By: AJ McClellan
The You Show Me Yours tastings are always a big hit, and more often than not the wines that are opened before and after the tasting would compete with the main event. This tasting was no different, below is a list of the great wines we warmed up with before the tasting.
1983 Beringer Private Reserve – The 82 Beringer was drinking well but it was a little tired. I think the prime of this wine passed 2-4 years ago and it is now on its way out. The red and black fruits were dry and faded there was a nice spicy oak background but the nuances were tired and not showing to the best of their abilities.
1964 Pichon Lalande – This Pichon was even more amazing than the last time I had a 64 Lalande. The fruit was still vibrant with a subtle forest floor backing of moist earth and spice box. The palate was very boisterous for a wine with 50 years of age on it with dried red fruits and a plush earth and spice backing.
1986 Guigal La Mouline – A wonderful wine. Immediately upon opening you could smell this wine across the room. Leather, tar, allspice, cedar, black currants, raspberries, and a rocky minerality. The palate was as complex as the nose showing a fruit medley of dark fruits, complex earth aromas and a brilliant minerality on the back end. I kept some of this wine in my glass for the rest of the night and every time I went back to it the wine seemed to change and expand in the glass showing a different face to the same coin. A brilliant wine.
1955 Grand Mayne – This was an interesting wine. At first impression it seemed almost stewed, but after sitting in the glass for over an hour the wine did not fall apart or decline in the way you would expect a flawed wine to do. Stewed fruits but otherwise a very complex wine showing classic Bordeaux notes and a nice finish.
2001 Kongsgaard Roussanne/Viognier – I was very impressed with this wine. The nose was tropical and complex showing pineapples, peaches, mango, honeysuckle, limestone, and a petrol note. The palate showed pear wax, vanilla bean, fruit loops, tropical fruits and spring flowers.
1975 Joseph Phelps Eisele Vineyard – Another excellent older Cali Cab. Dusty leather notes with dry red fruits and a slight note of dried tar. The palate was dusty but with a subtle strength showing bold fruits and powerful spice box.
1989 Cos d’Estournel – A great little Bordeaux that needs some more time in the bottle. The nose was full of purple flowers and dark fruits. After a few hours in the decanter the wine started to open up showing lavender, plums, and Bordeaux earth.