5 great wines tonight

[Racer Chris]

Mary went on a girl's weekend so I invited my new wine friend Gordon over after work.
We met at 3pm at my house and then I drove us to the West Hartford Total Wine so I could buy a magnum of 2018 Ch. Pierre de Montignac, 2 bottles of 2019 Ch. Pierre de Montignac, 3 bottles of Ch. Joly, St. Emilion (my primary purpose & a future story possibly), and a couple bottles of 2021 Dubourdieu Pure Sauvignon Blanc. Gordon bought a bottle of Japanese whiskey that he thought was lower priced than expected.
Back at my house after our excursion, we put Gordon's wild rice dish in the oven and started warming a pan to finish his D'Artagnan confit duck legs. He brought double decanted bottles of 2010 Ch Haut-Nouchet, 2015 Ch. Latour-Martillac, 2019 Ch. Tour St. Christophe.
As we talked,I double decanted a bottle of 2010 Ch. Talbot and a bottle of 1982 Ch. Sociando-Mallet.
We started with the two Pessac-Leognans. My preference was for the Haut-Nouchet as it had an intoxicating nose of incense and modest fruit that followed thru to the finish, while the Martillac was a bit more on the nose, fruit forward with charcoal notes that weren't quite upheld on the palate - yet.
Gordon was wowed by the Talbot which he said he's never had. The 2010 is in a good place already but I'm still anticipating what it will be in another 10-15 years.
If that bottle was the only thing in front of me I would have been fully enwrapped, but the star of the night was Sociando-Mallet. Not so much that it was a better wine, but it was in the perfect place. No evidence of its age in the color. It was a deep yet transparent red with no thinning at the rim. There was a bit of sweet fruit on the attack, even apricot as I've never noticed in red Bordeaux before. Gentle wood and forest floor aromas surrounded the mostly red and black cherry fruit. Plenty of dried leaves but no green in evidence here. Just wonderful.
I didn't forget the TSC, but it was a little overwhelmed by the mature wines. I have to say I was expecting something a little more full bodied but it was quite restrained. It just didn't have the pleasing complex aromas of the Pessacs or the Sociando, however it was well balanced and drinking well for its youth.

[AlexR]

82 Sociando is a controversial wine because if its mercaptan/green pepper aromatics.
Perdonally I find these more weurd than offputting.
I have one bittle left and am wondering how it will taste in years ti come.

AR