.

1997 Ch Margaux, courtesy of CJ. Deep garnet core with vermillion at the rim, proffering a delicious deep fragrance of violets, blueberries and dark currants. Medium-bodied. Softly rounded, displaying superb suppleness, transparency and complexity with a distinct limestone lift amid a dominant plummy tone, developing further notes of snuff and tea leaves although it seemed to lose a bit of linearity towards the finish.

1969 Ch Pichon Baron Longueville, courtesy of Vic. Poured from magnum. Recorked in 2002. Deeply colored. Medium-bodied. Still imbued with excellent freshness, proffering gentle medicinal aromas with a mild earthy pungency that led to a palate of dark fruits, mulberries and soy. Highly supple, showing good concentration and intensity with acidity that’s still remarkably fresh. Quite excellent.

1969 Ch d’Yquem, courtesy of Vic. Deeply coloured, exuding a rich bouquet of apricot and honey meringue of great complexity amid gentle medicinal tones whilst the fruit is distinctly laid above a tarry base of graphite minerals, still imbued with enough freshness and acidity. Not drying out. What a privilege!