The Hound and Kathy come to Maine

[JimHow]

Art and Kathy arrived in Lewiston late yesterday afternoon, we had a spectacular time. Yet another historic BWE event. We uncorked some pretty good wines. I had family and friends join us for dinner. It was a splendid September afternoon in Maine out on the back deck as we started with some white Burgs and moved on to red Bordeaux. My brief notes:

1992 Jean-Marie Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Montee de Tonnerre: We kept going back and forth on whether this wine was damaged. I think Kathy liked it better than Art and I, although in the end I don't think it was damaged. I just don't have enough experience with aged white Burgundy.

2007 Vincent Dauvissat Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons: Young, vibrant, aromatic, delicious. 90 points.

1996 Lafite: This wine was more closed than when I had it with the BWEers who came up last year. Then again, last year I decanted it for eight hours. This time I popped and poured. Should have decanted as, not unexpectedly, the final sips started to hint at the great complexity of the wine. 90 points on this night.

1998 Ducru Beaucaillou: Best showing yet for this wine. Classic Ducru: Seamless, its elegance masks its strength, until you are knocked over by how great it is. Loved it. Rating: 93 points.

1998 Pavie: We had '98 Pavie, '98 La Fleur Petrus, and '95 Cheval Blanc together in a little right bank flight with cheese. The '98 Pavie was showing some development from when I last had it a few years ago, but it has a long way to go. As Art said, this wine is "not controversial." It is not too big, not too fruity, not too modernized. Maybe not the complexity of the latter two, but a strong effort nonetheless. Rating: 93 points.

1998 La Fleur Petrus: This wine continues to rock. As I expected, it had one of the best bouquets of the night. Chocolately, velvety, classy with a hint of voluptuousness. Stunning: Rating: 95 points.

1995 Cheval Blanc: Wow. What complexity. Light on its feet, a lot going on here. A wine of class. One of my wines of the night, I think Art liked it too. Rating: 96 points.

2000 Lynch Bages: This wine benefitted from decanting, as it just kept developing a developing throughout the course of the evening. It has come out of an awkward phase and is evolving into a pretty classic cedary, well endowed wine with very nice balance. Rating: 94 points.

1996 Lynch Bages: One of the great Lynch Bages. This wine never dissapoints. It has it all: A nose to die for (a consistent hallmark of this wine), with great ripe cabernet fruit, ripe tannins. Classic Pauillac. Rating: 96 points.

1996 Leoville Las Cases: What has happened to this wine? What was once a beautiful 1996 ripe tannic St. Julien has become hard and unfriendly the last few times I've had it. It was kind of lost among all of the other wines tasted this night. Rating: 90 points.

1999 Margaux: Art and Kathy brought a beutifully hand-crafted decanter from Colorado as a gift, it is a beauty, thank you so much Kathy and Art! We celebrated by pouring the purple, purple, purple 1999 Chateau Margaux into it, which was served last at dinner before dessert and Sauternes. The '99 Margaux was breathtaking. A stunning Margaux nose, soft and velvety on the palate, drinking beautifully now and for another two decades to come. This wine took my breath away. I've always known the Margaux appellation was strong in 1999-- the Palmer is likewise amazing-- but I didn't know it was this strong! I was in heaven drinking this wine, I wish I had more bottles of this. Rating: 98 points.

2003 Lafaurie Peyraguey: Solid, but a little bit of a dissapointment for me. I've enjoyed this typically very sweet effort more on other occasions. Rating: 90 points.

I think I've covered all the wines we drank, I may have missed one or two.

I hope we get to see you again soon, Art and Kathy!

They are good people, we had a blast....

[Comte Flaneur]

What a splendid line up...

Shame about the Lafite...the 98 is also shut down hard, like a door slamming shut, having been accessible in its callow youth...also some of the other 96s like Cos have also shut down...makes me weep reading that Margaux 99 note, I foolishly passed up the opportunity to buy Palmer and Margaux in that year...and finally yes, Cheval Blanc what a wine...it is deceptively good in 1995, 1996 and 1997. Alex served me the 1986 is Bordeaux in 2007 and I think it is as good as the 1985.

[SF Ed]

Wow - nice stuff. Just way way way too young, at least for my palate. I think I'll wait until BWE 2020 at the earliest to pop my 3L of 2000 Lynch Bages.

SF Ed

[Houndsong]

Yeah. It was pretty good. Mrs. Hound enjoyed herself immensely. Thanks Jim. Great company too. I'll post my not worthy recollections when I get back to CO tomorrow.

[DavidG]

An epic event, wow, what a feast of superb wines. You may be drinking some of them younger than I would, but clearly they are showing beautifully for you. Thanks for the notes.

[Houndsong]

Lots of fun Friday. Jim's family and friends are funny, shut up and pour kind of people. Actually, they let Jim go on, but not until he poured. The reds were all exceptional in some way, several in many ways. No off bottles, which given the lineup would have been a shame. For whatever reason I was really susceptible to mintyness that night.

1992 Jean-Marie Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Montee de Tonnerre: I thought this smelled better than it tasted. In fact I think the bouquet came on with time, but I also thought this wine was perhaps too subtle/muted for my tastes. There was a little caramel, a little apple, but not a whole lot of vitality. I got a little buttered popcorn in this, which I get sometimes in the Clos du Caillou CdR Blanc.

2007 Vincent Dauvissat Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons: This was nice and crisp, good minerals, some green apples. Delicious. Maybe we should have chilled this one a bit more though.

1996 Lafite: Actually, right from the go I thought this wine showed tremendous promise and complexity, but obviously I think in 10-40 years would be a better time for drinking it. Funny thing was the first impression I got was of broken hardwood tigs, like oak, and dried oak leaves. This has compelling structure and good sweetness. I also got a green pepper element in there. I thought it got more closed over an hour or two though. This is one you want to own rather than drink. That will change with time. Also, just anticipating a bit, this had structure in common with the LLC and needs as much patience probably.

1998 Ducru Beaucaillou: This came a bit later actually but I thought it had the mint thing going, had a nice smooth middle, and I recall saying it had a tannic flourish in the finish. Better than when I had it a couple of years ago, and also much more ready than the Lafite and the LLC, but still will be more enjoyable in a few more years.

1998 Pavie: This failed miserably to generate any controversy. Trying to be objective, the objective BWEer might comment on the ripeness. I would also say it seemed a bit evolved compared to the La Fleur Petrus and many other 98 righties I've had. I wouldn't say that's such a bad thing. It was delicious. It also had the mint thing.

1998 La Fleur Petrus: Classy, round, seamless, sensuous, lighter than the Pavie and much youger tasting. A very charming and joyful wine.

More to follow.

[Houndsong]

1995 Cheval Blanc: This is killer stuff. I was most intrigued to drink this wine. It did not disappoint. This took the mint thing to the paradigm of claret. Like a wedge the thin end got into you easily and the thick end broke you to pieces. It was plenty substantial; wine need not be more substantial than this to be profound. Unique, but it's the fortunate man who can drink this regularly, or would be condemned to drink it exclusively. It's for me. WOTN Trinity.

2000 Lynch Bages: This was next in the WOTN Trinity. Alone among these wines this had an element of ripe figs which is probably a mark of the vintage. Strong, dense, I kept joking it was from Spain but in all candor this is Bordeaux. Just saying though I did not get figs in any other wine. Outstanding and I think if I had a case I would drink a few starting now for sure.

1996 Lynch Bages: This was opened right after the Lafite and bested the Lafite easily in the current drinkability department. This was still firm and dense yet the edges were rounded and the body silky. This kicked off the "I smell mint in the bouquet"-themed evening. Excellent.

1996 Leoville Las Cases: Massive, brooding, structured, exceptionally dry for all the weight. Jim seemed to try and talk his way into believing this was all it should be but failed in the end. This had all of the oomph of the Lafite, maybe more, but not even what complexity that wine was showing. Many years of waiting for this one. And then, what?

1999 Margaux: Great wine. Can be appreciated now. Bigger than I would have thought. Really substantial. Cedary, raspberry-wineberry-something berry bouquet. Tremendous palate presence. Perceptibly sweeter than anything else this night. Kathy's favorite. Has just about everything. Will go on a long time. I guess 99 was good for the Margaux wines. WOTN Trinity.

2003 Lafaurie Peyraguey: Honestly I'm not a fan of white "dessert" wines with dessert. It's overkill. I like them with stinky cheese as a snack or apertif. This wine was kind of orange. Some of my 03s are that color too, some are normal gold color. Not bad but lacking acidic drive.

[Houndsong]

Just to wrap, thanks again to Jim. I thought the Margaux was the tops for Bordeauxness, the Cheval Blanc was the wine I would choose to take home, and the 2000 Lynch was the wine I would drink if I got bored with the Margaux and the Cheval Blanc (impossible).

[Blanquito]

Sounds like a lovely get-together. Some awesome wines were poured. I need to get to Maine!

[JCNorthway]

You guys drank some mighty nice wines. Sounds like a great time. I'm jealous.

Jon

[Nicklasss]

5 bottles of First Growth, 2 bottles of Second Growth and 2 bottles of Fifth Growth, from Bordeaux, opened in one night, that deserve respect...

Thanks for reporting that very special night. what i don't understand, is how Mr. How resist to open any red Bourgogne?

I only had the 1996 Lynch Bages and 1996 LLC, and both were quite good, some 7 years ago...

When I think i could have beed there... oh well i just have to imagine that i had ''WAY'' much fun staying here for work...

Nic

[JimHow]

You guys have an open invitation to come visit anytime!

[aimeedogdogdog]

Thanks for the notes, Jim and Hound!

It's been a while since reading tasting notes like this. For some reason, it just popped out at you. I could taste it! Hmmm...Yum!
I suspect it's the weather...

Werner

[JimHow]

We need to get you guys and Tessa up here Werner!
We didn't even get to all the wines the other night, pictured here with the decanters we used, the greenish one on the left a very kind gift from Art and Kathy!
It was a great night!

[RDD]

Sorry the Ravenau didn't show better.
It was probably a little long in the tooth. At this point is is more about soil and mineralas than fruit.
I have one bottle left I think and may try pairing with some oysters. That should work pretty well.

[JimHow]

It was interesting, Rob, Kathy liked it.
Thanks for leaving it for us, we missed you and Susan up here this year.