By: AJ McClellan
We had a great tasting with the senior VP for Chateau Margaux, Aurelien Valance, as our guest of honor. We ran into a slight kink the day before the tasting was scheduled to begin. All of the wines that we had been planning on tasting had gotten stuck in customs leaving us a room full of clients but no wines. Luckily we were able to dip into our cellar to salvage the event with bottles of 78 Margaux and two magnums of 89 and 90 Margaux.
2009 Pavillon Blanc – A very pleasant white wine with notes of crème fresh, peach, apricot, and coconut. The palate was crisp and clean with a great length and a slight note of green pear on the finish.
1990 Pavillon Rouge – Sweet red currants, black cherries, and a note of sour earth and big barnyard. An easy drinking bottle that is drinking great right now.
1978 Margaux – Big earth with dry prunes and dry currants. There was a substantial earthiness to the wine with notes of compost, forest floor, and vegetable ash. This bottle was drinking great out of the shoot and will continue to drink for another 5 years.
1989 Margaux Magnum – This wine was good but not as good as I was hoping. In the bottles defense, there might have been a hint of cork in the bottle. No one noticed a flaw except Phil and myself but I sear every once in a while there was a little tca in the glass… Smoke and tobacco on the nose with black fruits and some cooking spices. The palate showed great earth notes and very nice fruits. The wine toed the line of greatness but didn’t quite get there.
1990 Margaux Magnum – Extremely complex with tobacco, light chocolate, plums, black cherries, and blueberry. The palate was weighty with an excellent mid-palate showing sweet black fruits and amazing earthy richness. A slight hint of liquorish on the finish.
After the official tasting was over it was time to pull out some of the big guns for our esteemed guest. All of the members went to their lockers while we pull out a few tricks of our own….
2004 Pavillon Blanc – I blinded this as Pape Clement blanc. Great structure and a gravely minerality combined with tropical fruit.
1953 Remoissent Clos Vougeot GC – Pure earth with hints of old moldy log, forest floor, old leather, and sweaty horse hides. A sweet must with dry flowers and old cherry warheads rewarded the palate and made you want to savor the long lasting finish of tilled earth and wild mushrooms.
1997 Guigal La Turque – As always a show stopper. The bottle was showing sweet ripe fruits that made me think of new world until it opened up and started to show the classic pepper, leather, tobacco, and meaty notes we have all come to know and love from Guigal wines.
1985 Cos d’Estournel – This bottle of 85 was showing differently than what I am used to from Cos. It had a slight green note of cut grass, nothing offensive, just different than what I expected. The fruit was bright with a earthy backing and great rocky finish.
1978 Remoissenet Chambertin GC – This bottle was interesting, showing dry fruit and big earth but slightly disconjointed. Maybe a little bit of oxidization? There was subtle hint of rusty nail.
1994 Domaine Armond Rousseau Chambertin GC – Wow. Fresh strawberry patch with intermingled with a spice garden and fresh summer flowers. There was a hint of compost made from dry leaves, sweet red fruits, and a jumbled handful of crushed rocks, dried flowers, and jasmine. Very complex and fresh in the glass.
2008 Sine Qua Non B20 – As always massive fruit with a complex spice aroma backed by Cote Rotie like earth and smokiness.
1996 Comte Armond Pommard 1er Clos de Epeneaux – I was very happy with this wine. After sitting open for three hours it blew up showing complex fruit and earth aromas with a hint of slate. A very complex wine with a lengthy finish and amazing depth and character.
1955 Dows – Good old Dow’s showing nutmeg, almonds, cinnamon, and dry currants. Fantastic nutty finish.