The 1981 Chateau Leoville Las Cases has been uncorked and other ramblings....

[JimHow]

As I reported a few months ago, this performed well up against some other heavy hitter 1980s Medocs. Off to Paris and London on Monday for a couple weeks, thought I'd celebrate tonight....

[JimHow]

The color looks lovely, seductive cigar box on the nose.

[JimHow]

I've secured this and other 1980s Bordeaux through winebid.com, my experiences are very limited but so far I've been very satisfied with the wines that I've won, the prompt shipping, etc....

[JimHow]

Boy just a lovely cigar nose. Mmmm.

[JimHow]

Boy quite a political shocker in Maine this week with Governor Janet Mills out of the Senate race. I'm still extremely skeptical that the oyster farmer is going to beat the Chair of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee. They announce her obituary every six years and she rises from the dead every time to win by 20+ points....

[stefan]

They announce her obituary every six years, and Draculina rises from the dead every time to win by 20+ points....

[JimHow]

Sigh, yeah, there was a former mayor who briefly thought of running against her six years ago, he coulda' been somebody:

https://www.sunjournal.com/2019/05/06/l ... s-in-2020/

Ah well, who needs that grief.... We have reservations at La Tour d'Argent for next Friday night....

[stefan]

Have you eaten there previously, Jim? Will you eat Canard ala Press? I bet they still have many Burgundies that are well under retail, and many Burgundies go well with their pressed duck.

I wonder if Guide Michelin is considering giving La Tour d'Argent a second star. I haven't been since it was domoted to one star status.

[JimHow]

Yes I ate there a couple years ago, Stefan, we got the little card with the number of our ducks. I ordered a 2010 d’Armailhac as I recall, I believe I posted the pictures here. Can’t wait!

[AlexR]

Jim,

Apparently the Tour d'Argent will take you down to visit their famoys wine cellar if you ask in advancr.

Paris Icon La Tour d’Argent Unveils Reimagined Historic Wine Cellars https://share.google/0lvci7tj3UVNYzHrL

Alex

[JimHow]

Thanks for the tip Alex I will check it out!

The 1981 LLC was a bit stern but interesting nonetheless. It is an old school claret with cigar box, tobacco and leather. An interesting artifact from a time and place in Bordeaux that I suspect we will not see again. This was more a 1970s wine than a 1980s wine. I enjoyed the trip back in time. Rating: 91 points.

[JimHow]

300,000 bottles in their cellar:

https://youtube.com/shorts/SUlRI1ATaZE? ... VO6Ti7G5oN

[stefan]

The downside is that La Tour d'Argent does not have their wine list online.

[JimHow]

Yeah I noticed that. I remember when I was there last time I felt a bit overwhelmed before settling on the 2010 d'Armailhac.

[JCNorthway]

300,000 bottles in their cellar

Is that the definition of a modest wine cellar?

[Comte Flaneur]

So Jim this bottle presumably did not quite live up to the stellar quality of the previous one you tried?

We have a LLC vertical planned for September and hopefully the 1981 will be in the line up.

[JimHow]

Indeed, Ian, I found this second bottle very interesting and would be happy to drink it again (I have two more bottles), but the main reason why I uncorked this second bottle was to see whether I wanted to order more. I will not.