Ric’s 55: 1991 Leflaive Bienvenues-Bâtard, 2014 Bouchard Chevalier-Mont La Cabotte, 2008 Lafite Rothschild, 1982 Lynch-Bages, 1996 Latour, 1986 Heitz Martha’s Vineyard, 2008 Dominus & 1990 Penfolds Grange

A wonderful evening at Imperial Treasure Great World on 06 December 2022 where the theme was any white and any red that befits the occasion, knowing that this group would not fail. Many thanks, everyone, for your generosity.

2008 Champagne Dom Pérignon, courtesy of GPP. Clear luminosity. Very refined minerally lift on the nose, proffering subtle detail. Medium-full. Rounded with refined density of clear citrus that exert terse acidity, a little bold but seamlessly integrated. Impeccably proportioned.

2002 Champagne Louis Roederer Cristal, courtesy of Sir Bob. Luminous. Superb lift of gun smoke amid yeasty overtones. Medium-bodied. Copious concentration of lemon and yellow citrus, imparting supple intensity with lovely secondary characteristics. Still remarkably full and expansive with subtle shades and refined depth, oozing with sweet enticing detail.

1988 Champagne Krug, courtesy of Vic. Dark golden. Evolved characters of yeast, cinnamon and pomegranate on the nose. Still superbly fresh and full, covered in a sheen of very soft bubbles lit by bright ferrous elements within that conferred a slight medicinal tinge (not unlike pochai pills).

2010 Domaine Bouchard Père et Fils Meursault Les Gouttes d’Or 1er, courtesy of Kieron. Dull golden. Immeasurably complex on the nose, boasting cool icing and glacial tones tinged with mature oak. Superbly balanced with a lovely plump translucence that befits the expanse of white fruit and vanillin. Excellent.

2016 Domaine Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Chassagne-Montrachet Abbaye de Morgeot 1er, courtesy of LF. Pale, proffering a distant stony lift that some would term as “reductive”. Medium-bodied. Chiseled with clean precision, yet imbued with a distinct lithe agility and deftness, superbly balanced. Blossomed beautifully over time on the nose as it gained further transparency in the glass with a lingering presence. Excellent.

2014 Domaine Bouchard Père et Fils Chevalier-Montrachet La Cabotte Grand Cru. Pale, exuding a restrained elegance consistent with its subtle layering and cool balance. Rounded with an ethereal presence, just a little shiny on the mid-palate before fleshing out with more floral tones tinged with a whiff of menthol. Shows tremendous poise. Almost regal, just like a true Montrachet.

1991 Domaine Leflaive Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru, courtesy of Sir Bob. Weighty golden tint. Surprisingly restrained on the nose though it is still superbly fresh, displaying a relaxed placid presence imbued with subtle minerally shades that linger long after its quiet finish. Utterly seamless. At its best.

2008 Dominus, courtesy of Vic. Tasted blind. Deep purplish. Delicious depth of dark currants and raspberries. Medium-full, structured with dryish tannins tinged with sweetish enamel that gave away its New World origin though it is superbly nuanced like a Right Bank in every other way. Perfectly balanced with layered detail, yielding sharp definition as it lingered with a glowing spiciness. I nailed it.

1990 Penfolds Grange, courtesy of Sir Bob. Tasted blind, but it is immediately recognisable as the Grange. Deep garnet, boasting generous swathes of dark currants and black fruits with a minty forward balance laced with distinct notes of licorice, eucalyptus and bacon bits. Seamlessly integrated with dark supple intensity. Quite elegant and beautifully balanced in spite of its boldness, not at all hedonistic. May not even have peaked but it is truly excellent. I was spot-on.

1986 Heitz Cellar Martha’s Vineyard, courtesy of LF. Tasted blind. Beautiful deep crimson. Superb nose of mocha, chocolate and dark currants. Refreshingly supple. Still remarkably youthful, structured with understated sweet melted tannins. So wonderfully elegant, seamlessly layered with a hint of Pauillac likeness so much so that I’d thought it to be a 1982 or 1986 Mouton Rothschild. Outstanding!

1996 Château Latour, courtesy of Kieron. Deep ruby, generously endowed with a glorious inky expanse of black fruits and currants that exude that classic glow of mature claret, recalling capsicum, black truffles and wild berries. Superbly ripe and supple, having evolved into mellower proportions, subtly structured with impeccable balance. Like all great wines, this doesn’t call attention to itself. Quite the perfect aristocrat. Caught at its peak and will hold for many, many more years.

2008 Château Lafite Rothschild. Deep crimson. Classic Left Bank on the nose, though there is a hint of early secondary development, yielding dried wood, twigs, cedar and some earthiness. Medium-full, dominated by excellent depth of dark cherries punctuated with brilliant graphite from its ferrous mid-palate. Wonderfully fresh and lithe, glowing with superb balance. Highly successful. This vintage is specially embossed with the Chinese character 八 in red (for luck and anything auspicious) on the bottle.

1982 Château Lynch-Bages, courtesy of Hiok. Deep crimson with a predominance of red fruits and raspberries still has that freshness about them. Medium-bodied. Fully mature with a velvety softness, yet still so wonderfully lively and lithe, retaining its tannin structure, albeit very subtly shaded with dark capsicum, tinged with a dash of tobacco. Great stuff.