Chicago Wine Flock..."Wines that Jim Wanted to Compare"

"Chateau La Grange" - La Grange IL
Tasted Monday, December 16, 2013 by Burgundy Al with 569 views

Introduction

Chicago's Wine Flock persevered through Chicago's snow to go to LaGrange for dinner and a blind tasting of wines that Jim wanted to share. The theme turned out to be 4 pairs of wine (one Bordeaux, one California Cabernet) from 4 vintages at a good place to drink - 1978, 1982, 1986 and 1990. Great tasting.

Flight 1 - Blind Whites to Start (2 Notes)

  • 2006 Domaine Jacques Prieur Meursault Clos de Mazeray 86 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault

    Served double blind. I thought this Chardonnay, but from California. I think this really showed the 2006 vintage character. Ripe and forward apple and peach on both nose and palate, while also slightly tropical. Bit of new oak seems still pronounced. Good overall but not quite harmonious for me.

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  • 1992 Stony Hill Chardonnay

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    Tasted double blind. I thought this Chardonnay but most likely Burgundy from the early 80s. Lean and elegant with good energy, but with little freshness and probably far less interesting than it would have been a decade ago.

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Flight 2 - Blind Reds for a Few Hours (8 Notes)

  • 1982 Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 93 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    Served double blind. Open 3 hours before serving, then tasted over 2 1/2 hours. Eucalyptus and black fruit to start with some forest floor hints. Plum and mushroom hints on palate. Very classically good California Cabernet. Over time the forest floor aspects became more pronounced and this became slightly less exciting.

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  • 1986 Charles Krug Winery (Peter Mondavi Family) Cabernet Sauvignon Vintage Selection 92 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    Tasted double blind. Open approx 3 hours before serving, then tasted multiple times over 2 1/2 hours. Musty to start, then rich and intense black fruit aromas emerge with lots of spice. Big and dense, very good concentration on lengthy, balanced finish.

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  • 1990 Château Lynch-Bages 91 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    Tasted double blind. Open 3 hours before serving, then tasted multiple times over approx 2 1/2 hours. Very black fruit with some cigar box notes. Meaty spice on nose and palate. Tannins forward ahead of fruit, this is a powerful wine that needs more time to show its charm and potential. I still felt that way at the end of the tasting, after this wine had been open 6 hours, in glass almost 3 hours.

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  • 1982 Château Cos d'Estournel 91 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

    Tasted double blind. Open 3 hours before serving, then tasted multiple times over the 2 1/2 tasting/dinner. Meaty and dense black fruit with lots of charm and balance. Easily identified as Bordeaux in the evening's theme. Moderate intensity.

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  • 1978 Château Mouton Rothschild Flawed

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    Slightly corked. Served double blind, this clearly had good underlying fruit.

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  • 1986 Château Talbot 88 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

    Tasted double blind. Open 3 hours before serving, then tasted multiple times over the 2 1/2 tasting/dinner. Black fruit with modest spice. At a good place between fruit and earthy evolution, but a little thinner and leaner than I would have expected.

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  • 1990 Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 93 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    Tasted double blind. Open 3 hours before serving. Tasted multiple times over the 2 1/2 hour tasting/dinner. Black plum and blackberry aromas and flavors, very fresh and concentrated with good tobacco and spice support. Hints of bell pepper added some charming intrigue. Stayed very consistent through the evening.

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  • 1978 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County Flawed

    USA, California, Sonoma County

    Served double blind. Mature, slightly stewed black fruit aromas with a hint of fresh asphalt. Similar on palate. Might be well past it peak, might be heat damaged or otherwise flawed.

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Flight 3 - Bonus Bottle (1 Note)

Flight 4 - With Dessert (2 Notes)

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