By: AJ McClellan
Friday night was our quarterly You Show Me Yours I’ll Show You Mine tasting. The tasting was more epic than usual as we had several winners from previous tasting in the lineup. It was a tight race but I believe that that best bottle of the night won the tasting…
1863 Boal Madeira – The Madeira was very interesting. Burnt rubber and scorched red fruit showed on the nose and palate. The mid palate was a little thin but the finish was so long that I could taste the wine for half of my car ride home that evening…
1999 Bouchard La Romanee – The La Romanee was not showing as well as I think it could. That being said I do not think it got a fair shake. The wine was opened late and drank first in the lineup of wines. I held onto a sliver of the wine till the end of the night and after almost six hours of being in the glass the wine began to crawl out of its shell showing rustic cherry notes with searing minerality and a wonderful finish wild flowers and spice.
1978 Latour – Classic Bordeaux. The nose showed rustic earth with dark berries and some leather on the back with a clove finish. The bottle was good but approaching the end of its peak I feel.
1994 Bryant – Named second place in the blind tasting, this bottle was outstanding. The nose we magnificent showing bright red cherries and raspberries with undertones of soft tobacco and some hints of crushed gravel. The palate was very good but slightly disappointing. The tannins were still hard, not yet evolving to the soft plush mouthfeel that I know this wine can achieve.
1998 Harlan – A darker style of wine showing plums and black currants backed by tobacco and dark chocolate. There was a handful of spice on the mid palate and a finish of deep red roses.
1986 Haut Brion – I had high hopes for this wine but it ended up showing old shoe box with funky barnyard and old saddle leather. Many of the 1st growths from 86 have been closed down and not showing well, I am afraid that I will have to add the Haut Brion to that list…
1990 Haut Brion – Hello wine of the night! Wow! It has been more than a year since I had this bottle last and I must say that it is as good as if not better than I remember. The nose showed classic notes of Bordeaux earth with gravely soils and dark rich fruit. The wine was plush in the mouth with brilliant balance showing dark chocolate, anise, and blackberries. This bottle well deserved the trophy.
1982 Pichon Lalande – The 82 Pichon Lalande has won the won of the night in two tastings before this one. At last the king has been dethroned. The Pichon put up a valiant fight though showing classic green notes of bell pepper and cut grass that I always associate to this bottle as well as damp rustic earth, pleasant clove notes, and lovely blue and black fruit on the finish.
1983 Haut Brion – A great bottle of wine but getting toward the end of its days. Soft tannins with dried black fruit backed by classic gravely minerality.
1995 Bryant Family – Another strong effort in the tasting showing brilliant bright red cherries and a well balanced mixture of chocolate, tobacco, and cedar. The palate was soft and evenhanded with lovely red fruit and well integrated tannins.
1988 Margaux – I was very impressed with the Margaux. The wine was showing dry dusty fruit but with impressive acidity and great structure. I decanted the wine almost five hours before the event and it was the perfect amount of time.
1980 Opus One – Classic old Cali Cab. The wine was showing old dried blue and black fruit with notes of lavender, cedar, and dill.
1986 d’Yquem – d’Yquem is always a fun bottle. This one was a little thin on the mid palate lacking the syrupy thickness that I normally get from this prestigious house, even in an older vintage. The wine showed quince, honeyed pear, and lilies on the nose and palate.
1999 Bruno Giacosa Neive Barbaresco – When I first opened this bottle is was rather muted and uncharacteristically fruit forward. After almost eight hours in the glass the wine became a monster showing huge earthy notes of forest floor with big dusty tannins and a pleasantly light palate. Everything that I love from Barbaresco was present in this wine…
1978 Cheval Blanc – We have had this bottle on many occasions but this one was not drinking all that well. The wine was somewhat weedy and lacked that punch that I normally get from the 78 Cheval. Still not bad but not great either…. Provenance issues?
1990 Latour – I have had this bottle several times in the past and have been very disappointed with it. The bottle that we opened up Friday has restored my faith. While the wine was still tight, it was showing lovely red cherry notes backed by violets and damp earth. IN another two years I think this wine will be stunning. Thank you 90 Latour for finally coming around!
1986 La Mission Haut Brion – Another bottle that has been stunning in the past but was disappointing upon opening….
1991 Dujac Clos st Denis – This was an absolutely wonderful bottle of wine. Bigger in style with big black berries and exciting minerality. It needed some time to open up but once it got going it was fantastic.
