Headed over to brother-in-law Beavington’s place for a joint birthday celebration (ours are 6 days apart, but he is a year older than me). We had some fabulous wines.

Champagne Philipponnat Clos des Goisses 2000
12% alcohol. From a south-facing, steeply sloped vineyard of 5.5 hecatres, this is a blend of 65% Pinot Noir and 35% Chardonnay, and it’s one of the best young Champagnes I’ve tasted. Full gold colour. Amazingly rich and complex with some toasty notes as well as hints of fresh raspberry and berry fruits, alongside the pear and apple fruit. Really structured and intense, yet fresh and mineral too. Brilliant. 97/100

Champagne R&L Legras Saint-Vincent 1996
12% alcohol. Old vine Chardonnay from Chouilly. Toasty, biscuitty, honeyed edge to the nose with apple and pear fruit. Very fresh palate is quite tight and acidic, with some herb notes and citrus/apple fruit. Fresh, assertive and quite savoury. Almost profound. 94/100

Francois Cotat Caillottes Sancerre 2009
15% alcohol. Unusual stuff. Pure, mineral and very fresh but also quite intense with some richness of texture from the high alcohol. It almost has a sake or fino sherry mouthfeel. Very youthful with potential for development. 93/100

Chateau la Conseillante 1995 Pomerol, Bordeaux
13% alcohol. Elegant, gravelly and fine with some mature notes alongside the cherry and plum fruit. Good structure still with nice fruit. Quite complex and rather elegant. A good time to drink this. 94/100

Chateau Gruaud Larose 1996 St Julien, Bordeaux
Full colour here – this still seems quite young. Good structure under the plum and blackberry fruit with good acidity and some mineral savouriness. Fine, gravelly and expressive, with some room for further development. Beginning to drink well now, though. 95/100