I am not sleeping terribly well; I’ve been up before three and unable to get back to sleep the past few nights. To fill the time I’ve been wondering about the best bottle of wine I have ever tasted. It wasn’t very difficult, it was the
Musigny Grand Cru 2005 from Mugnier
that I tried last year. The only problem is, [link2post id=”1407″]my note[/link2post] totally fails to capture the utter brilliance of that wine. I was very positive, certainly, but the wine existed on a higher plain of loveliness than I articulated; perhaps than I am capable of articulating. Its wondrous aromas, purity, finesse, style and total mind-bending brilliance really defy description. And I don’t own any: bums, bums, bums.
Difficult to be objective and obviously foolish. But 61 Palmer was very nice. Perhaps as I had jsut pulled off the croquet shot of my life. Also Egon Muller has produced the goods once or twice. And there was a bottle of La Mission 83 on the House roof that is difficult to forget.
Difficult to dissociate the wine from the event. I am afraid I was so appalled by de Vere opening the Mission on the roof whilst completely paralytic that it marred my enjoyment somewhat. Palmer 61 was indeed terribly good at a terribly jolly event, as had been Haut-Brion 61 and 66 when consumed with chums. But nothing beats Burgundy, and the sheer quality of Freddy Mugnier’s efforts in the 2005 vintage are a testament to the greatness of humanity’s achievements. A historically fantastic wine that should be enjoyed with the greatest of intellectual, hedonistic and visceral pleasure among enlightened friends who really can tell what makes it worth being alive.
However, as we know the limits of pleasure are yet to be defined or reached, so I am expecting much better things in the future. Perhaps when the Musigny 05 is mature… If someone has a bottle they’d like to open with me….
The various Romanee Conti’s we had at DRC deserve an honorable. Mind you, the Montrachet was better. It’s a hard life.