Château Margaux – 1963

1963 was a bad year for Bordeaux, in a time before the technical advances we now enjoy could mitigate the worst characteristics of a poor vintage; in ’63, cold, wet, rot and hail were all major problems for growers, and it was a vintage of light, acidic wines which by and large did not age well. So we approached this ’63 without great expectations, compounded by the bottle being full only to below the shoulder.

On opening, there is a fine, very attractive but short-lived perfume that is at least classic Margaux; it is replaced in fairly quick succession by similarly light but less elevated touches of leather and creosote and the more expected dry wood and pencil lead.

Fragile and faded, but still with the elegant structure of a once very fine wine.

88 points   

Marqués de Murrieta – Ygay – Etiqueta Blanca – 1978

The Etiqueta Blanca (white label) is a no-longer-made crianza from the great, historical bodega Marqués de Murrieta. Once emblematic of the most traditional, age-worthy wines, the whites made in very oxidative styles, in recent years the bodega has been making a lot of wines in more international, less Rioja-distinctive styles. This white label showcases the lasting power of a wine that is perhaps not very grand but which was properly made with quality fruit.

On opening, some slightly metallic, bretty (?) notes blow off to reveal a classic bouquet of mature, red fruit (cranberry, redcurrant) and mushrooms in the undergrowth, with the residual awareness this wine once had a fair lick of oak. On the palate, brightly acidic, a little too much so to make the wine very attractive without food.

Coming back to this the following day, it surprises us by having grown in weight; the oak is more prominent, and the wine seems more balanced. The bouquet is now slightly smoky blood oranges, and there is a touch of curry spice. Perhaps not quite the same depth as some other Riojas of a similar age, but a beautiful example of well-aged Rioja. 

92/100

Sake Diary - Ho-Ne – Houraisen – Junmai Ginjo

A bottling by the Houraisen brand for the Bone Daddies ramen bar in Soho, still the closest London equivalent to New York’s über-cool Fatty Crab restaurant.

We did wonder if the restaurant had muddled their tasting notes; they claimed “tropical notes with a long savoury finish”, but that is a very misleading description. Fresh, floral and melony. Not milky or creamy as sake often is, but mouth filling, with well-defined notes of fennel and star anise on the finish.