| | Two tables of six sat down at the Ledbury to compare HB and LMHB in the top vintages of the 80s. I was struck by how similar the two were - pretty much all showed deep, ripe, cedary fruit with a charred edge. Tonight I saw less of the smoke and tobacco that people talk about and which I've found very noticeable in the past. Not much variation from vintage to vintage either - I think I marginally preferred the 85s, but really there was little to choose between them and the 82s and the 89HB/90LMHB. A fantastically consistent group of wines. with scallop, confit of squid and a shellfish consomme - 1983 Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Pale gold, mouthwatering nose, noticeably sauvignon I thought with a touch of wax and petrol. Lean, intense, intriguing
- 1982 Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Similar pale gold to the 83, this was more shy on the nose, but deeper, riper and more powerful on the palate, a similar flavour profile with its wax, lemon and petrol, but a bit more all round - super
- 1978 Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Paler, leaner, sharper than the 82 and 83, an acrid edge, amazingly fresh, high acid, bracing and exciting, but a touch behind the other two I felt
with crisp pressed suckling pig with white carrot, blood pudding and rosemary - 1990 Château La Mission Haut-Brion - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
An amazing mouthful of rich spicy cedar, glossy, flamboyant, but no lack of depth and complexity - a spectacular start to the reds
- 1983 Château La Mission Haut-Brion - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Dark, savoury and spicy, overshadowed by the 1990, but this is a lovely wine in its own right - on the two previous occasions I've had this I've given it a very high mark (94). I don't think this bottle was inferior, it was just in grander company
- 1978 Château La Mission Haut-Brion - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Marked by the characteristic 1978 stalkiness, which on this occasion lifted the wine and made it stand out from the others - silky black fruit and the first appearance tonight of the tobacco quality that usually marks out LMHB and HB
with breast of grouse with a prune cooked in smoked tea, crisp potato and walnuts - 1985 Château Haut-Brion - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Very similar to the LMHB, a bit less glossy, but ripe, spicy, cedary, soft and showing perfect balance [there was a different bottle on the other table which I didn't get to try]
- 1982 Château Haut-Brion - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
First of two bottles - very pleasant, balanced mature claret, but seemed so small after the 85s
- 1985 Château La Mission Haut-Brion - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Yet again the main impression was of spice, cedar, really deep and with a glossy texture, very lovely
- 1982 Château La Mission Haut-Brion - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Not big, but lovely refinement and balance, a beautiful smooth harmonious wine
with loin and shoulder of lamb with shallot puree, niora pepper and dried tomatoes - 1989 Château Haut-Brion - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Our table's bottle: smooth and round, deep roasted fruit, lots of tannin in the background, still not fully expressive, but the depth is apparent - clearly a special wine but right now I get more from the 85
- 1989 Château Haut-Brion - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
The other table's bottle: rather different from ours, more evolved, less smooth, more brothy with a touch of brett, overall a bit less refined, but more accessible today and I found it the more exciting
- 1986 Château Haut-Brion - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Surprisingly ripe and round, a bit oxidative in fact, plummy fruit, and then the grippy tannins come through - doubtless this would have been lovely on its own, but the weakest wine tonight
- 1982 Château Haut-Brion - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Second bottle: way better than the first, like comparing two photographs one of which was out of focus - this was vibrant, cedary, rich, lots of layers, beautiful
with green apple puree with sauternes jelly, olive oil panacotta and crystallised ginger ice cream - 1989 Château d'Yquem - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
Thick, a bit heavy and oxidative at first, but my last mouthful was gorgeously exotic and complex and I wish I'd paid it more attention
- 1988 Château Climens - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac
Fresher than the Yquem, lean, bright and mineral, mature, lifted by a touch of volatility - a fine finale
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