Xmas 2014, Day 6.

[stefan]

On Xmas Day our kids and grandkids went to the park after playing with a few Santa Claus presents. I made Xmas guacamole to stave off everyone’s hunger pains until the slow cooked rib roast was ready. At our early dinner we started with

1999 Billecart-Salmon Cuvee Nicolas Francois Billecart. This is my first experience with this cuvee. It contains very tasty lemons, oranges, and peaches. “Spicy, too, with cloves,” adds stefanJr. stefan 92+. Lucie 93. stefanJr 93-93. Irena 92. T 92. Judd 91.

The bottle of 1978 Ducru-Beaucaillou I opened is corked. We also had a corked bottle of this wine at Thanksgiving. Did Ducru have a problem in its cellars back then? I only know of their difficulties in that regard in the late 1980s. Perfect bottles of the 1978 are fantastic, but I will quit trying to get another one after my recent experience. I decant the wine and add Saran wrap. That masks the TCA but gives the wine a plastic taste. There is no doubt that, if untainted, this bottle would have been outstanding.

1988 La Lagune. “Great La Lagune nose, but it dissipates in the mouth,” says stefanJr, “that might be the beef as this is not a steak wine.” Irena loves the licorice, black fruit, and dark herbal characteristics.” We all agree that the wine/food match is not great. This bottle does not have the intensity of the ’88 L-L we drank at Thanksgiving. J 90. s 91. L 92. I 92. sJr 91. T90.

1986 La Lagune. “This is definitely a better steak wine,” opines Judd, “but I am not sure that I like it as well as the 1986.” Others comment, “Better steak wine, but red fruit instead of the black fruit we found in the ’86.” Irena sings, “Oh, such a pretty wine,” while Judd says, “killer nose.” However, T says that the wine is too feminine for the steak even if she likes the wine. s 91. T 92. sJr 92. L 93. J 91. I 93.

1983 Lynch-Bages. “I love Lynch-Bages,” exclaims Judd. “Lavender,” says Irena, but T corrects, “no; jasmine,” and goes on to explain why. “The end is almost meaty,” says stefanJr. This is a wine I have loved drinking during the past 15 years. The structure is great for heavy beef. s 93. J 94. L 94. I 93. T 94. sJr 93.

[JimHow]

The one time I had 1978 Ducru, years ago, it was badly corked.

[Comte Flaneur]

What rotten luck with the 78 Ducru...I would imagine it would be extraordinary if untainted.

Someone - was it you stefan? - said the 1967 Ducru is pretty special.

[stefan]

That was not me, Ian. I have not tasted the '67 Ducru since the 1970s.

I left the remaining part of the '78 Ducru in the decanter stuffed with Saran wrap over night. That removed the taint and the wine held up--there was only a trace of oxidation.