Sweet Success

After a good night's work, we needed a few wines to settle down. Winemaker men from Hawke's Bay, Marlborough and Central Otago were in attendance.
First up was the new Bollinger Special Cuvee Rose NV. Fuller, softer, broader than the regular 'blanc' Special Cuvee with sweet berry fruit aromas appearing in and out. Not quite the sweet success it was at its first showing a few weeks back.
Then on to a mystery red, which most of us failed in playing wine options. The 2002 de Vogue Chambolle-Musigny was pretty meaty, full and bretty. Or was it lady-bug excretion as with the 2004s? But it all worked in spite of these menaces. More an expression of the vintage than of de Vogue? It was somewhat atypical for de Vogue from whom I expected something more fragrant and ethereal. A sweet success? I'd say so.
Followed by two Sauternes. Would these be sweet successes? The 1986 Ch. Lafaurie-Peyraguey was pale, lifted by VA, but tight and youthful. A lovely dry finish put Hawke's Bay wine man in a spin, as he wished he could replicate it. This was a wine that could handle another decade easily. Then on to the 1989 Ch. d'Yquem, in a half bottle. Intriguingly darker coloured with more evolution. Broad and barley-sugar like, this was medium weighted and still very lively. It didn't climb all over the previous wine, but we imagined what a 1986 Ch. d'Yquem would be like. Both this and the Ch. Laufaurie-Peyraguey were really sweet successes.