Bordeaux Wine Enthusiasts

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/21/dinin ... ref=dining

It's interesting that people so rarely mention where the wines are in their development.

I was once shouted down on the Squires board for saying 2 or 3 years ago that most of the great growths were ready to drink.
That was mainly because above and beyond the fact that the great growths as a whole are only a blip on the Bordeaux radar, many well-heeled wine lovers go on to consider only the top rank of those great growths!
As regards this crème de la crème de la crème, I fully agree.
In fact, 1982 Mouton will be the wine I open to celebrate my retirement in 6 or 7 years.

Best regards,
Alex R.

1. It's nice to see Dr. Peynaud be remembered. I recall that Hugh Johnson really lauded him in his circa mid-80s World Encyclopedia of Wine (or Atlas). I still thumb that book though the descriptions of the properties have been somewhat overrun.

2. It's funny the 82s were said to lack structure. While I recall only drinking a handful of crus bourgeois/petit chateau/etc., what I recall mainly is stripping tannin. Maybe these chateau were still backward in the process. I assume most were. I miss those tannins.

3. I can't make head or tale of his tasting notes without points (sorry, just had to keep this going). Without an ordinal ranking of the wines of any sort, this article is sadly incomplete. There must be winners and losers.

Thanks Alex.

Houndsong wrote:3. I can't make head or tale of his tasting notes without points (sorry, just had to keep this going). Without an ordinal ranking of the wines of any sort, this article is sadly incomplete. There must be winners and losers.

Certain critics (for example one in Monkton) don't seem to be go with the winners and losers idea. Some grading scales seem to be more like the US school grading system where everyone wins, everyone advances, some just do better than others. But if Smith Haut Lafitte gets a 100, Brane-Cantenac, Lafon-Rochet and Palmer can also do very well and get high scores.

Let there be no wine left behind!

HWSRN has become the Great Soccer Mom of wine critics.

But how do I know how much to bid at auction for these things? And how do I know how much to like them?

Don't tell me this points business is just a parlor game?

It is interesting that the author considers '85 among the greatest vintages of the last half of the 20th century. Perhaps he is a Burgophile.

Asimov is somewhat on the dark side, Stefan. Great article, but too short! Too much background uand finance and not enough notes...q

I see he liked the 1982 Beychevelle. That is indeed a great wine.

That was interesting. Just goes to show, it's not all about points and classification.

It may not be about classification, but the First Growth flight sounded like a resounding affirmation of the Bordeaux brokers' feelings from 156 years ago.

Yeah well we'll see. I have an 82 Citran in the near-term queue and I'm sure the NYT will be wanting my story about it.