November lunch notes:

2002 Larrivet Haut Brion – lots of colour, given the age. Decent
nose, decent flavours, and medium length. Pleasant but not
outstanding. Nice to get a decent white Bordeaux.

1991 Ch. Musar – the white Musar is Serge Hochar’s favourite even over
his red. Lots of colour, an intense and interesting nose with some
pear and spice, big flavours, and long finish. Only a hint of
oxidation.

1995 Dom. Santa Duc Gigondas ‘Hautes Garrigues’ – snagged this one out
of the cellar at the last minute, sitting up among some others waiting
for tasting. Plums, iron/blood spice and (surprise) garrigues in the
nose, medium body with excellent flavour depth, long and fresh. No
rush.

1997 Terra d’Or Cote d’Aix en Provence – this Chapoutier wine was
quite dark and dense with cassis and spice notes in a fairly ripe
nose, quite a sweet entry and good length. Interesting. Drinks well
now.

1982 Ch. Phelan Segur – this St. Estephe surprised me when the label
was revealed – it was batting above it’s expected level. A slight pong
in the otherwise typical Bordeaux nose, smooth on palate with a bit of
green impression, and a slight sweetness at the end. Not bad.

1999 Ch. Malescot St. Exupery – must have been a full moon, we were
turning this into a claret fest! This Margaux offered up a funky
sausagey nose with some cocoa, but it seemed strangely flat in taste
in the middle, smooth in feel but a bit monolithic and without any
complexity.

1999 Ch. Barde Haut – a St. Emilion that I’d never tried before. .Rich
sweet nose with plum and cedar, mellow and smooth on palate, very
tasty and ready to roll.

2004 Van Zeller – sweet multi-vitamin nose simple wine without great
length , a bit cloying at the end.

1987 Fonseca Guimaraens Port – I recall with delight meeting Bruce
Guimaraens several times, but had never had this Port. Unlike other
houses that take grapes from a specific vineyard and make single
quinta ports (Vargellas etc.) this is a vintage Port made from blended
grapes from their properties, made in a lesser vintage. Sweet nose
with coffee and chocolate, and maybe a hint of anise, very ripe but
not too sweet in the mouth. Very pleasant.