1989 Bordeaux tasting - October 17

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Wed Jul 01, 2009 11:47 pm

Great line up, but aren't there too many wines even for a BWE function?

stefan

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Wed Jul 01, 2009 11:50 pm

I count 25 bottles for 12 BWEers.
Basically two bottles per person.
I don't understand your question, Stefan.
Jim (sipping on '06 La Lagune....)

SteveH · Post by **SteveH** » Thu Jul 02, 2009 12:17 am

No sour grapes here, but it's obscene.

Jim, weren't we attacked by a religious temperance group just ahead of the New York banquet several years ago?

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Thu Jul 02, 2009 12:21 am

I'll never forget answering my cell phone on the Tuesday before NYC '03...

"Mr. Howaniec, this is Tom-So-And-So from the New York Liquor Commission. We've received a complaint...."

DavidG · Post by **DavidG** » Thu Jul 02, 2009 1:27 am

Good strategy. "Best for last" in this case might leave us (well, me at least) past the point of keen intellect just when it counts the most.

Comte Flaneur · Post by **Comte Flaneur** » Thu Jul 02, 2009 2:48 am

stefan wrote:Great line up, but aren't there too many wines even for a BWE function?

stefan

Whaddya mean?

Ian (sipping on 01 La Conseillante)

Comte Flaneur · Post by **Comte Flaneur** » Thu Jul 02, 2009 2:53 am

But I think we should draw the line there, and maybe Tom we don't need the extra St-Julien. LLC will do nicely from that commune, and we only have one Margaux too.

Tom In DC · Post by **Tom In DC** » Thu Jul 02, 2009 6:31 am

"Tom's other St-Julien"??? Methinks thou dost seek blood from a turnip.... (posted before seeing page 5!)

Comte Flaneur · Post by **Comte Flaneur** » Thu Jul 02, 2009 3:57 pm

Sorry Tom I mis-interpreted your previous post, we have plenty of wine and as always your contribution is exceedingly generous

DavidG · Post by **DavidG** » Fri Jul 03, 2009 11:14 am

I'm sure I'm getting waaay ahead of myself here, but looking at this lineup, and then at Parker's just-released "What About Now?" article on the '90 and '82 Bdx, got me thinking about doing this again in the fall of '10 with a 20-year retrospective of 1990... or a 28-year retrospective of '82 if we've got them.

SteveH · Post by **SteveH** » Fri Jul 03, 2009 1:29 pm

Haven't seen RP's "What About Now," piece.
Is RP saying that I should drink my last bottle of ' 82 Mouton? If so, I can't wait!

DavidG · Post by **DavidG** » Fri Jul 03, 2009 1:36 pm

Sounds like now is OK, but further patience may be rewarded, Steve. This is RP on the '82 Mouton (he gave it a perfect score):

This wine remains one of the legends of Bordeaux. It has thrown off the backward, youthful style that existed during its first 25 years of life, and over the last 4-5 years has developed such secondary nuances as cedar and spice box. The creme de cassis, underlying floral note, full-bodied power, extraordinary purity, multilayered texture, and finish of over a minute are a showcase for what this Chateau accomplished in 1982. The wine is still amazingly youthful, vibrant, and pure. It appears capable of remaining fruity and vibrant in 2082! Thank God it is beginning to budge, as I would like to drink most of my supply before I kick the bucket. This is a great, still youthful wine, and, on occasion, one does understand the hierarchy of Bordeaux chateaux when you see the complexity and brilliance of this first-growth. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2050+ Release price: ($350.00/case)

I bought only 3 of these back in 1985 - just getting seriously into Bdx and finding it tough to justify $35/btl. Who knew? Still holding on to 2 bottles.

SteveH · Post by **SteveH** » Fri Jul 03, 2009 1:57 pm

Thanks very much for his note, David.
He is encouraging you to hold and then savor your last two bottles in the years ahead.
Mine were a case of half bottles, so the time has come for me to enjoy that last little ' 82 Mouton jewel.

Steve

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Fri Jul 03, 2009 3:00 pm

Wish that I had bought '82 Mouton in the 1980s. I did buy four bottles this millennium as part of a cellar purchase and have taken two to BWE dinners. Perhaps I should save the others to trade for the Becker-Cendrek Process* in case they become as valuable as '45 Mouton.

stefan
*See Joe Haldeman, "Old Twentieth".

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Fri Jul 03, 2009 3:39 pm

I'm sure you read his notes on the '90 Lynch, and how he considers that wine and the '89 Lynch to be two awesome efforts.

The HB and LMHB are going down....

Tom In DC · Post by **Tom In DC** » Fri Jul 03, 2009 4:48 pm

I dunno, stefan...we live forever, but don't have any '82 Mouton to look forward to...

SteveH · Post by **SteveH** » Fri Jul 03, 2009 5:23 pm

Over the years Tom's generousity in New York and at his home in D.C. to provide us with dozens of the top ' 82 Bordeaux, including six or more Mouton has been overwhelming. You're a class act.

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Fri Jul 03, 2009 5:27 pm

Good point, Tom. Life would be emptier without the expectation of more '82 Mouton.

Claret · Post by **Claret** » Fri Jul 03, 2009 6:13 pm

If anybody is interested in buying 2 well stored bottle of 1990 Lynch Bages, then shoot me an email.

Glenn

DavidG · Post by **DavidG** » Fri Jul 03, 2009 7:48 pm

JimHow wrote:I'm sure you read his notes on the '90 Lynch, and how he considers that wine and the '89 Lynch to be two awesome efforts.

The HB and LMHB are going down....

Indeed I did, Jim. He praises both highly, but interestingly, prefers the '90 to the '89. If you go by Parker points alone, both HB and LMHB will best the Lynch, but we're drinking wines, not points, and its our palates, not RPs. Thinking back to the '89 HB we had in Chicago a few years ago, I really think the Lynch is going to get bloodied.

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Fri Jul 03, 2009 7:57 pm

I didn't read that he preferred the '90 Lynch to the '89, David. My recollection was that he said the '89 and '90 were the two best Lynches.

The '89 Haut Brion is great, but it is big, lumbering, and backward. It will not prevail in the blind tasting. The velvet fist of the '89 Lynch will shock the world.

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Fri Jul 03, 2009 8:00 pm

This will be Ali vs. Foreman, Zaire 1974.

DavidG · Post by **DavidG** » Fri Jul 03, 2009 8:39 pm

Here is the current RP note on '90 Lynch, issue 183, June 2009 (97 points, drink 2009-2029):

I have drunk many bottles of this wine in many different locations (Cayman Islands, Shanghai, Bordeaux, Paris, and London), including bottles from my own cellar, and I continue to be amazed by how remarkably consistent it is. One of my favorite Lynch Bages, the 1990 is a more forward, fleshier, and sexier version of the brilliant 1989, and represents a poster bottle of what Lynch Bages is all about. A dense ruby/purple color is followed by a sumptuously sweet bouquet of roasted meats, herbs, sweet creme de cassis fruit, a massive level of glycerin, and silky ripe tannins. It is a hedonistic as well as intellectual turn-on. There is not a hard edge to be found in this delicious 1990, which should last for another 15-20 years in a cold cellar. I would rank the 1990 and 1989 as the two greatest Lynch Bages made in the last 30 years. Release price: ($350.00/case)

The most recent "official" RP note on the '89 Lynch is 9 years old, from issue 129, June 2000, so perhaps not appropriate to compare (95 points, drink 2004-2030):

Consistently backward and dense, with enormous potential, this admirable wine will not be ready for prime time drinking for another 5-7 years. The color is not quite as opaque as the 1990's, but reveals more purple and no lightening at the edge. Hugely concentrated flavors have just begun to offer up a nose of cedar and creme de cassis. Powerful and muscular, with high tannin and superb concentration, this is Lynch Bages at its biggest and most beastly. However, everything is in balance for a stunning evolution.

Certainly more recent personal experience says the '89 has indeed evolved in a stunning fashion. You be the judge, but assuming the current note on the '90 refers to a more recent sampling of the '89 as well, "more forward, fleshier, and sexier" sounds like a preference for the '90 to me. We don't need any more wine at this dinner, but tasting the '89 vs the '90 would make an interesting excercise for another day.

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Fri Jul 03, 2009 9:19 pm

Oh, he was probably offered a free bottle of the '90 from ViniPauillac and decided to add a point or two anyway....

PappaDoc · Post by **PappaDoc** » Sat Jul 04, 2009 10:22 am

This is some fight card. I'll book Mt Sinais O.R. for four liver transplants on the following Mon.

What a way to go :>)

DavidG · Post by **DavidG** » Sat Jul 04, 2009 2:00 pm

Just bringing these back to the current page:

Blanquito wrote:An all-time great lineup, edited as of 7/1:

Ian: Lafite, La Mission Haut Brion and Mouton
Blanquito: Dominique, Cantemerle and Rieussec
Chris B: Climens and Angelus
Pappa: Pichon Lalande and Nicolay Urz/Wurz TBA
Jim: Lynch Bages
Tom & Gail: La Conseillante, Leoville Las Cases, Cheval Blanc, and Haut Brion
DavidG: Montrose and (2 btls) Laurent Perrier Grand Siecle MV
Jacques: Pichon Baron and l'Evangile
Ramon: Palmer and Tertre-Roteboeuf
Stefan & Lucie: Ausone, Cos D'Estournel and La Lagune

DavidG · Post by **DavidG** » Sat Jul 04, 2009 2:01 pm

Comte Flaneur wrote:How about this for a line up?

Intro

Laurent Perrier Grand Siecle X2

Flight one

Cantermerle, La Lagune, Dominique

Flight two

Conseillante, L'Evangile, Tetre-Roteboeuf

Flight three

Lafite, Mouton, Palmer

Flight four

Ausone, Cheval Blanc, Angelus

Flight five - BLIND...

Haut-Brion, La Mission Haut Brion, Lynch Bages

Flight six

Pichon Baron, Pichon Lalande, Leoville Lascases

Flight seven

Cos, Montrose, Tom's other St-Julien

Flight eight

Climens, Rieussec, Riesling TBA

The idea is to build up to the highlight flight 5 (though none are exactly shabby) so that time we are psyched more than fatigued as some of us might be towards the end

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Wed Aug 19, 2009 12:42 am

Comte Flaneur · Post by **Comte Flaneur** » Wed Aug 19, 2009 1:26 am

Funny you should do that stefan, I was about to reactivate the thread because we are less than two months away now...

I am happy to report that three pristine-looking bottles of '89 were successfully transferred from Blighty two weeks ago, and are resting peacefully again

I would like to book the restaurant for the Friday warm up event and need a roll call of numbers please everyone. This will include people - Chris Chasse?, Mr Vino? - who are not coming to the dinner or are on the reserves list. We could potentially get a decent-sized crowd

I will be 2

And a theme. Which we dont need to decide on right here, right now

Last year barolo worked brilliantly with Tom and Gail, Alex, Blanquito and Brendan and I am all in favour of a repeat because I am addicted to nebbiolo now

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Wed Aug 19, 2009 1:29 am

Lucie and I are in for Friday as well as for Saturday, Ian.

stefan

Winona Chief · Post by **Winona Chief** » Wed Aug 19, 2009 1:35 am

I'll be in the City on Friday and am interested in doing something on Friday night.

Chris Bublitz

Tom In DC · Post by **Tom In DC** » Wed Aug 19, 2009 2:23 am

We could be arriving late Friday (or even early Saturday), so we're not planning to attend Friday night.

Tom

Rick · Post by **Rick** » Wed Aug 19, 2009 2:41 am

is there still room - we have been talking about a trip to NYC

where will this be help?

rick

Comte Flaneur · Post by **Comte Flaneur** » Wed Aug 19, 2009 3:35 am

Rick the tasting is currently full...but happy to have you you on the waiting list...Mr Vino is first sub followed by Stevie H...but the Friday night gathering is open house...as many as wants to come

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Wed Aug 19, 2009 4:17 am

Count me in for Friday. I'd love another Barolo theme; I've bought some goods ones recently.

PappaDoc · Post by **PappaDoc** » Thu Aug 20, 2009 1:08 am

I won't be able to join in on Fri eve. Sat are crazy busy at Zachys in the Fall. We often work through lunch grabbing a bite of sandwich between Customers. I will certainly be ready for The Main Event.

DavidG · Post by **DavidG** » Thu Aug 20, 2009 12:52 pm

Thinking about Friday and whether I can arrange my schedule to make it. Start time??? If we can arrange it, we would be two.

Ramon_NYC · Post by **Ramon_NYC** » Sat Aug 22, 2009 3:16 pm

I'm gonna miss that Friday get together, and, shucks, especially after reading about that great-Nebbiolo-thon-warm-up-to-the-Bdx86 last year.

Well, if anybody would like to do a trifecta and will be around on Thursday, I'm open and up for any kind of wines ... or beer.

Comte Flaneur · Post by **Comte Flaneur** » Thu Sep 03, 2009 6:56 pm

David - we don't need to start particularly early on Friday night - it will just be a leisurely dinner - so we could start at say 7.30pm. Hope you can make it

However for the main event on Saturday we should start no later than 6pm, because we have so many good wines to get through it would be a shame to rush it. Trust everyone is OK with that.

I trust also that all the runners and riders listed are still OK for Saturday 17th because we have eager substitutes should any one drop out.

So for Friday night we have:

stefan & Lucie
Patrick - are you gong to bring your brother along?
Chris Bublitz
Ian A - possibly + 1
David G +1 - possibly

Declined:

Tom and Gail
Pappa Doc
Ramon
Jacques

Waiting to hear from:

Jim

Ramon - not sure I could manage a trifecta!

Ramon_NYC · Post by **Ramon_NYC** » Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:39 pm

ian,

Enjoy Friday. Just make sure to be ready for the main event on Saturday.
BTW, I'm not sure what the venue situation is, but let me know if there's anything I can help with on that front.

Ramon