My Super Secret Surprise Birthday Celebration Extravaganza

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Tasted Friday, May 11, 2018 by MC2 Wines with 371 views

Introduction

There's a few things with wine we've always said would be fun to do in wine and a first growth taste-off has been high on that list for awhile. Bucket list checked (and for 1986 no less!).

Flight 1 - Getting started (2 Notes)

Started with a lovely cheese and charcuterie set and some nice conversation and catching up. Some folks had come in from out of town for this and was lovely to see them.

  • 1986 Pol Roger Champagne Vintage Brut

    France, Champagne

    What a pretty awesome way to start the day. Old bubbles! Who doesn't love those. This has that nice carmelization that comes with a bit of age. Hint of oxidation. Touch of toast. Really yummy!

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  • 2014 Y de Yquem

    France, Bordeaux

    What a just very fun and lovely wine. I get a lot more vanilla bean than I did when we had it almost a year ago. Also some almost tropical fruit notes. It's a complex wine. Young and pours incredibly light, but very interesting.

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Flight 2 - The main event - First Growth taste-off (5 Notes)

This was run before the dinner so that we could focus specially on the wines. A bucket list item for me. Interesting to see all of them next to each other. HB and Margaux were my favorites, but all really great wines.

  • 1986 Château Haut-Brion

    France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

    One of my favorites of the tasting (same I think with the group). This wine has something special going on. Tobacco and library and just a hint of black fruits. Much more savory in nature. But really very good.

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  • 1986 Château Margaux

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

    A favorite of mine although I think just generally well-liked by the group (to be fair, all of the wines were pretty well liked in this instance). In contrast to the HB, the fruit here was definitely more prevalent. Mostly red. An earthy flavor and also a hint of pencil dust. Maybe some dried fruit at the end. Very long finish. In a decanter prob 1.5 hours before we drank but was still opening up quite a bit through the night.

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  • 1986 Château Mouton Rothschild

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    This was a wine that was perhaps the most closed when we first poured and so didn't give the best first impression. Had been decanted for about 1.5 hours before pouring, but opened up a lot in the glass. Black fruits (cassis), hint of violet. Touch of smokiness to it. It was a very nice wine when it got going.

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  • 1986 Château Lafite Rothschild

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    This was the wine that got in the decanter first as everyone knew it needed more time. Even with that, first impression was a nice wine with a fairly quick finish (as opposed to the Margaux that just went on and on). Very dark. Some black cherry. Dusty tannin. When it opens up in the glass get some chocolate and coffee notes as well. Nice wine.

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  • 1986 Château Latour Grand Vin

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    Violets and lavender and again the very drying tannin backbone. Some potpourri, tobacco, smoke. With some time there's almost a hint of sweet fruit to the wine. Perhaps in the line-up of first growths not my favorite, but still a really excellent wine that I'd be happy to drink any time.

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Flight 3 - Show stealer - Right Bank (2 Notes)

When we first started getting into Bordeaux we were advised we might be more right bank style folks and I think that's not untrue. The Cheval was WOTN and really just singing.

  • 1986 Château Cheval Blanc

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

    Yum yum yum! This wine was in such an awesome spot. Had popped and decanted for maybe slight more than 2 hours when we were trying it. This was just in a spot and for me the WOTN in stiff competition (the first growths + top right bank + some good seconds). Flavor wise it's black fruit and tobacco and potpourri. But what is most amazing is the intensity of this wine. It's dark and brooding and yet well-structured and complete. Long finish. Really great.

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  • 1986 Château Ausone

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

    Interesting. I was not expecting this, but the Ausone was a bit lighter in style than the first growths or CB this night. It was a hint closed down when first poured (similar I think around 2 hour decant). Opened up some, but never quite got to the depth of flavor. Still really delicious though. Some nice fruits. I think might need some more time.

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Flight 4 - Some super seconds (3 Notes)

The dinner begins! And what a dinner it was. Homemade pasta with truffle. And then this tenderloin that was just to die for. It literally melted in mouth. Potatos au gratin (or mac n'cheese for adults as it was described). Lots of great food and interesting to see how the wines changed.

  • 1986 Château L'Eglise-Clinet

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

    I really liked this wine which is saying something since we had a pretty intense line-up of first growths and top right bank. It's tea leaves and red fruits and a bit pretty in nature. Herbal and tobacco. There's this super interesting finish that is all spice cabinet. Some found mostly green pepper, but that didn't stick out to me as much (then again, I do not mind some green in my wines).

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  • 1986 Château Gruaud Larose

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

    Tastes like you are sitting in an old library. That touch of mustiness. A bit of dust. The crackling pages. It's a nice wine, but I think a touch overshadowed in this line-up which was pretty spectacular.

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  • 1986 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    Some thought this might have been corked and certainly it started off less expressive than one would have thought, but it just kept coming together throughout the night. Not as many detailed notes as by the time this was really opening up the notebook was not as readily available. Still, an interesting wine.

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Flight 5 - Dessert (2 Notes)

These were paired with not one, not two, but three of my favorite desserts. Homemade cannoli! And creme brulee that is maybe one of the best creme brulee's I've ever had. One person noted she doesn't even like the dish and she finished it all. And then some pretty awesome poached pears in Sauternes no less.

  • 1986 Château d'Yquem

    France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

    Really just lovely. There's a smokiness here which surprised me. Extracted fruits. Caramel. It is a wine with a finish that goes for forever and still can haunt the next day. A bit deeper and darker in nature than some years, but I find that compelling. It feels almost a touch heavier although still lovely acidity.

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  • 1989 Château Coutet Barsac

    France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac

    Very nice and sweet and a hint of lightness and just tasting in general. It's lovely with again more of a caramel flavor.

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Flight 6 - Bonus bottles! (2 Notes)

Closing

WOTN was the '86 Cheval, but I think the Haut Brion and Margaux were up there as well. Really it was one of those embarrassment of riches where every wine on the table was spectacular.

There are moments in one's life where you just feel so overwhelmed by how lucky you are and this was one of those. The wines were obviously great and special, but more special I think was the company. My spouse managed to run a five month surprise mission to get this together and some of our most favorite people were there. The personal touches were really special. Feeling very blessed.

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