By: Ryan Tedder
Wow-what a busy and fantastic Thursday of red wine drinking in the newly cool weather. Graileys was rocking last night and there was too much wine to effectively run through the whole line-up. I will just concentrate on the best sub-region of wine we drank-the kingly Bordeaux! We have 4 simply amazing classed growth Bordeaux that was drinking great and all packed with a snese of place and quality.
1983 Pichon Lalande was hands down my wine of the night! This second growth from a shadow vintage showcased the very best of Pauillac. Pichon Lalande is probably the “house” favorite Bordeaux of Graileys and this bottle was hitting on all cylinders! Cedar, fresh cigar wrapper, pipe tobacco, dried leather and herbs, black currant, dried black cherry and plum, gravel, turned earth and coffee made this wine a profound pleasure to enjoy. It had a 1 minute finish out of the bottle. Stunning!
1994 Ducru Beaucaillou was singing as well. This second growth from St. Julien was noticeably more elegant, softer and rounder with a lighter fine greained tannin. It was full of cassis, mineral, licorice, and floral-scented nose, medium body, outstanding extract and purity, moderate tannin, and a persuasively rich, sweet, spicy finish.
1999 Mouton Rothschild was the last wine I tried and it was a younger version of the 83 Pichon but witha creamier mid-palate and a little less complexity-but boy it was still outstanding! The fruit was plump and cassis, black plum, blackberry, blueberry and black cherry led. The French oak was beautiful as well. Chocolate, toast, brown butter and new leather delighted. This off vintage Mouton makes you a believer of this Chateau.
1986 Cos d’Estournel was probably the biggest as far as tannin structure goes. This second growth from St. Estephe from a famously tannic vintage was sturdy, wild and little unkept-in a good way. The granite, bitter chocolate, pencil lead and dried cassis and rocks started to show after 30 minutes in a decanter. Drank over the next few hours it just continued to unfold. Earth, dried tree bark, dried green pepper and peppercorn finished out this savory beauty. Probably my #2 for complexity.