Some wines (for Jose!)

Ok, Jose has requested that I post notes/impressions on what I drink so here's an average day's drinking this week !! ;-))))

Chassagne Cailleretes 1er Cru Marc Colin 2002
was delightful. Quite precise, good use of oak. I noticed a hint of butterscotch as it opened up but didn't see this as a negative. This was lovely and quite refreshing. POX free and full of life.

Puligny Clos du Cailleret 1er Cru Domaine des Lambrays 2001 seemed more evolved but was interesting and enjoyable. Quite a fruity nose (I wrote sherberty!) Nice weight and was a good foil to the Colin.

Malescot St Exupery 1961
This had a haunting nose. Classic Bdx, I would have guessed 1985. Sublime. Could drink this all night. While most definately principally secondary aromas there was some nice restrained fruit there also. In no way thin or dried out.

Leoville Las Cases 1961
This was the best LLC I have ever tasted. There was much discussion on our table on the merits of this haughty estate. Some claimed that it rarely delivers what it promises (I agree) but this was wonderful. More delicate than the Malescot it still held up very well even at the end of play it retained a 'fullness' I sometimes find missing in my (limited) experience of LLC.

Leoville Las Cases 1970 was also lovely. The usual elegance. Perhaps a touch more dilute on the palate than the 61 but undoubtedly from the same stable.

The Chateau Pichon Comtese de Lalande 1981 shouted its arrival. This was bottled yesterday in comparison with what went before. Again incredibly youthful and suberb drinking.Fruit much more obvious. Long life ahead of this.

Ch Gazin 1989. Good deep colour. I concede it was not as 'clean'on the nose as the others but I really liked this I thought this had nice sweet fruit and was quite young.

Ch Vieux Chateau Certain 1989 had a superb nose. On the palate this was beautifully balanced. It retained some lovely fruit intertwinewd withe secondary complexity. Haunting.
Possibly my wine of the day. Until.....

Chateau Le Gay 89- popped and poured this was like a thoroughbread bursting out of the gate but striding with grace and elegance. On any other day this would have been a jaw dropping wine but its stable mates were of such a high pedigree. I loved this. A really hedonistic claret. Superb.

Ch Climens 89 -This had an intoxicating nose. I sniffed and sniffed before drinking. This was pudding in itself. Rich.Long.Sublime.

Smith Woodhouse 1994 Vintage Port- Rich and fruity but needs years to really strut its stuff. There is some lovely fruit on show, decent weight but the alcohol burn had not dissipated despite about 5 hours of decanting. This is supposed to be an early drinking port but on today's evidence it has years ahead of it.