La-Las in NYC

[Comte Flaneur]

Last night seven of us led by the venerable Paul Joauen and David Wainwright gathered in NYC to drink some Guigal La-Las.

To wet the whistle:

Raveneau Montee De Tonnere 2003

Young and quite vibrant with none of the blowsiness affecting some of the Cote De Beaune white burgundies in 2003, seashells on the nose, but slightly lacking mid-palate. Not as good as the ’01. But this should improve for a few years. ***(*)

La Mouline 1972

Quite a dark yet evolved orange. Outrageously animated nose with so much going on – overwhelming alive - gamey, feral; wet fox, undergrowth, cured meats; on the palate it is more angular and less expansive than modern versions. Even though it tastes old and there will be no further benefits to ageing this it is nowhere near ready to shuffle off its mortal coil. Blind you might peg this as a grand cru burgundy from the 1970s, even though it is less translucent. ****

La Mouline 1974

Very different nose; funky, weird…bandages…hospital ward – some thought it might be tainted; tastes initially thin and diluted; but given air time this puts on weight and improves noticeably; bit of a dark horse, but no better than good, ***

La Mouline 1985

Much less evolved deeper purpleish (with faint wisps of smoke on the water); this took time to open (in hindsight it would have benefited from opening earlier or double decanting). Twelve years ago it was stunning in its sheer perfection defying superlatives; last night it was remarkably closed and took coaxing. Eventually it started to come out of its shell; wild berries, smokey, burnt/crispy bacon, olives and some exotic spices; full-bodied and concentrated, long lush finish. Come back in ten years or decant a day in advance. *****(**)

La Landonne 1980

“Just knock the horns off and wipe its arse” - lashing of char-grilled but rare in the middle beef, bloody, iron-scented minerals, expansive, full bodied; burly, brawny even uncouth tannins; delicious – especially with the charred grilled beef dish. About as smooth as Sir Les Patterson, but outrageously enjoyable. *****

La Landonne 1985

Deep, brooding, dark, opaque – almost black; very thick and full-bodied, minerals, smoke, truffles, concentrated, intense and still very tannic. The most hard core wine of the night. Needs another 15-20 years when it will surely be magnificent. ****(***)

La Landonne 1989

Smoother, more modern style, with finer tannins than the other two Landonnes; much more accessible than the 1985 and easier to enjoy now. But in no way is its power or intensity compromised. *****(**)

La Turque 1987

Pink-purple, exotic kinky nose, herbs and licorice; fine finish *****(*)

La Turque 1991

Enormous power combined with remarkable finesse; iron fist in a velvet glove *****(**)

Both the Turques were very young but more accessible than the Landonnes

Drouhin Montrachet Marquie De Laguiche 1981

Toasty nose; this is delicious and holding together well; lacking a bit on the mid palate (noticeable after the La-Las) ****

Chateau Climens 1971

Deep burnt orange. Wonderful power allied to laser-like precision; it may lack the voluptuousness of an Yquem but this is magnificent, serious and stirring stuff ******

Hotel rating system

******* - remarkable/superlative

****** - outstanding

***** - excellent

**** - very good

*** - good

** - average

* - poor

Thoughts: The La-Las are extreme wines. Apparently they spend 36 months in new oak. Some of them are so impressive it is difficult to articulate their wares. The three La-Las define a triangle: Mouline first, softened round the edges with viognier but still a power-house heavyweight and then Landonne the uncompromised, hard-core, race track version. Turque is a hypothetical synthesis of the two and the most clinical. In comparative tastings La-Las ALWAYS win. Wainwright recanted many instances in which La-Las sent Bordeaux and burgundy’s finest packing and humiliated. I saw it for myself four years ago when a La Turque ‘85 destroyed a ‘81 Grange…it was a brutal mauling. Of all the La-Las Turque is the most ruthless…it is a cyborg killer which shows no mercy nor remorse – like the Blonde in Terminator three.

But are these the best and the greatest wines in the world? Best possibly, greatest probably not. What they may lack – and I am being extremely picky here – is soul; and they cannot match the finesse of Bordeaux and burgundy’s finest – or I suspect the finest vintages of Chave of Hermitage La Chapelle…but I have only ever tried one (HLC78). I think they are too powerful, too clinical for that. I have a small stash of 85, 90 and 91 La-Las. That will do me. I won’t be opening another of these remarkable wines or at least five – probably ten - years. And I won’t be buying anymore. It is difficult to articulate, but if you offered me La Tache or La Mouline blind I would take La Tache ten times out of ten. Nine times out of ten La Mouline would win a blind tasting, but I would still take La Tache.

[JimHow]

Wow!

[Chasse-Spleen]

Compte,
So it would seem that you prefer Cote-Rotie and especially the La-Las to Chateauneuf des Papes?
-Chasse

[Comte Flaneur]

Yes Chris...I prefer syrah to grenache

How did your gig go?

Did you get to the Room afterwards?

[Blanquito]

Terrific and very enjoyable notes, Ian! What a tasting. One thing that was made clear to me that I didn't (and probably will never) know... La-Las can take ages to come around.

If you'll forgive the stretch, these La-Las sound somewhat like the '86 Mouton-- powerful, exotic, irresistable wines which always win blind-tastings, but perhaps lacking a shade of the finesse and elegance that the Lafite '86 had (no slouch of course on power, of course).

The only thing that confused me was it seemed to me that you're saying the greatest wines in the world are... Burgundy!?!?!

Patrick

[AlexR]

Ian,

Thanks for the terrific notes on an incredible experience.

Interesting that the 85 La Mouline should show so closed compared to an experience a decade earlier...

I have two LaLas, but your notes show me that I should not touch them until I'm in my 70s!

As for Rhône, even the very best such as the wines you tasted, compared to Burgundy, I agree with you.

All the best,
Alex

[Comte Flaneur]

Patrick/Alex - you could substitute a Bordeaux La(fite?) La(tour?) for the burgundy La La in that last sentence. I agree the comparison of the Rhone 85 La Las with the 86 Bordeaux first growths is appropriate: e.g., Landonne 85 - Margaux 86 (similar hard core wines). So they do need a lot of time but Mouline is more accessible than Turque which is more accessible than Landonne in its youth. But as with Bordeaux eg 1986 vs 1996 the younger wines seem to have finer tannins, so are more modern, making them more accessible than the earlier vintages at a similar age.

Another point I omitted to make is that these wines do not derive their power from high alcohol. All of them were marked at a modest 13% ABV. None of them suffered from a hot or pruney/raisiney finish.

[stefan]

Really a fun read, Ian. Thanks!

stefan

[DavidG]

Wow, what an evening! Thanks for the notes, Ian, I felt like I was there. I love the La Las but rarely get to drink them. They were a luxury 10-15 years ago and have just gotten too pricey... An '88 La Turque was one of the best bottles I've ever had.

[Comte Flaneur]

For this tasting I managed to source two back ups...Mouline and Landonne 1981...just in case. After I procured them I was somewhat bemused to discover that Parker slated them...not that I swear by him but I respect his views...to be fair RP gave them fairly middling reviews while noting how difficult the vintage was...given that we had a great line up already it was better to leave them on the bench.

Fast forward to tonight and I popped the Mouline, expecting a medium-bodied, green wine, which was tired and disappearing slowly into the sunset.

How wrong! The first whiff I got was like the '72, which rocked everybody's boat eight days ago. An extraordinary nose of pungent furniture polish, roasted coffee beans, smoked meats, deli counter, leather, truffles and iodine.

On the palate this had a lot more stuffing, expansiveness and a longer finish than the '72 - its damp undergrowth and feral, carnal and wet foxey overtones are somewhat burgundian. This is fabulous fully mature syrah from Cote Rotie.

This is not fading in the slightest. What RP described may have been a gawky 15 year-old that had nowhere to go. Here we have a magnificent 28 year old at its apogee.

In the final analysis this wine lacks the opulence of the 85s and 91s, which will reach much greater heights 20-30 years from now. But if this is his worst vintage, then the mind really boggles. These wines really do lay a claim to be the best in the world, if not the greatest. My young daughter asked me once if I was "coolified". Yes Josie I am really coolified by these wines.

[Chasse-Spleen]

Thanks for asking, Ian. The gig went well. Never made it to The Room. Ramon came by the gig though, which was really nice. Let's get the NYC crew together again soon!
-Chris

[JimHow]

I'll second that motion!