After David's exquisite Laurent Perrier Grand Siecle champagne opened procedings the superb and a point La Lagune set the ball rolling...but then the best showing of Cos 89 most of us had exprienced...a wine that has been worth the wait...then a still backward but exciting Montrose launched the evening off.
This evening was all about great company and great wines and a lot of unsung heroes....like the Cos...the Palmer...which lost 11:1 to Lafite and the Mouton was none too shabby...the L'Evangile...the super temptress of Tertre...and Jim's Lynch lasted the distance against the Graves superstars. Collating the results it looks like the Lafite was the most popular wine...and LMHB won the bind tasting.
The Baron was awesome, the Comtessa like silk and the LLC rivetting. Angelus on fire, Cheval a huge hit and Ausone enigmatic.
What a bunch of fabulous wines, what a vintage and what a tasting...there were no slouches...no duds...but La Conseillante was perhaps for me the most special of a bunch of terrific wines...I will try to collate the results
Fabulous 1989s and unsung heroes
-
Comte Flaneur
- Posts: 4897
- Joined: Mon Jan 26, 2009 9:05 pm
- Contact:
Re: Fabulous 1989s and unsung heroes
As I am sitting on the train back to Baltimore typing this, I can’t help but marvel at what a great evening we had! Thanks to Ian for organizing and keeping us moving along, and to all who came for making it another legendary BWE event.
A quick mention of the rules of engagement: Except for Flight Five, none of the wines were tasted blind. There was discussion during the tasting, and then a vote for favorite after each flight. No firsts/seconds/thirds, just best wine of flight. Flight Five, pitting the Lynch Bages against Haut Brion and La Miss, was done blind. As to the discussion, well, the plan was twelve people, twelve votes, and no jury rigging allowed. Things got interesting...
Don’t read too much into my point scores, since I rarely assign points and can’t vouch that they are consistent from one tasting to another. But I use them in tastings like this to help me keep things in relative order.
The LP Grand Siecles were very nice starters, but it didn't take us long to get to the business of the day.
Flight One
1989 La Lagune: medium red, brick orange at rim. Fragrant nose with tea leaves, aged complexity, medium body, medium finish, but nice fruit and complexity on the palate, this is probably drinking at its peak. 92
1989 Cos D'Estournel: dark red, lightening at rim. Terrific nose with fruit, cigar, blood and iron, sweet aged leafy stuff, nice complexity on palate but still pretty tannic, austere, and tough, still seems young to me but very enjoyable if you can handle the tannins, there was some debate as to whether this will improve with further age. 93
1989 Montrose: dark red, lightening at rim. Initially I liked the nose on this the best, pretty rich and forward with some flowers, blood and stones, but it was overtaken by the Cos. Dense, big palate feel with lots of fruit and tannins balancing each other out. Medium-long finish. Also not near peak but more accessible than the Cos on the palate to me. Others disagreed and felt this needed another 15 years to strut its stuff. Can’t really disagree – I’m sure it will improve with time. 94
Voting for this flight was split evenly, with each wine receiving 4 first-place votes.
Flight Two
1989 La Conseillante: dark red, lightening at rim. Whoa! We’ve gone from a flight dominated by soccer hooligans to a flight of voluptuous beauties. Fragrant, forward nose, smooth as liquid (dare I say it?) velvet in the mouth, great balance, nice finish. 95
1989 L’Evangile: medium-dark red, lighter at rim. Mature nose, a little tougher on the initial palate attack than the Conseillante or the Tertre Roteboeuf, but some interesting candied fruit notes and a sense of delicacy to the flavors that don’t quite match the sterner palate feel. Nice finish. 91
1989 Tertre Roteboeuf: dark red, only a little lightening at the rim – darkest of this flight. Nose is like the Conseillante on steroids, or as some put it a bit tarted up. I got a bit of alcoholic heat initially on the nose but this didn’t seem to continue. Very soft, sexy, and voluptuous palate feel, rich lush fruit, almost syrupy and a bit simple compared to the others in the flight until a bit of bitter chocolate showed up on the finish. This was described by some as California-like. Not sure I would go that far but it was the most different in this group. 94
The Conseillante garnered the most first place votes in this flight, with 6. Tertre Roteboeuf came in second with 4 votes, and L’Evangile third with 2 votes. Yet all were excellent wines.
Flight Three
I commented as these wines were being poured that it wasn’t often that the First Growths in a tasting weren’t expected to show very well compared to the competition. Can’t always trust those expectations…
1989 Lafite Rothschild: dark red, lighter at rim. Nice, elegant, classic Lafite nose with cedar, tobacco. Medium body, one of the lightest, most delicate palate feels of all the wines so far, but beautifully elegant with nice complexity and lots of flavors, jus perfect balance (almost everyone commented on this), and a nice long finish. Not a blockbuster by any means but really enjoyable, this exceeded expectations by a long shot. 95
1989 Mouton Rothschild: dark red, lighter at rim. Pretty typical Mouton nose of spicy soy, plus just a hint of volatile acidity but not enough to dominate. Medium body, sour cherries, some spice notes on the palate, balance is a bit to the acid end of the spectrum for me but otherwise excellent, medium finish, outclassed in this flight. 89
1989 Palmer: dark red, lighter at rim. Bit of cedar, Stefan’s “Margauxberries” and a hint of truffles/pleasant funk make up a terrific, sexy nose. Medium body, some complexity from the nose follows on the palate, nice finish. Bigger wine than the Lafite, but not as completely, perfectly balanced. 93
Before tasting, and based on past experience, I would have guessed Palmer to be the big winner, but it was not even close. Lafite was the runaway winner with 10/12 votes, Mouton and Palmer received 1 vote each.
Flight Four
1989 Ausone: dark red, minimal lightening. Nose is not giving a whole lot, plenty of fruit and backbone on the palate, but seems very young and possibly still closed, even at 20 years of age? No past experience to compare to, but the wine has a medium-full body and is pretty enjoyable in a primary sort of way. 90
1989 Cheval Blanc: dark red, some lightening at the rim. Nose was a bit musty at first, giving rise to a concern about TCA. But no, this blows off after a few minutes and there is no hint of cork taint. Nose is fairly forward with lots of tobacco and menthol, medium body, decent complexity, bitter cherry is the predominant fruit, good balance, nice finish. I liked this but comments around the table were that it was not a great Cheval Blanc. 92
1989 Angelus: dark red to rim, one of the darker wines so far. Forward nose with rich fruit, smoke, cassis and cherry, full bodied, lush ripe fruit with nice complexity but not yet in that sweet “old Bordeaux” mode, well-balanced de3spite its size, long rich finish, my favorite wine of the evening so far. 96
I was in the minority in the voting for this flight. The Cheval Blanc was the clear winner with 8/12 votes, Angelus got 4 votes, and the Ausone was skunked.
Flight Five
Well, here it was. The long-anticipated showdown between 1989 Lynch Bages and the two gunslingers from Graves. The staff at Fabio’s did the decanting of the bottles and the labeling of the decanters, to prevent any fight fixing or other shenanigans by our beloved but slightly crooked leader.
Wine A: dark red core, minimal lightening at rim. Very rich nose of ripe cassis, smoke, tar, and tobacco, and that gravelly Graves-y stuff, this must be either the Haut Brion or the La Mission. Medium-full bodied, lots of rich ripe fruit and great balance, long finish, even though it still seems young it is offering a ton of pleasure. I’m guessing this is the Haut Brion, not because I know but because I like it just a bit better than the wine I think is the other Graves in this flight, and I have a soft spot for Haut Brion. 98
Wine B: dark red, minimal lightening. Most closed nose in this group but still excellent – cassis and cedar and a bit of iron but not the rocky stuff of Graves. This must be the Lynch. Full-bodied, dense fruit but a little muddied and dull on the mid and back palate, nicely balanced, nice long finish but not as complex or nuanced as the other two wines in this flight. 92
Wine C: dard red, minimal lightening. Similar nose to Wine A, super mix of cassis, cherry, gravel, smoke, and tar, this must be the other Graves. A little bigger on the palate than Wine A, with again plenty of fruit and great balance, interesting mix of interplaying flavors if not yet in that classic aged sweetness window, long rich finish. This is a hair behind Wine A on my card, so I’m guessing La Miss. 97
This is where things started to get interesting. Table talk indicated a pretty uniform consensus that Wine B was the Lynch, though many of us were prepared to be embarrassed by misidentifying these icons. Ian called for the vote, but Jim argued for a pre-vote discussion. Persistent and insistent, he had to be shouted down by the group two or three times before we could cast our ballots. Only Gail supported him, and a truculent Jim claimed “she’s the only one I like at this table.”
The voting was done prior to revealing the identity of the bottles. Wine A came in first with 6 votes, Wine C came in second with 4 votes, and Wine B came in third with 2 votes. Wine B was then revealed to be the Lynch Bages, Wine C was revealed to be the Haut Brion, and Wine A was revealed to be the La Mission Haut Brion. About half of the group correctly identified all 3 wines, including Jim. I wasn’t one of them, getting the Haut Brion and the La Miss reversed.
Jim was magnanimous in accepting the defeat of his vaunted champion. Several offered an out – the bottle was purchased just a few days ago, and perhaps storage was not ideal. But Jim would have none of it. I don’t recall who cast the two votes for the Lynch, but I have to assume Jim’s was one of them.
Flight Six
Jacques pulled a surprise out of his bag as we went on to this flight: another bottle of ’89 Lynch Bages, purchased and stored in his cellar since release. So we all got another glass ready for a rematch between the ’89 Lynch and the ’89 Purple Baron, the very first of what was to become a tradition of BWE showdowns. The mood was pretty raucous at this point and my notes were sparse, but…
1989 Lynch Bages: dark red to rim. Richer nose and fuller palate feel, more nuance and definition of flavors and a better finish than the blind bottle in the prior flight. But not up to the Haut Brion or the La Miss. 94
1989 Pichon Baron: also dark red. Nice nose, rich dense cassis fruit and mocha/chocolate notes, nice finish, in a dead heat with the Lynch, also 94 points.
1989 Pichon Lalnde: dark red. Ripe cassis fruit, hint of (good) veggies, nice balance and finish, not quite as big or long as the Lynch Bages or the Pichon Baron. 92
1989 Leoville Las Cases: dark red. Ripe fruit but a little thinner than the preceding wines in this flight, or perhaps a bit closed or dumb? Was expecting more but still excellent. 91
The well-preserved Lynch made a comeback in this flight, but was unable to overtake the Purple Baron, with only 3 votes for first place to the Baron’s 6. Pichon Lalande and Las Cases also garnered 1 vote each.
Flight Seven: the stickies
1989 Climens: light gold color, nice nose but not much botrytis, fairly sweet with good balance.
1989 Peter Nicolay Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling TBA. Dark gold color, more complex than the Climens, nice balance and finish.
Of course, other opinions are sure to differ from the impressions I’ve posted above. I look forward to hearing what everyone else thought
I can’t finish this report without a comment on the service and food at Fabio’s. The staff was excellent, attentive to our needs but not intrusive. And the grilled veal chop was everything it was touted to be – probably the best I’ve had in my life.
So another classic BWE event came to an end, and we all said our goodbyes, looking forward to the next time, probably Chicago in the spring. Thanks again to everyone for making this such a great time..
A quick mention of the rules of engagement: Except for Flight Five, none of the wines were tasted blind. There was discussion during the tasting, and then a vote for favorite after each flight. No firsts/seconds/thirds, just best wine of flight. Flight Five, pitting the Lynch Bages against Haut Brion and La Miss, was done blind. As to the discussion, well, the plan was twelve people, twelve votes, and no jury rigging allowed. Things got interesting...
Don’t read too much into my point scores, since I rarely assign points and can’t vouch that they are consistent from one tasting to another. But I use them in tastings like this to help me keep things in relative order.
The LP Grand Siecles were very nice starters, but it didn't take us long to get to the business of the day.
Flight One
1989 La Lagune: medium red, brick orange at rim. Fragrant nose with tea leaves, aged complexity, medium body, medium finish, but nice fruit and complexity on the palate, this is probably drinking at its peak. 92
1989 Cos D'Estournel: dark red, lightening at rim. Terrific nose with fruit, cigar, blood and iron, sweet aged leafy stuff, nice complexity on palate but still pretty tannic, austere, and tough, still seems young to me but very enjoyable if you can handle the tannins, there was some debate as to whether this will improve with further age. 93
1989 Montrose: dark red, lightening at rim. Initially I liked the nose on this the best, pretty rich and forward with some flowers, blood and stones, but it was overtaken by the Cos. Dense, big palate feel with lots of fruit and tannins balancing each other out. Medium-long finish. Also not near peak but more accessible than the Cos on the palate to me. Others disagreed and felt this needed another 15 years to strut its stuff. Can’t really disagree – I’m sure it will improve with time. 94
Voting for this flight was split evenly, with each wine receiving 4 first-place votes.
Flight Two
1989 La Conseillante: dark red, lightening at rim. Whoa! We’ve gone from a flight dominated by soccer hooligans to a flight of voluptuous beauties. Fragrant, forward nose, smooth as liquid (dare I say it?) velvet in the mouth, great balance, nice finish. 95
1989 L’Evangile: medium-dark red, lighter at rim. Mature nose, a little tougher on the initial palate attack than the Conseillante or the Tertre Roteboeuf, but some interesting candied fruit notes and a sense of delicacy to the flavors that don’t quite match the sterner palate feel. Nice finish. 91
1989 Tertre Roteboeuf: dark red, only a little lightening at the rim – darkest of this flight. Nose is like the Conseillante on steroids, or as some put it a bit tarted up. I got a bit of alcoholic heat initially on the nose but this didn’t seem to continue. Very soft, sexy, and voluptuous palate feel, rich lush fruit, almost syrupy and a bit simple compared to the others in the flight until a bit of bitter chocolate showed up on the finish. This was described by some as California-like. Not sure I would go that far but it was the most different in this group. 94
The Conseillante garnered the most first place votes in this flight, with 6. Tertre Roteboeuf came in second with 4 votes, and L’Evangile third with 2 votes. Yet all were excellent wines.
Flight Three
I commented as these wines were being poured that it wasn’t often that the First Growths in a tasting weren’t expected to show very well compared to the competition. Can’t always trust those expectations…
1989 Lafite Rothschild: dark red, lighter at rim. Nice, elegant, classic Lafite nose with cedar, tobacco. Medium body, one of the lightest, most delicate palate feels of all the wines so far, but beautifully elegant with nice complexity and lots of flavors, jus perfect balance (almost everyone commented on this), and a nice long finish. Not a blockbuster by any means but really enjoyable, this exceeded expectations by a long shot. 95
1989 Mouton Rothschild: dark red, lighter at rim. Pretty typical Mouton nose of spicy soy, plus just a hint of volatile acidity but not enough to dominate. Medium body, sour cherries, some spice notes on the palate, balance is a bit to the acid end of the spectrum for me but otherwise excellent, medium finish, outclassed in this flight. 89
1989 Palmer: dark red, lighter at rim. Bit of cedar, Stefan’s “Margauxberries” and a hint of truffles/pleasant funk make up a terrific, sexy nose. Medium body, some complexity from the nose follows on the palate, nice finish. Bigger wine than the Lafite, but not as completely, perfectly balanced. 93
Before tasting, and based on past experience, I would have guessed Palmer to be the big winner, but it was not even close. Lafite was the runaway winner with 10/12 votes, Mouton and Palmer received 1 vote each.
Flight Four
1989 Ausone: dark red, minimal lightening. Nose is not giving a whole lot, plenty of fruit and backbone on the palate, but seems very young and possibly still closed, even at 20 years of age? No past experience to compare to, but the wine has a medium-full body and is pretty enjoyable in a primary sort of way. 90
1989 Cheval Blanc: dark red, some lightening at the rim. Nose was a bit musty at first, giving rise to a concern about TCA. But no, this blows off after a few minutes and there is no hint of cork taint. Nose is fairly forward with lots of tobacco and menthol, medium body, decent complexity, bitter cherry is the predominant fruit, good balance, nice finish. I liked this but comments around the table were that it was not a great Cheval Blanc. 92
1989 Angelus: dark red to rim, one of the darker wines so far. Forward nose with rich fruit, smoke, cassis and cherry, full bodied, lush ripe fruit with nice complexity but not yet in that sweet “old Bordeaux” mode, well-balanced de3spite its size, long rich finish, my favorite wine of the evening so far. 96
I was in the minority in the voting for this flight. The Cheval Blanc was the clear winner with 8/12 votes, Angelus got 4 votes, and the Ausone was skunked.
Flight Five
Well, here it was. The long-anticipated showdown between 1989 Lynch Bages and the two gunslingers from Graves. The staff at Fabio’s did the decanting of the bottles and the labeling of the decanters, to prevent any fight fixing or other shenanigans by our beloved but slightly crooked leader.
Wine A: dark red core, minimal lightening at rim. Very rich nose of ripe cassis, smoke, tar, and tobacco, and that gravelly Graves-y stuff, this must be either the Haut Brion or the La Mission. Medium-full bodied, lots of rich ripe fruit and great balance, long finish, even though it still seems young it is offering a ton of pleasure. I’m guessing this is the Haut Brion, not because I know but because I like it just a bit better than the wine I think is the other Graves in this flight, and I have a soft spot for Haut Brion. 98
Wine B: dark red, minimal lightening. Most closed nose in this group but still excellent – cassis and cedar and a bit of iron but not the rocky stuff of Graves. This must be the Lynch. Full-bodied, dense fruit but a little muddied and dull on the mid and back palate, nicely balanced, nice long finish but not as complex or nuanced as the other two wines in this flight. 92
Wine C: dard red, minimal lightening. Similar nose to Wine A, super mix of cassis, cherry, gravel, smoke, and tar, this must be the other Graves. A little bigger on the palate than Wine A, with again plenty of fruit and great balance, interesting mix of interplaying flavors if not yet in that classic aged sweetness window, long rich finish. This is a hair behind Wine A on my card, so I’m guessing La Miss. 97
This is where things started to get interesting. Table talk indicated a pretty uniform consensus that Wine B was the Lynch, though many of us were prepared to be embarrassed by misidentifying these icons. Ian called for the vote, but Jim argued for a pre-vote discussion. Persistent and insistent, he had to be shouted down by the group two or three times before we could cast our ballots. Only Gail supported him, and a truculent Jim claimed “she’s the only one I like at this table.”
The voting was done prior to revealing the identity of the bottles. Wine A came in first with 6 votes, Wine C came in second with 4 votes, and Wine B came in third with 2 votes. Wine B was then revealed to be the Lynch Bages, Wine C was revealed to be the Haut Brion, and Wine A was revealed to be the La Mission Haut Brion. About half of the group correctly identified all 3 wines, including Jim. I wasn’t one of them, getting the Haut Brion and the La Miss reversed.
Jim was magnanimous in accepting the defeat of his vaunted champion. Several offered an out – the bottle was purchased just a few days ago, and perhaps storage was not ideal. But Jim would have none of it. I don’t recall who cast the two votes for the Lynch, but I have to assume Jim’s was one of them.
Flight Six
Jacques pulled a surprise out of his bag as we went on to this flight: another bottle of ’89 Lynch Bages, purchased and stored in his cellar since release. So we all got another glass ready for a rematch between the ’89 Lynch and the ’89 Purple Baron, the very first of what was to become a tradition of BWE showdowns. The mood was pretty raucous at this point and my notes were sparse, but…
1989 Lynch Bages: dark red to rim. Richer nose and fuller palate feel, more nuance and definition of flavors and a better finish than the blind bottle in the prior flight. But not up to the Haut Brion or the La Miss. 94
1989 Pichon Baron: also dark red. Nice nose, rich dense cassis fruit and mocha/chocolate notes, nice finish, in a dead heat with the Lynch, also 94 points.
1989 Pichon Lalnde: dark red. Ripe cassis fruit, hint of (good) veggies, nice balance and finish, not quite as big or long as the Lynch Bages or the Pichon Baron. 92
1989 Leoville Las Cases: dark red. Ripe fruit but a little thinner than the preceding wines in this flight, or perhaps a bit closed or dumb? Was expecting more but still excellent. 91
The well-preserved Lynch made a comeback in this flight, but was unable to overtake the Purple Baron, with only 3 votes for first place to the Baron’s 6. Pichon Lalande and Las Cases also garnered 1 vote each.
Flight Seven: the stickies
1989 Climens: light gold color, nice nose but not much botrytis, fairly sweet with good balance.
1989 Peter Nicolay Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling TBA. Dark gold color, more complex than the Climens, nice balance and finish.
Of course, other opinions are sure to differ from the impressions I’ve posted above. I look forward to hearing what everyone else thought
I can’t finish this report without a comment on the service and food at Fabio’s. The staff was excellent, attentive to our needs but not intrusive. And the grilled veal chop was everything it was touted to be – probably the best I’ve had in my life.
So another classic BWE event came to an end, and we all said our goodbyes, looking forward to the next time, probably Chicago in the spring. Thanks again to everyone for making this such a great time..
Re: Fabulous 1989s and unsung heroes
Oh, and at the end we turned in written ballots for favorites of the night, biggest surprise, biggest disappointment, etc. Ian has the results. I am pretty sure Lafite took top honors, with La Mission Haut Brion second.
Jim asked the group at the outset if we thought Robert Parker had any influence on this tasting. In fact, Ian handed out the latest Wine Advocate and Wine Spectator scores on the '89s, though they were from tastings done a few years prior.
Well, the results of the group vote sure didn't bear any resemblance to RP's scores, at least for the Lafite, which would have finished WAY down in the standings.
Jim asked the group at the outset if we thought Robert Parker had any influence on this tasting. In fact, Ian handed out the latest Wine Advocate and Wine Spectator scores on the '89s, though they were from tastings done a few years prior.
Well, the results of the group vote sure didn't bear any resemblance to RP's scores, at least for the Lafite, which would have finished WAY down in the standings.
-
Comte Flaneur
- Posts: 4897
- Joined: Mon Jan 26, 2009 9:05 pm
- Contact:
Re: Fabulous 1989s and unsung heroes
David thanks for a brilliant and detailed write up of a memorable night...I dont have the full set of results but based on most of the returns this is the result with RP rating next to it
1. Lafite - 34 votes (90)
2. Haut-Brion - 23 (100)
3. LMHB - 21 (100)
4. Cheval Blanc 11 (89)
5. Conseillante 9 (97)
6. Cos D"Estournel 8 (88)
7= La Lagune 6 (92)
7= Palmer 6 (95)
9= Angelus 5 (96)
9= Lynch-Bages 5 (95)
11=Tertre Rote-boeuf 2 (94)
11= Climens 2 (94?)
13= Montrose 1 (98?)
13= L"Evangile 1 (92)
13= Ausone 1(92)
No points were awarded to Mouton (90), Pichon Baron (95, surprisingly), Pichon Lalande (92), Leoville Lascases (91) and Papa's quite stunning Urziger (RP score?).
But people probably agree that it was not a negative reflection on these wines, it was just that the quality was so high.
Biggest surprises featured Lafite and Cos - biggest disapointments was fairly evenly dispersed but featured Mouton more than once. I was not surprised by Lafite, but Cos - wow - it has finally emerged from its ugly duckling phase!
There were no bad wines - only good wines and great bottles.
1. Lafite - 34 votes (90)
2. Haut-Brion - 23 (100)
3. LMHB - 21 (100)
4. Cheval Blanc 11 (89)
5. Conseillante 9 (97)
6. Cos D"Estournel 8 (88)
7= La Lagune 6 (92)
7= Palmer 6 (95)
9= Angelus 5 (96)
9= Lynch-Bages 5 (95)
11=Tertre Rote-boeuf 2 (94)
11= Climens 2 (94?)
13= Montrose 1 (98?)
13= L"Evangile 1 (92)
13= Ausone 1(92)
No points were awarded to Mouton (90), Pichon Baron (95, surprisingly), Pichon Lalande (92), Leoville Lascases (91) and Papa's quite stunning Urziger (RP score?).
But people probably agree that it was not a negative reflection on these wines, it was just that the quality was so high.
Biggest surprises featured Lafite and Cos - biggest disapointments was fairly evenly dispersed but featured Mouton more than once. I was not surprised by Lafite, but Cos - wow - it has finally emerged from its ugly duckling phase!
There were no bad wines - only good wines and great bottles.
-
Jay Winton
- Posts: 1846
- Joined: Mon Jan 26, 2009 9:06 pm
- Location: Rehoboth Beach, DE USA
- Contact:
Re: Fabulous 1989s and unsung heroes
quite a dinner. really sorry I couldn't make this but mrs vino needed nursing this weekend due to a bad cold so probably just as well I couldn't attend. Also glad Jill could take my place.
Re: Fabulous 1989s and unsung heroes
Thanks, David, for the great write-up of a memorable BWE evening. It was wonderful again to get together with some of our BWE friends for drinking a fantastic collection of wines, any one of which could be the star of a dinner, and eating one of the best veal chops I have had. Thanks, Ian, for putting this together. Fabio's did a fabulous job with the wine service and, of course, the excellent food.
The biggest surprise for me was the showing of '89 Cos, which 6 years ago was not very impressive, far behind the '90. No surprise that this knowledgeable group appreciated the perfectly balanced Lafite even though other wines had more oomph.
stefan
The biggest surprise for me was the showing of '89 Cos, which 6 years ago was not very impressive, far behind the '90. No surprise that this knowledgeable group appreciated the perfectly balanced Lafite even though other wines had more oomph.
stefan
Re: Fabulous 1989s and unsung heroes
What a great night! BWE made it again!
Thanks to David for the detailled report. It is an ugly job to rate such great wines, one again each other...
And this prove again that wine is such a fascinating World, when you see that unexpected wines steal the top place.
I feel a bit sorry for the 1989 Lynch Bages, but the competition was hard and rude. But Jim, tell us the truth, if you identified the LB and vote for it because it was your favorite, that's ok, but tell us which of the wine in the fifth flight was your real favorite, if it was not the Pauillac... and your favorite of all the wines that night.
Well done guys.
Nic
Thanks to David for the detailled report. It is an ugly job to rate such great wines, one again each other...
And this prove again that wine is such a fascinating World, when you see that unexpected wines steal the top place.
I feel a bit sorry for the 1989 Lynch Bages, but the competition was hard and rude. But Jim, tell us the truth, if you identified the LB and vote for it because it was your favorite, that's ok, but tell us which of the wine in the fifth flight was your real favorite, if it was not the Pauillac... and your favorite of all the wines that night.
Well done guys.
Nic
Re: Fabulous 1989s and unsung heroes
very nicely done
The 89 Lafite I had from a mag was certainly one of the top wines I have ever had
so sorry I waited to long to make the air/hotel
rick
The 89 Lafite I had from a mag was certainly one of the top wines I have ever had
so sorry I waited to long to make the air/hotel
rick
Re: Fabulous 1989s and unsung heroes
Great notes David. You answered my question from the other thread about the Baron vs Lynch beautifully. At least I'm not losing it when it comes to comparing these two formidable contenders. Great to see the infamous BWE rematch is alive and well. How many more bouts do you expect these two to have in the future or are they approaching the ends of their careers?
Well done!
Danny
Well done!
Danny
Danny
-
JimHow
- Posts: 20307
- Joined: Thu Nov 20, 2008 10:49 pm
- Location: Lewiston, Maine, United States
- Contact:
Re: Fabulous 1989s and unsung heroes
Back in Maine after another epic BWE evening.
Ian did a superb job organizing the dinner, it was a lot of fun.
My top wines in each of the above flights were:
1. Montrose
2. Tertre Roteboeuf
3. Lafite
4. Cheval Blanc
5. Lynch
6. Lynch
As usual, the best part of these events is to see old friends. I remain fascinated by how daily contact on the internet seems to dissolve time away. I was commenting to Jill and Jacques that I hadn't seen them in a year and a half (Miami '08), yet it seemed like yesterday.
The Lafite was brilliant. I'm really disappointed in the ignominious shouting down of discussion on Flight Five, it was like that scene when those young Republicans were trying to beat down the door of the election officials in Florida during the Gore/Bush campaign. Treasonous, I tell you!
Too tired to write any more right now!
Ian did a superb job organizing the dinner, it was a lot of fun.
My top wines in each of the above flights were:
1. Montrose
2. Tertre Roteboeuf
3. Lafite
4. Cheval Blanc
5. Lynch
6. Lynch
As usual, the best part of these events is to see old friends. I remain fascinated by how daily contact on the internet seems to dissolve time away. I was commenting to Jill and Jacques that I hadn't seen them in a year and a half (Miami '08), yet it seemed like yesterday.
The Lafite was brilliant. I'm really disappointed in the ignominious shouting down of discussion on Flight Five, it was like that scene when those young Republicans were trying to beat down the door of the election officials in Florida during the Gore/Bush campaign. Treasonous, I tell you!
Too tired to write any more right now!
Re: Fabulous 1989s and unsung heroes
HA! It was more akin to what would have happened if the Democrats had shut the Republicans up and got down to the serious business of getting an accurate vote count. I am relieved that you picked Lynch first in both of its flights.
I also have to agree that seeing everyone again was the best part, and it did feel like no time had passed between our visits.
I also have to agree that seeing everyone again was the best part, and it did feel like no time had passed between our visits.
Re: Fabulous 1989s and unsung heroes
This was the best tasting I've been to in years. My notes are full of "whoa!!" "Awesome!" and "Incredible!" The wines were all fantastic - not one slacker in the bunch and I would be happy to own any one of them. The food was also delicious. A lot better than your typical Manhattan joint. Obviously, the best thing is the company. I think the group would have had just as much fun drinking beer, some of the banter going around was priceless - lots of yelling, arguing and laughing. I never have as much fun in tastings. This is one special group.
David did a great job describing the wines, so I;'ll defer to his notes. My favorite was the Lafite, but I loved the Tertre Roteboeuf and the Cheval Blanc as well. I thought they were open and lush, full of chocolaty fruit but well structured and balanced. I thought the Mouton was also very good but just not up to the level of the others. The two Graves were both excellent, finally the Baron and Lynch tied it all up again.
I think even Jim would agree that the Lafite was something else yesterday.
David did a great job describing the wines, so I;'ll defer to his notes. My favorite was the Lafite, but I loved the Tertre Roteboeuf and the Cheval Blanc as well. I thought they were open and lush, full of chocolaty fruit but well structured and balanced. I thought the Mouton was also very good but just not up to the level of the others. The two Graves were both excellent, finally the Baron and Lynch tied it all up again.
I think even Jim would agree that the Lafite was something else yesterday.
Best
Jacques
Jacques
-
JimHow
- Posts: 20307
- Joined: Thu Nov 20, 2008 10:49 pm
- Location: Lewiston, Maine, United States
- Contact:
Re: Fabulous 1989s and unsung heroes
The Lafite was awesome, Jacques, it was my wine of the night. I've now had the '89 and the '96 Lafites in the past month with BWEers, both otherwordly.
What a fun time!
What a fun time!
-
aimeedogdogdog
- Posts: 205
- Joined: Tue Jan 27, 2009 1:23 am
- Contact:
Re: Fabulous 1989s and unsung heroes
Thank you for the wine notes here, David and everyone else! Much appreciated!
I was tasting the wines in my mind when reading the notes. This was another awesome BWE family gathering. I am looking forward to hearing from everyone telling their own experience!
Life is good (even on this side of the country by just reading it)!
Werner
I was tasting the wines in my mind when reading the notes. This was another awesome BWE family gathering. I am looking forward to hearing from everyone telling their own experience!
Life is good (even on this side of the country by just reading it)!
Werner
-
Winona Chief
- Posts: 810
- Joined: Mon Jan 26, 2009 9:11 pm
- Contact:
Re: Fabulous 1989s and unsung heroes
Once again a truly outstanding BWE event and one of the best wine dinners I have ever attended. A great meal, a great social event and a great wine tasting all rolled together. The six hours just seemed to fly by.
I'm not providing any tasting notes (with very few exceptions my impressions of the wines closely matched those of David Glasser - great minds, etc.) but here are my ranking/scores:
Top Four
Haut Brion - 99
La Mission Haut Brion - 98
Lafite Rothschild - 97
Angelus - 96
Five Way Tie
Palmer - 95
Montrose - 95
Lynch Bages - 95
Pichon Baron - 95
La Conseillante - 95
Very good but a step down
Cheval Blanc - 93
Pichon Lalande - 92
Cos d'Estournel - 91
L’Evangile - 91
La Lagune - 91
Good wines another step down
Leoville Las Cases - 90
Mouton Rothschild - 89
Ausone - 88
Far last place - did not like at all
Tertre Roteboeuf - ???
As for the other wines - I loved the Laurent Perrier Grand Siecle Champagne, the Urziger Wurtzgarten tba was thrilling and the Climens was elegant, well-balanced but a little closed.
Chris Bublitz
I'm not providing any tasting notes (with very few exceptions my impressions of the wines closely matched those of David Glasser - great minds, etc.) but here are my ranking/scores:
Top Four
Haut Brion - 99
La Mission Haut Brion - 98
Lafite Rothschild - 97
Angelus - 96
Five Way Tie
Palmer - 95
Montrose - 95
Lynch Bages - 95
Pichon Baron - 95
La Conseillante - 95
Very good but a step down
Cheval Blanc - 93
Pichon Lalande - 92
Cos d'Estournel - 91
L’Evangile - 91
La Lagune - 91
Good wines another step down
Leoville Las Cases - 90
Mouton Rothschild - 89
Ausone - 88
Far last place - did not like at all
Tertre Roteboeuf - ???
As for the other wines - I loved the Laurent Perrier Grand Siecle Champagne, the Urziger Wurtzgarten tba was thrilling and the Climens was elegant, well-balanced but a little closed.
Chris Bublitz
-
JimHow
- Posts: 20307
- Joined: Thu Nov 20, 2008 10:49 pm
- Location: Lewiston, Maine, United States
- Contact:
Re: Fabulous 1989s and unsung heroes
Tertre Rotebouef was the most controversial wine of the night. After some stern Medocs in the first round, we had kind of a shock to the senses with some aromatic and sexy right bankers. I personally enjoyed the voluptuousness of the Tertre, but I can certainly see how it might not be everyone's cup of tea.
Re: Fabulous 1989s and unsung heroes
I agree with Jim about the Tertre Roteboeuf. It had a very exotic nose of spices and chocolate and on the palate was rich, fruity and delicious. On the other hand, it was also completely balanced and didn't seem at all out of whack like some of the Parker aberrations of latter years.
I also thought the texture of the Cos was the the most elegant of the evening. That wine was deliciously refined but with an excellent structure. The old "iron fist in a velvet glove" metaphor applies here. I liked it better than the Montrose for current drinking.
The two St Emilions - La Conseillante and l'Evangile, were I thought very similar after about fifteen minutes. The l'Evangile was a little slower off the blocks and took a few minutes to hit a stride.
I also thought the texture of the Cos was the the most elegant of the evening. That wine was deliciously refined but with an excellent structure. The old "iron fist in a velvet glove" metaphor applies here. I liked it better than the Montrose for current drinking.
The two St Emilions - La Conseillante and l'Evangile, were I thought very similar after about fifteen minutes. The l'Evangile was a little slower off the blocks and took a few minutes to hit a stride.
Best
Jacques
Jacques
-
Comte Flaneur
- Posts: 4897
- Joined: Mon Jan 26, 2009 9:05 pm
- Contact:
Re: Fabulous 1989s and unsung heroes
I thnk the difference between Conseillante and Tertre is that the former you would happily marry and the later you would be ashamed to bring home to your mother.
FWIW, my pecking order for the reds:
1. Conseillante
2. LMHB
3. Haut Brion
4. Lafite
Think these four were a cut above the rest, just mind blowing
5. Angelus
6. Palmer
These two nearly made the top flight and still have their best to come
7= Cos
7= Mouton
7= Cheval Blanc
7= Pichon Lalande
All of these performed well above my expectations, especially Cos and Cheval
11= L' Evangile
11 = Pichon Baron
11 = Lynch Bages B
All of these were very good with their best ahead, maybe lacking a bit of complexity or magic that could be yet to come?
14= La Lagune
14= Montrose
14= Tertre Roteboeuf
14= Lynch Bages A
14 = Leoville Lascases
All very good wines in their own way, all quite different
19 Ausone
No slouch just not showing much
FWIW, my pecking order for the reds:
1. Conseillante
2. LMHB
3. Haut Brion
4. Lafite
Think these four were a cut above the rest, just mind blowing
5. Angelus
6. Palmer
These two nearly made the top flight and still have their best to come
7= Cos
7= Mouton
7= Cheval Blanc
7= Pichon Lalande
All of these performed well above my expectations, especially Cos and Cheval
11= L' Evangile
11 = Pichon Baron
11 = Lynch Bages B
All of these were very good with their best ahead, maybe lacking a bit of complexity or magic that could be yet to come?
14= La Lagune
14= Montrose
14= Tertre Roteboeuf
14= Lynch Bages A
14 = Leoville Lascases
All very good wines in their own way, all quite different
19 Ausone
No slouch just not showing much
Re: Fabulous 1989s and unsung heroes
Looks like everyone had a fine event.
Boy am I envious. I'll make the next one.
One more big ride with my brothers this weekend (100 mile loop around Kerr resevoir on VA/NC border) and I can climb off the bike and wine/dine for a couple months.
Then back on the bike for a New Years day 200K to begin my run to conquer Paris-Brest-Paris in 2011.
Yes I'm headed to France to see the country side the hard way.
Hopefully with my brother Mike by my side.
I love the French.
The wine. The food. And the cycling.
Boy am I envious. I'll make the next one.
One more big ride with my brothers this weekend (100 mile loop around Kerr resevoir on VA/NC border) and I can climb off the bike and wine/dine for a couple months.
Then back on the bike for a New Years day 200K to begin my run to conquer Paris-Brest-Paris in 2011.
Yes I'm headed to France to see the country side the hard way.
Hopefully with my brother Mike by my side.
I love the French.
The wine. The food. And the cycling.
Re: Fabulous 1989s and unsung heroes
Wow! What a night. WOW! Did I say "Wow" yet? Probably the strongest lineup of wines I can recall at a tasting since a "half-dozen 59's, half-dozen 61's" (including lots of Firsts) tasting I was lucky enough to attend (drop by wine shop, the owner says "My guest can't attend, do you want to go?") back in the mid-eighties.
In the first flight (My notes were consumed in a flood of Climens, so I'm winging it from here on..), the La Lagune was probably in as good a spot as it will ever be -- smooth, supple, and complex; however, the Cos d'E finally lived up to its early press and this bottle of the Montrose seemed more promising than I've ever had (and I have always loved the '89 Montrose.) My "Wine of the Flight" (WOTF) vote went for the Cos d'Estournel, but it was the closest flight of the night in this regard and I could easily see why the voting was so widely distributed.
The second flight was made into a two horse race by the fact that the L'Evangile still seemed closed and backward. I think the wine still has plenty of potential, but it simply wasn't strutting this night. I could understand thinking that the Tertre Roteboeuf was too far over the edge, but I loved it and rated it the equal of a beautiful bottle of La Conseillante. In a pinch, I voted for the Conseillante as WOTF for more being more like what I want a Left Banker to be.
Flight three had the surprise of the night -- an absolutely amazing bottle of Lafite! As others have said above, this may have been the most perfectly balanced wine I've ever tasted. A nice dinner lingering over a bottle like this would be a truly memorable evening! The Mouton seemed ridiculously simple in comparison, and the Palmer, while a terrific bottle (but not the best example of this wine in my experience), was also left kneeling and gazing at the perfection of this bottle of Lafite. Interestingly (to me at least...WARNING, enigma ahead), as I experienced the Lafite I kept thinking that I wouldn't consider this a 100-point wine since none of its aspects stood out at the level that I associate with such an "epic" wine -- I'm thinking '31 Quinta do Noval, '49 Latour, '59 Lafite, '82 & '86 Mouton and their ilk -- but this was an absolutely perfect wine by any standards that I could drum up.
Flight four brought on more heavy hitters and I think they performed very well. I was torn between the Ausone and the L'Angelus for WOTF, but the Ausone still seems surly and uncooperative (enough so that I wonder if I'll live to see my bottle or two of this "old school Ausone" at maturity), so I ended up giving the edge to the L'Angelus. The Cheval Blanc punched above its rating but didnt stand up to the other two fighters on my card.
Since we all know which wine was which in the featured bout, II'll pile on and say that the Lynch Bages was a solid wine but blown away in this group. A few years ago, we had enjoyed an '89 Haut Brion and an '89 La Miss on a visit with SF ED, Geeman and others at CabFan and Victoria's house (does anybody have a link to the beta BWE archive?), and on that night it was almost impossible to choose between two magnificent wines. Well, on this night in October 2009, "Wine A" just seemed to have more depth and complexity, so I was guessing Haut Brion but wasn't surprised that La Miss turned out to be my WOTF (and WOTN, edging out the surprising Lafite.)
For some odd reason flight six gets a little fuzzy
, but I recall thinking that Jacques' bottle of Lynch Bages, while easily better than the fighter in the main event, was still spanked by a great bottle of Pichon Baron. The Pichon Lalande was showing well but not at the level of the LB and PB. The bottle of Leoville-Las-Cases seemed an also-ran at best.
The starter Champers was excellent (is the Grand Siecles usually ~$100 like I saw tonight in Denver???) and the two dessert wines were terrific, but it is mostly the laughing, shouting, finger-pointing, nodding, grinning, etc. shared among a fabulous group of people that I'll remember from a great, great evening in NYC!
Ciao,
Tom and Gail
In the first flight (My notes were consumed in a flood of Climens, so I'm winging it from here on..), the La Lagune was probably in as good a spot as it will ever be -- smooth, supple, and complex; however, the Cos d'E finally lived up to its early press and this bottle of the Montrose seemed more promising than I've ever had (and I have always loved the '89 Montrose.) My "Wine of the Flight" (WOTF) vote went for the Cos d'Estournel, but it was the closest flight of the night in this regard and I could easily see why the voting was so widely distributed.
The second flight was made into a two horse race by the fact that the L'Evangile still seemed closed and backward. I think the wine still has plenty of potential, but it simply wasn't strutting this night. I could understand thinking that the Tertre Roteboeuf was too far over the edge, but I loved it and rated it the equal of a beautiful bottle of La Conseillante. In a pinch, I voted for the Conseillante as WOTF for more being more like what I want a Left Banker to be.
Flight three had the surprise of the night -- an absolutely amazing bottle of Lafite! As others have said above, this may have been the most perfectly balanced wine I've ever tasted. A nice dinner lingering over a bottle like this would be a truly memorable evening! The Mouton seemed ridiculously simple in comparison, and the Palmer, while a terrific bottle (but not the best example of this wine in my experience), was also left kneeling and gazing at the perfection of this bottle of Lafite. Interestingly (to me at least...WARNING, enigma ahead), as I experienced the Lafite I kept thinking that I wouldn't consider this a 100-point wine since none of its aspects stood out at the level that I associate with such an "epic" wine -- I'm thinking '31 Quinta do Noval, '49 Latour, '59 Lafite, '82 & '86 Mouton and their ilk -- but this was an absolutely perfect wine by any standards that I could drum up.
Flight four brought on more heavy hitters and I think they performed very well. I was torn between the Ausone and the L'Angelus for WOTF, but the Ausone still seems surly and uncooperative (enough so that I wonder if I'll live to see my bottle or two of this "old school Ausone" at maturity), so I ended up giving the edge to the L'Angelus. The Cheval Blanc punched above its rating but didnt stand up to the other two fighters on my card.
Since we all know which wine was which in the featured bout, II'll pile on and say that the Lynch Bages was a solid wine but blown away in this group. A few years ago, we had enjoyed an '89 Haut Brion and an '89 La Miss on a visit with SF ED, Geeman and others at CabFan and Victoria's house (does anybody have a link to the beta BWE archive?), and on that night it was almost impossible to choose between two magnificent wines. Well, on this night in October 2009, "Wine A" just seemed to have more depth and complexity, so I was guessing Haut Brion but wasn't surprised that La Miss turned out to be my WOTF (and WOTN, edging out the surprising Lafite.)
For some odd reason flight six gets a little fuzzy
, but I recall thinking that Jacques' bottle of Lynch Bages, while easily better than the fighter in the main event, was still spanked by a great bottle of Pichon Baron. The Pichon Lalande was showing well but not at the level of the LB and PB. The bottle of Leoville-Las-Cases seemed an also-ran at best.The starter Champers was excellent (is the Grand Siecles usually ~$100 like I saw tonight in Denver???) and the two dessert wines were terrific, but it is mostly the laughing, shouting, finger-pointing, nodding, grinning, etc. shared among a fabulous group of people that I'll remember from a great, great evening in NYC!
Ciao,
Tom and Gail
Re: Fabulous 1989s and unsung heroes
Well, if that's what you think, Tom, then there is no excuse for the Lynch. These two bottles were bought at the same time and stored next to each other in identical conditions.Tom In DC wrote: but I recall thinking that Jacques' bottle of Lynch Bages, while easily better than the fighter in the main event, was still spanked by a great bottle of Pichon Baron.
Best
Jacques
Jacques
-
JimHow
- Posts: 20307
- Joined: Thu Nov 20, 2008 10:49 pm
- Location: Lewiston, Maine, United States
- Contact:
Re: Fabulous 1989s and unsung heroes
Tom is out of his mind. This was just another scam pulled off by the thugs from Maryland.
This was a premeditated shout-down in an effort to preserve the tenuous reputation of one of their "leading citizen" wine crtics.
All I wanted was to have the floor for a few minutes to state my case.
What are they afraid of?
This was a premeditated shout-down in an effort to preserve the tenuous reputation of one of their "leading citizen" wine crtics.
All I wanted was to have the floor for a few minutes to state my case.
What are they afraid of?
-
JimHow
- Posts: 20307
- Joined: Thu Nov 20, 2008 10:49 pm
- Location: Lewiston, Maine, United States
- Contact:
Re: Fabulous 1989s and unsung heroes
Even his own wife wanted to allow me the floor, but he was so obsessed with "winning" that he continued the Maryland-style thuggery.
I guess what else would I expect from the Land of Agnew?
Next thing you know they'll be putting together an "enemies list."
I appreciate your vote of support, Jacques, although I guess I'm a little dismayed-- shocked actually-- by the betrayal of your better half....
I guess what else would I expect from the Land of Agnew?
Next thing you know they'll be putting together an "enemies list."
I appreciate your vote of support, Jacques, although I guess I'm a little dismayed-- shocked actually-- by the betrayal of your better half....
-
Comte Flaneur
- Posts: 4897
- Joined: Mon Jan 26, 2009 9:05 pm
- Contact:
Re: Fabulous 1989s and unsung heroes
I still have come down off the high from Saturday night, and btw I heard on the grapevine that there is another 1989 tasting in NYC in November. But they haven't got anything remotely like the line up we had.
I have been thinking about the wines and how one would charaterize them. For example one might portray La Conseillante as Sophia Loren and Tertre as Pamela Anderson. As for flight five I would describe it as a hooligan in a gentleman's club (not one of those seedy clubs, but one you find in St-James's) .
I have been thinking about the wines and how one would charaterize them. For example one might portray La Conseillante as Sophia Loren and Tertre as Pamela Anderson. As for flight five I would describe it as a hooligan in a gentleman's club (not one of those seedy clubs, but one you find in St-James's) .
Last edited by Comte Flaneur on Wed Oct 21, 2009 3:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Fabulous 1989s and unsung heroes
I was one of only two who voted for the delicate and well bred l'Evangile in flight two. She is a young princess who will become a wonderful queen. Tertre Roteboeuf was a real slut; great for the youngsters, but too much for this old man. La Conseillante is a mature and voluptuous beauty who, as Ian says, brings to mind Sophia Loren.
stefan
stefan
-
Jay Winton
- Posts: 1846
- Joined: Mon Jan 26, 2009 9:06 pm
- Location: Rehoboth Beach, DE USA
- Contact:
Re: Fabulous 1989s and unsung heroes
Man, it's hot in Texas
Re: Fabulous 1989s and unsung heroes
I tried Jim. Hey... I remember smelling some Lafite in her glass during the fifth flight. Someone (probably Tom or Ian) must have offered a bigger bribe than youJimHow wrote: I appreciate your vote of support, Jacques, although I guess I'm a little dismayed-- shocked actually-- by the betrayal of your better half....
.Best
Jacques
Jacques
-
JimHow
- Posts: 20307
- Joined: Thu Nov 20, 2008 10:49 pm
- Location: Lewiston, Maine, United States
- Contact:
Re: Fabulous 1989s and unsung heroes
The Tertre Rotebouef was like Nastassja Kinski in the voyeur scenes of Paris Texas.
Re: Fabulous 1989s and unsung heroes
Boy, it's a good thing we kept Jim on a short leash. Give one of those "simple country lawyer"-type politicians an audience, and before you know it he's got them eating out of his hand. We already knew of his repeated attempts at election-fixing. And since we were pretty certain he correctly identified the Lynch this time, he would have been really dangerous if we'd let him spread his disinformation before the votes were cast.
This was the only part of the evening where I felt a little uncomfortable. Not because of the good-natured jawboning, but because we got so loud I was afraid the mgt might object to our drowning out the Yankees game on the tube at the bar. The feeling passed quickly.
This was the only part of the evening where I felt a little uncomfortable. Not because of the good-natured jawboning, but because we got so loud I was afraid the mgt might object to our drowning out the Yankees game on the tube at the bar. The feeling passed quickly.
Re: Fabulous 1989s and unsung heroes
Regardless of sourcing, it's no surprise that two bottles of the same 20-year old wine show differently. I've seen the top and bottom half of the same magnum show differently enough to fool experienced tasters.
We did get a little loud while keeping the silver-tongued devil from Lewiston at bay, didn't we? Good times...
We did get a little loud while keeping the silver-tongued devil from Lewiston at bay, didn't we? Good times...
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: Bing [Bot], Google [Bot] and 75 guests