The Thursday night pre-fight card

[JimHow]

The wines consumed at dinner last night at Custom House in Chicago:

reception
1985 Dom Perignon

First course
2000 Lynch Bages
1996 Lynch Bages

Second course
1995 Cos d'Estournel
1996 Cos d'Estournel

Third course
1990 Lynch Bages
1989 Lynch Bages

Fourth course
1966 Latour
1970 Latour

Fifth course
1959 Latour
1961 Latour

Sixth course
1967 d'Yquem

I did not keep my menu but the food was perfect, like the company.
I'll post more details on the very interesting wines....



F

[JCNorthway]

This was a very impressive line-up of wines, and I need to spend some time later putting my reactions into words. But in the meantime, I did take my menu home, so here are the courses. By the way, the chef did a very nice job on these dishes, and the quantities were just right for enjoying the evening without getting stuffed.

First Course - Kingfish confit with shaved baby fennel, arbequina olives and cara cara orange slices.
Second Course - Lamb sweetbreads with parsley root, meyer lemon, capers, and golden raisins.
Third Course - Maine scallops with cauliflower puree, celery root, and bacon vinaigrette.
Fourth Course - Pork tenderloin and roasted pork belly with sweet potato and caramelized baby fennel.
Fifth Course - American artisanal cheese selection.
Sixth Course - Brown butter cake with hazelnuts, huckleberry aigre-doux and coconut ice cream.

My personal favorites were the Maine scallops and the pork tenderloin/pork belly - the pork belly's fatty richness went very well with the wines.

By the way, there were two wines planned for this dinner that we did not drink (a story for another time). But they will appear at the Saturday dinner - 1996 Lafon Rochet and 1996 Pontet Canet.

Jon

[Chasse-Spleen]

Whoa! What are you guys going to do for an encore?

[Nicklasss]

Great start. Just hurting me a bit more, that I could not attend...

Life is so unfair sometimes.

Nic

[Michael Malinoski]

Note to self: Attend next BWE convention.

'61 Latour, seriously? My goodness. And sounds like you guys just can't get enough of that '89 Lynch!

-Michael

[Michael Malinoski]

Sheesh! And I didn't even notice the '67 Yquem first time I looked. I have an old acquaintance sitting on some of that. I think he was threatening to drink it sometime soon, but I bet there's no hurry...

[jal]

Gulp

Awesome stuff, fellas. Very happy for you guys. Keep it up and continue having a great time!

[JCNorthway]

Here are a few of my thoughts on the wines we drank last evening at the Custom House. And major thanks go to Stuart for sharing those older bottles with the group. Tasting the older Latours and the d'Yquem was a special experience for me.

1985 Dom Perignon - I don't have much experience with older Champagnes. But based on this, perhaps I like mine a little younger. There were still some things to like about it - complexity, really well integrated - but it had a bit of a harsh edge to it.

2000 Lynch Bages - This was still pretty closed and not giving a lot on the nose. Tasting it, you can tell there is a lot to offer, but it needs some more time to develop.
1996 Lynch Bages - Still young and primary, lots of structure, noticeable tannins. I thought I got just a hint of brett at first, but it lessened as the evening went on. My nod went to the 2000 because I thought it had better overall balance and purity; also because I am put off by brett.

1995 Cos d'Estournel - Lovely nose and nice concentrated fruit. Will get better, but it was more enjoyable already than I thought it might be.
1996 Cos d'Estournel - I thought it was quite similar to the 1995, but with more concentrated fruit; also a really nice nose. I spent a lot of time with my nose in these two glasses. I did not have a preference between these two. Both were a joy.

1990 Lynch Bages - Beautiful nose on this wine, maybe the best nose of the younger wines we tasted. Well balanced with lots of fruit, but enough acidity and tannins to offset the fruit.
1989 Lynch Bages - What can I say? I thought the 1989 was the better wine, but not by as big a gap as I would have expected. I think the 1990 will provide a lot of drinking pleasure.

1966 Latour - These wines were a whole different experience than the younger ones. The 1966 still had loads of sweet fruit, tannins were nicely resolved, so it was like having velvet in your mouth.
1970 Latour - Very similar to the 1966. I sensed that the majority of folks leaned toward the 1970; I think I liked the 1966 just a tad better.

1959 Latour – In my entire life, I’ve had exactly one bottle of wine older than 1961. So drinking this was just a pleasure. What I liked about the 1959 was that I could not find a fault with it. I suppose I could have wanted a bit more ofsomething, or a bit less of something, but that would be quibbling over the smallest of nuances.
1961 Latour – This was a crowd favorite around the table. I saw lots of smiles as folks contemplated what was in their glasses. This was also just a pleasure to experience. Still fairly youthful for its age, good round fruit, but still with enough structure that it was not at all flabby. Early on, I was leaning toward the 1959. Later I tipped toward the 1961. In the end, a toss-up.

1967 d'Yquem – I don’t have a lot of experience with older Sauternes, but I’m guessing that it doesn’t get much better than this. A powerful fruit aroma jumped out of the glass immediately, and it did not fade at all as the wine sat in the glass. I could find nothing at all to complain about here. I think I might now have an inkling about why this wine is so expensive!

All in all, a fabulous wine evening. It was great to see some old friends and meet some new ones. This evening set a high standard for the rest of the weekend.

Jon

[Comte Flaneur]

Crikey! What a dream line up...thanks Jon for your notes, any votes as well?

I am luminous green with envy

Chris and I with our mini BWE offline in Stamford will be toasting you guys

[SF Ed]

Geez. I just got to Chicago and was so excited and now I know it will all be downhill. Who wants to drink my lame 1990 Yquem when the single greatest wine I have ever tasted, the 1967, has already been busted out?

That is a pretty high bar. I wish I had gotten here a day earlier.

SF Ed

[dstgolf]

Stuart et al,

Thanks for making this magical night possible. An amazing experience! Company was wonderful with a common thread between us....wine at its best! The lineup was strong out of the gate with the Lynch and Cos mini verticals. The 89 LB initially was perplexing. Everyone was ooooing and ahhhing around the table about how great the wine was. I thought they were patronizing the BD who was beaming at the greatest bottle of LB he has presented to date. I thought these people were nuts and couldn't figure out what they were drinking. I tried my wife's glass and wow what a difference! Now I understood what the excitement was. Mine was poured into a burgundy glass and it may have had some soap residue.When the glass was changed the wine strutted its stuff. Certainly my favourite of the Lynches. I thought the 96 was another beauty as well with the aromatics wafting out of the glass. Still young but this will certainly be a great LB for the future.

The Latours that followed were nirvana! I couldn't believe the generosity of Kathy & Stuart.All of the treasures they brought were new to me with the 75 being the oldest Latour that I've ever had. The 66 & 70 were wonderful with the 70 edging out the former in my mind being a little more rounded and smooth going across the tongue. They 61 & 59 were dream wines. The 59 in Danielle's mind had the edge for sentimental reasons being her birth year but the 61 was heavenly. A wine for pondering not drinking. My only disappointment was the fatigue and time factor. Not enough time and a little too tired to get the full enjoyment. Still the wines were amazing and they will be remembered forever!

How could you trump that lineup you say and out comes the 67 Yquem. A true superstar amongst superstars. Beautiful wine that may make anyone envious in it's own right. After the wines that we enjoyed this night it's hard to think that life can get any better!

Stuart and Kathy a big thanks for the invite and to the others who shared this magic thanks for making the night so memorable.

Danny

[Blanquito]

Wow...

[DavidG]

Stuart, you've done it again! Great group of people - it felt like it had been just a few weeks ago that we'd been sitting and drinking together. And an unbelievable lineup of wines! The food, service, and venue were also outstanding. The only dish that didn't go well with the wines was the scallop, but it was delicious on its own. Though we had 7 courses, they were small enough so as not to be overkill, yet enough to enjoy.

As to the wines themselves, I can't comment on when they were opened or decanted, etc. except to say that the 1989 and 1990 Lynch Bages that I brought had just got off the plane with me and was popped and poured. Flight delay due to wind in Chicago - go figure. But we didn't get around to actually drinking them until they had been open an hour or two.

The 1985 Dom was excellent. Showing some age and a hint of oxidation but just enough to add complexity. Not to everyone's taste but I liked it.

1995 vs. 1996 Cos - Like Jon, I had no clear preference for the '96 vs. the '95. Both were very dark, had nice noses with plenty of dark fruits, cassis and hints of spice and oak. They were both still young and a bit tannic, with the '96 being a bit moreso. These were both very nice if not blow-your-hair-back wines, but then St. Estephe is probably my least favorite Bdx appelation. Either would have been excellent on their own and I'm sure they are destined for greater heights with more age, but they were eclipsed by the wines that followed.

2000, 1996, 1990, and 1989 Lynch Bages - Though the 2000 and 1996 Lynch were served before the Cos, the restaurant had 4 glasses for each of us so I kept these until the 1989 and 1990 were poured. I had a great time going back and forth amongst them.

The 2000 Lynch Bages was still pretty tight and closed. Dark purple color but nose not giving much. There seemed to be plenty of fruit and tannin and all the necessary elements there for a great Lynch to develop, but some around the table expressed doubts, our BD among them I think. I don't claim to be a great judge of baby wines. Time will tell. But right now, this was showing us the least love of any of the wines opened, including the Cos.

The 1996 Lynch Bages was also young but was clearly showing some signs of life. Very dark color, lots of cassis and and a bit of oak on the nose, a bit of funk but I didn't think it was Brett, full bodied with plenty of fruit and tannin on the palate it too is still young. Jim says this is the last great Lynch and is poised to take over the title from the 1989. No disagreement that it will be able to step into the '89s shoes, but it may be another 5 years before it really starts punching with finesse and complexity. And I'm not ready to write off the 2000 yet.

The 1990 Lynch Bages showed a little lightening at the rim, and like Jon I though it had the best nose of the younger wines. Agree with Jon also that it had plenty of fruit and great balance. Lots of cassis and meaty notes. It was full-bodied and had some beginning complexity, a real lush ripe fruit presence on the palate, and a nice finish with really smooth tannins.

The 1989 Lynch Bages was darker in color than the '90. The nose was less effusive but still offered great cassis and a little tar and cigar box. Even fuller-bodied than the '90, it was also denser and more concentrated on the palate. Also very well balanced and wih a nice long finish, but with tannins a bit more apparent. These two bottles demonstrated the stylistic differences between the '89 and '90 vintages in Bordeaux very well.

So which was my favorite? I started out preferring the 1990 for its more exotic nose and lush palate feel, but over time the 1989 started to open even more and in the end the '89 was my favorite. Of the young wines, because then it was on to...

1970, 1966, 1961, and 1959 Latour - What can you say, other than thank you, Stuart, for collecting and cellaring great Bordeaux for enough years to pull this off, and actually pulling the trigger. What a treat. These older wines clearly demonstrated the sweet complexity that is the beauty of an aged Bordeaux. The fruit was still there, but presented in a different framework, with much more nuanced supporting actors. They were all lighter in color than the young wines, with bricking and orange/brown notes at the edge of the glass in a couple of them.

1970 Latour - nice leathery, mushroomy complexity, this probably had the least fruit and power remaining of the group of Latours. Tannins gone, acid poking through after the initial attack. Very enjoyable for the complexity alone but I woudn't pick it over the top Lynchs or any of the other Latours for drinking tonight.

1966 Latour - this cranks the complexity up a couple of notches, with sweet fruits, pencil shavings, leather and earth. Medium body, great balance between persistent fruit, mellow tannins and supporting acid, nice long finish. WOW!

1961 Latour - if the '66 cranked the complexity up a notch, the '61 cranked it up an order of magnitude. A little darker than the '66 or '70, there are tons of things swirling around the core of sweet fruit - cedar, earth, mushrooms, spice, and leather, and this complexity carries through to the palate. The fruit remains lush, with a medium-full bodied presence, great balance, and a long finish that continues to give hints of all the various components. This wine is memorable, and as Francois used to say, gives an emotion.

1959 Latour - Also darker than the '66 or '70, this Latour also offered a lot of complexity on the nose and palate. This was also medium-full bodied with plenty of sweet fruit and nuances typical of well-aged Bordeaux. It just didn't quite reach the same level as the '61 - was it a bit more masculine, with the tannins and acidity perhaps not quite as seamlessly integrated, or was it just that I was influenced by the vintage on the label? Pretty hard to tell. This made a legendary pair with the '61.

As Danny noted, how could you trump a lineup like that? Why, with 1967 Yquem, of course! This was a deep golden color. The nose was bursting with tropical fruits, honey and spice that took me right to Hawaii. Full-bodied, rich lush fruit, superb balance and freshness, great power, it doesn't even taste sweet, really, but the sensation of sweetness just worms its way into your consciousness. I'm hoping my '88s, '89s or '90s will turn into this, and that I'll be around long enough to experience it. Ed, I can see why it's your favorite, and in fact I think your name came up as the bottle was being passed around. Much as we love you, dude, this bottle was drained in no time - no leftovers.

Aside from the wines and food, the evening was a blast. Jim and I egged each other on a bit about lawyers and doctors, when Jim realized he was sitting at table with all medical people, and of course we regaled each other with the past glories of the '89 Lynch and other BWE legends, both human and vinous. I didn't restrain myself as much as I planned, but I did do much better at the following night's Rhone tasting.

And on to the Grand Finale tonight...

[Jay Winton]

Having attended Stuart and Kathy's dinner last year, it's no surprise that, again, great wines were drunk with great company; the flight of 82 1sts remains a great memory. I hope to attend another one day!

[DavidG]

Jay, we miss you and Peggy. And Nic. And all the others that couldn't make it...

[JimHow]

I thought every one of the Latours was really "on" on Thursday night.

This was the second time I've been fortunate enough to enjoy the '59 and '61 from Stuart's cellar.

The '61 is perfection. The '59 is not perfection but, like the first time, I may have enjoyed it a molecule more than the '61. I think the '59 was Jon's favorite as well. It has such an interesting personality.

The '61 is amazingly youthful, with a mintyness that I recall from the first time I had it a couple years ago. Legendary.

I too tasted that initial alcohol on the '67 d'Yquem but it softened up pretty quickly. Wow what a nose, it's the first time I've had one of those caramel-colored d'Yquems.

The Cos's were pretty tight, but the '96 was clearly the better to me with a nose that was expressive but it was still closed on the palate.

I just can't get my arms around the 2000 Lynch. It has yet to impress me. I thought it was blown away by the '89, '90, and the '96. The '96 Lynch is going to be a great wine with even more age. The best bouquet of the Lynches.

Great service, great people.

Immense thanks to Stuart and Kathy and everyone else for your generosity and friendship, it makes it all worthwhile!

[Tom In DC]

Sounds like we missed a great evening! I can still taste Stu and Kathy's '59 and '61 from the last time we were in Chi-town...