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10/03/2017

The duck should go well with the Petrus

by Doug Rumsam
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Without question, one of my favourite days of the year.

A round of golf that went down to the wire. Edged out at the last by a nifty 5 iron and a safe putt from Mr Boom. There’s always next year…cue bragging over dinner.

A Cold beer and coffee later, we were whisked off to a magical private table for the main event. Chefs huddled silently, as they set about their task with warrior-zen focus. The lobster, avocado and caviar and the ceps with chicken and soft boiled egg, were two dishes that had one of us dancing in his chair:

Onto the wines:

1989 Corton Charlemagne, Coche Dury

Slow starter. If you ordered this at a restaurant and the sommelier poured you the first glass, you would wonder what all the fuss is about. Restrained, a little lacking in vibrancy and punch. Then, thirty minutes later, “oh, that's the fuss”. One hour later, “holy smokes”. Rich, vanilla notes, fine and deep aromatics. It enters, understated, and just builds in momentum. Oily, fresh as a daisy, ultra long... perhaps though, just lacking the extra energy and spark to transport us up to the rare altitude touched by Coche on occasion.  97pts DR

1976 La Tache, DRC

Another one that’s a little sleepy tonight. First sip, underwhelmed. Poured and waited for the magic. Ever so gently, here she comes... light mushroom notes, soy and gentle Asian spices, with wafts of smoke and delicate tomato broth. It grew brighter as the night progressed and really shone towards the end. Delicate soul that has a little life in her yet, just needs some coaxing. 96pts DR

1970 Petrus

There’s no dilly dallying here, the extrovert has entered the building. Sassy, vibrant and full of energy. There’s a pronounced lick of menthol. Velveteen, luxurious, thick, dark fruits and rich in iodine, this still has a long life ahead. Stonking… and yes it did go well with the Duck. 99pts DR

1989 Wehlener Sonnenuhr TBA, Prum

Liquid marmalade on steroids. Very primary, but a little fat. Not quite living up to billing. Concentrated and racy, but a little underwhelming. Fell foul of the weight of expectation... stage fright? 93pts DR