An Evening of Bordeaux

The Anvil Club, East Dundee, IL
Tasted Saturday, June 19, 2010 by AllRed with 1,126 views

Introduction

A small group of Bordeaux lovers gathered at the Anvil Club for a dinner centered on Bordeaux. We set a theme of 1995 or older and ended up with a terrific lineup, and not a dud in the bunch. Thanks to everyone for sharing some real gems. The Chef put together an excellent dinner for us. We didn't get too fussy- just arranged the wines from oldest to youngest and tasted through with dinner.

In attendance were:
M/M Otisabdul
M/M Grossie
Sue & her guest
Rich & Dana
Joe
M/M AllRed

Flight 1 - Champagne reception. (3 Notes)

Flight 2 - I. Spice-rubbed bison carpaccio & panko crusted New Zealand lamb lollipops. (2 Notes)

  • 1978 Château Léoville Las Cases 92 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

    Soft crimson color. Aromas of red currant, warm spices and leather. Fully-integrated and nicely balanced, with flavors of red fruit and baking spice. Medium length finish. Lovely.

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  • 1985 Château Léoville Barton 93 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

    Decanted just before we left for the restaurant, and I was worried as it displayed a slightly cooked aroma; however a more experienced taster thought it would be just fine. By the time it was tasted two hours later, it had changed completely- Rich was right n his assessment. Aromas of leather, plum and blackberry. Well-balanced, with soft tannins and flavors of red currants, leather and earth. Gorgeous fruit. Lacked the floral qualities that made the previous bottle so wonderful, but this is still fine juice.

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Flight 3 - II. Roasted Maple Leaf Frams duck breast salad w/micro greens, root vegetables and a mustard-thyme vinaigrette. (2 Notes)

  • 1985 Château Angélus 93 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

    Terrific bottle. Deeply fruited and rich aromatics; currants, berries and weathered saddle leather. Fully integrated and so balanced- leather, red fruit, plum and baking spices with a nice, medium+ finish.

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  • 1985 Château Lynch-Bages 94 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    Crimson core with a little bricking. Notes of charred bell pepper, graphite, blackberry and earth. Great balance and integration with flavors of leather, dark fruit, cedar and pencil lead carrying through the long finish. This had been cellared well since release and I would imagine similarly stored bottles should continue to drink very well for a few years yet. 94-95 pts.

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Flight 4 - III. Red Bordeaux & peppercorn grilled prime strip steak & merchand de vin sauce. (3 Notes)

  • 1989 Château Clerc Milon 93 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    Crimson color. Notes of black currant, dark fruit, graphite, lavender and florals. Integrated tannin; flavors of red currants, plum, leather and tobacco. 93+ pts.

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  • 1989 Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste 93 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    Decanted briefly for sediment. Crimson color with red fruit, lavender, graphite and tobacco aromas. Well-balanced, with good depth to the fruit on the palate. Finishes with a soft spice tone and nice length. 93-94 pts.

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  • 1989 Château Pape Clément 94 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

    Opened this as I wasn't sure about the Leoville Barton. Classic Graves; iodine and a hint of tar, red currants and subtle leather nuances. Perfect balance. Red fruit and iodine flavors with a long finish. Drinking so very well and will hold for quite a while at this level.

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Flight 5 - IV. Seared Maple Leaf Farms foie gras torchon w/brioche toast & port-cherry marmalade & crispy pancetta. (4 Notes)

  • 1989 Château Rieussec 93 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

    Light amber color. Lovely apricot and baked peach notes, honey and florals. Rich texture, stone fruit and honey flavors, subtle mineral quality. Nice finish. Wonderful with the seared foie.

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  • 1986 Château Sociando-Mallet 93 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc

    Notes of new leather, blackberry and cassis with subtle floral undertones. Nicely balanced, with loads of dark fruit on the palate. Tannins have begun to integrate. Plenty of fruit here, so give it a couple of more years to let the tannins integrate a bit more, unless you have it in good quantity, in which case it's worth checking in on now. 93+ pts.

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  • 1990 Château La Mission Haut-Brion 95 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

    Garnet color. Iodine, red currant, tar and tobacco aromas; I could smell this all night. Wonderful balance. Flavors of red fruit and plum, leather and more iodine. Long, long finish. Drinking so very well now but has a long life ahead. 95-96+ pts.

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  • 1990 Château Montrose 95 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

    The third or fourth time I have had this wine, and easily the best bottle. While this still displayed some brett, it wasn't as obtrusive as in previous bottles. A powerful wine. Notes of blackberry and cassis, a hint of brett, and perfumed florals. Balanced, with rich dark fruit, tobacco and spice, and leather tones. Long persistent finish. 95+ pts.

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Flight 6 - V. Cheese plate: camembert, brie & gouda with berries (2 Notes)

  • 2000 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron 94 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    Tasted blind, though we were told it was Bordeaux. Dark color. Notes of lavender, cassis and black fruit, oak, spice and dried flowers. Massive on the attack; tannins are quite evident and very firm, yet approachable. Rich, dark fruit with plenty of oak. Powerful. Hold until 2017-2020. Thanks for sharing grossie!

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  • 2007 Ostreon Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon 90 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena

    Tasted double blind. Dark color, opaque. Aromas of vanilla, cassis and licorice. Firm but sweet tannins, with loads of dark fruit. Spice and oak overtones carry the dark fruit through the finish. 90+ pts.

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Flight 7 - VI. Sauternes & cardamom poached pear, honey daquise sponge w/red peppercorn ganache & sabayon brulée. (1 Note)

  • 1988 Château Guiraud 94 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

    Deep yellow gold color. Notes of tropical fruit, mango and pineapple, with the subtle spice tones I associate with Guiraud. Rich texture without being heavy; flavors of tropical fruit and nutmeg with a long finish. 94+ pts.

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