George's 60th Birthday
Tasted Saturday, September 9, 2017 by Francophile1 with 594 views
Introduction
This tasting event was single blinded, meaning that we knew which wines were being poured, but we didn't know in which order because the group was blinded to what was in each decanter. I nailed 6 of the 8 wines, but got the '03 Cos and '00 Las Cases flip flopped. After going back to these wines after the order was revealed, I should have known better and should have nailed all 8 wines. Nevertheless, George was very generous to pour such great wines for his birthday. It was a great night.
1986 Château Margaux 95 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
Fully mature and delicious. Incredible nose of flowers, tobacco, and all things I love about a mature first growth. What made it reveal itself to me as the '86 vintage was the maturity of the wine and the rustic structure of the wine which is indicative of the '86 vintage. A classic wine in every respect.
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2003 Château Cos d'Estournel 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe
93 points for where it is today, but 96 points for where it will be in about 3 - 5 more years. This is a big wine and it is just now entering its maturity window. Deep, rich, and powerful with a tannic backbone structure. The tannins are not offensive, but suggest more aging would be rewarded. Blinded, I thought this was the '00 LLC.
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1989 Château Lynch-Bages 95 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Having had this wine many times before, this wine has only recently come into its drinking window. My first three tasting experiences it was a youthful beast and tough as nails. However, my last few tasting experiences it is opening up beautifully. If you love great Pauillac wines from a great producer in a great vintage, this is worth every penny. Delicious! This had been decanted for 2 hours prior to consumption.
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1990 Château Montrose 97 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe
Hands down, this was WOTN. I nailed it blind the minute I put my nose in the glass. Every bit as good as prior tastings. This is a show stopper. You just cannot get enough of the sheer power in the glass, wild game funk, and length of finish. In my opinion, this wine defines the 1990 Bordeaux vintage and continues to be listed on my top 10 list of favorite wines of all time. While it is not the most noble of wines, when you have this in your glass, who cares about nobility.
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2000 Château Léoville Las Cases 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
93 points for where it is today, 96 points for where it will be in 3 - 5 more years in the bottle. I got this confused with the 2003 Cos, but after revisiting the wine once it was revealed, this was really showing its terroir from St. Julien. This was not as fat as the other wines and had the tell tale signature of St. Julien leanness. I don't mean leanness in a bad way, what I mean is that this wine was the most feminine of the wines we tasted in the line-up. With more time in the bottle, I expect it will put on more weight. Give it time!
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2008 Dalla Valle Maya 94 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
Not hard to pick out this wine when it is blinded up against powerhouse Bordeaux. However, you have to respect this wine for what it is and enjoy every sip. If I were opening this bottle, I would wait for another 3-5 years as it is still very youthful. Don't get me wrong, it is drinking great now, but I prefer a bit more secondary complexity on my wines. If opening now, decant for 2 hours.
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1998 Château Lafite Rothschild 94 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
After 2-3 hours in the decanter, this really started to open up nicely. It is a very elegant, refined, noble, and feminine exampled of a first growth. Wonderful nose, but youthful finish. I would give it more time in the bottle to put on some weight. It might be just now coming out of its dumb phase.
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2007 Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon Estate 96 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena
Very similar to my tasting note earlier this summer. I love this wine and while it is still just a pup, the sheer power of the 2007 fruit combined with the great wine making skills of the people at Spottswoode has put together one of their best vintages ever. It is always a treat to get to drink this wine.
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