Right bank Bordeaux

Right bank Bordeaux with a ringer thrown in. Not the best at guessing Bordeaux save for Magdelaine clearly.

• 1982 Château Smith Haut Lafitte 90 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  Haven’t had many 1982s so this was a treat. Still surprisingly youthful (relatively) with plenty of stuffing left, actually guessed 1995 for this. The tertiary nature of the wine lent it an elegance but still had some tannins that probably will always remain, giving the wine an angular feel. Some pyrazines emerged with air.

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• 1990 Château Magdelaine 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  My third and last bottle of this that showed the best. Brought this for a friend, correctly identified in blind. Had a poise and serenity that previous bottles lacked, didn’t have the unpleasant plummy note as well. Probably on its plateau now. Think this was almost unanimously in everyone’s top 3, second on the night for me.

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• 1998 Château Magdelaine 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  My contribution, correctly identified in blind. Very opulent, fruit-forward nose but not jammy in a caricature sort of way. Muted palate at first but after a couple of hours this was textbook Magdelaine. Understated and restrained dark red fruit, seamless and elegant palate. Nobody else liked this I think, but by far my favourite of the night.

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• 1975 Château Pavie 90 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  This was the most overtly left-bank out of all the wines tonight, in fact I was certain that this was a ringer. Quite green on both the nose and the palate, but plenty of life despite its age. Quality of fruit wasn’t as vibrant as in top vintages so guessed this to be from a weaker year like 94.

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• 1998 Château Pavie Decesse 87 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Big and bold, modern and plummy. Some possibility of heat damage according to the person who brought it but even a pristine bottle wouldn’t have been in my wheelhouse.

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• 2001 Château Péby Faugères 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Was quite tough to tell this and the L'Evangile apart which made sense on reveal given that they were from the same vintage. I guessed this as the L’Evangile which was a testament to this hitherto unknown estate to me. Dark-fruited but without being excessively modern, this showed better at the start in a pleasurable fruit-forward way, but the L'Evangile eventually surpassed this by some margin.

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• 2001 Château L'Evangile 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

  Brought this for a friend. Was quite tough to tell this and the Péby Faugères apart which made sense on reveal given that they were from the same vintage. When this got going this was superb, restrained blackcurrant and cassis fruit, forest floor that screamed traditional Bordeaux. With time in the glass this developed definition with layered dark fruit. Third favourite on the night.

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• 2019 Domaine Henri Naudin-Ferrand Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Beaune Orchis Mascula 88 Points

  France, Burgundy, Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Beaune

  Brought as an extra for a test drive. Candied, jammy fruit on the nose and palate in the new-school vein. Liked the elegant and saline nature but otherwise not my cup of tea.

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