Latour, Cos, Gracia, Pape Clement +++

Tasted Sunday, March 30, 2014 by Loren Sonkin with 686 views

Introduction

Last night my wife and I joined Tom and Kathy for a dinner at our favorite restaurant in town. After braving yet another "last blizzard of the season" to get there, it was nice to settle into a warm and friendly environment. We let the Chef just start bringing out food and 3 hours later, left there stuffed but with a smile on our face. Our theme for the wines was Bordeaux, and for a change we pretty much stuck with it.

Flight 1 - A Champagne Starter (1 Note)

NV Jacques Picard Champagne Brut Sélection 90 Points

France, Champagne

This bottle had been purchased about 10 years ago. It was probably past prime but still a very nice bottle. The cork popped with barely a whimper. They wine still was frothy on being poured and has a good amount of small bubble. A nose of ginger, some mushrooms and a bit of butterscotch notes. Just some slight "sherry" notes. On the palate, this is a big, rich wine. There is enough acidity to work with the food. Very pleasant mouth feel. Nice starter.

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Flight 2 - 2004 White Bordeaux (2 Notes)

2004 Château Pape Clément Blanc 96 Points

France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

Loved the showing for this bottle. Bought on release. Medium to light golden in color. Pop and pour. The nose has lemon chiffon, a bit of orange creamsicle, some vanilla and also a fig newton note. Wonderful creamy texture. On the palate, this is complex, layered and deep. It got better all night long. We drank this with appetizers and a bit more with dessert. Lemon cream, some orange and layered complexity. Long finish. Beautiful right now, probably at peak, but no hurry.

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2004 Château Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc 92 Points

France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

Drinking quite well right now. It was pop and pour and better at the end of the night. While not ethereal, it is quite good. Light gold in color. The nose has citrus, seltzer and slight vanilla notes. On the palate, this is crisp with a nice backbone of juicy acidity. Complex and layered, this seems to be at peak. Grapefruit notes with a slight earthy layer. Great balance, still some fruit left. Long finish.

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Flight 3 - Cos Flight (3 Notes)

1981 Château Cos d'Estournel Flawed

France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Estèphe

Corked. not badly, but corked. Still, this seemed like a solid wine underneath and certainly drinking nicely for the first ten minutes. Probably an 88 point wine for sure.

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1999 Château Cos d'Estournel 91 Points

France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Estèphe

This was allowed to breather for a few hours prior to opening. Ruby/purple in color. The nose is very nice with cassis, soy sauce, and spice. Complex and layered on the palate. Plenty of fruit left. Probably at peak. Very nice wine.

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2000 Château Cos d'Estournel 93 Points

France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Estèphe

Allowed to breathe for about 6 hour before serving. Purple in color, ruby at the rim. The nose is very nice with dark cherries, 5 spice powder, vanilla and some licorice. Still very youthful although showing some layering. Not yet at peak (at least this bottle). Lots of cassis and dark cherries with some underlying earthiness. Long finish.

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Flight 4 - B2k St. Emillion (2 Notes)

2000 Château Rol Valentin 92 Points

France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

This is still tight. On opening the wine was dumb, so I decanted and swirled for an hour before taking putting it back in the bottle to breath for a couple more hours. It was starting to open, but this is one that really needs more time. After some additional time in the glass, this was drinking well. Purple/ruby in color. The nose has cherries, dark cherries, black raspberries, and some coffee notes. Juicy and fruity on the palate. Shows some complexity as it unwinds in the glass. Needs a few more years though. Even so, quite enjoyable.

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2000 Gracia 96 Points

France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

Wow. On popping the cork, this was singing. Still, I put it in a decanter for an hour and then back to the bottle to breathe for a few more. It opened beautifully. This is drinking quite well right now. This is not as big as I might have thought (in a good way). Purple/ruby in color. The nose is dark cherries, cherries, spice, tobacco, and a bit of red licorice. On the palate, it is more deep than the nose with dark cherries, spice, and black raspberries, layered with earth and some charred qualities. Great balance. Light on its feet for all of its size. Long finish. Outstanding wine.

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Flight 5 - A First Growth (1 Note)

1995 Château Latour Grand Vin 97 Points

France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

This was allowed to breather for about 6 hours. It still needed more time but opened up in the glass for another 45 minutes as we poured this ahead. Beautiful wine. Purple in color. The nose has cassis, blueberries, dark chocolate and spice. Full bodied with a wonderful, opulent texture. Lots of cassis, blueberries, and chocolate on the palate. Still youthful but showing nice development. Food friendly as well. There is some room for improvement but at almost 20 years since vintage, it was gorgeous.

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