1955 Gonzalez Byass

[jdaw1]

Cliff decided that we needed a Celebration of 1955, and volunteered many many bottles. Harry organised. Others were grateful. It started at lunchtime, on Tuesday 13th June 2023, at the Boot & Flogger.

Links:

• Review of the event as a whole;
• Tasting notes, grouped by tasting-note pages in the placemats:
  • • 1955 Pol Roger Double Magnum;
    • 1955 Château Climens;
    • 1955 Château d’Yquem;
    • 1955 Kopke Colheita;
  • • 1955 Romanée St. Vivant Louis Latour Les Quatre Journaux;
    • 1955 Château Rauzan-Gassies;
    • 1955 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou;
    • 1955 Château Beychevelle;
    • 1955 Château Cheval Blanc;
    • 1955 Château Lafite;
  • • 1955 Offley;
    • 1955 Niepoort;
    • 1955 Theinpoint (likely Butler Nephew);
    • 1955 Mackenzie;
    • 1955 Gonzalez Byass;
    • 1955 Amandio’s Silva & Filhos;
    • 1955 Tuke Holdsworth;
    • 1955 Morgan;
  • • 1955 Rebello Valente;
    • 1955 Real Vinicola;
    • 1955 Spratley;
    • 1955 Hooper;
    • 1955 Burmester;
    • 1955 Unknown Bottled by Peatling and Cawdron;
  • • 1955 Fonseca;
    • 1955 Taylor (Newcastle Breweries);
    • 1955 Taylor (Harvey’s);
    • 1955 Croft;
    • 1955 Dow;
    • 1955 Warre;
    • 1955 Graham;
    • 1955 Gould Campbell;
  • • 1955 Smith Woodhouse;
    • 1955 Martinez;
    • 1955 Cockburn;
    • 1955 Quinta do Noval;
    • 1955 Sandeman;
    • 1955 Ferreira;
• The placemats;
• Planning and arrangements.

[Alex Bridgeman]

A mature copper-brown colour, 30% opaque. Sweet and sour sauce on the nose, blending sweet fruit with sour acidity; delivering lots of lime marmalade. Two hours later the nose has gone a little dirty and disjointed. Quite neutral on entry, but the wine has a nice balance between the brown sugar sweetness and the fruit acidity which manages to keep the palate fresh. Brown sugar on the finish, leading to bruised apple. The fruit on this wine has faded and the wine has evolved to a wholly tertiary phase of its development. It's perfectly enjoyable, but long past its best. 88/100. Tasted 13-Jun-23. Decanted 14 hours.