AJ McClellan
Last Friday night we had an impromptu tasting of epic proportions! It started with a few members dropping in and turned into a battle royale with everyone pulling a fantastic jewel from their locker in an attempt to be the next top dog.
The night started just like any other Friday night at Graileys – a few good bottles already on the table – 1997 Monbousquet was drinking beautifully, with notes of dried red currant and blueberries and a light finish of worn leather and pepper. We had just opened Andy Erickson’s single vineyard Jack Quinn with rich black plum and dark red cherries. I thought the night was going well.
Then one of our members came in and popped a bottle of 1963 Sandeman Port. The Port was fantastic, as it always is, with a nose full of vanilla, caramel, and almost the entire spice drawer. After tasting the Sandeman I thought we had reached a climax in the evening and it was only 4 o’clock…
But the night was young and I had no idea what I was in store for. The next bottle to come out of the locker was a NV Pierre Peters Rose, a grower Champagne from the producer of Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame. I thought it was odd that we were going from Port to – what could arguably be the wine’s exact opposite – Champagne, but I always liked to go with the flow and the Champagne was great! Soft and supple with light notes of strawberries and watermelon and a subtle effervescence that cleared the palate but did not tickle my nose. What landed on the table next almost made me drop my glass.
1979 Guigal La Mouline – In previous tastings the Guigal wines have almost always been the table’s favorite, and La Mouline is a personal favorite of mine. This bottle was glorious, starting with a light burnt cinnamon and fresh compost then moving into a roasted plum and boysenberry with chamomile tea lingering in the distance. The iron minerality and toffee finish that I feel always accompany this wine were prevalent in a pleasant way, and after thirty minutes in a decanter, a rich coffee nose started to develop with a buffet of smoked gamey meats.
We here at Graileys felt that we should reply in kind, so D’lynn opened a 1988 Rocche Costamagna Barolo Rocche di la Morra and Simon opened a 1979 Palmer. The Barolo was exactly what it should be – dusty cherry cobbler spiced with cinnamon and vanilla bean and a massive palate of roasted fruit with light notes of flint and sandstone. The Palmer was excellent. Again, classic Bordeaux – huge funk backed by blue cheese and graphite then finishing with prune and a hint of mint.
This started the ball rolling and what an avalanche followed! 1982 Grange was next out of the gate with massive red fruit and a load of cinnamon and spice. The palate had a little funk with big black pepper and eucalyptus intertwined and doing a seductive dance unlike any other wine I have ever had.
Next was the 1983 Chateau Margaux which started out with a slight rubber note but opened up into a colorful montage of dried and roasted red fruits with an elegant earthiness that makes you wish the bottle was of the never ending sort. After some time of opening, the wine evolved again to develop subtle tar notes with tanned leather and crushed blueberries. This wine reminds me of the tango – elegant yet powerful, complicated and beautiful.
Where can you go from 83 Margaux? 1989 Margaux! This wine bears a striking resemblance to dancer’s legs – beautiful and powerful, flexible and brilliant, smooth as silk, and something that you can’t keep your hands off of. With fantastically smooth tannins and an underlying earthiness this wine made a great match up with its older brother.
To finish off the night Simon decided to pull one that could not be topped -1978 Cheval Blanc. This wine was pure ecstasy! Smoky and herbaceous with delicate dried red fruits and a subtle back of pine needles and mustiness. Crisp and clean on the finish with a great balance. Wow what a wine! With a smug grin on his face Simon packed his bags and headed out sure that he showed us that his wine could not be beat…
Not to be outdone, however, our members proceeded to pull out one of the other legendary producers from the right back – Petrus of the 1983 variety. If I were blinding this wine I would have called it 2005, it was massive! Rich and firm with huge black fruits and sour strawberry up front, on the back we got wet stone, gravel, clove, anis, and a fair amount of brett.
Next was the 1970 Vega Sicilia Unico. Bottle aged for 25 years and released in 1995, this was the second time this night that I tried a wine that was unlike anything I have ever had. My first impression of the wine was big barley and a mouth full of wheat, reminding me of a bowl of Wheaties. On my second sip I got hints of ripe red cherry and bramble berry with a load of hay and straw. This could possibly be the most interesting wine I have ever had. Where could we go after this?
Mouton Rothschild from the renowned vintage of 1961. How was it you might ask? WONDERFUL! Wow, what a wine. Freshly tilled earth and chocolate covered roasted almonds with toffee and mocha on the end. Hints of burnt caramel and a lingering cigar box finish. Such a complex wine with never ending layers of flavor. This was my wine of the night and boy what a journey to get there!
- What a line-up!