Birthday and other wines

Birthday and recent wines On Friday 25th May at Boundary Chave Hermitage Blanc 1993 Fully mature and in a great spot it waxed lyrical with nutty notes, it tasted fresh and vibrant ***** Chateau Lafite-Rothschild 1985 From a half this was smooth and refined with subtle notes of cigar box, tobacco, cedar, lead pencil, graphite, autumn leaves and subtle red fruits. Understated and classy it just glides across the palate and finishes long. This has perfect poise and is as good a glass of claret as you will ever encounter. ******(*) Chateau Latour 1985 More fruity and exuberant than the Lafite, this started off quite stern but really opened beautifully; it has cedar, saddle leather and plenty of ripe exuberant fruit. It is not a behemouth Latour but has plenty of structure and integrity to last for decades. *****(*) On Thursday 24th May at the Ledbury  Guigal Condrieu La Doriane 2007 First time tried this. It was young and a bit clumsy but clearly has many years to evolve with acacia and honey notes. **(**) Mullineux Schist Syrah 2010 It ran rings around two decidedly ordinary syrahs from Napa and Hunter. It was very classic northern rhone in style with good balance, acidity and tension, with good quality fruit. A touch hot on the finish but a very complete wine. This sells for £50 which seems ambitious given its roots but there is very little of it. ***(**) Chave Hermitage 1988 Ruby colour, restrained, elegant, quite lean but very complex with meaty, smokey, gamey, spicey, minerally overtones with a nod to elegance and finesse over power. ***** Hermitage La Chapelle 1990 This example was tight and wound up, despite being a tad too warm. Not showing very much of its huge potential. Was this a slightly off bottle or does this wine need another decade to evolve.?**(***) On 16th May "right bank" Dinner at RSJ Chateau Belair 1985 Initially tastes thin an reticent then opens delightfully. A stylidh old school right bank. **** Chateau Leoville Lascases 1945 This is timeless, long and hard, it is austere and has no charm, but it is immortal, Churchillian and quite thrilling. **** Chateau Rivesaltes 1930 Lively, with figgy notes. Glorious. ****