Putting the hammer down with some 1982 Bordeaux
Posted: Tue Oct 18, 2016 11:57 am
Last night eight of us participated in a dinner which will remain forever etched in the memory. It was the last of Howard Ripley's series of Bordeaux dinners at the Medlar Restaurant in London, celebrating some of the legendary vintages of the 20th century. Previously he organised dinners to taste first growths and equivalent, from 1945,1959 and 1961, none of which I attended. Last night it was 1982. But first we drank some champagne: 1995 Charles Heidsieck Blancs De Millenaires, 1964 and 2004 Dom Perignon and 1995 Krug. They were all interesting in their own way but my favourite was the Heidsieck. The DPs were at the opposite ends of the maturity spectrum, the 1964 still hanging on, the 2004 clearly needing laying down, while the Krug was vibrant and youthful. I preferred Jim's 2005 DP in NY to the 2004. A sweet corn and foie gras velouté we had with the DPs and Krug was a masterpiece.
On to the main event. The first flight of 1982s with cepes and poached egg was Haut-Brion, La Mission Haut-Brion and Chateau Margaux.
Haut-Brion. Bright garnet, quite a subdued nose, wonderful expansive rich chocolatey mouth feel, beautifully resolved, with red bricks, earth, a silky texture and luxurious finish. This wine was opened at 6pm while the others were opened and double decanted around mid-afternoon over a concern that this might fade. It was the most advanced wine of the flight and the night, but was in my opinion in a perfect place. It may have lacked a bit of mid-palate oomph compared to the other 1982s we drank over the evening, but overall it was glorious. Drink now. 97 points
La Mission Haut-Brion. A bit darker, a bit more reticent and notably more rumbustious than the Haut-Brion, this still has residual spikey tannins, which will mellow over the years but did not detract from the enjoyment last night. It had a super berry fruit profile, gravel, minerals and truffles and is another superb wine. This is probably in the first decade of a multi-decade drinking window. Thrilling. 97
Chateau Margaux. This had a more effusive bouquet of berries, violets, white flowers and a bit of lead pencil which was quite intoxicating. It was surprisingly youthful, however, and more tannic on the palate than I remember from previous bottles. It didn't quite have the seamless velvety mid-palate than has been the hallmark of other bottles of Chateau Margaux 1982. There was nothing faulty about this wine, and it was still an absolute treat to drink. It will last for many more decades. Absolutely no hurry to drink this. 96
The next flight was Pauillac with venison. We had Mouton, Lafite, Latour and Pichon Lalande in that order. The Samaritans left the phone off the hook, which is why we had to resort to drinking these wines.
Mouton-Rothschild. Rich berry nose, full-bodied, rich, powerful, flamboyant, exotic, dense, velvety palate, super acidic spine and balance. Just epic. You can drink this now but this will surely evolve into a legendary wine over the coming decades and outlive most of us. 99
Lafite-Rothschild. It had a bizarre lick of eucalyptus, mint and menthol. Once you get past the disconcerting nose it was just pure class. This has a strong and stern acidic backbone, terrific line and impeccable balance and finish which exudes such class. Of all the wines we tried this was the least ready to drink and the most difficult to understand. In my opinion in 20-40 years time it will be challenging for wine of the vintage accolade. 98 for now
Latour. Perfect balance, rich, complex, opulent black fruit, impeccable mouthfeel, multilayered, so complete, absolutely breath-taking. When I drank this for my 50th in 2013 it was just perfect and an easy 100 points. Last night it was still a little on the young side, and not as exotic as the Mouton. 99
Pichon Lalande. It had a decadent rich coffee and mocha attack. It had a surprisingly thick, creamy texture and was full-bodied and exuberant. This was a good bottle of this now legendary wine, firing on all cylinders. It perhaps lacked the sheer class, poise and complexity of its flight mates, however. Drink now. 97
With the cheese flight we went over to the right bank to taste Cheval Blanc and Ausone.
Cheval Blanc. Beautiful hue. Exotic, rich, seductive nose of black cherries, with myriad other nuances, leading into a rich, decadent, exotic, mouth filling palate. This is in a perfect place right now. Drop dead gorgeous. 98
Ausone. Definitely the underdog last night, but this was an absolutely splendid bottle of a wine I have enjoyed a few times in the past with mostly happy experiences. What it lacked in seductive exoticism - of the Cheval Blanc - it made up for in its multi-faceted, nuanced complexity. While the pent up tension of the previous flight was palpable, these two wines were much more easy going. The Ausone was perfectly pitched with pure wild strawberries, nuances of forest floor, autumn leaves, summer breeze, Provençal herbs spices and minerals. In a perfect place. Pure joy. 98
With Creme Brûlée
Chateau D'Yquem 1988
Getting to the end of this case now. A wine now approaching middle age it has never let me down, and was the perfect way to sign off. 97
For wine of the night only the reds were included, and it was a close run thing. If you don't want to read the result look away now.
Margaux, Pichon Lalande 0
Lafite, Ausone 1
La Mission 2
Haut-Brion 4
Cheval Blanc 10
Latour 13
Mouton 14
In conclusion these wines really are rock stars. They are only getting better. For most of them the best lies ahead. Epic wines in a legendary vintage.
On to the main event. The first flight of 1982s with cepes and poached egg was Haut-Brion, La Mission Haut-Brion and Chateau Margaux.
Haut-Brion. Bright garnet, quite a subdued nose, wonderful expansive rich chocolatey mouth feel, beautifully resolved, with red bricks, earth, a silky texture and luxurious finish. This wine was opened at 6pm while the others were opened and double decanted around mid-afternoon over a concern that this might fade. It was the most advanced wine of the flight and the night, but was in my opinion in a perfect place. It may have lacked a bit of mid-palate oomph compared to the other 1982s we drank over the evening, but overall it was glorious. Drink now. 97 points
La Mission Haut-Brion. A bit darker, a bit more reticent and notably more rumbustious than the Haut-Brion, this still has residual spikey tannins, which will mellow over the years but did not detract from the enjoyment last night. It had a super berry fruit profile, gravel, minerals and truffles and is another superb wine. This is probably in the first decade of a multi-decade drinking window. Thrilling. 97
Chateau Margaux. This had a more effusive bouquet of berries, violets, white flowers and a bit of lead pencil which was quite intoxicating. It was surprisingly youthful, however, and more tannic on the palate than I remember from previous bottles. It didn't quite have the seamless velvety mid-palate than has been the hallmark of other bottles of Chateau Margaux 1982. There was nothing faulty about this wine, and it was still an absolute treat to drink. It will last for many more decades. Absolutely no hurry to drink this. 96
The next flight was Pauillac with venison. We had Mouton, Lafite, Latour and Pichon Lalande in that order. The Samaritans left the phone off the hook, which is why we had to resort to drinking these wines.
Mouton-Rothschild. Rich berry nose, full-bodied, rich, powerful, flamboyant, exotic, dense, velvety palate, super acidic spine and balance. Just epic. You can drink this now but this will surely evolve into a legendary wine over the coming decades and outlive most of us. 99
Lafite-Rothschild. It had a bizarre lick of eucalyptus, mint and menthol. Once you get past the disconcerting nose it was just pure class. This has a strong and stern acidic backbone, terrific line and impeccable balance and finish which exudes such class. Of all the wines we tried this was the least ready to drink and the most difficult to understand. In my opinion in 20-40 years time it will be challenging for wine of the vintage accolade. 98 for now
Latour. Perfect balance, rich, complex, opulent black fruit, impeccable mouthfeel, multilayered, so complete, absolutely breath-taking. When I drank this for my 50th in 2013 it was just perfect and an easy 100 points. Last night it was still a little on the young side, and not as exotic as the Mouton. 99
Pichon Lalande. It had a decadent rich coffee and mocha attack. It had a surprisingly thick, creamy texture and was full-bodied and exuberant. This was a good bottle of this now legendary wine, firing on all cylinders. It perhaps lacked the sheer class, poise and complexity of its flight mates, however. Drink now. 97
With the cheese flight we went over to the right bank to taste Cheval Blanc and Ausone.
Cheval Blanc. Beautiful hue. Exotic, rich, seductive nose of black cherries, with myriad other nuances, leading into a rich, decadent, exotic, mouth filling palate. This is in a perfect place right now. Drop dead gorgeous. 98
Ausone. Definitely the underdog last night, but this was an absolutely splendid bottle of a wine I have enjoyed a few times in the past with mostly happy experiences. What it lacked in seductive exoticism - of the Cheval Blanc - it made up for in its multi-faceted, nuanced complexity. While the pent up tension of the previous flight was palpable, these two wines were much more easy going. The Ausone was perfectly pitched with pure wild strawberries, nuances of forest floor, autumn leaves, summer breeze, Provençal herbs spices and minerals. In a perfect place. Pure joy. 98
With Creme Brûlée
Chateau D'Yquem 1988
Getting to the end of this case now. A wine now approaching middle age it has never let me down, and was the perfect way to sign off. 97
For wine of the night only the reds were included, and it was a close run thing. If you don't want to read the result look away now.
Margaux, Pichon Lalande 0
Lafite, Ausone 1
La Mission 2
Haut-Brion 4
Cheval Blanc 10
Latour 13
Mouton 14
In conclusion these wines really are rock stars. They are only getting better. For most of them the best lies ahead. Epic wines in a legendary vintage.