"Off" Vintages from Elite Producers: (Petrus, Lafite, Margaux, etc)
Charlotte, NC
Tasted Thursday, November 2, 2023 by kevinpatrick with 119 views
Introduction
The idea behind tonight's lineup was to drink "lesser" vintages of the truly great producers testing how well these winemakers perform when Mother Nature does not do all the heavy lifting. We wanted to even avoid "good" vintages although we were not trying to pour only the worst vintages. The unanimous conclusion is these truly great winemakers, vineyards, and wineries delivered at an elite level commensurate with their reputations even in lesser vintages.
Flight 1 - Bordeaux at its Best (3 Notes)
It's hard to describe how good this first flight performed. We enjoy ranking flights and wines yet no wine deserved a 3rd place in this flight.
Flight 2 - Northern Rhone Leaves No Doubt (2 Notes)
This was originally supposed to be '97 and '04 Chave but a last minute switch left us with this delightful pairing. To quote another attendee: "It was both synergistic and enlightening (of Hermitage and JL Chave) to taste the 1992 and 1997 together. In retrospect, something would have been lost to have had one without the other."
Flight 3 - Old World/New World (3 Notes)
This was our most diverse flight yet fantastically complimentary. The Lafite next to the Dominus provided a wonderful juxtaposition while the Scarecrow M Etain provided a perfect buttoning-up of the night with its modern Cabernet take following so many Old World stylings.
Closing
Every tasting note should include the comment: “provenance is everything.” Our decanting of aged wines is greatly influenced by CellarTracker notes yet with properly stored bottles the error has always been under-aerating the wines. This, despite the fact that our group nearly always gives far more air to our wines than other tasting notes when decanting treatment is provided.
1981 Pétrus
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol
Opened at 5:30pm, into a decanter for 30-40 min, then back into bottle; Served at ~7:30pm.
Richly aromatic dark fruits on the nose with an intensity that belies its age. Confirmed on the palate blackberry and dark cherries held sway against a gently smokey, though almost burnt, backdrop. Those who had elk chop were richly rewarded with the pairing whereas I opted for fish to have less intrusive flavors with these wines. That was a mistake. Lengthy finish of rich merlot complexity (this was the era where Cab Franc was still blended) made this a stellar wine that upon re-tasting 2 hours later became an absolutely sublime wine. Five votes for Wine of the Night and overall winner.
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1981 Château Margaux
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
Decanted at 5:30pm and back in the bottle/corked at 6:00pm. Cork pulled upon arrival for dinner at 6:30pm and served at ~7:30pm. Complex aromatic nose – dark raspberries and dried brown leaves – a Bordeaux’s Bordeaux. Smooth on the palette. Elegant mouthfeel with a deftness that glides over your palate. More lightweight than expected but lacking nowhere in depth of flavor – dark fruits, forest floor, and bramble; with a mature secondary and tertiary balance. Lengthy finish rounding out this first-rate wine. Six 2nd place votes for WOTN and clear 2nd place overall.
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1988 Château Haut-Brion
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Opened at 5pm and decanted for one hour. Back in the bottle until dinner at 6:30pm when cork was removed and slo-ox until serving at ~7:30pm.
Beautifully expressive nose – red and black fruits with a hint of rusticity. Confirmed on the palate with a great balance between structure and complexity – dark fruits, truffle, and soft leather. For this flight it had a more youthful intensity that was only surprising because of how youthful the 1981s drank. Excellent length finish, an A+ wine that was my WOTN until retasting hours later when both the Petrus and Margaux reached absolutely sublime levels.
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