| | Day 1 was 12 vintages of Haut Brion.
Day 2 was 12 vintages of Margaux.
In general, the Haut Brion was more inconsistent, but the heights (1982, 1989) were considerably higher. The Margaux on the other hand were shockingly consistent and focused, but even the best (1982, 1990) while lovely were not earth-shattering in quite the same way as the very best Haut Brion. DAY 1 Day 1, flight 1, we had 12 single blind picks, and I flailed accordingly. - 2009 Château Haut-Brion - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan (3/18/2023)
Mint and violet. Tannic, dry, very classic and very pretty.
My #4 and the group #4. Guessed as 2001.
- 2001 Château Haut-Brion - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan (3/18/2023)
Scorched earth, a touch oxidative at first but fills out nicely with air. Cherry fruit, firm and leafy, moving to tobacco.
My #6 and the group #5. Guessed as 2000.
- 1982 Château Haut-Brion - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan (3/18/2023)
Lighter color, fabulously complex, horse, roasted earth, tobacco, coffee, the quintessential Haut Brion nose. Saddle leather and brett, too much for some but absolutely right in my wheelhouse. So pretty, light, ethereal, racy, delicate, exploding with inner mouth perfume. It was obviously the 1982.
My #1 and the group #3. Guessed correctly as 1982.
- 2006 Château Haut-Brion - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan (3/18/2023)
Mmm, smoldering, graphite, intense. Be patient with this one. It reminded me a bit of 1989 some 15 years ago when it was more closed. Surprisingly concentrated.
My #2 and the group #1. I guessed the 1989 on a whim but not even close.
- 1998 Château Haut-Brion - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan (3/18/2023)
Older, touch of green bell pepper, smoke. The palate is cherry, tobacco and roasted coffee. Still has lots of structure.
My #3 and the group #2. Correctly guessed 1998.
- 2004 Château Haut-Brion - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan (3/18/2023)
Scorchy, opening up to show much more savory/umami aromatics. Beautiful and pure with light, cherry fruit. Surprisingly formidable structure.
My #5 and the group #6. Guessed as 2002.
The second flight was easier to focus in on, since we were down to 6 picks. - 2007 Château Haut-Brion - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan (3/18/2023)
Super closed, some tobacco. Hot vintage with a whiff of alcohol showing at first? Coffee, midweight, firm, nothing sexy, just HB straight down the fairway.
My #6 and the group #2. Guessed as 2002.
- 2000 Château Haut-Brion - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan (3/18/2023)
Closed with some saddle leather, some tobacco, savory and VERY deep. Wait, wait, wait!
My #4 and the group #3. Correctly guessed as 2000.
- 1989 Château Haut-Brion - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan (3/18/2023)
Booyah! One sniff and one glance, and one knows this is the legendary 1989. Bordeaux really doesn't get any better than this. Indescribably complex, concentrated and yet not at all heavy. Just electric with structure to last for decades.
My #1 and the group #1. Correctly guessed as 1989. (100 pts.)
- 2002 Château Haut-Brion - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan (3/18/2023)
Mmmm, hyper-graphite, scorched and roasted, much more than all the others, very structured, dark, brooding, I just love this.
My #3 and the group #4. Guessed as 2005 based on structure. (That said, Mike dropped a suggestive comment during the blind portion on the #6 glass that made me realize THAT was the 2005 and I figured this was 2002. But I did not tweak my guesses.)
- 2010 Château Haut-Brion - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan (3/18/2023)
Violet, super floral nose. Explosive, young, so saturated on the palate with SOOOO much fruit, huge structure. This is as close to a fruit bomb as HB gets (not very close), super enjoyable for such a young wine.
My #2 and the group #5. Correctly guessed as 2010.
- 2005 Château Haut-Brion - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan (3/18/2023)
The only slightly off-putting nose, vitamin pill, a little stinky. Something seems a little "off" with this one. Sweet cherry palate. Lots of structure.
My #5 and the group #6. Guessed as 2007, although had I shuffled based on the hint I would have had this as 2005.
DAY 2 Day 2, flight 1, I really had no clue. (Part of this was a lack of imagination, as I assumed the older wines would be held back.)
Note that there was an issue with one of the bottles of 1982, so half the group tasted the 1978 instead. Both were equally appreciated and among everyone's favorites when we did the rankings. - 2000 Château Margaux - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux (3/19/2023)
Mmm, graphite, cedar, total aromatic fireworks, saddle leather. OMG, the palate is lovely, silky, red fruit.
My 2nd favorite wine and the group second. Guessed as the 2001.
- 1995 Château Margaux - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux (3/19/2023)
Very light color. Seemingly older. Much more graphite on the nose. So much mineral, it crackles, lovely, singing, nice acidity. It is clearly older.
My 5th pick and the group 6th. I guessed the 2002 but should have been further out of the box, as this was the 1995.
- 2009 Château Margaux - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux (3/19/2023)
Ahh, black fruit, some saddle leather, smoke, oak and toast. This seems younger. So juicy and supple.
My 3rd and the group 3rd. I really should read my notes, as I picked 2006, but this reads younger...
- 2002 Château Margaux - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux (3/19/2023)
Mmm, a bit more subtle, slightly chemical, really focused, tight.
My 6th and the group 5th. I guessed 2005.
- 2004 Château Margaux - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux (3/19/2023)
Another wine with bigger, blacker, younger fruit. Very expressive.
My 4th and the group 4th as well. I guessed 2003 based on the darker, roasted fruit.
- 1982 Château Margaux - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux (3/19/2023)
Clearly the oldest. It was a much different color. Wow, floral, lots of spine, crackling mineral intensity, seems much more secondary, just gorgeous.
My #1 and the group's as well. I guessed 1998 not thinking they would bring the 1982 into the first flight. (It was obviously not the 1990, but duh it had to be the 1982.)
This was actually a singularly spectacular flight. - 2010 Château Margaux - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux (3/19/2023)
My wine to present to the group. A whiff of brackish marine scent blows off to reveal a cedar-driven, floral, lifted nose, really expressive with graphite and coffee. Wow this has a huge wall of fruit and concentration, so juicy, just beautiful, pure.
My 2nd the the group 2nd. I guessed 2001, but this note really does read like 2010. I just never dreamed it could be so young. It was shockingly balanced and approachable!
- 1998 Château Margaux - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux (3/19/2023)
A dirty nose with vitamin pill, savory, dusky, a bit bretty, gaining volume, some oakiness. Wow this is intensely mineral and insanely dry and grippy.
My 6th as well as the group 6th. I guessed 2010 based on the sheer tannic overwhelm, but this was the 1998.
- 1990 Château Margaux - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux (3/19/2023)
Shy nose at first, the most bricked wine, mmmmm, cedar, smouldering intensity, pine forest, some horse, some sweet strawberry preserves, here we go! It keeps sparking with mint poking out late. The palate is incredibly silky and enveloping, although there is a surprisingly tannic finish.
My 1st and the group 1st. Properly picked as the 1990.
- 2006 Château Margaux - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux (3/19/2023)
Piercing, violet, floral. Oh wow, this is really pretty spicy, cedar, very firm tannins, sharp and focused.
My 5th and the group 5th. Correctly guessed as the 2006.
- 2001 Château Margaux - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux (3/19/2023)
Mmm, spicy nose. So powerful with a somewhat roasted note. Is this 2003? Significant tannins, sweet, with a pure core, really lovely.
My 4th and the group 4th. Guessed as the 2003.
- 2003 Château Margaux - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux (3/19/2023)
Mmm, smells like the 1990 at first. Delicious, spicy cedar, although texturally this is fairly dry. Again, delicious. I enjoyed this one a lot.
My 3rd and the group 3rd. Guessed as 1998.
As always, a tour de force of generosity. Thank you Mark! |
