2014 Joseph Drouhin Bâtard-Montrachet, 2008 Bonneau Martray Cort-Charlemagne, 1966 Château Latour, 2004 Château Lafleur, 1975 & 1982 La Mission Haut-Brion

Kieron very generously hosted dinner at Shang Palace on 13 August 2024 on a main theme of Bordeaux where the wines, very remarkably, were still robust and singing right down to the 1966. In contrast, the Drouhin Bâtard, at ten years, was way too developed for its age in colour and tone, raising the question whether this venerable domaine is going down the same path of rapid oxidation as Leflaive. I wouldn’t have been alarmed if not for the fact that a recent bottle of 2009 Drouhin Montrachet Marquis de Laguiche had also fared poorly. You’re advised to pop and check your bottles. Many thanks, and many happy returns!

2006 Champagne Salon, courtesy of Kieron. Pale golden. This wine is still resolutely primal, exuding a superb lift of green fruits, fig and chalky elements with a crystalline tone in stark contrast to its crisp incisive intensity on the high-toned palate, underpinned by ferrous minerals. Wonderfully fresh and vibrant but probably best to refrain from popping another for the next decade.

2000 “Y” d’Yquem, courtesy of Sir Bob. Displaying a very lovely golden luminosity, this dry white proffers a medium presence of orchard fruit approaching early maturity, having shed its previous vanillin sheen to reveal a crystalline clarity beneath its burnished tone of toast and apricot, immaculately proportioned with restrained acidity.

2014 Domaine Joseph Drouhin Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru. Aired in bottle for two hours in advance. Surprisingly deep golden in colour for a ten-year-old from an outstanding vintage, raising questions about its provenance although this bottle came straight from FICOFI and has never been moved from my cellar. Consistent with its colour, this wine is more developed as well, opening with grapefruit and lychees amid weighty secondary overtones, not unlike a Leflaive. The slick medium-full palate is imbued with a prominent note of raw nutmeg that imparts a distinct spicy lift, settling down quite quickly with elegant restraint and understated verve before turning more agile with a focused intensity, finishing with muted moderate length. Are Drouhin’s whites oxidising faster than usual, like those of Leflaive?

2008 Domaine Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru, courtesy of Vic. Pale. Gentle lift of honeysuckle and nutmeg on the nose. The fullish palate is very well integrated but somewhat reductive from its distinct body of highly refined minerals, proffering good clarity with delicate supple intensity that taper with fine linearity to a modest finish. Still incredibly youthful, brimming with controlled verve.

2004 Château Lafleur, courtesy of Vic. Deep crimson. This wine opens with an attractive earthiness amid overtones of warm gravel, laced with a dash of sweetness. Soft and highly pliant though there is a firm structured base of earthy tones supporting the darkish ample fruit that impart fine linearity, turning a little more intense over time.

1976 Domaine Robert Ampeau et Fils Volnay-Santenots 1er, courtesy of LF. Distinctly mature in appearance and feel, displaying an evolved pinot tint with a distant rosy fragrance, boasting a palate still remarkably full and robust, the fruit a little rustic in its autumnal ripeness, producing a gentle sweetness with overtones of lychees. Almost racy.

1982 Château La Mission Haut-Brion, courtesy of Kieron. Crimson core with some bricking at the rim, opening with a hint of capsicum amid a darkish complex of tertiary characters. Beautifully rounded and integral, its tannins much more elegant and refined compared with the 1975, boasting superb verve and plush succulence from its fleshy depth of darkish fruit that glowed with a bit of orangey brightness.

1975 Château La Mission Haut-Brion, courtesy of LF. Good colour. Rather restrained on the nose. The palate is still pretty robust, fairly crisp and somewhat angulated with an open rasping intensity on a floor of raspberries and wild berries, supported by an understated vein of stern ferrous elements. Distinctly masculine, almost rustic, still carrying plenty of verve. Far from drying out.

1966 Château Latour, courtesy of Sir Bob. Good colour. Slightly minty on the nose where dark currants, capsicum and blackberries dominate. The palate is surprisingly full and vibrant, superbly delineated and structured with elegant tannins that exert youthful intensity and fine precision. Richly layered and utterly delicious, exuding darkish overtones laced with lively acidity without any hint of dryness. This could certainly go on for a few more decades, giving the impression that it has not even peaked. Unbelievable!