Holiday Bordeaux Dinner with Eric - 82, 89 & 90 FGs among others

The Grill Room at Capella Hotel Georgetown
Tasted Thursday, December 18, 2014 by dcwino with 863 views

Introduction

RJ and JC planned a holiday dinner. Eric was in town and he was able to join us. Everyone generously contributed great wines.

Flight 1 - Krug (1 Note)

  • 1996 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut 97 Points

    France, Champagne

    This seems a bit more youthful than the last bottle drunk a couple weeks ago which came from my cellar. As usual Tarte tatin, a hint of delicate red fruits, yeast, honey, caramel, anise and mineral. Good concentration, fine medium mousse, clearly rounder than a few years ago, bright acidity and lovely long finish. Knowing the aging curve of the vintage Krug, this will last but it is ready to go. Pretty consistent and ready at the moment.

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Flight 2 - Whites (3 Notes)

  • 2009 Y de Yquem 93 Points

    France, Bordeaux

    Great mineral expression, a hint of sugar and high alcohol make this very unique. Extremely fresh nose displaying citrus, pineapple, crème brulee, lanoline, white flowers, saline and mineral. The high alcohol gives a bit of sweet note at the end. Excellent concentration, sweet ripe citrus driven palate impression, mineral, good acidity and noticeable heat at the end. This is a very primary, big scale wine. Interesting and enjoyable. I believe others liked it even more.

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  • 1995 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles 92 Points

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

    Fully mature, smoke, butter scotch, ripe yellow pit fruits, sesame and oyster shell. Good concentration, ripe smoky yellow fruit driven palate impression, good acidity and medium finish. The middle palate is hollow. This is starting to fade a bit. Drink up based on this example. 94 point nose and 90 point palate.

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  • 2005 Etienne Sauzet Chevalier-Montrachet 96 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru

    The best example of this wine. Initially tight nose, some citrus fruit, honey and mineral. With air, it opens up beautifully, ripe yet precise nose displaying citrus fruits, pear, flint, limestone, mineral and honey. Excellent concentration, strong presence of mineral, good acidity and lovely long clean finish. This showed much better than the last bottle. Quite dense and ripe without losing the precision and tension. Exceptional showing. I recommend a couple hours of decanting. I agree wholeheartedly with Eric that this was really creamy.

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Flight 3 - 1990 Margaux and 1937 CB (2 Notes)

  • 1990 Château Margaux 100 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

    Can any wine be so perfect as the 90 Margaux! The first nose, no doubt this will be a 100 point experience. Perfectly ripe, intensely sweet red fruits, plum, a hint of cassis, caramel, lead pencil, cedar, flowers and strong presence of mineral. Eric commented how mineral the nose was and I completely agree. Exceptional concentration, decadent sweet red fruit driven palate impression, good acidity, nicely integrated tannins and seamless long finish. Perfect balance and harmony, perfect in every way. The perfect representation of the 90 vintage and Chateau Margaux!

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  • 1937 Château Cheval Blanc Flawed

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

    Unfortunately noticeable oxidative note, dry black fruits, fig, chestnut, soy and earth. Excellent concentration, substantial fruit, rust and still showing a bit of tannins as the end note. Love to taste a correct bottle as it showed substantial fruit concentration. I would have rate this 91 despite the oxidative note.

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Flight 4 - Mouton (2 Notes)

  • 1982 Château Mouton Rothschild Flawed

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    tense ripe black fruits, cassis, lead pencil, cedar, caramel and a hint of tobacco. Unfortunately there is a hint of dirty cellar note. Excellent concentration, the fruit expression is a bit more mature than usual, dirty cellar, silky and nicely integrated tannins. The dirty note ringers unfortunately. I suspect that this was not ideally cellared. Consistently a great wine but not tonight. Some thought corked, I thought just a bit off. Some actually loved the wine and preferred this to the 86.

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  • 1986 Château Mouton Rothschild 99 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    Initially cassis dominates, plum, ink, cedar, mineral and lead pencil. Exceptional concentration, cassis driven palate impression, polished and silky palate and nice integrated tannins. Some found this to be still shutdown. I thought the wine was open with very youthful fruits. It is quite precise and linear. A long life ahead. I believe only a couple of us went crazy over this. YMMV.

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Flight 5 - Haut Brion (2 Notes)

  • 1990 Château Haut-Brion 95 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

    Ripe black fruits, lead pencil, cedar, tobacco, licorice and mocha. Warm and round, ripe black fruit driven palate impression and nicely integrated tannins. Very tasty but not as sophisticated as the 89.

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  • 1989 Château Haut-Brion 99 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

    I am always amazed by the balance and harmony of the 89 HB. Very precise and polish nose displaying cassis, lead pencil, black cherries, tobacco and mineral. Polished silky palate, perfectly ripe black fruit driven palate impression, nicely integrated tannins and lovely seamless finish. Epitome of sophistication.

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Flight 6 - St Emilion (2 Notes)

  • 2000 Château Cheval Blanc 98 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

    Incredibly intense nose displaying cassis, roasted black fruits, ink, coffee, strong note of lead pencil, dark chocolate, flowers and dark sweet spices. Unbeliever able concentration, dense and chewy, intense black fruit and exotic incense driven palate impression, very well integrated tannins and love long finish. An extremely youthful example. Exotic and kinky but wonderfully balanced. Will improve for another two decades.

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  • 2000 Château La Clusière 95 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

    Jammy black fruit, licorice, blackberry liqueur, lavender and chocolate dipped cherry. Dense and chewy palate, blackberry liqueur driven palate impression, good acidity and long finish. Seems bigger and riper than the 00 Pavie. I liked it more than others. A bit like the 00 Cheval but clumsy. Need time. YMMV

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Flight 7 - D'Yquem (2 Notes)

  • 1986 Château d'Yquem 98 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

    This particular bottle is incredibly fresh. Perfectly ripe yellow fruits, peach, apricot, spicy spices, botrytis, coconut and honey. Fresh palate, exceptional precision, intense yet airy palate that I only get from D’Yquem and some Climens, bright acidity and incredibly long seamless finish. Great showing.

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  • 1997 Château d'Yquem 94 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

    From a half bottle. Seems more mature and heavier than the 86, ripe yellow fruits, a hint of red fruit, apricot jam, crème brulee, ginger and candied orange peel. Excellent concentration, oily palate, dry apricot and ginger driven palate impression and lovely long finish. It doesn’t have the precision of the 86 but still really hedonistic.

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Flight 8 - Gilette (1 Note)

Closing

The dinner started at 6:30 and lasted well past midnight. A great time was had by all! Safe trip back Eric!

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