NV Kopke White 50YO (bottled 2022)
Posted: 19:10 Wed 21 Sep 2022
Bottled in 2022 in a half bottle sealed with gold wax.
Deep amber in colour with a distinctly green rim; 40% opaque. A wonderful nose - there is some toffee and butterscotch, but also orange water and marmalade and exquisite floral perfume. Smooth on the palate, crushed velvet with depth and weight but still so smooth and enveloping. The flavours are extraordinary; intense fruit with dried apricot and dried mango under a huge wave of bitter-sweet orange marmalade. The acidity is immense, but very finely judged against the sweetness of the wine keeping the palate fresh and full of vibrant life.
And then you swallow the wine. And the explosion occurs. There is sticky-sweet Seville orange marmalade which overwhelms the senses, but then other more subtle tones cautiously emerge - star fruit and mango, lychee and nutmeg. The finish lasts several minutes, highlighting one prime flavour after another, but never in the absence of the marmalade.
This is an astonishingly good wine. It's not cheap; it's not easy to get hold of (the 2022 bottling has sold out); it comes only in half bottles - but OMG, what a legendary wine! 97/100. Drunk 20-Sep-22. Opened 1 hour.
Deep amber in colour with a distinctly green rim; 40% opaque. A wonderful nose - there is some toffee and butterscotch, but also orange water and marmalade and exquisite floral perfume. Smooth on the palate, crushed velvet with depth and weight but still so smooth and enveloping. The flavours are extraordinary; intense fruit with dried apricot and dried mango under a huge wave of bitter-sweet orange marmalade. The acidity is immense, but very finely judged against the sweetness of the wine keeping the palate fresh and full of vibrant life.
And then you swallow the wine. And the explosion occurs. There is sticky-sweet Seville orange marmalade which overwhelms the senses, but then other more subtle tones cautiously emerge - star fruit and mango, lychee and nutmeg. The finish lasts several minutes, highlighting one prime flavour after another, but never in the absence of the marmalade.
This is an astonishingly good wine. It's not cheap; it's not easy to get hold of (the 2022 bottling has sold out); it comes only in half bottles - but OMG, what a legendary wine! 97/100. Drunk 20-Sep-22. Opened 1 hour.