Discover a collection of our most prestigious tasting events performed around the world over the past 35 years. Where wine isn’t just a beverage; it’s a cultured companion, a liquid maestro orchestrating marvelous symphonies on the taste buds. At the time, although expensive, the wines featured here were accessible and to taste them once in a lifetime was possible.
Today, unfortunately it’s only a billionaire’s hobby.
From Paris to Japan, passing by Stockholm, Peter has performed 20 historical tastings and you will find the tale of some of these below. A tasting is a fascinating experience where you can compare a wine between different vintages. Finally, when a tasting includes vintages spanning over a longer period of time, it allows you to see how the progress of wine making methods has led to better and better wines.
2018 Romanée Conti La Tache 1943-2000, Tokyo
Date: 27 October 2018 Gakushi Kaikan 3-28 Chiyodaku. Tokyo
A historical fine wine tasting took place in Tokyo featuring Romanée Conti La Tache DRC vintages 1943-2000 by Wine Collector, Peter Thustrup, of the following bottles
DRC La Tache 1943
DRC La Tache 1963
DRC La Tache 1972
DRC La Tache 1978
DRC La Tache 1982
DRC La Tache 1989
DRC La Tache 2000
A dinner followed by: Chef Cuisinier Mr Tanaka
1991 Kyoto tasting: The double delight tasting
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗼𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗧𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: La Romanée Conti in the heart of Japan
In 1991, I was living in France and was becoming more and more intrigued with Japan. I wanted to create a striking event linking the essence of French wine, La Romanée Conti in Vosne Romanée, the pearl of Burgundy, with the essence of Japanese culture, the tea house Ichi Riki which is in their beloved former capital, Kyoto.
The mythical Romanée Conti is the oldest and most renowned wine domain in all of Burgundy and probably in the whole world, it is the wine all french wine connoisseurs have heard of, but never tasted. The vineyard Romanee Conti was first mentioned under the name of “Cros des Clous” in 1131 and in 2019, the climats, terroirs of Burgundy were inscribed on the UNESCO world heritage list.
The venerable Ichi Riki is the tea house all japanese have heard of but that almost nobody has had the privilege to visit. It is located at the epicenter of Kyoto, in the discrete select neighborhood called Gion. But don’t try to stop there for dinner, not even just to come in and take a look… To cross the threshold, you have to be invited by two of their select honorable guests. Ichi Riki is an exciting place full of history, where the events of the legend of the 47 Ronins took place. Every Japanese you will meet knows this legend. In this story, the 47 Ronins lost their master who was wrongfully forced to commit the ritual suicide “Daimyo”, following a dispute with his enemy Kira Yoshinaka. As a result, the vengeful ronin fighters pretended to lose their way in alcohol and pleasure in Ichi Riki. After many months, no longer expecting retaliation from the ronins, Kira Yoshinaka lowered his guard and was easily slayed by the 47.
So on November 30th, 1991, I organised the first Romanée Conti tasting ever in Japan, a tasting of 10 vintages 1940 to 1986 for a select group of wine lovers in this legendary place. Among the tasters were the French Ambassador Loic Hennekinne, three of the most prominent sommeliers at the time, notably Shinya Tasaki, who in 1995 won the title of the world’s best sommelier; Masaharu Oka of Royal Hotel; Tokimaru Takahashi, ANA Hotel Tokyo. Present were also the most prominent personalities in the wine Japanese society, Hiroshi Yamamoto,Takahaaki Shimoya and Hiroshi Kojitani. This was followed by a memorable dinner in Ichi Riki accompanied by other wines from Domaine de la Romanée Conti. The creation of the accompanying dinner was prepared by five three star chefs of Kyoto. Each chef created one dish specially composed to be the perfect marriage to each wine tasted.
- Romanee Conti 1940
- Romanee Conti 1942
- Romanee Conti 1954
- Romanee Conti 1959
- Romanee Conti 1962
- Romanee Conti 1964
- Romanee Conti 1966
- Romanee Conti 1979
- Romanee Conti 1981
- Romanee Conti 1986
For more Romanée Conti tasting note: click here.
1990 Royal dinner, Versailles
“I don’t remember how I ever got into this, but in 1990, I found myself contacted to be responsible for the wines in the elaboration of 3 meals in the honor of the King of Sweden Carl XVI Gustav.
I felt honored but terrified, what a responsibility to live up to the expectations !
So I asked my favourite french Chateaux and Domaines to join me and offer wines to infuse their magic into the evening. I was lucky to be met with such enthusiasm from these well regarded wine makers, I was reassured and we made a great team. The first and the most stunning dinner was the one at Châteaux de Versailles.
were at their peak. I especially remember Chassagne Montrachet from the Domain Etienne Sauzet 1987, and magnums of Chateau Talbot 1978.
The wines were subtle and complex but I didn’t have much time to enjoy the food. I had made it my task to taste every single bottle in the kitchen before they were served…Enviable, but nevertheless. The exercise made my memory of the dinner magical but…a bit blurry.
for all of us.”
Peter Thustrup
1990 Sipping Petrus Magnums from 1945 to 1986
The evening of initiation of the Japanese palate to the greatest of french wines.
Allow me to transport you back in time to the year of 1990, in the beginning of the autumn. In the vibrant heart of Tokyo, inside the walls of the historical Imperial hotel, a remarkable Petrus Magnum tasting took place.
Picture it: Tokyo, 1990, a time when shoulder pads were as sharp as wit, and optimism soared higher than the skyscrapers that dotted the skyline. I decided to treat the world to a once-in-a-lifetime experience as I had meticulously assembled a collection of 15 vintages of Petrus Magnums spanning four decades, from the hallowed year of 1945 to the extravagant ’80s. I wanted this tasting to be a gathering that would set wine lovers’ hearts aflutter and transport them through time and terroir. As the guests gathered, anticipation filled the air, as I welcomed them with a twinkle in my eye. We were about to unlock a treasure chest of history, decadence, and pure, unadulterated pleasure.
The evening began with the youngster 1986 Petrus Magnum, and slowly built up to the 1945, maybe the best Petrus ever made, a vintage that witnessed the end of World War II and the dawn of a new era. With each sip, the guests could almost taste the resilience and hope that had filled the air during those tumultuous times. The 1945 was aged to perfection, telling a story that words alone could never convey.
Moving through the decades, the tasting continued. The ’61 Petrus Magnum, elegant and refined, transported tasters to a period of rebirth and renewal, mirroring Japan’s post-war renaissance. It was as if the wine had absorbed the very essence of the era. The 1986, 1981, and 1979 vintages followed suit, each offering a glimpse into the opulent extravagance of the ’70s and ’80s. The wines mirrored the exuberance and ambition of the times, leaving the guests spellbound by their complexity and depth.
So, if you ever find yourself in Tokyo, gazing at the modern marvels that surround you, remember that beneath the surface lies a world where time and wine converge. A world where a selected group of wine lovers once took a journey through the ages, one Petrus Magnum at a time. It was an evening that blurred the lines between past, present, and future, leaving a taste of the extraordinary in every sip.
1989 Plaza Athenée Romanée Conti Paris. Romanée Conti 1929-1985
Maybe the most amazing tasting I have ever done :
T𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘇𝗮 𝗔𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻𝗲́𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘀, 𝟭𝟵𝟴𝟵
𝗥𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗲́𝗲-𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶 𝟭𝟵𝟮𝟵-𝟭𝟵𝟴𝟱
We tasted 15 vintages of the world’s most celebrated wine: Romanée-Conti, one of the most ancient vineyards in the world, situated in Burgundy, France. The reason for this tasting was to experience these amazing wines from 8 decades. We were lucky to have the owners Aubert de Villaine and Lalou Bize-Leroy with us. However, I also tasted 3 of these wines (1959,1964 and 1978) in my 2009 Tokyo tasting, 20 years later.
If you want to dwell deeper into the tastings, here is a link to the larger selection of my Romanée-Conti tastings:
159 Romanée-Conti wines, tasting notes.
Below the official website for the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti for your enjoyment:
1988 Curie Auction, Premier Crus Bordeaux 1869-1870 vintages, Paris
“FRENCH WINES ARE LIKE HEMINGWAY
AMERICAN ROOTS BUT LIVING IN FRANCE
In 1985, I was a pure novice, avidly, wanting to learn, plunging into the world of French wines, with no clue, just passion. I tasted a lot of wines, sometimes as many as 20 a day. And then one day, somebody told me that I was on the wrong track if I truly wanted to understand french wines. The REAL thing was wines before 1870, the original french wines (¹). So, I had to taste these wines ! But how ? A call to chateau Lafite Rothschild ! They had never heard of me, or so I thought, and on top of this, my french was really limping. So you can imagine how nervous I was calling them, I had really no clue how to talk to Lafite, these guardians of the Ali Baba Caves of wine.
How would they take this request from this illiterate Swede who dared to sell old french wines, to the french ?? I still have no idea why they took my call, but I guess they loved the idea against all odds. At their invitation, I went down to Pauillac and met with Monsieur Le Canuet, the Director at the time, and acquired two stunning collections of the most famous wines in the world of the 1869 and 1870 vintages.
Long story short, I offered the first collection to be sold in Paris, on the 25th of November 1987 at the Curie charity auction in the Conciergerie (where Marie Antoinette was kept before being beheaded). For what today would be €400.000, at the time the highest price paid for a wine collection. The buyer, Hiroshi Kojitani, the great japanese designer, now a dear friend, is passionate about wine and Japanese culture.
This was the inspiration for my next step: to set up a tasting of pre-phylloxera wines in Japan. “
Peter Thustrup
1988 Pre-phylloxera tasting, Imperial hotel, 1869-1870 vintages, Tokyo
“𝗧𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝟭𝟬𝟬 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀, 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗸𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 !
Let me tell you the story of how The Paris Marie Curie Auction (see yesterday’s post) in 1987 led to The Pre Phylloxera tasting in 1988 in Tokyo.
It all started in Paris on the 25th of November 1987, during the Marie Curie charity auction, when Mr Hiroshi Kojitani bought the most expensive wine collection at the time. Sitting during the auction with my employee as his translator during the bids, but due to translation and cultural differences, Mr Hiroshi Kojitani was confused but really determined to buy this collection. When the hammer went down, and he found himself the owner of the pre phylloxera-collection, Mr Kojitani had no idea how much he had just paid for this 8 bottle collection of iconic wines. He was so happy, but I felt he was a bit lost in this surprising turn of events. As he had to leave the next day, he came to me wondering how he could get the wines to Japan. It took me three seconds to decide “I will personally bring them to you early next year”. He was relieved and I improvised a celebration party, as he called all his friends in Japan to tell them the news: He had bought an historical collection.
This is how we decided to combine the delivery with a pre phylloxera tasting in Tokyo. The next day after a sleepless night, I started planning to go to Tokyo at the beginning of next year. This would be my second trip to Japan, the first one being in 1985. Together with my mentors, Hiroshi Yamamoto, and Hiroshi Kojitani, we organised this tasting in Tokyo, but when we launched the invitations, nobody understood the scale of it. Old, quality wines were unknown in Japan, at the time of the tasting in 1988. Finally, we had invited 15 pioneers from very different worlds, TV, film, a poet, a painter, a sommelier, and, Ichi Inumaru, head of the family who owns the Imperial hotel. For the record, The Imperial Hotel was where General Mc Arthur dictated the current constitution of Japan to the Emperor, residing in the Imperial Palace 700m away.
During the tasting, the guests realized that to taste wines more than a century old is a profoundly moving moment that you never forget. A new world of taste and olfaction was revealed to the tasters opening their hearts and souls to the magic of wine. The wines were completely alive, vibrant yet balanced soft and wise.
I still remember the Montrose 1870, for me the star of the evening, beautiful entry, liquorice, full bodied and then refined and dry, and with a magical lingering length.”
Peter Thustrup
1987 Petrus, The Great tasting 1926-1979 22 vintages, Paris
“THE DAY I TASTED 22 VINTAGES OF PETRUS (1926 TO 1979)
Paris, May 22nd 1987,
I was extremely lucky to be invited to THE GREAT TASTING OF PETRUS 1926-79. For me, it was one of the greatest wine tasting experiences of my life. Imagine tasting 22 vintages of Petrus in the same day! A tasting journey that completely beguiled me. It was really difficult to find myself at the epitome of wine and compare these wines with each other. I was in heaven, without landmarks, and every wine was fantastic. But as I tasted the first wines, I got used to being at this high level of sensation.
We started with the 1926 (the old wines are the most subtle) and then tasted the younger wines which stood out with their young fruit, their very present tannins and with their dazzling youthful energy. With old wines ( as well as with the elders), you have to be patient when facing their gentle pace, let them express themselves wisely, while you listen in silence and with concentration, to fully appreciate them.
Today I still remember the 1961 Petrus, which even after 34 years has remained etched in my memory. Even now I remember the taste and the aromas, as if it still were caressing my palate.
PETRUS 1961 tasted on May 22, 1987:
A superb dark red tone with brick edges. The nose is concentrated, powerful, high class, seductive, just the right amount of volatility, truly superb.
In the mouth: WOW! what complexity, roundness and concentration, unspittable. Full of earthy taste, tobacco, superb wine, serious, a tiny bitterness, exquisite taste, and a length that never ends.
20/20
A legendary vintage where the harvests were reduced first by frost and then by drought which created extremely concentrated wines.”
Peter Thustrup