What are we drinking in the Omicron ominous?

[Blanquito]

1986 Gruaud-Larose. This long time BWE favorite is still going strong. Even Patrick might agree that no more Blanquitoing is needed.

I concur, counselor. Based on my bottles, I've been ready to call the 86 Gruaurd "ready/fully mature" since circa 2012.

[JimHow]

See, now that's not a state of howquito, present tense.
This is a matter of having been blanquitoed, past tense.

1986 Gruaud Larose... a BWE Legend. As long as I live I'll remember Stefan uncorking the two bottles he brought to the Saturday night dinner at the first BWE convention in Chicago, February 2001.

[greatbxfreak]

Tasted 2018 wines from Domaines Delon yesterday. Best Potensac yet and sublime, and I say sublime Clos de Marquis and Leoville Las Cases. My friends and I tasted together via ZOOM with Antoine Gimbert, LLC's export director. Great tasting. Btw, the consulting oenologist at Domaines Delon is well-known Eric Boissenot.

[Racer Chris]

2014 Ch. Lanessan - deceiving in its simplicity, but this is a really fun drink.

[stefan]

6 2014 Henri Gouges NSG Les Chaignots @ $60,

because last week my doctor, while we were discussing whether I should have a PSA test, advised me to buy more and younger wine.

[JoelD]

6 2014 Henri Gouges NSG Les Chaignots @ $60,

because last week my doctor, while we were discussing whether I should have a PSA test, advised me to buy more and younger wine.

I don't know Bill, if you can't figure out the right section to post in, how will you even be able to tell the difference between a Bordeaux and a Burgundy? Guess its a good thing you like both!

[jal]

With some delicious grilled wagyu steaks we had another amazing, er... I mean horrid, 1982 La Lagune. The wine was bright, with excellent length, nose of earth, bright fruit and great complexity, but even with the long finish and depth, I think it will not appeal to anyone in the known universe and cannot recommend anybody to buy it.

[Comte Flaneur]

With some delicious grilled wagyu steaks we had another amazing, er... I mean horrid, 1982 La Lagune. The wine was bright, with excellent length, nose of earth, bright fruit and great complexity, but even with the long finish and depth, I think it will not appeal to anyone in the known universe and cannot recommend anybody to buy it.

One of our internationally reputed wine merchants J&B was selling a few odds of this in a sale at £57pb a few weeks ago. I clocked the email very soon after it was sent and came out of the blocks faster than Ben Johnson on triple steroids to bagsy them. But some bugger beat me to it to snag this ghastly wine.

[JimHow]

The horror!

[Blanquito]

Can we just get La Lagune banned once and for all???

Maybe that and the The Winemakers' Collection Michel Rolland Cuvée No. 1 Château d'Arsac.

Not sure which is worse.

[stefan]

Joel, I guess my doc should have done some mental testing.

[Racer Chris]

2014 Ch. Lanessan - deceiving in its simplicity, but this is a really fun drink.

Mary helped me finish the bottle last night, so I opened the 2016 Lanessan I had on deck. As it opened up I could discern a clear link between the two vintages. Both bottles shared the same dirty, non-fruity profile with moderately high acidity. The oak hasn't had time to integrate in the 2016 and the tannins are stronger, but it is already excellent once it's had time to open up. I don't know if the 2016 will actually outshine the 2014 in time, but it's easily as good.

[Nicklasss]

Can we just get La Lagune banned once and for all???

Maybe that and the The Winemakers' Collection Michel Rolland Cuvée No. 1 Château d'Arsac.

Not sure which is worse.

Especially that zombie bottle of 1982 that Jal had!

[jal]

Especially that zombie bottle of 1982 that Jal had!

Here's a better photo of the zombie bottle

[JoelD]

Joel, I guess my doc should have done some mental testing.

Must be all those nasty La Lagune's that you have been drinking. Messing with your mind. You should really quit..

[stefan]

2014 Ridge Geyserville with delivered pizza. I like the 2014 Geyserville more that the Lytton Springs. It is smooth, full of Zinberries, and has good balance. It will be more complex later, but now it is a pleasure to drink with pizza.

[Blanquito]

2014 Ridge Geyserville with delivered pizza. I like the 2014 Geyserville more that the Lytton Springs. It is smooth, full of Zinberries, and has good balance. It will be more complex later, but now it is a pleasure to drink with pizza.

Nice. Notes like this do make me wonder though what the ‘ceiling’ is for Zinfandel-driven wines, even from the best like Ridge. This sounds good, but not really like a note we might expect for an excellent French wine.

[Claudius2]

Guys
I drank a full case of 1982 La Lagune in the mid to late 90s and loved it. This and the 83 (a richer, slightly deeper wine) were by a long way the best La Lagunes I have ever tried.

Admittedly LL fell off the rails during the 90’s and possibly 00’s but it has recovered after an uneven patch.

The 82 was classic Bordeaux when I drank it and as I keep saying, most Bordeaux does not need to be aged for 40 years and maybe they are like women. Pretty and desirable in youth and in old age, you have to imagine their youthful beauty from faded charms. Sorry if I sound corny but this is arguably the only point I agree on with RPJnr.

The local auctions often put on tastings of aged wines even as old as 1928 and most of the wines over 30 years of age are typically way past their best. That includes Premiers Crus I have to say, and lesser vintages tried of 1ers from relatively poor vintages such as 77, 80, 84 etc are already way on their downward slope toward merde.

The LL 82 did not have the sheer fruit intensity of the best wines of that vintage and I never expected it to make old bones. But I have to say that it is to my palate a better wine than it is being rated here. It is miles better than several Margaux seconds and numerous classed growths from the Haut Medoc and the more famous appellations.

After 40 years bottle variation and a raft of potential problems can arise which is why many sage drinkers argue that there are no good old wines just good bottles and either this wine is a bit out of shape (ebit my woman metaphor) or you just don’t like it. Yet there are 8000 or so estates in Bordeaux alone so likes and dislikes are to be expected.

Cheers
Mark

[Racer Chris]

2014 Ch. Lanessan - deceiving in its simplicity, but this is a really fun drink.

Mary helped me finish the bottle last night, so I opened the 2016 Lanessan I had on deck. As it opened up I could discern a clear link between the two vintages. Both bottles shared the same dirty, non-fruity profile with moderately high acidity. The oak hasn't had time to integrate in the 2016 and the tannins are stronger, but it is already excellent once it's had time to open up. I don't know if the 2016 will actually outshine the 2014 in time, but it's easily as good.

Halfway thru the 2016 I popped the cork on my first bottle of the 2015 Ch. Lanessan. For now at least, the 2014 is our favorite. The 2015 has the most fruit and the most acidity but isn't a lot different than the other two vintages.

[Nicklasss]

2017 Il Gotto Di Gottifredo Toscana. Nice name and label.

Good cherry character, light candy, red berries. Good sappy attack, fruity and spicy, tannic, but fade quickly. Was ok with pizza, and a very correct mainly sangiovese wine. Some bay leave at the very end. Rating : 223C.

Nic

[stefan]

1988 Bon Pasteur. This Rolland Pomerol is a pleasure to drink at age 33. The berries are sweet and accented with dark chocolate, balance is good, and the finish reasonably long.

2008 Latour a Pomerol. Corked, but drinkable. There is a solid core of fruit and a consistency of taste and texture throughout the palate. Untainted bottles should be quite good.

[SF Ed]

Celebrated getting my first jab with a 1998 Angelus.

This bottle was on! Still full of fruit and mature, good tannins and balanced, a bit more oak than I'd like but mostly absorbed/handled by the fruit. A great match for roasted lamb. I think this will continue to age but I doubt it is going to improve.

[OrlandoRobert]

2014 Ch. Lanessan - deceiving in its simplicity, but this is a really fun drink.

Mary helped me finish the bottle last night, so I opened the 2016 Lanessan I had on deck. As it opened up I could discern a clear link between the two vintages. Both bottles shared the same dirty, non-fruity profile with moderately high acidity. The oak hasn't had time to integrate in the 2016 and the tannins are stronger, but it is already excellent once it's had time to open up. I don't know if the 2016 will actually outshine the 2014 in time, but it's easily as good.

Halfway thru the 2016 I popped the cork on my first bottle of the 2015 Ch. Lanessan. For now at least, the 2014 is our favorite. The 2015 has the most fruit and the most acidity but isn't a lot different than the other two vintages.

Bouard became a consultant for the 2015 vintage and beyond. I was not thrilled with 2015, a ripe vintage overall, but the 2016 Lanessan definitely has the gloss associated with these consultants. I think 2014 is a stupendous wine, arguably one of the best Lanessans ever made. And, 2014 is the end of an era for Lanessan, no longer that quirky old school drink that always over-delivered. If I look back over the last 5 years of buying and identify my mistakes (misses), they are: (1) Did not load up on Allemand Cornas, (2) did not buy enough 2014 Sociando and (3) did not buy enough 2014 Lanessan. I have about 15 bottles, wish I had 5 cases. I was grabbing it at Total Wine, with their 20% coupons back then, for $17 per bottle! Just a Stoopid price. My average bottle price for the Sociando is also under $30.

[stefan]

1986 La Lagune. First bottled corked. Second bottled looked perfect in all ways, but was flat and uninteresting. Maybe stored at 70F for an extended period? Serves me right for buying the worst classified Bordeaux.

2002 Pape Clement. I liked this five years ago, when the fruit was impressive. The coarse tannins now overpower the berries. I'll blanquito the remaining bottles. I expect the wine to be good again when the tannins soften.

[Nicklasss]

Friday night with duck, the 2017 Chateau Haut-Vigneau was very good. Even if that red wine don't have much of the Pessac Léognan characteristics, it is a very nice 2017 with lot of nice vegetals, dark red and blackberries, flowers and a bit of coal. Tannic, nice freshness, decent length. Bizarrely, i don't think i would call it "balanced". Rating of 334C.

Saturday, with sushis, we went first with the Bollinger Spécial Cuvée. This is always rewarding, even more in good white wine glasses instead of flutes. Ginger, spritz, nice light confit lemon, touch of bread, so good in mouth. Great basic cuvée. Rating : 443C.

Next was the 2017 Siblings Sauvignon Blance from Leeuwin Estate. Blind, i would have never guessed Australia, probably more NZ or style of mid 90's Loire sauvignon before the heat of today. Very pale, almost water color, nose and flavours of blackcurrant bushes, fennel, light lemon and light catwiwi. Super fresh and drinks well, but i guess the style is still popular around the World, but would not please everyone. For me, i think it is good with wasabi but i would prefer sligthly riper style if no wasabi. Rating: 323C.

Finally, the Groot Constantia sweet wine from South Africa is clearly very sweet. The 100 % muscadelle don't have enough acidity to balance the game. Lot of sweet citrus, peaches, apricots, dattes and cream aromas and flavours, but 80 mL is enough. No rating.

[JCNorthway]

We hosted an early Easter dinner on Saturday for some family members who have other family gatherings on Sunday. With an oven-roasted herb and breadcrumb pork rib roast, we had 2004 Felsina Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia. My last two bottles of this wine, I opened them at 3:00, tasted, and decided to decant for our dinner at 6:00. The three hours did wonders to open up these bottles, and they were singing with the pork roast. Still had lots of deep, dark fruit flavors with good structure and a long finish. If you have these and they have been properly stored, they will be good at least another 5+ years. With dessert of ricotta-orange pound cake with prosecco strawberries, I opened a half bottle of 2009 Sigalas Rabaud Sauternes. This was the first bottle from a case, and it was lovely. Old enough to have lost any harsh edges, and young enough to be showing lots of bold fruits. I'm glad I thought to pull it out for the dessert; it paired beautifully.

All in all, a good family day, and a good wine day.

[Comte Flaneur]

On Thursday 2005 Beychevelle - as good as ever

This Beychevelle 2005 really is a class act. Already delicious this has an alluring porcini mushroom truffly entry. It has cool-fruited Cabernet (hints of menthol) with delicious plummy merlot, lending this wine a precocious attractiveness. Unusually for a 2005 classed growth this has been drinking very well for five years. The wine has scope to evolve and improve further as it develops more tertiary notes, but it is hard to resist now.

On Friday 2011 PYCM Meursault Perrieres

The last PYCM 2011 Perrieres I drank was surprisingly evolved compared to the very youthful one we drank at Christmas lunch in 2017 with Jasper Morris bringing a 1988 Pierre Morey Perrieres to match it. This one was somewhere in between: it was open for business but had the backbone to age for another decade or two. It is rich and already complex with a lot of moving parts. Lemon oil/lemon curd and other rich citrus fruits overlaid with minerals, slate and wet stones and nougat. It has a long rich finish. Really special wine. I looked it up on wine searcher and you can buy it for £325 ex tax in California, over five times what I paid for these, a sad reflection of the times.

Last night 2001 Dominus

This is 81% cab sav, 10% petit verdot, 5% merlot and 4% cab franc and 14% abv. This bottle had been vertical for a couple of weeks, was popped and poured and immediately sprang into life. Unlike the first growth Bordeaux from this vintage, that it is designed to emulate, it is fully open for business. Like it’s illustrious sibling, the 1991 Dominus, this was probably drinking well at ten years of age. It is bright, generous in every way and full-bodied, with no hidden nuances or dark secrets. Rich, ripe red and black fruits, with secondary flavours of herbs, tobacco and undergrowth. It has excellent balance, and enough acidity to keep rubber on’t’tarmac, and is not in anyway over-the-top like other Napa wines can be. Frighteningly easy to polish off in no time at all. It is Bordeaux-like and if I was served this blind I would have guessed Pichon Lalande from the 1980s, perhaps even the ‘82 or the ‘86, or a hypothetical blend of the two. High praise indeed. While some of the CT notes predict this will go on for decades I don’t think it will improve with further cellaring. It really is a splendid wine at its apogee.

Tonight with roast chicken:

2014 Jacques Carillon Puligny (villages)
2000 Dominique Laurent Vosne-Romanee 1er Cru Les Suchots

Both showing extremely well

[Nicklasss]

For the carré d'agneau.

[Musigny 151]

06 or 08?

[JoelD]

06 or 08?

Looks like 08, Mark. I'll be curious to hear how it is. I bet 08 drinks well right now, considering that 14 already is

[stefan]

For Easter:

2008 Dom Perignon. Stuart caused this to become a BWE favorite. Wonderful wine. This bottle has more citrus than I remember.

1999 Grivot Vosne Romanee Rouges. Some 1999 1er Cru Burgundies have emerged from the shell, but not this one. Like most, the structure is great, but the nose is shy and the fruit teases rather than pleases.

2009 Jadot Clos des Ursules. This flagship Jadot 1er Cru is in a good spot. The wine throws asphalt grapes at you. I love this wine, although Lucie and a guest preferred the more structured Vosne.

[Nicklasss]

Issan 2008, very "margalais". Not the most powerful, but well defined. Spices, margauxberries, black berries, a very classic palate, nice minerality with good black fruit, some oak. Not very tannic, not very powerful, the vintage, but very good. Later raspberries, fennel bulb, cocoa. Terroir Classé wine, with a lot of complexity and definition, but not immense. Rating: 344T.

[s*d*r]

For Easter:

2008 Dom Perignon. Stuart caused this to become a BWE favorite.

Not sure about this one, Stefan.

It’s really promising to be sure. But it’s very reserved just now, as it should be. Needs two Blanquitos to relax and a third would be even better. Unless you prefer champagne that deletes some of your taste buds with each sip.

[Blanquito]

The 08 Dom was so coiled up the one time I had it — still delicious (I loved the umami notes I got from it) but like a clenched fist.

[stefan]

Sure, the '08 Dom will improve, Stuart, but I like it now. As for the acid, I take 1 or 2 calcium carbonate pills before drinking Champagne (to go along with my daily omeprazole and esomeprozole).

[Musigny 151]

I like the 2008 Issan, but the 2006 is absolutely amazing, and I think I prefer by a hair over the great 2005. Well worth looking for.

[Nicklasss]

I like the 2008 Issan, but the 2006 is absolutely amazing, and I think I prefer by a hair over the great 2005. Well worth looking for.

If i think about it, I did not had that many Chateau d'Issan in my life. Not a wine I see around often over here. I would surely be interested to try the vintages that your report about here Musigny, and surely the 2000. I bought some 2019.

For 2008 Dom Pérignon, yes it will surely improves with 10-15 years, but me too i like the greatness of it youth too.

[Blanquito]

But more to the point, should d’Issan be a 3rd Growth?!

[Nicklasss]

But more to the point, should d’Issan be a 3rd Growth?!

Who have tasted many vintages here? Not me.

[stefan]

>>
But more to the point, should d’Issan be a 3rd Growth?!
>>

Is consistently very good, but does not ever achieve the height to be a 3rd growth.

Besides, I would like the price of d'Issan not to be driven up.