1993 Ch Latour, 2001 Ch Mouton Rothschild, Château Lafite Rothschild 2001 & 1985

Some recent talk amongst the few of us sparked this First Growth dinner at Imperial Treasure Great World on 03 September 2020 where, coincidentally, both whites hailed from the same vintage while we were able to pair the Lafite and Mouton of 2001.

1979 Champagne Drappier Réserve de l’Oenothèque, courtesy of LF. Deep dull golden. Dense mature nose of old yeast, apricot, cinnamon and aged honey underscored by caramelised nutty tones that imparted fabulous complexity. Still remarkably fresh with superb concentration and acidity that produced a highly refined dry intensity, mellowing with rounded elegance after some time. Still has the legs to last another generation.

2009 Domaine Leroy Puligny-Montrachet Sous le Puits 1er, courtesy of LF. Pale. White floral tones on the nose with some early complexity. Rather placid with very fine concentration of fruit, displaying good clarity with a restrained intensity. Turned a bit more creamy after some time, revealing some icy detail with a hint tropical fruit. Fleshed out with very fine intensity, taking on a gorgeous refined elegance as it finished with traces of spicy green chilli. Excellent.

2009 Domaine Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru, courtesy of Kieron. Pale. Restrained characters of light morning dew and delicate white tones, glowing later with delectable crème de la crème that lit the palate with piercing crystalline clarity amid overtones of pomelo and white citrus, finishing well.

2001 Château Lafite Rothschild, aired in bottle for ninety minutes and then further decanted on-site. Deep garnet red. Delicious bouquet of red currants, cherries and dark roses that is simply quite lovely. Absolutely harmonious with superb freshness and supple intensity, subtly structured and fleshy. Developed greater depth with more of the smoky Pauillac tobacco character coming on, turning a bit cooler darker and more introspective over time. Drinking very well but may not have peaked.

2001 Château Mouton Rothschild, courtesy of Kieron. Deep garnet red. Clearly imbued with excellent depth of red fruits and dark currants though unexpectedly restrained on the nose. Softly rounded, laced with very fine acidity that imparted a sense of distilled essence with a trained focus on the medium-bodied palate, fleshing out with a bolder velvety Pauillac presence late in the evening that threatened to upstage the Lafite of the same vintage though it remained a tad short.

1985 Château Lafite Rothschild, courtesy of Sir Robert. Deep crimson. Effusive in green capsicum and the hallowed glow of distilled red fruits. Rather fleshy. Softly rounded and open, gently layered with inviting characters of haw and camphor laid on austere earthy minerals, displaying great harmony and length though it remained rather subdued on the whole.

1993 Château Latour, courtesy of Vic. Deep crimson. Hint of earth and capsicum amid rosy hues, displaying good concentration and definition with its lively acidity still intact, tinged with a trace of burly green. Harmonious though not really your usual structured and layered Latour, missing that extra dimension of greatness as it finished short with a bit of spice.