The 2008 Smith Haut Lafitte thread.

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Wed Dec 21, 2011 11:10 pm

I'm planning on picking up a bottle of 2008 in NH.
Robert Goulet and Bacchus have their bottles.
I suggest we do a VLT but instead of doing it in the chat room we do it here on a forum thread....
Is anyone else joining in?
When do you guys want to uncork your bottles?

Bacchus · Post by **Bacchus** » Thu Dec 22, 2011 12:34 am

Got mine. And as a bonus I also picked up a bottle of the 08 Gruaud Larose. Gotta be fair.

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Thu Dec 22, 2011 1:14 am

Well done, Bacchus. Very well done indeed.

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Thu Dec 22, 2011 1:18 am

When do you guys want to do the VLT?
It has to be before December 30th....

Bacchus · Post by **Bacchus** » Thu Dec 22, 2011 1:22 am

How about Christmas day!! Just kidding! However, since there's a lot going on between now and Xmas day, I'm thinking it would be easiest sometime between 27-30. How are others thinking?

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Thu Dec 22, 2011 3:13 am

Wednesday Dec 28th is good for me.

robertgoulet · Post by **robertgoulet** » Thu Dec 22, 2011 3:25 am

28th may work well for me

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Thu Dec 22, 2011 3:38 am

How does that date work for you, Bacchus?
I'll have to check my schedule for Thursday morning, but I think Wednesday evening works well for me.

Bacchus · Post by **Bacchus** » Thu Dec 22, 2011 3:53 am

I think it's good for me too. Anyone else interested in participating?

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Thu Dec 22, 2011 4:03 am

Ok great, are you on Atlantic time Bacchus or eastern time?
I say we start at 7pm-ish....

Sounds like it is me, you, and Robert Goulet....

Not that we need any more, I'm sure the "truth" about 2008 SHL will be discovered that night, but if anyone else is interested, source a botle before then and join us! We'll report on the results right here in this thread....

Bacchus · Post by **Bacchus** » Thu Dec 22, 2011 5:56 am

By 7pm, Jim, I take it you mean 7pm eastern time. I am in neither the eastern nor atlantic zone! Care to guess again?

DavidG · Post by **DavidG** » Thu Dec 22, 2011 12:02 pm

You're in that 1/2 hour twilight zone (NST) for Newfoundland and Labrador?

Bacchus · Post by **Bacchus** » Thu Dec 22, 2011 12:15 pm

We'll give you that one DavidG, although your answer needs a bit of refinement. Only the island of Newfoundland is in that very special time zone. Labrador, being much saner, is in the Atlantic zone. If it's 7pm in Maine, it's 8:30 here,

but only 8pm in Labrador.

Do you have your bottle of 08 SHL yet, David?

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Thu Dec 22, 2011 5:28 pm

My computer is infected with the damned "XP Internet Security 2012" virus, hopefully I can get it fixed before Wednesday!

Bacchus · Post by **Bacchus** » Fri Dec 23, 2011 9:56 am

One word Jim, MacIntosh!

How should we approach the tasting? Do we open the bottles a couple hours ahead of start time, or do we pop them at 7 and see how things develop over the evening?

I think Dan should get in on this too. I'd be interested to know if he thinks there's too much oak on it.

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Thu Dec 29, 2011 12:38 am

Finally got my computer back.

I am indeed getting a Macintosh Bacchus.

Unfortunately, I was unable to get down to NH to get a 2008 SHL.

Consequently, I have uncorked a 2000 SHL this evening....

robertgoulet · Post by **robertgoulet** » Thu Dec 29, 2011 1:02 am

Ah, very good Jim....subsequently, i am unable to partake this evening due to company, just wanted to leave a quick note. Rain check it is....I look forward to your notes on the '00.

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Thu Dec 29, 2011 1:05 am

That is okay, Robert, I look forward to a future report on the 2008.
I'm still planning on buying one soon.
This beauty was very cold from the cellar, but it is unfolding quickly into the stunner that I remember it being.

Tom In DC · Post by **Tom In DC** » Thu Dec 29, 2011 1:52 am

Well, the first whiff after pulling the cork is young cabernet and vanilla.

The first taste repeats the vanilla with medium depth cherry fruit - no WOTY material hear but a good start...

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Thu Dec 29, 2011 1:59 am

Well done Tom in DC, well done!

Looking forward to your notes!

I'm just loving the 2000 SHL with pie de la whoopie. Lots of tar, ripeness and richness....

JonB · Post by **JonB** » Thu Dec 29, 2011 2:02 am

This maybe off the subject, but how do you get your crystal so clear and sparking, Jim? Does it come out of the dishwasher this way, do you hand wash with a special cleaner, or.....? I get water drop marks and small calcium deposits, and have to hand polish after taking them out of the dishwasher, and it never does completely look as good as your stemware.

Tom In DC · Post by **Tom In DC** » Thu Dec 29, 2011 2:04 am

The former mayor has people for that, jon.

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Thu Dec 29, 2011 2:08 am

Interesting you should ask that, Jon.
I've thought about that myself.
A few years ago, I was getting spotting on my glasses.
I just put it in the dishwasher, even the somelier series.
I put in a liberal amount of Cascade lemon scent.
Then I press pre-wash, added heat, normal wash, normal dry, etc., and it seems to come out spotless!
It is all done by dishwasher!

Tom In DC · Post by **Tom In DC** » Thu Dec 29, 2011 4:30 am

After 90 minutes or so, the '08 SHL shows much more structure and depth, lots of smooth tannins, just much more Bordeaux in style. Still not classic Graves minerality, but very good. We'll visit the next one in ten years or so.

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Thu Dec 29, 2011 4:38 am

This 2000 was nice but a bit of a disappointment in that it didn't rise to the greatness of the memory I had of it.
I actually bid on a case of this wine a few years back at a Chicago auction but was swamped out by some heavy roller from Europe or some such place.

Bacchus · Post by **Bacchus** » Thu Dec 29, 2011 5:12 am

I see the tasting of the 08 Lafitte was thoroughly washed out, saved only by the unexpected sampling of Tom in DC. I have to apologize for missing the event. A friend unexpectedly flew in from California, yes, California!! We spent the evening with a few others eating Indian food and drinking beer. I wasn't near a computer or I would have posted earlier. That said, I still have the 08 SHL I picked up the other day. Still up for something at some point RobertGoulet? And/Or Jim if you make it down to NH?

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