Pol Roger 'Winston Churchill'..... Gevrey - Clos St. Jacques.....

Friday night dinner with our wine-partners friends chez nous.

Champagne "Cuvee Winston Churchill"	1985	Pol Roger

1/97. Acquired from London Sep-95 for $66 (imported for $75 net).
Not being a champagne freak I rarely have the opportunity to drink really good ones, let alone write a tasting note. This one however was a revelation. COLOR: Medium golden yellow, fountain of tiny bubbles keeps flowing upwards from the center of the glass.
NOSE: Extremely rich and creamy. Apples, toasted almonds etc., not unlike a rich and mature Meursault. This is wine, not just a bubbly juice, and a very good wine at that!
TASTE: The combination of richness, the myriad of flavors and the delicate bubbles all create a fantastic sensation on the palate. Not just a tasty, bubbly liquid but a serious, complex and harmonious extraordinary wine. A perfect match to the multi-flavored stuffed melon.
LENGTH: Perhaps aided by the bubbles, the aftertaste seems to last for ever.
TEXTURE & BALANCE: Rich and creamy yet translucent and "light". A mature wine that feels very fresh and full of life. Perfetto!
OVERALL: Extraordinary! By far the best champagne I ever had.
MARK: 19+/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? Yes.

Gevrey - Clos St. Jacques	1971	Clair-Dau

1/97. Acquired from London Sep-95 for $60 (imported for $73 net).
The third and last of this fantastic and rare old wine accompanied the main course of mustard roast beef.
COLOR: Pale brown-red, noticeable clearing towards the rim, plenty of sediments.
NOSE: The ultimate in mature (B) nose. The enticing sweetish aroma of dried prunes and dates totally mingled with old leather, wet forest floor to deliver the most exciting 'Bourgogne Nose' imaginable.
TASTE: After 26 years this 1er Cru still has the presence of a Grand Cru. Smooth as silk, completely harmonious nectar, where fruit acidity and tannins are all there but cannot be told apart. A rare experience that could (should?) be tasted without any food, although it went magnificently with the roast beef.
LENGTH: Medium long and complex aftertaste that lingers.
TEXTURE & BALANCE: Hard to refer to such a wine in terms of light or full body. Still plenty of delicate winyness with no signs of getting feeble.
OVERALL: Extraordinary! Every wine lover should at least once taste a truly great old (B).
MARK: 19/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? Yes.

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Jacob "Yak" Shaya.