By: AJ McClellan
Some nights are just epic in Graileys! We put together a fun Right Bank vs Left Bank tasting with three stunning wines from each side. The wines were tasted blind by eight of our members and then judged. It was a great night for all involved with Simon behind the grill making his epic seared steak and au gratin potatoes.
In the left corner we had the 1985 Haut Brion, 1983 Pichon Lalande, and a late appearance by the 1982 Gruaud Larose (opened because unfortunately the Margaux was corked..) Out of the Left Bank wines I think the Haut Brion took the cake with dark fruit, black tea, classic graphite, and concentrated tannins. The Pichon and Gruaud Larose were close on the Haut Brion’s heels though as both bottles were drinking very well.
In the right corner the 1985 Cheval Blanc, 1999 Ausone, and 1982 Pavie took on the challenge. Of the three it was hard to pick a favorite but we managed to name the Cheval Blanc not only the winner for the right bank but the best wine of the night as well. The Cheval was softer then the Haut Brion with bright fruit and luxurious earthy scents of west forest floor, blooming violets, and crushed limestone. I was a big fan of the Ausone and thought that with some more time in the bottle it would indeed contend for the championship. Last but not least, the Pavie was drinking very good but you can tell that the newer bottlings have much more care put into them as the 82 was lacking some complexity and fell off on the finish.