2001 Guigal Ex-Voto Rouge Hermitage
(100% Syrah; $150-$225 US)
While this wine lagged behind the La Turque, it was still a beautiful wine. It is built just the way I like my Syrah when young as it shows plenty of mysterious dark red berries and a striking core of acidity to age and age. With time some hints of dark smoky, spicy black cherries came out and I was really starting to fall for this wine. While both of the wines above were singing from the cork pop, this one started slow, but kept going. I would love to see what this offers in the future. Grade of A- (90-92 pts). Find this wine

Most days, the three wines above and the food at Eleven Madison Park would have been one heck of a treat, but not on this day. The main event (described below) regulated lunch to the level of a brown paper bagged peanut butter and jelly sandwich, carrot sticks, and Hi-C juice box. I will also add that I did not make another navigation mistake the rest of the trip (maybe there were some moments of confusion and poor choices, but I wouldn’t call them mistakes). My sudden improvement was due to the fact that Todd had my magnum of 1999 Philipponnat Clos des Goisses in his possession and was threatening to keep it for himself if I didn’t shape up and learn how to read a map.

With my improved navigating skills, we arrived at the lumberyard for the main event with time to spare. After getting cleaned up, we made our way downstairs and were greeted with a glass of bubbly. It would be the youngest wine of the night (1988 Grande Dame Rose), but was of high caliber and loaded with potential (I enjoyed it even though many of the group who prefer aged Champagne found it far too tart and acidic). You may also notice more high grades (A’s and 90+ pts) than normal. I consider myself a tough grader, but sometimes the wines are just “that good.” This was one of those times. As I return back to reality and my everyday life, I promise things will get back to normal.

All of the wines below were served blind with a sushi course. After each flight, the identity of the wines was revealed. My notes and ratings are based on tasting blind with slight adjustments made if the wine changed over the course of the night. As the wines were quite old, no adjustments were needed for potential after the wines were revealed. There were quite a few surprises of the night, but with bottles this old, variation plays a factor. And, of course, with the right circumstances and taken in the right context, blind tasting can be a great equalizer. I apologize if some of the notes are rather short, but when you are drinking 30 wines and having a good time, you can only do so much.

Opening Wine

1988 Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame Rose (from Magnum)
(38% Chardonnay, 62% Pinot Noir with an addition of Bouzy red wine)
Lots of dry red berries and red tinged pears on the nose. The palate is quite dry with lots of elegant red stained minerals. With some time in the glass, blood orange and caramel flavors come out. While this is not quite as big in flavors as it was a few years ago from 750 mL bottles, it shows amazing freshness and potential. Grade of A- (90-92 pts) with a shot at a Grade of A (93-95 pts) over time. Find this wine

Flight One

1969 Mumm Rene Lalou
(50% Chardonnay, 50% Pinot Noir)
Our host professed his love for this long forgotten cuvee and who is to blame him? This showed hints of sherry and wheat bread, yet had tons of acidity left. The rich orange and chocolate finish really brought this wine home. Grade of A- (90-92 pts). Find this wine

1969 Jacquesson DT
(100% Chardonnay; Disgorged 1985)
According to Jacquesson this is the greatest wine they have produced. And, to make the story more interesting they never “officially” released it. When it came time to originally release the 1969 Blanc de Blancs, Jacquesson tasted and hated the wine. This resulted in a large amount being used for the liqueur de triage of other cuvees. They tasted the few remaining bottles again in the mid-1980s and were astonished by how good it was. The end result was a limited late disgorged release.

One sip of this wine and now we are talking. This is “lumber” as it shows incredible depth of flavor with young acidity and seductive mocha, white chocolate, and pastry. I’m not sure how Jacquesson dosed this, but it is one heck of an aged late disgorged wine. Grade of High A- (91-93 pts).
Find this wine
 

1961 Laurent Perrier Grand Siecle
(A mix of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir; I’m not sure as to the percentages)
I didn’t even know they made a vintage Grand Siecle back in the day, but indeed they did and I am one happy fella to discover this. Hints of sweet nuts on the nose and big, rich tropical flavors on the palate lead this rare bottle into a finish of sweet milk chocolate. It continued to get better and better with each glass. Grade of Low A (92-94 pts). Find this wine
 

Flight Two

1964 Veuve Clicquot
(33% Chardonnay, 67% Pinot Noir)
Holy #$%@&*! This is one heck of an amazing wine. Rich, big, bold and haunting flavors of honey, pineapple, and deep dark chewy chocolate laced biscuit fill your mouth. I can still taste the finish on this wine. Ladies and Gentleman we have a winner. Grade of Very High A and maybe even an A+ (96-98 pts). Find this wine

1964 Charles Heidsieck
(25% Chardonnay, 75% Pinot Noir)
Think of sugar cookies and dab on some marzipan and you have this wine. It doesn’t knock you out, but it brings a smile to your face and has you reaching for another glass. Grade of Low A (92-94 pts). Find this wine

1962 Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame
(38% Chardonnay, 62% Pinot Noir)
Here is another very rare wine (even Veuve Clicquot doesn’t have any left). This was never released publicly and, just like the idea for Dom Perignon and many other top end cuvees, it was originally made as a special one-time release. It wasn’t until 1969 that the first Grande Dame hit the open market (the 1966 Grande Dame was also never officially released to the public). Find this wine

Wow, this has acidity out the Wazoo. This cannot possibly be from 1962, but it is! It’s full of flavor led by loads of citrus and biscuit with an incredibly long and tart finish. I wonder if the acidity will still be alive long after the fruit is gone. For now, who cares as I love drinking this amazingly young 45 year old concoction. In fact, this wine is in need of a little bit more age in my opinion. Grade of A- (90-92 pts).

Flight Three

1964 A.R. Lenoble (from Magnum) – served twice in different glasses to keep us honest
(Approximately 40% Chardonnay, 60% Pinot Noir)
This one was served to us twice in different glasses a few minutes apart and I have to admit that I couldn’t tell it was the same wine. I had a slight preference for the first glass, but maybe that is because it was tasted before and not after the Taittinger’s below. Regardless, this is a nice wine from a value-oriented producer. The nose was very rich with notes of caramel and spiced sherry. Unfortunately, the palate dropped off a bit with dry citrus and acidity summing up the flavors. I was disappointed for a bit, but then the finish came roaring back with spicy citrus and graham cracker flavors that straightened me back up. This wine is a little uneven, but it is still a good ride.
Grade of Low A- (89-91 pts). Find this wine

1964 Taittinger
(40% Chardonnay, 60% Pinot Noir)
Rich, creamy, and full of white biscuits. A good dose of sweet cream and honey comes through on the back of the palate and finish. Tasty stuff and almost as good as its big brother below.
Grade of High A- (91-93 pts). Find this wine

1964 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs
(100% Chardonnay)
At dinner, we all discussed how this is still a bit of an overlooked tete de cuvee. I’m not sure why as it drinks great young and gets even better with age as it sometimes turns wild and tropical. We were all in agreement that it is undervalued and a definite buy.

Tons of zesty and spicy citrus notes lead into toasty white bread and a creamy, zesty, tropical citrus spiked finish. I really like this wine and quickly drained my glass. Grade of Low A (92-94 pts). Find this wine

Flight Four

1964 Cristal
(40% Chardonnay, 60% Pinot Noir)
I’ve never been a big fan of old Cristal so for those of you that are, take my note with a grain of salt. Still, even blind this one stuck out like a bit of a sore thumb. A good dose of smoky sweetness and acidity led the charge, but the drive stopped short as the wine never went anywhere else. It just seemed that its better days had passed. It was in no way a bad wine, but it just didn’t measure up to its peers.
Grade of Low B (82-84 pts). Find this wine

 

1964 Dom Perignon
(50% Chardonnay, 50% Pinot Noir)
I’ve had shining examples of this bottle in the past and unfortunately this one was not in top condition. The luxurious slightly sweet, nutty, mocha, and rich fruit filled palate and long mouth coating finish weren’t in effect with this bottle. The fruit was there, but it seemed a little blunted and the finish started off sweet and mouth-coating, but then it just dropped off a cliff. There were some good notes of sweet peach and coffee in the wine, but overall this was a disappointment compared to what it could have been. When you are playing with older wines that is the hand you are sometimes dealt. Grade of High B (86-88 pts). Find this wine

 

1964 Krug
(27% Chardonnay, 53% Pinot Noir, 20% Pinot Meunier)
This wine was bringing its “A” game to the competition as dark biscuits, chocolate, orange led citrus, and a wonderful acidic streak all meshed. It resulted in a quickly drained glass. Grade of A (93-95 pts). Find this wine

1964 Pol Roger British Cuvee
(40% Chardonnay, 60% Pinot Noir)
This one started off a bit strange as oxidation and an attractive juicy, aged peach, apricot, and citrus fruit flavor really stood out. With some time in the glass a smooth, creamy, and nutty sweet dough flavor came out and this began to shine. A perfect example of what aged Champagne can be – wonderful new and sometimes strange flavors. Grade of Low A- (89-91 pts). Find this wine

For the reds below, I can’t recall exactly where one flight ended and the next began so I may have misplaced a few bottles (and possibly missed a few). What you see is how I can best remember it.

Flight Five

1952 Chateau Mouton Rothschild (1/2 bottle)
Quite rich and full of baking spice and hints of pipe tobacco. The fruit seems to have faded, but in its place is a plethora of complex tertiary flavors that make me go ga-ga for this. Grade of Lower A (93-95 pts).
Find this wine

1952 Chateau Margaux
Light in body and flavor, but I do enjoy the floral cherry notes and hints of tartness. This appears to be a little past its prime, but I would still gladly drink it. Grade of B (83-86 pts). Find this wine

1952 Chateau Latour
This wine had seen its better days, but I’m sure those days were glorious ones. Not Rated. Find this wine


1958 Louis Martini Cabernet Sauvignon
Oh man! An unbelievably deep nose of cherry tobacco, cedar, and sweet cinnamon leads into a luxurious mouth feel and flavors galore. Bake a cherry pie with dark cherries, spread some brown sugar on the counter, find some very old pencil shavings to sprinkle on the floor, and smoke a pipe. That is this wine. Unbelievable. This was my red of the night just edging out the 1964 Vega Sicilia below. Grade of High A (96-97 pts). Find this wine

Flight Six

1950 l'Evangile
Big and rich in the mouth with a good amount of tannins. This was quite youthful and full of life… maybe too much life. I enjoyed it, but it was deemed an imposter by those far more knowledgeable than myself. Not Rated Find this wine


1949 Chateau Pavie
This shows a lot of burned plastic on the nose. Some sweet cherry joins in, but it is just hard for me to get past the plastic. This just doesn’t seem to have it all together. Even with an underbody of sweet, fresh fruit, something seems off to me here. Grade of C+ (77-79 pts). Find this wine

1964 Vega Sicilia Unico
Ripe and spicy cherries greet me and I can hear myself mutter, “Oh yeah!”  The smooth and spicy velvet mouth feel is unbelievable. I must have had quite a bit by the time I tasted this wine because my last comment is, “Liquid Sex!” Grade of High A (96-97 pts). Find this wine

Flight Seven

1964 Bouchard Clos de Beze
A rather boring nose had me wondering about this wine, but the palate removed all doubts as it was alive with cinnamon, some gentle tannins, and wonderful red berries. A very nice wine. Grade of A- (90-92 pts).
Find this wine

1964 Louis Latour Corton Grancey
Hmmmm… this wine is quite the oxymoron. One sip shows hints of delicately spiced red berries and the next decaying and rotten berries. I’m not sure what to think so I will write it off. Not Rated. Find this wine

1964 Leroy Grand Echezeaux
Rich flavors of sweet and spicy cherries mix with a good dose of acidity. I think this may still have a long life ahead. A wonderful wine. Grade of Low A (92-94 pts). Find this wine

1964 Louis Latour Romanee-Saint-Vivant
This is a full bodied Burgundy with more sweetness than spice and tons of complex cherry and Christmas plum flavors. Amazingly, the acidity is still very present. Grade of Low A (92-94 pts). Find this wine

1969 Muga Prada Enea
Cedar spices and dark ruby cherries with a big mouthfeel when compared to the other reds. Viva Espana! Grade of A- (90-92 pts). Find this wine

Flight Eight

1962 Krug Collection
(36% Chardonnay, 36% Pinot Noir, 28% Pinot Meunier)
This appeared to be the consensus wine of the night and who I am to argue with that? On the pour, it was still tightly bound tasting more like an 1982 than 1962, but with time it really kicked into gear. Nuts, sherry, rich citrus, and vanilla crème brulée sum this superstar up. Grade of Higher A (94-96 pts). Find this wine

1971 Krug Collection (from Magnum)
(39% Chardonnay, 47% Pinot Noir, 14% Pinot Meunier)
Rich and ready to go. If you have this wine, I would recommend popping it because it is peaking. It has the signature Krug creamy, nutty, sherry and citrus flavors along with a dollop of zestiness that has it jumping around on your palate. Grade of A (93-95 pts). Find this wine

1979 Krug Collection (from Magnum)
(36% Chardonnay, 36% Pinot Noir, 28% Pinot Meunier)
Compared to every wine (except the 88 Grand Dame Rose), this wine showed shocking acidity. Spicy vanilla orange led the way for this spunky and youthful 28 year old. While this may have lacked the depth and complexity that only age can bring, of all the wines, this had the longest finish. Grade of Low A (92-94 pts). Find this wine

As the party wore on and more and more wine was ingested, I missed the 1976 Heitz Napa. I’m not sure how, but somehow I never got to it. There was also a 1950 CVNE Vina Real which was taken away as flawed before I ever had a chance to taste it.

My top 10 wines of the night

1. 1964 Veuve Clicquot
2. 1958 Louis Martini Cabernet Sauvignon
3. 1964 Vega Sicilia Unico
4. 1962 Krug Collection
5. 1964 Krug
6. 1952 Mouton Rothschild
7. 1971 Krug Collection (from Magnum)
8. 1964 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs
9. 1961 Laurent Perrier Grand Siecle
10. 1964 Charles Heidsieck

So there you have it; just another day in the life of an Angry Man, but maybe the day of my life. Looking back on all of the wines, the most amazing thing to me about this tasting was how well all the bubblies showed. While a few may not have been in peak form, none were badly “off.” I guess these guys are angry enough to scare any sellers of poor provenance bottles away. However, in addition to the high quality of the wines, what I took most from this tasting was that you can make a man angry and he will share his Champagne with you. Words cannot express my gratitude; I can only hope to convey my thanks for being invited into the lumberyard for a day and creating memories that will last long after the Champagne has faded. I’m trying hard to be angry like these guys, but so far I only qualify as being slightly annoyed.

Cheers!

Brad Baker

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