A Margaux & Pauillac tasting
Wine Watch, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Tasted Wednesday, November 4, 2015 by DrinkBordeaux with 465 views
Introduction
A wonderful tasting of wines from 1959 to 2000. The 1959 Palmer was the consensus WOTN, but there were a number of winners here.
1959 Château Palmer 97 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
The WOTN. A dark garnet hue with brown edges; the color was the oldest aspect of the wine. Nose was still very much alive. Cherry liqueur, raisin, tobacco, and a hint of barnyard. Complex and layered, this was one wine that seemed to gain momentum throughout the evening. While more concentrated than the '59 Grand-Puy-Lacoste, it was still on the lighter side. Structure hanging on. A special wine.
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1959 Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste 91 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Improved throughout the night, but more of an average aged Bordeaux. Similar aromatics, with cherry, fig, raisin, and tobacco. Lacked some weight on the mid-palate and fell a bit flat on the finish. Still an enjoyable wine if you find it.
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1961 Château Lynch-Bages 94 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Drinking extremely well for a ’61. Still with excellent concentration and deep color. Cassis, black cherry, leather, Asian spices, and cedar. Opened up over two hours and improved significantly in the glass. Still has a solid tannic structure. Only knock would be a bit high acid on the (lengthy) finish.
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1966 Château Palmer 95 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
Not a favorite in the room, but I personally considered this the #2 of the night. Dark fruit, smoke, earth, and some beautiful barnyard scent. Exceptional balance. Everything seems in its right place. Extremely smooth on the palate. Long finish.
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1983 Château Margaux 95 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
Has that perfume one would expect. Dark and red fruits, spice, and floral notes. Solid mid-palate. Still with prominent tannins. Long finish. Again, a wine with exceptional balance. Its strengths are its complexity and concentration, but not really a stunner.
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1983 Château Lynch-Bages 91 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
The most unique wine of the night. Cassis, licorice, old dusty library book, and urban funk (distinct from a barnyard funk). This strange nose was initially off-putting, but became quite charming. More elegance than power. Still has a bit of grip. No detectable heat on the medium length finish. Acidity a bit out of balance. Definitely better than what some critics may suggest.
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1995 Château Margaux 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
Perhaps the disappointment of the night, considering its pedigree. Shy on the nose, but had a nice mix of dark fruits, spice, and floral. Full-bodied and mouth-filling on the palate. Structured as can be. Very long finish. So why a disappointment? It’s very far from showing its true colors, so it was hard to be too excited about it tonight.
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1995 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 94 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
More powerful than the '95 Margaux, with a more open nose. Black currant, cedar, and mint. Lacks the earthiness of typical Pichon Lalandes. Sampled the ’96 Pichon Lalande last night, and I prefer the more complex ’96 (which is more praise for the '96 than a knock on the '95). Better on the nose than palate right now. A little tart on the finish. Tonight, this wine outpaced the '95 Margaux served next to it.
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2000 Château Palmer 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
Similar to last bottle enjoyed a few months ago. This is a great Palmer, but like the ’95 Margaux, so far from its potential. Blackberry, raspberry, lots of violets, and mocha. Concentrated and tannic. My first note I wrote tonight was, ‘tons of potential.’ Cellar this baby for at least 5 more years.
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2000 Château Lynch-Bages 95 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Simply a great wine. Lots of layers, with cherry, tobacco, pencil shavings, and cigar box. Nice balance of power and elegance. Has serious grip. A fantastic finish. No bitterness and acidity is where it should be.
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