Getting 2015 Started Right

Concord, MA
Tasted Saturday, January 3, 2015 by RockinCabs with 336 views

Introduction

Englishman's Claret and I were looking to start the new year right with some good Bordeaux, and planned a few wines for a post-new years diner. We ended up popping five bottles including three great left bankers. Also had a Napa Cab mixed in for comparison, and a starter white.

Flight 1 - Truffled Egg Custard with Duck Confit Salad (1 Note)

The Mersault was consumed over a few hours with a Comte and a Truffled Camembert.

We also had the Giscours with this course and the plumy truffle notes on the wine went real nice with the confit.

  • 2010 Domaine Francois et Antoine Jobard Meursault Les Tillets 92 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault

    Nose: Tropical pineapple, lemon curd, slight spiced pear and kettle corn notes. Palate: Gorgeous balanced wine with exquisite mouthfeel. Delivers beautiful apple, asian pear and some nice mineral inflections below the fruit. Balanced, not too fat for mersault. Finish: Long lingering meyer lemon, mouthwatering acidity and some sweet popcorn notes. Excellent!

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Flight 2 - Grilled NY Sirloins & Roasted Vegetables (3 Notes)

  • 1982 Château Giscours 89 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

    Nose: Nice perfumed nose giving blueberry, plum and sweet cherry notes, some nice violets, truffles and spring flowers. Leathery/horsey notes cloud some of the aromatics however. Palate: Fully resolved and not a tannin in sight. Great Red/Blue fruit notes with some mild leather and floral notes. Finish: Round and simple delivering more Margaux fruit.

    A nice wine, but does not have the intensity of top 82 Margaux. A satisfying starter among some great wines, and actually showed better than the last bottle. Cork in much better shape.

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  • 1990 Château Lagrange (St. Julien) 94 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

    Nose: Red Cherry, Red Vines, Berry Jam, Spice and Leather. Fantastic nose. Palate: Wow the palate feel here is so deep and polished. Red fruit leads the way with just a touch of glycerin, and is surrounded by tobacco, leather, wet rock and olive notes. So much going on here and fruit/acid are in perfect balance. Finish: Powerful with ripe tannin and a tart blackberry and spice notes.

    This wine over-delivered in most ways. Great balance and it really gave a lush twist on St. Julien.

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  • 1982 Château Lynch-Bages 91 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    Nose: Overripe blackberry and cassis notes right off the bat. As this opened, coffee, allspice, currant and clove came out. Deep and brooding nose still. Palate: Dark blackberry & cassis fruit are accented by leather and green pepper. Very sweet chewy tannins and a polished, but not over done mouthfeel. Finish: Dark fruit, leather and coffee notes.

    This eventually showed some of the complexity that is in reserve, but you couldn't help but want more Pauillac style here. Tight perhaps? Bad timing? Thanks to Englishman's Claret for sharing.

    UPDATE: This bottle may have been slightly cooked. The fruit in retrospect was a bit stewed here. A second bottle, consumed 8/21 showed better.

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Flight 3 - Extra Wine for Comparison (1 Note)

After the Lynch and Lagrange were gone I thought it would be interesting to compare a similar vintage CA Cab to these wines. This Mount Veeder cab showed really well, and served as a nice example of what the 80's CA style of wine making is still showing.

  • 1984 Mount Veeder Winery Cabernet Sauvignon 94 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    Nose: Turned earth, green pepper, bright cherry/blackberry fruit and some tobacco/spice notes. Very layered nose. Palate: Strawberry starburst, Sweet Cherry fruit (similar to the Lagrange that preceded it) and nice green pepper, mint and eucalyptus. Finish: Strong acidity in the finish that delivers tart black fruit, tobacco and some sweet mint notes.

    Surprisingly bright and fresh napa cab at 30 years old.

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