2004 Chapoutier Chante Alouette Hermitage Blanc – at first a slightly
funky nose, but time in the glass revealed some decent fruit. Fair
amount of yellow in the colour, and in the mouth, an oily feel on
entry, some decent tropical fruit flavours and decent length.
Nonetheless, a less than brilliant showing, and about the 3rd time
I’ve been underwhelmed by this wine. Wonder what is up?

1994 Dom. Lucien Barrot CNduP – I’d decided to pull a couple of CNduP
wines that were fully mature and needed drinking. This one was on the
light side in colour, and had an almost Burgundian nose with some
leather and mushroom, but that changed to dark cherry very quickly.
Tasty entry, good balance, medium length, very decent showing,
especially for a wine rated to be over the hill seven years earlier by
RP.

1994 Les Cailloux CNduP – another 94, a good vintage that has largely
been forgotten of late. RP rated this as being only 3 years past best
drinking, but I demur as I think it drank beautifully. The colour was
darker than the Barrot, and the nose showed significantly more
complexity with elements of cherry and olive, slight warmth and
sweetness, a pleasant melange. On palate it also showed a lot more
subtlety with very smooth texture and good length. Both wines were
good drinking now, and should be consumed in the near term. These
were the first bottles of either that I’ve opened.

2005 Ch. Filhot Sauternes – showing some colour, the wine had a decent
slightly botrytised nose, sweet entry, was distinctly lemony in the
mouth and finished with decent length. I doubt a lot is to be gained
by ageing this wine, though it will no doubt last well.

All three players triumphed in one cribbage game, so the glory and
pleasure were evenly divided!