BWE in Manhattan….

[JimHow]

JC, Joel, Jacques, Patrick, Winona, BD, and a special guest from London, the Honorable Mr. Comte Flaneur….

[JCNorthway]

Great to see all those faces together, and having fun!

[Blanquito]

Great photo from a great night.

Here’s a list (complete?) of what we enjoyed:

> 18 Ultramarine Heintz rosé sparkling
> 07 Ruinart rosé champagne
> 01 Laville Haut Brion
> 15 Ygrec
> 82 Cos d’Estournel
> 85 LLC
> 89 Pichon Lalande
> 94 Pichon Lalande
> 96 Latour
> 96 Mouton
> 96 Cos
> 98 Lafite
> 86 Climens
> 90 Raymond Lafon

So great to see everyone.

[JimHow]

What a night!

[dstgolf]

Envious. Well done indeed!

[Comte Flaneur]

So good to be back in Manhattan and catch up with dear friends last night, and what a night it was.

Balvanera is in a lively part of downtown and is a great discovery by JC.

The Ultramarine Californian sparkler from Heintz Vineyards that Jacques brought is a wine you can’t buy for love nor money unless you are on the mailing list. This one was a 2018 Pinot Noir rose and had an impressive red-fruited intensity, focus and vibrancy. A really interesting wine…92 pts

However when Chris opened his 2007 Dom Ruinart Rose later on it was in a different league. Just pure class and drinking ever so well…95 pts

Next up was ….the first of….JC’s mystery wines and it was a stunner. It spoke of Sauvignon Blanc of the highest quality and did not come in a Loire-shaped bottle. My instincts told me most likely Pavillon Blanc. Jacques, or was it Patrick, ventured Ygrec. Yes, great call, it was the 2015 Ygrec which has some semillon in the blend (25% I think, the rest Sauvignon Blanc). This beauty is drinking well now but will last for decades…95 pts

It blew away my 2001 Laville Haut-Brion, which must have been suffering jet lag. It was quite advanced in colour and a bit tired. I would not say ‘premoxed’ but certainly ‘oxidative’. Not a patch on the 2000 Alex R served me six years ago at his house in Bordeaux…88 pts

On to the reds and another JC mystery wine. We knew it was a super second 1996 Medoc red, brought along to match Joel’s 1996 Ducru , which tragically succumbed to an accident on the subway. That didn’t leave many candidates. This wine’s alluring green austere streak spoke to me of Pichon Lalande. Jim was convinced. Patrick called Cos and he was right again. It was Cos. Not had this for a long time. It had dark fruits, still big tannins, and an evolving complexity of herbs, leather and other nuances. Still on the upslope…94 pts

The Cos acquitted itself admirably against the Big Gun 1996s. Of the two the Chris’s 1996 Mouton has evolved into an absolute stunner. It has everything, including a racy sexiness which entices you into a multi-layered palate and a long luxurious finish - a wine with power, charisma and elegance …just stunning…98 pts

The 1996 Latour showed pretty well having just been transported across the pond. It is classy, classical, with cool-fruited, power; it is regal and authoritative with classic Latour leitmotifs of lead pencil and cedar, with a Kevlar-like backbone of tannin and acidity. One for the ages and an epic wine in the making…97 pts.

To complete the flight we had Jim’s 1998 Lafite. This is a wine which like other Lafites comes out of the blocks in a measured fashion, then grows and grows on you as it evolves in the glass. While it does not have the relentless power of the Latour, nor the flamboyance of the Mouton, it has a class and breeding that others cannot match with the classic Lafite signature of lead pencil earth and minerals…97

First up in the next flight was JC’s third mystery wine. A big framed delicious fully mature complete Medoc of the very highest calibre. My guess was 1985 Pichon Lalande. It turned out to be 1985 Leoville Lascases…of course! The most dependably brilliant wine out there…96 pts

The second wine in this flight was Joel’s 1989 Pichon Lalande, and last night was the first time I really got what all the fuss was about. This wine has a fabulous opulence and mid-palate inky (‘quink’) density and cigar box.Good as the 85 LLC was it could not match the seductive exoticism of the 1989 Pichon Lalande…97 pts

These two set a blistering pace for Patrick’s 1982 Cos D’Estournel, a wine of the very highest pedigree which, however, has been variable in my experience. This particular example was a good bottle. Just such a complete wine with plenty of tertiary evolution with spices and leather notes but has the structure to keep going for many more years…95 pts

To complete this flight we had the 1994 Pichon Lalande. A perfectly nicely resolved wine without the power, complexity and length of its flight mates. Without wishing to damn it with faint praise an ideal luncheon claret…90 pts

Finally the two Sauternes. The 1986 Climens was a stunner (95 pts) but the 1990 Raymond Lafon (93 pts) was no slouch either.

What a a great set of wines, what a night, and drinking them with old BWE friends just multiplies the experience.

[Comte Flaneur]

[Comte Flaneur]

[Comte Flaneur]

Voting for the reds in ascending order

1982 Cos D’Estournel - 1 vote - Patrick
1996 Cos D’Estournel - 3 votes - Patrick
1998 Lafite - 3 votes - Jim 2, Ian 1
1996 Latour - 6 votes - Joel 3, Chris 3
1989 Pichon Lalande - 8 votes - JC 3, Jacques 2, Ian 2, Jim 1
1985 Leoville Lascases- 10 votes - Jacques 3, Jim 3, Chris 2, JC 1, Joel 1
1996 Mouton - 11 votes - Ian 3, JC 2, Joel 2, Patrick 2, Jacques 1, Chris 1

[SF Ed]

Fun!

[Blanquito]

Great write up, Ian. Our impressions converge quite well despite being at opposite sides of the table.

By the cold light of day, I am asking the BD to use his powers to halt the vote certification and ask for a recount. I have an alternate slate of electors who’d like a word about the brilliance of the 96 Mouton in particular.

[JimHow]

Man, all of those wines just really shined last night. And what a fun little restaurant, definitely a place to return to with BWE friends. Great seeing everyone! It was an event that just sort of came together at the last minute as everyone just happened to be in town at the same time, and then Patrick called Ian over and here we were! Fun time in lower Manhattan, just like the olden (pre-pandemic) days!

That Mouton was indeed great, Patrick, it almost doesn’t seem fair to rank these wines, they were all splendid in their own ways.

[Blanquito]

The BD, putting a case of red burgundy in its place.

[JimHow]

Indeed!

[jal]

Great evening, and these last minute things rarely work, so big shout out to JC for doing all the legwork; getting us set up with the restaurant and picking a menu that worked for everyone.
I finally met Joel and it was great to see Chris, Jim, Patrick, Ian and JC again, wines all showed very well and the food was excellent.
I think I got all three blind wines yesterday, a first for me. And I'm bragging because it just never happens lol.

[tim]

Looks like a ton of fun!

[AKR]

Wow quite a few rarities there!

[JimHow]

…and the wines as well!

[Blanquito]

If I could vote again, I’d move the Mouton to my fav, the LLC to number 2, and the 96 Cos to third. Everything showed so well. I liked the 94 PLL more than Ian.

The Latour was brilliant, as well as the Lafite, but both are still a long ways from their apogee. I also really loved the Ygrec and the.Ruinart.

One thing about the 90’s wines that was mentioned— for all of their brilliance, they didn’t have the body of the 80’s wines, at least not yet. I used to wonder about that, but not anymore, I think they’re just different

[stefan]

Sounds like a great evening. We gotta get to the Big Apple soon and meet up with BWEers there.

[Nicklasss]

Great post, and good to see many friends having fun in the Big Apple.

Jim invited me on Tuesday, but if i would have known earlier, i could have made it...

Looking forward to meet JC in the future.

Remind me the pre-wedding diner at JeanFred, where all the wines shined, but not as much as the people!

[Musigny 151]

Sounds like a wonderful evening, and a lot of my favorite wines. Thank you for the notes

[Winona Chief]

This was an amazing evening with so many wonderful wines. All of the red wines showed very well - we were supposed to pick our favorite 3 wines but I think I had 7 favorites. Great time with great friends.

Chris Bublitz

[JimHow]

I heard there was a BWE rendezvous in Ft. Lauderdale this week as well. I want pictures!

[JeanFred]

I heard there was a BWE rendezvous in Ft. Lauderdale this week as well. I want pictures!

Again Jim, what the way to add picture, I will add to the post I just made!

[JeanFred]

Remind me the pre-wedding diner at JeanFred, where all the wines shined, but not as much as the people!

Well said Nicolas

Nice picture and glad you had great time together!

Ian, Always good to read your description of the wines and the first growth style. I can easily figure how the wine shine and were.
It also reminds me those wines we had 2 months Cos 86, Mouton 96 and Lafite 02; 08…

[jal]

Again Jim, what the way to add picture, I will add to the post I just made!

Jean Fred, when writing or editing your post you should see an attachments tab. Attach the photos you want

[ericp]

Now that’s a legendary lineup (of BWEers) …. And those wines are amazing too! Great notes Ian, I’ve only had a few of them but your notes bring them to life. It’s clearly some BWE magic that every bottle was drinking great - it’s got to be some sort of Benevolent Dictator super power .

[JimHow]

You can email them to me and I can add them for you Jean-Fred.

[Tom In DC]

Looks like a great evening!

[DavidG]

What a wonderful gathering. You guys look great!

[barsacpinci]

Looks like a great time! I have to get up to NYC soon. Haven’t been there for ages

[Winona Chief]

My ranking of the red Bordeaux:
1. 1996 Latour
2. 1985 Leoville Las Cases
3. 1996 Mouton R
4. 1989 Pichon Lalande
5. 1998 Lafite R
6. 1996 Cos d’Estournel
7. 1982 Cos d’Estournel
8. 1994 Pichon Lalande

Amazing to think a wine as great as 1982 Cos would come in 7th place out of 8.

Both of the Sauternes were wonderful with a nod going to one of my all time favorites - 1986 Climens. This was the 10 or 12th time I’ve had the 1986 Climens and it has almost always been fabulous,

I really liked the unique and very flavorful 2018 Ultramarine Rose Cal sparkling but thought my 2007 Dom Ruinart Rose was the cat’s meow - it is a Champagne I just love.

I’m not a big fan of high end white Bordeaux - much rather spend the money on white Burgundy. I have been moderately disappointed by Laville Haut Brion many times and it happened again this night. The 2015 Ygerc was very good but not as much to my taste as a nice white Burgundy.

Chris Bublitz

[JimHow]

I think this was another classic example of how Lafite gets lost in these events. I greedily poured myself a couple larger pours of the 98 Lafite… so nuanced, classically structured but subtle cedar and Pauillac cassis, such a beautiful Lafite, it was really blooming when I came back to it for a second pour.

Every one of the wines was a real treat.

I was in Manhattan for five nights, for the first time since the pandemic it felt like the old NYC, it was a great, good old fashioned BWE gathering in the great city of New York!

[Blanquito]

I think the lowest I scored anything this night was 93 pts (aside from the Laville), and based on potential I’d probably go as high as 98 on the Mouton.

[jckba]

Okay, so let me start by thanking the BD for the gifted bottle of Krug MV 170, that was not necessary but much appreciated and especially since there are now none left in the NH state system!

Always fun breaking bread with outta town BWE folks when the opportunity arises. It was nice to finally be able to meet both Chris and Joel in person and to see Ian, Jacques, Jim and Patrick again and all in once place. I had a great time and it was extra fun in blinding these esteemed palates with a trio of wines that I am fond of and seeing who went where.

I think Ian did a masterful job recapping the wines, so I’ll just focus on the much anticipated duel of the ‘96 first growths in the Latour vs the Mouton with a picture to that effect.

The Latour was powerful, strapping yet still remarkably unevolved 95+. The Mouton OTOH was completely approachable and drinking well from the first sip where you really got a sense of its classy Cabernet lines that were packed with cedar and tobacco nuances on the finish. 97

One other worthy mention from my perspective is that when you look at the overall group rankings on the night, while the ‘96 Mouton was the top dog and rightfully so, the ‘89 PLL and ‘85 LLC were really right there along with it. I think both of these Super Seconds likely benefitted from the additional bottle age and being more in their respective zones but the value guy in me certainly enjoyed seeing this outcome.

[JoelD]

Great night and extra thanks to JC to setting up this dinner that was perfect for the wines and flights with the food.

It was a near perfect night other than my slip on the subway stairs breaking the 96 Ducru. It smelled great. Thankfully I always bring at least two wines and the 89 Pichon Lalande quite well as it usually does.

Also thanks to Patrick for instigating this and Jim for grabbing us some 170eme Krug's from NH to trade/buy. This was our excuse for the dinner.

It was awesome to meet JC and Jacques finally and see Ian from across the pond. Always love drinking wine with Patrick, Jim and Chris.

Ian's writeup was so good that I won't do a full one myself. I agreed with a lot of his sentiments but I'll share a few thoughts from the evening. Every red was a gem. No duds on the table.

The 1996 Latour was so powerful and restrained. However I absolutely loved it and I could sense the greatness underneath. Especially with a lot of air and steak. My WOTN by a hair. 97pts

The 1996 Mouton was much more giving, sexy but masculine at the same time. Perfectly balanced. A very good approximation of the 82 that wowed me in November. 96+pts

The 1985 Las Cases was in a perfect spot. Better than a recent bottle. Wonderful red fruit. Perfect acidity and balance. More classic than the slightly ripe 1990 which I also love. 96pts

After that, there was not a single slouch on the table. I also didn't give a single red less than 93pts.

1998 Lafite- Just lovely, lovely wine. On many other nights this would be the WOTN, but alas. BWE. Jim described it well and luckily I snaked another pour. In a perfect spot. Freshest wine on the table. 96pts. I probably should have picked this as the #3 wotn but I'm guessing the value guy in me couldn't allow the 3 first growths to be my favorites.

1996 Cos- Started out a tad green and had us guessing 96 Pichon Lalande. However I caught a glimpse of the foil and knew it couldn't be. Great guess by Patrick on this. It opened up so well with air. In a great spot. 95+pts

1989 Pichon Lalande- Many at the table liked this just a bit better than me. I've been lucky enough to have this 4-5 times in the last two years. And had a 375ml recently that was awesome. This was good but didn't have the oopmh of some others. It did have the depth though. 95pts

1982 Cos- A great bottle that was the perfect middle ground between a tertiary bottle and a bottle full of fruit that Chris busted out last year. I really enjoyed this wine but it didn't speak to me the way some of the others did. 94+ pts

1994 Pichon Lalande- I seriously enjoyed this wine, especially later in the evening when it gained weight with air. Just a touch of green in a good way. I personally thought it was much better than a luncheon claret and for my tastes, I might prefer it over both of the Cos. 94pts

2018 Ultramarine Rose- Good wine with some young pinot fruit. Wouldn't seek out for the price but fun to try. 92pts

2007 Ruinart Rose- Quite a good wine but a tad young and lean. I liked how lightly colored it was. 93pts

2015 Y by Yquem- Very fun wine to try. And when JC said it wasn't from Pessac/Graves then I thought it might be a young Y. My guess was 2014. But in retrospect, it had some of the 2015 tropical fruit that 2015 white burgs get. 94+pts

2001 Laville- It started out seeming premoxed but with time in glass that blew of somewhat. Still clearly not a perfect bottle sadly. Fun to try and developed depth with time in glass. 90pts

Sorry for my delay in posting. I've been a bad BWEer at posting on the forum, however I have been quite good at meeting up with other BWEers offline. I will do a post soon recapping some of these experiences.

[Blanquito]

Someone once wrote that, compared to Willie Mays, we are all but mere mortals. Indeed, perfect wines are so rare.

To add a little additional counterpoint to our deservedly glowing reviews of these wines — it was an epic wine night, up there with the best of them I’ve been to — a “critique” and score of the lineup:

-The best bouquet of the reds for me was the 89 Pichon, but I thought the palate was a touch acrid from a little brett. 93-94 pts.
-The 82 Cos had a wonderful palate layered and long with vim and fruit still, but the bouquet was dull and had a faint sulfurous note I disliked. 95+ palate, 91 bouquet.
-The 85 LLC was beautifully resolved, deep, and delicious, with probably my favorite palate for current enjoyment, but like other LLCs from that era, I found the bouquet quiet and fairly one dimensional. 97 palate, 90 bouquet.
-The 96 Mouton was so stellar and in a great place between youth and maturity, it was wonderful from the first sniff to the long finish. The only quibble might be, is it too friendly now to attain nirvana in a decade or two? 97 pts.
-The 96 Latour is a powerful wine and an outlier in an age of friendlier tannins, and I loved its dark fruit, lead pencil and exhilarating old vine vinosity, but when will this ever be ready? 95+ pts.
-The 9& Lafite was regal and seamless, but still young and as Jim notes, all too easy to overlook in a gathering like this.
-The 96 Cos was terrific and I voted for it as WOTN as it was drinking the best of the young wines for my palate, and I found its ironesque and pyrazine-accented profile wonderfully goth. It doesn’t have the depth of the very best wines though and seemed a touch dilute or under-fruited next to the 80’s wines (but that is a common concern I have with the 90’s era). 94-95 pts.
-The 94 Pichon was surprisingly good (to me) with a classic bouquet for this chateau and plenty of depth despite the vintage reputation, but it did show the blockiness of the year. 92-93 pts
-The 01 Laville, for such an exalted wine, we must assume (hope) was either over the hill or a flawed bottle. 87-88 pts.
-The 18 Ultramarine Rose was delicious and interesting (effusive of blood orange and ginger) and had a refinement to the texture that sparking wines outside of champagne never seem to attain, but it was hard pressed to match the Ruinart and I found the slight cidery note it developed less than optimal. 93+ pts
-The 15 Ygrec was so compelling and such a treat in part for its stylistic novelty, but it is so good it makes one ask, can Sauvignon Blanc ever really enter the inner circle of wine heaven when the spots are all taken by the gods of chardonnay? 95+ pts.
-I was truly dazzled by the 07 Ruinart rose, and all it needs is another 5+ years to break the sound barrier. Willie Mays, eat your heart out. 96+ pts.

[jckba]

Some of the other bottle shots of the flights from that night.

[JimHow]

My wine of the night was the 1985 Leoville Las Cases. To me it was in just a perfect place, a-point.