By: Ryan Tedder
Great Margaux is the stuff of legends. This oft maligned village on the left bank gets knocked for having a very high number of classed growths that often do not live up to their pedigree. I often agree with this point of view. The second and third growths are often disappointing especially in “off” vintages. In good and great years, the really good wines will blow you away. Yesterday was a Margaux experience that would make a fan of the appellation. Great Margaux’s like these have a bouquet that oozes out of the glass like no other. The dried flowers, cigar wrapper and beefy minerality paired with the dark plum and cassis is riveting.
1990 Rauzan Segla was the first bottle we tried. I had this same bottle 2 months ago and this wine mirrored its excellence. This wine needed 2 hours to properly open. The powerful granite and top soil minerality lead this wine followed by fennel, anise, cassis, and black truffle. Cigar wrapper, wet leaves and ferns also showed up while the tannins were present yet refined. This was a vintage of Rauzan Segla makes this an obvious second growth. I wish every Segla I tried was of this quality.
The next wine was truly special. The 1978 Chateau Palmer had a funky, nasty cork and it was a royal pain to extract. As Simon often says, “The Nastier the Cork on Old WIne the BEtter the Juice.” He is wise…This wine got called 1982 Pichon Lalande blind by a member and the Pauillac notes were definitely present. Pencil lead, cedar, slight herbaceous, bell pepper, powerful blackberry, creme de cassis, violets, dried tobacco, saddle leather, dried marjoram…Oh My! My favorite Bordeaux I have nhad in a few weeks. The wine was great out of the shoot and just got better over the next 3 hours. What a treat. If you see this out anywhere-buy it! Stunning juice.