By: LA Perkel
We always say, “At Graileys, you just never know what happens next”, but one constant is we can never get our hands off our inventory. For quality control purposes, we regularly open random bottles from recently purchased cellar to give us a vivid experience of where these wines are in terms of drinking window. And since last week’s acquisition was a Bordeaux cellar, last Friday’s libation theme was just that, Bordeaux.
First opened was a 1999 Ducru-Beaucaillou. This had gorgeous aromas of tobacco, licorice, and black raspberry. Elegant and graceful on the palate yet showing a textured mid-palate, flavor depth, and impressive length. The 1995 Smith-Haut-Lafitte that came my way next proved to be disappointing. I initially declared this wine corked but the wet cardboard note did blow off revealing a wine that was herbaceous and thin with a clipped finish. My dampened spirit was revived as soon as I nosed the 2001 La Mission Haut-Brion. This wine was aromatically compelling with complex notes of cherry, cassis, blackberries, tobacco, subtle spice, and gravelly minerality. The palate showed elegance and finesse marrying a sumptuous mouthfeel with exuberance. In terms of drinking window, I am enjoying this wine now but its balance, harmony, and exuberant acidity suggest this wine still has life ahead. My WOTN. Our good fortune continued with a bottle of 2000 Gruaud-Larose which showed a more savory side than the La Mission. The nose showed leather, damp earth, underbrush, incense with hints of ripe blackcurrant in the background. Medium-bodied with supple texture; velvety structure with flavor depth. With air, a tobacco/tar component emerged. The 1997 Leoville Las Cases was opened next; dusty plums, graphite, coffee, and scorched earth on the nose leading to a palate that was full and broadly structured. I enjoyed the nose on this wine more than I did the palate. It seemed that the palate needed to catch up with the nose.