When a parcel of 20 top wines from the late Eighties and early Nineties comes your way, you don’t say no. But a pleasure shared is an even greater pleasure, as they say, so we tasted this collection of Bordeaux crus (including Lafite and Haut-Brion) plus a couple of „pirates“ (Penfolds Cabernet Sauvignon, Poggio Antico Brunello etc) with a bunch of Weinakademikers. Moderated by mega-knowledgeable sommelier Gerhard Retter (pictured) and tasted in Zieher Selection „straight“ glasses for maximum enjoyment, it was a bit of a challenge actually getting the bottles opened thanks to some very crumbly corks. But once done and with the wines sieved to remove their not inconsiderable amounts of sediment, the job was a good one. Personal favourite? Domaine de Chevalier 1989 with its hallmark cedarwood, cigarbox and pencil shavings nose and structured but oh so silky tannins. Surpirse of the tasting? Chateau Leoville-Barton 1988, a relatively cool and classic year, showing complex and restrained blackcurrant fruit intermingled with graphite and menthol, a bargain in comparison with the Grand Cru Classés.
