We limited the tasting for 8 guys to 4 bottles...two expected strong vintages the 83 & 89 along with two weaker vintages the 92 & 97. Expectations were high and as per usual guys checked there favourite sites to get an impression(cheat) of what the wines should be like at this stage. The group ranges from very knowledgeable to avid beginner but everyone can recognize good from from plonk...or can they!!
The four wines were opened two hours prior and drank over two hours but served up blind (wrapped in foil numbered 1-4)which proved incredibly humbling and educational for most.
The discussions went back and fourth with everyone agreeing wine 1 was terrible but why?? Cheesy nose with off putting stewed pruned fruit notes but still inky black purple not showing the bricking expected with age. To me this was a cooked spoiled heat damaged wine but unsure of the vintage. Most with preconceived notions felt it must be the 92 which most reports on the net claim its dead and over the hill...or is it??
Wine 2 received 5 out of 9 first place votes(yes Danielle hosting with me was there to enjoy and be challenged) and 4 second place votes. It was the lightest coloured with the most bricking. Lighter on the palate and initially somewhat angular and acidic on the back palate with softer margaux berries than the other two to come. Very pleasant open nose with mixed strawberries and cassis with light cedar notes playing on the tongue. The leader of the pack who had two cases of the 83 said he'd recognize it anywhere and this was it. I'd never had it before but I expected more from an 83 and all the hype the wine has received. This to me was from a lighter vintage and I was siding with the 97 but but was fought down by the majority.
Wine 3 to me was clearly head and shoulders the wine of the tasting.4 first place and 5 second place votes. Deep purple with early bricking. Singing Margaux berries through and through with deep cassis, eucalyptus,smoky,earthy and some lead pencil Pauillac notes which was atypical but very pleasing. To me the 89 and a mix of opinions across the board of the other vintages.
Wine 4 was across the board ranked #3 by all so pretty consistent amongst everyone with all favouring wines 2 & 3. Wine 1 clearly off. Wine 4 starting to show some age with early bricking and lighter colour. Still holding its Margaux presence but not the depth or length that 2 & 3 showed even though 2 seemed lighter in character but was still a beautiful wine.
The reveal was very telling and you could see how preconceived influence tricked some who forgot about what was in the glass and tried to guess the wines and rank them by their perceived impression of 83 supposed to be the best then 89,97 & 92 to follow but uncertain to the order. By now I hope if you've read this far you may have guessed.
Wine #1 was a poorly stored cooked 83. The cork was soaked through and through with the capsule almost impossibly congealed to the bottle and difficult to remove. Fill was high neck though and mouldy top of cork with some seepage showing. This was brought by my good friend who had bought this at auction in the late 90s and stored in his cellar since. My other buddy had talked about how he had purchased two cases at indent and had another case still in his cellar so he graciously offered to bring one to dinner and as I'll discuss later this was the wine of the night for me!!
Wine #2 shocked most being the 97. Ready to drink and very pleasing but not the depth I'd expect from Margaux but nevertheless a value vintage if someone sees it at a good price.
Wine # 3 was indeed the 89 and a superb wine that in retrospect if tasted against the well stored 83 would have not been as difficult a challenge to rank these wines. A superb example of aged Margaux in a very good place and won't disappoint for at least 10 years.
Wine # 4 was the 92. Surprisingly better than expected. Not up to Margaux standards and probably wouldn't pay the up charge for a Margaux but still a very nice drinking bottle that exceeded expectations.
In the end a somewhat humbling but very enjoyable tasting. Knowing the vintages offered up and allowed some people to do their homework but created interesting if not comical conversation with people being led down the wrong garden path.
The wines all showed Margaux typicity with some variations excluding the cooked wine of course and an overall fabulous start to the night with dinner wines actually surpassing the pre dinner tasting.
