I had the great pleasure to attend one of the greatest wine dinners of my life. The topic was 1961 Bordeaux- for me the most complete vintage ever. To the 25 best wines of that vintage were 5 other wines served blind - all from the sixties. The dinner was finished with the most impressive Port I ever had - the brilliant 1963 Quinta do Noval Nacional.

I rarely award 100 points to a wine but here I did it for Ausone, Mouton Rothschild, Haut Brion, Margaux, Trotanoy, Lafleur, La Mission Haut Brion, 1968 Martha's Vineyard, 1961 Hermitage La Chapelle and 1963 Quinta do Noval Nacional. Thank you Robert for an unbelievable evening with the nicest of guests, a fantastic dinner at the marvelous Hotel Königshof in Munich. The wine service was, as always, impeccable led by the star sommelier Stephane Thuriot.

Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz 1961-1981 / Bin 389 is often referred to as ‘Poor Man’s Grange’ or ‘Baby Grange’, in part because components of the wine are matured in the same barrels that held the previous vintage of Grange. First made in 1960, by the legendary Max Schubert, this was the wine that helped to build Penfolds solid reputation with red wine drinkers.

Combining the structure of Cabernet with the richness of Shiraz, Bin 389 also exemplifies Penfolds skill in judiciously balancing fruit and oak. 

Gaja Tasting part II - the last 16 vintages included some great ones like 1975, 1978, 1997 and 1999.

Harlan Estate 2009 / The third year in a row with below-average rainfall, 2009 will go down as being a relatively even growing season, with very few heat surges during the summer months. September provided ideal ripening conditions with 12 days in the 90°s. Harvest began September 2. Nearly all lots were “in the barn” prior to a looming rainstorm (6 inches) that arrived on October 12. We gathered the final few blocks on October 18.

tasting notes

At this writing, the 2009 vintage is still in various stages of production, with some tanks still being pressed off, others having been barreled down and undergoing malolactic. Overall, a superlative vintage.

The Finnish summer has not started yet - the sea is still cold (+14c) and it's raining every second day - but the colder the weather is, the better is the taste:)

Here are some summer wines I have tried between the showers.

KRUG CLOS DU MESNIL 1995 / The toasty nose, with a suggestion of oak, is both subtle and layered. The structure is exceptional; the rich fruitiness of the vintage is combined charmingly with the stylish acidity of the Chardonnay. The concentration is perfect and the length of the taste does not leave any room for improvement. The wines of the 1995 vintage can usually be enjoyed at a young age but the rather unattached aroma of oak should be allowed to integrate into the fruitiness of the wine over time.

Wynns John Riddoch Magnum 1996 / There is still a lot of the dense blackcurrant fruit in this 1996 Wynns John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon. It is a pity that Magnums are priced at a premium in this country, and as a result are not overly popular. The cork on this wine was in great condition and the wine at very high shoulder. Well stored, Magnums mature at a slower pace, and primary fruit can still be present at close to 20 years, while secondary characters are well developed.

This wine is dominated by its firm, dusty and dry tannins. The structure of this wine is still excellent, but it needs red meat to go with it. The tannins are actually very similar to an aged Barolo, and so is the colour of this wine. The mouthfeel is reasonable, but falls off at the finish a little bit.

This is a classic Coonawarra wine, holding up well, and still showing the terra rossa infused vibrant fruit.

Score: 93/+++

Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Romanée-Conti 2010 / 20.0 points.

Fine colour. Aromatic, minerally nose. Not as fat as La Tache or Richebourg. A bit more of the stems. Best on the follow through. Very, very lovely complex fruit. Marvelous long, lingering finish. Truly excellent.

La Motte-tasting / La Motte Sauvingnon Blanc Cape South Coast "Pierneef" 2016: Bright yellow colour with green hue. Elegant and expressive nose with aromatic fruit, maracuja, mango, grapefruit, physalis, ripe apricots, kiwi and hints of hints of asparagus and lemongrass in the background. On the palate juicy with crisp acidity, excellent balance, succulent fruit, aromatic length and lingering citrus fruit in the finish. 93 points

Pierre Peters ‘Les Chetillons’ Blanc de Blancs 2008, 99 points /Nervously close to perfect.  I can’t think of a thing I would add or take away to this complete wine.  It is walking on a tightrope of acidity, tension, expansive minerality and restrained fruit.  There is finesse and power here at once. Devastatingly, my one and only bottle.  But worth it.  INCREDIBLE.