Mature Classified Growth Bordeaux gathering at Lavandou

Washington DC
Tasted Tuesday, September 27, 2011 by dcwino with 1,056 views

Introduction

Twelve DCWINOS got together at Lavandou and drank some excellent Bordeauxs. It was very educational in that the wines clearly demonstrated the vintage characters.

Flight 1 - Champagnes (2 Notes)

Flight 2 - Whites (2 Notes)

  • 2002 Louis Carillon Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Combettes 95 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru

    Sweet yellow fruits, seasalt, lemon oil, anise, a slight hint of flint. The wine displays excellent concentration, steely, very creamy, oily and unctuous without loosing freshness. It seems to lack birght acidity but still has excellent balance. It is drinking beautifully right now and remains very fresh. Impressive showing.

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  • 1996 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese 93 Points

    Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

    Petrol, honey, mango and yellow peach. Bright acidity, nice definition and incredibly light yet intense palate. Just simply delicious.

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Flight 3 - Reds (13 Notes)

  • 1982 Château Le Bon Pasteur 95 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

    This was the most matured out of all the reds tasted except the 70 oakville cab and the 70 Montrose which was madeiraized. The fruit expression is mostly sweet, dark and dry also cocoa, dark caramel, truffle and sweet leafy smell of pipe tobacco. The nose is very expressive and compelling. The palate shows medium body wine with cafe latte like roasted sweetness. The tannin is still noticeable. The only draw back is that the finish is not too long and clips at the end. I had a bottle of this wine a few years back that was more youthful. This particular bottle although more matured was very impressive.

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  • 1982 Château La Lagune 92 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc

    Ripe red fruits, earth, mushroom, leather, iron and sap. It is very youthful but the fruit expression is not terribly complex. Good but not great.

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  • 1982 Château Sociando-Mallet 93 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc

    This is the darkest, youngest and most concentrated of the flight. Cassis, fruit cake, cedar roasted fruit and green pepper. Chewy wine with excellent concentration, sweet fruit and quite noticeable tannins. Very cabernet dominant flavor profile, seems harsh but in a good way. This wine reminds me the 84 Grace family in that the wine has excellent concentration and sweet, expressive but not too complex fruits. This is rare for me as I usually don’t find similarity between a Bordeaux and a Napa vice versa.

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  • 1970 Oakville Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Unfiltered 75 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    Sweet porty fruit, disjointed acidity, unpleasant.

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  • 1975 Château Léoville Las Cases 92 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien

    Fully matured showing mostly tertiary notes with shy expression of sweet red fruits, cedar, lead pencil, mushroom and wet autumn leaves. The palate displays sweet silky fruit and integrated tannins which is a good thing. As Chris B said, the 75s seems finally coming around, ie tannins are not too bothersome. A classic claret that is drinking well.

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  • 1970 Château Haut-Brion 95 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

    Bought at Christies, the first bottle which was drunk by my fellow GJE members had very positive feedback and I can see why. This must came from a great cellar as the wine is very fresh.

    The nose still shows a good amount of red fruits, cherry perhaps as well as tertiary notes, tobacco, leather, earth, perfume, sap and iron. It is fully matured with excellent concentration and bright acidity. With air, the nose got more complex and more expressive. If you are a Haut Brion lover, I would highly recommend the 70. It wont break the bank.

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  • 1970 Château Montrose

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Estèphe

    The failure rate in this wine is astounding, perhaps along with the 70 Latour. Another terribly madeiraized bottle. N/R

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  • 1986 Château Cos d'Estournel 94 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Estèphe

    This is a quintessential 1986. Still primary and fresh, it reminds me of a very tight bottle of the 86 Mouton. Lead pencil, sweet blue fruit and cassis. I bet this is a 100 year wine as it not only displays noticeable tannins but also bright acidity. Although drinking well now, this will require another ten to fifteen years to integrate tannins and gain more tertiary flavor profile.

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  • 1978 Château Cos d'Estournel 87 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Estèphe

    I get the impression that some enjoyed this a lot more than I. It has a muted nose, some cherry fruit and lead pencil, also showing some VA.

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  • 1990 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron 97 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    I love the 90 PB and it has been extremely consistent without much bottle variation. This is a big scale very ripe wine. A classic Pauillac nose of cassis, ink, perfume and lead pencil. The palate displays ripe dark fruit, impressive concentration and long finish. Having very ripe hedonistic fruits, some may say this is Californian but I would say a typical 90 left bank Bordeaux. Although incredible, perhaps I prefer the 90 Leoville Poyferre that I had recently which I found more hedonistic.

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  • 1990 Château Cos d'Estournel 91 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Estèphe

    Not a good day for Cos as this was also not too expressive. Seems to advanced, lead pencil and dark fruits.

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  • 1982 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 96 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien

    Perhaps the best showing of the 82 Ducru for me. It is a bit more mature version of the 90 Pichon Baron. Very fresh, sweet red and blue fruit, lead pencil, a hint of cedar, classic Pauillac nose. Beautiful silky palate expression, sweet fruit and long finish.

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  • 1982 Château Cos d'Estournel 93 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Estèphe

    As I said earlier, not a good day for Cos, riper than Ducru perhaps become it seems a bit more mature, tobacco, licorice and strong lead pencil presence. Perhaps not the best provenance as I had better examples.

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Flight 4 - Stickies (3 Notes)

Closing

It was a great evening!

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