Greatest hits of the 1980s

[Comte Flaneur]

My first dinner in London after dry January at La Trompette where we dined with Alfred Tesseron in 2017

F1

La Lagune 1982 - rich, bright, red-fruited, expressive, multi-faceted, fully mature, with cassis and cigar box; a lovely resolved wine, but a tad rustic compared to its superstar flight mates. 92 ****

Pichon Lalande 1982 - this has transmogrified from the all-singing, all-dancing sex bomb it was 20 years ago, when it used to show up the first growths in 82 horizontals. Things have changed now and this has evolved into a beautifully refined mellow and contemplative Comtessa, like a dowager, with bell peppers on the nose and a silky refined palate. I loved this but preferred the younger model! 95 *****

La Conseillante 1982 - it was fun comparing this to the Pichon. If any thing this Conseillante is even more seductive than the Comtesse. This does not make a big statement, but it is a mesmerising, divine, caressing wine as it unfurls and weaves its magic with oriental tea milk chocolate plums, cedar and an array of other delights. My wotn by a hair’s breadth. 96 *****

Haut-Bailly 1981 - a stand in for a corked bottle of the 1988. This 1981 has an advanced colour, with some compelling spicey briary loamy tertiary notes, then it begins to fall off and become a bit vegetal. 89 ***


F2

Leoville Barton 1985 - a sensational showing and a magnificent bottle. This is a wine at its peak with trademark tobacco, cedar and iodine notes, but what I liked most about it was its really compelling edginess and thrilling grip and tension on the palate. 96 *****

Chateau Palmer 1985 - this has oodles of tobacco, cigar box and is ever so seductive - lovely, in a beautiful spot. A very good bottle of 85 Palmer but I have had even better ones with more exuberance. Still a fabulous wine, perhaps somewhat eclipsed though by its flight mate. 95 *****


F3

Pontet Canet 1989 - it showed little on the nose; this is really old school, correct, resolved but quite austere in the context of the vintage; it is really ‘clarety’, which is not to damn it with faint praise as a luncheon wine; it is more that that. Compared to modern Pontet Canets this is pre-historic. 91 ****

Pichon Baron 1989 - correct, youthful very structured, long haul wine, substantive and more classical than the exuberant 1990. It still has impressive primary fruit presence after 33 years. The last two bottles I tried of this were flawed or below par, so very pleased to try a good bottle. Will continue to improve over the next decade. 94 ****(*)

A pretty good showing for BWE’s favourite decade

[AKR]

I have like a half dozen albums labeled Greatest Hits of the 80's, that You Tube Music unfortunately comingles together making it almost impossible to play the precise one I want.

It's like a disorganized cellar!

[Musigny 151]

Fun tasting. Have not had much luck with Barton 1985, but will grab a bottle next month out of storage to try.

[Comte Flaneur]

My experiences with 1985 Leoville Barton have generally been positive Mark although mixed. This bottle was stunning, and I was shocked how good it was. In the voting the eight of us ranked our top five wines and the Barton came second on 31 one vote behind the Comtessa, with La C third on 28 and Palmer fourth on 18.

[JoelD]

Looks like a great first night back. A little bit of everything. How does a great bottle like that of the 85 Barton compare to the Las Cases?

[Claudius2]

Ian
Agree with your comments about the 85 Leoville Barton, it was the winner at a vertical from 82 to 2000 I attended 2 years ago, just before the Covid virus put an end to such tastings. The 82 did not shine though prior bottles I’ve had most certainly did.

[jal]

Great tasting Ian, and great notes as always.
Some thoughts:
Leoville Barton better than Palmer? That's a shocker to me. I would never have thought that.
La Conseillante and Pichon Comtesse are two different wines/styles altogether, I love them both.
1982 La Lagune is a great wine with proper provenance.
1989 Pichon Baron has always been wonderful, though I don't recall ever drinking one without a side by side 1989 Lynch Bages.
How was the food?

[Comte Flaneur]

The food is always amazing at La Trompette Jacques. If you come to London we must go there. Having said that the teal was a little tough.

[Comte Flaneur]

Looks like a great first night back. A little bit of everything. How does a great bottle like that of the 85 Barton compare to the Las Cases?

Great question Joel.

The last bottle of 1985 LLC I tried in December was an absolute belter. It would have been so much fun to have had it in the flight. I reckon hand on my heart the LLC would have been the winner out of the two, but it would have been a close call. Howard Ripley was was there noted that it was a great tribute to Anthony Barton and some may have voted accordingly. For me it was nearly the wine of the night.

The Palmer was very good Jacques but it lacked the energy and verve of the Barton. These were the scores among the eight participants according to the expanded and patented Comte 5-4-3-2-1 method

[Comte Flaneur]

Ian
Agree with your comments about the 85 Leoville Barton, it was the winner at a vertical from 82 to 2000 I attended 2 years ago, just before the Covid virus put an end to such tastings. The 82 did not shine though prior bottles I’ve had most certainly did.

Mark I can never recall having a bottle of Leoville Barton 1982 that has ever moved me or rocked my boat. Good bottles of 1978, 1985, 1988, 1989 and 1990 Barton are such a treat. But as you would expect with wines of that age there is a fair bit of variation.

[JoelD]

Looks like a great first night back. A little bit of everything. How does a great bottle like that of the 85 Barton compare to the Las Cases?

Great question Joel.

The last bottle of 1985 LLC I tried in December was an absolute belter. It would have been so much fun to have had it in the flight. I reckon hand on my heart the LLC would have been the winner out of the two, but it would have been a close call. Howard Ripley was was there noted that it was a great tribute to Anthony Barton and some may have voted accordingly. For me it was nearly the wine of the night.

Thanks for the great info as always, Ian. I shall look to source some of both for a comparison. 85 is sadly one of vintages I have bought very little of. Always focused on 82, 86, 89, 90. Clearly I need to source and experience more. The 85 Pichon Lalande was an absolute stunner.

[Nicklasss]

Very nice set of wines and nice comments Comte.

I think i never had the 81 Haut Bailly, the 85 Léoville Barton and the 89 Pontet Canet. 1985 is a vintage i like in Bordeaux and the LLC, La Mission Haut Brion, Palmer, Margaux, Mouton, Cos d'Estournel, Gruaud Larose, Pichon Lalande, Talbot, Lynch Bages, Grand-Puy Lacoste have all been excelent to me.

I had the 82 La Conseillante once at a Washington DC convention and thought it was fabulous. The 1982 Pichon Lalande has always been a great wine to me, but never a 100 pts wine. On the Second Growth list, i think i have preferred that bottle of 1982 LLC i had in DC in 2020, or 1982 Gruaud Larose the two/three times i had it.

Finally, that post is depressive for me as the wines you had are between 32 and 41 years old... what will i do with my 2018 that will arrive in March, the 2019 later this year or the 2020 next year? They'll be ready starting in 2043-2048 when I'll be mimum 69 yo! I guess like most of you, is it my final purchase of Bordeaux futures?

[Racer Chris]

the teal was a little tough.

Wild caught or farm raised?

[Claudius2]

Ian
Agree with your comments about the 85 Leoville Barton, it was the winner at a vertical from 82 to 2000 I attended 2 years ago, just before the Covid virus put an end to such tastings. The 82 did not shine though prior bottles I’ve had most certainly did.

Mark I can never recall having a bottle of Leoville Barton 1982 that has ever moved me or rocked my boat. Good bottles of 1978, 1985, 1988, 1989 and 1990 Barton are such a treat. But as you would expect with wines of that age there is a fair bit of variation.

Ian
I bought a case of LB 1982 on EP - it was the first vintage I’d ever bought and in those days, the AUD was actually quite valuable relative to the Franc.

Most of the case was consumed young and not being well versed at the time in how well Bordeaux develops, I found it really nice - even in the mid to late 80’s. the last few were consumed in the late 90’s and I never regretted drinking it young, it had a nice rich chocolate and dark fruit flavour.

I had not tried it for at least whetted years and after a few sips I thought that maybe drinking it young was a good idea. Strangely I never expected the 85’s to make old bones but they aged very well.
Cheers
Mark

[Comte Flaneur]

the teal was a little tough.

Wild caught or farm raised?

Not sure Chris, but knowing how fastidious they are about their ingredients my money would be on wild caught.

[marcs]

The food is always amazing at La Trompette Jacques. If you come to London we must go there. Having said that the teal was a little tough.

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Looks like a fantastic menu - love a restaurant with the guts to do four straight protein (fish/meat) courses!