Patrick M was in town and five of us got together to drink some mature Bordeauxs. It is always a pleasure to dine with the very knowledgeable Bordeaux geeks with exceptional palates. I really prefer a small gathering of five to eight dinners which affords to revisit the wines at leisure. All the wines showed very well except the 70 Haut Brion which I brought. I was really impressed by the 86 Pape Clement for the sheer quality and the 85 La Mission Haut Brion for being a perfect drinking claret. The 83 Pichon Lalande and the 70 Haut Brion reminded me that there are no great wines only great bottles. I didn’t take any TNs and this is my brief impression.
Starters
Patrick brought a 1990 Auslese that had a beautiful mouthfeel 90 pts.
- NV Laurent-Perrier Champagne Grand Siècle Brut - France, Champagne
Apparently David G, a Baltimorean wino, really loves this wine and I can see why. Recently release. Start with a nice mineral expression, generous cool fruits, fresh apple and lemon curd and honey. Excellent concentration, sweet fruit, fine slightly sharp mousse and bright acidity. It is youthful but complex like a NV Krug but brighter/higher pitch. Lovely champagne. (94 pts.) - 1987 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Once again, Domaine de Chavalier blanc used to command very high price and the older examples are memorable wines along with the Laville Haut Brion.
Mostly yellow fruit, quince, peppermint, lanolin, lemon curd, mostly yellow fruit, consistent with the earlier bottles. Still showing excellent fruits with some secondary characters. It got better with air. If you like mature Grave blancs, seek this at auction. Apparently the 87 was pretty good dry white vintage in Bordeaux. (94 pts.)
- 1982 Château La Dominique - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
This bottle was the most mature of the bunch displaying most tertiary flavors. The nose displayed a hint of red fruits, plum, coffee, anise and leather. There is slight green/stem note that keeps the wine fresh and interesting. The palate displays medium concentration, sweet dry fruits and fully integrated tannins. It is a lovely claret that perhaps at peak now. (93 pts.) - 1997 Château L'Eglise-Clinet - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol
The best 97 Bordeaux I have ever had. Still primary fruit driven, blueberries, blackberries, bitter chocolate, a hint of charred meat, beautiful flowery note perhaps coming from ever so slightly under ripe cab Franc. The wine shows excellent concentration, sweet dark fruits and ends with noticeable tannins. I was surprised by the concentration and freshness. The fruit expression is not terribly complex at the moment. It will still need another five to ten years to mature and there is definitely enough fruits to support. (93 pts.)
- 1983 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Another wine reminding me how the mature bottles can vary. This bottle showed a lot more minty/eucalyptus quality than the previous bottle drank in last May. It is also interesting to taste Pichon Lalande and Leoville Las Case side by side as the Lalande is always more expressive and further advanced than the Las Case. This showed a hint of red fruits but mostly tertiary. The palate displays silky texture, bright fruits and fully integrated tannins. The minty note on this wine is a bit too strong and masks the delicate fruit expression. The end note strangely displays a hint of ginger, perhaps sharper and less herbal expression of mint. It is a good drinking claret but not the best bottle. (92 pts.) - 1983 Château Léoville Las Cases - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
A typical Leoville Las Case as it was showing so young. Still some primary blue to black fruits, licorice, lead pencil, earth and cedar. The palate also shows fresh fruits and excellent concentration. Still showing young and quite impressive. A big wine considering 83 and very LLC. (93 pts.)
- 1986 Château Pape Clément - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Tom W truly knows his Bordeaux. Another wine that I was unaware in the past. This is a quintessential 86. An excellent fruit quality, the fruit note is highly toned and consistently vibrant. Sappy sweet yet cool blue to black fruits, lead pencil, ink and a hint of flowers. Excellent concentration and ends with noticeable slightly dry tannins. It still shows primary fruits with a hint of secondary aromas. I believe this will always show slightly dry tannins but there is enough fruits to balance it out. This wine somehow reminded me the 86 Rausan Segla in sweet sappy vibrant fruit expression but perhaps not as expressive nose. A great surprise and pleasure. (94 pts.) - 1985 Château La Mission Haut-Brion - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Chris B reminded us a wine dinner that we had almost fifteen years ago at now defunct Les Halles. It was one of the earlier OLs that included Tom’s 82 Gaja Sori Tildin, Cole K’s 85 HB blanc, My chave 89 and Chris’s 85 LMHB and other special wines. I was in my mid 20s and the youngest of the DC group.
This particular bottle was singing. Perhaps not the biggest and not the most complex but just perfectly drinking claret with nice precision and perfect balance. A great wine. (96 pts.) - 1970 Château Haut-Brion - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
This is a great example of no great wines but only great bottles. This was purchased Christies and I rated the bottle drank last September 95 points. The cork was slightly loose and pushed in slightly although it eventually got out one piece and appeared to be from an excellent moist cellar. I suspect some exchange of air through the compromised cork over the years. The fruit expression seems dark, caramel, ash, sap and earth, a lot of sweetness but not much freshness. The palate is quite polished with sweet fruits but the end note shows excessive oxidation that clips the finish short and bitter. I highly recommend the wine as the price is right but this bottle was slightly oxidized. Still enjoyable. (91 pts.)
Patrick also brought a 1982 Beringer johannesburg riesling late harvest. Almos madeira like intensity but simple fruit expression (85 pts).
- 1983 Château Suduiraut - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
From a half bottle. Golden color. Fully matured. As Tom said showing very little sweetness in the finish. Apricot, ginger but the nose is quite shy and simple. The palate displays nice texture and perhaps the best part of the wine. It is a mediocre Sauternes and my guess is even in a magnum, nothing inspiring. (86 pts.)
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