Big Bordeaux XV: Featuring '86 Mouton and Margaux

Rocknroller's (Kevin & Vicki's Place)
Tasted Saturday, December 15, 2018 by rocknroller with 374 views

Introduction

This was the latest of my semi-annual Bordeaux/Burgundy events. The featured wines were the highly regarded 1986 Chateau Mouton Rothschild and Chateau Margaux. Nine of us were in attendance. We really had an excellent spread that paired so nicely with the wines. Thank to everyone for sharing their talents to make this a special evening. And, a huge thank you to Robert for generosity in bringing a bevy a bonus bottles, that while some didn't turn out to be in good shape, they were very much appreciated.

Flight 1 - Starter Wine -Robert (1 Note)

  • 2005 Château Carbonnieux Blanc 91 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

    Medium dark gold. PNP, drank a glass over 30 minutes. Lemon, beeswax, honey and lacquer on the nose is followed by similar notes on the palate, medium plus bodied, adding lemon peel, a somewhat oxidative Lopez-like character, and getting better over the half hour too. Despite this getting better, I think the smart play is to drink these over the next few years and not push it too far. A fun bonus starter from Robert that we rarely seem to drink.

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Flight 2 - Champagne Flight (1 Note)

  • 2006 Louis Roederer Champagne Blanc de Blancs 93 Points

    France, Champagne

    Light gold color. Drank a glass over 30 minutes. Boy this is alive, bright with wonderful green orchard fruits, yeast with a light toast, very well balanced with an airy patisserie cream palate and fine minerality. A wine of finesse. 93+pts.

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Flight 3 - Chablis Flight (1 Note)

  • 2010 Jean-Paul & Benoit Droin Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos 95 Points

    France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru

    Pale gold color. Drank a glass over 30 minutes plus. Wow, this was a head turner; so fresh and aromatic, filled with shells, high pitched lemon, lemon zest, lime zest, saline and amazing lift, with a powdery tart citrus finish. The palate delivers all that with the purity and finesse of a ballerina dancing across your tongue. Loved it. 95+ to 96pts.

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Flight 4 - White Burgundy Flight (1 Note)

  • 2007 Louis Latour Corton-Charlemagne 92 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru

    Medium gold color. Drank a glass over 30 minutes. Lots of sea air, mineral driven nose and palate, a subtle butterscotch note, lemon on the nose. The palate has a medium body, slate minerality, lemon, wood toast, apple confit, lemon confit, and later pear notes. Very good. Drink now.

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Flight 5 - 1994 First Growth Flight (2 Notes)

  • 1994 Château Mouton Rothschild 91 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    Very dark red color. Decanted for just under two hours. Drank a glass over an hour. The nose is bold and invigorating, strong notes of pencil followed by a lot of smoke, subtle eucalyptus, dark brooding black fruit. The palate is medium bodied, austere and a bit thin mid palate, decomposing wood, pencil, dried earth. This is a more subtle wine that rewards on the nose, though a bit less complex, but still quite satisfying. The palate is pretty much ready, but it will hold on for another 10 years. I don't see this improving much.

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  • 1994 Château Haut-Brion 94 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

    Dark red lightly bricked color. Decanted for 20 minutes. Drank a glass over an hour. I have always loved the '94 Haut Brion, a true over-achiever in the vintage. Just a wonderful nose, perfumed with dried flfowers, forest floor, funk and a pretty mix of deep red berry and cassis with a hint of dired dill. The palate delivers a satiny textured medium bodied beauty, gravelly, tar and earthy, cassis, tart blackcherry, nice tannins and a spiced wood long finish. This wine is in the sweet spot and should continue for another 10 years, maybe even improving a tad.

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Flight 6 - !986 First Growth Flight (2 Notes)

  • 1986 Château Mouton Rothschild 93 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    Very dark red/purple color. Decanted for 4 hours. Drank a glass over 2 hours. This just feels like it wants to unwind, but instead it teases you with potential. The nose is a mix of high toned spice, blackberry, blackberry liqueur, purple flowers, tobacco, and cassis. The palate is full of big dark fruit mid and back, lots of graphite, gravel, more subtle oak, and moderate tannins. A good sound bottlle, very solid; promising, if one can say that about a 32 year old wine, but nowhere near meeting expections. The '86 Margaux blew its doors off. Hopefullly I'll get another shot at this sometime.

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  • 1986 Château Margaux 98 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

    Very dark red/purple color, no sign of bricking. Decanted for 3.5 hours, drank a glass over 2 hours. Holy Beelzebub Batman, this baby rocks. Leave it to Chateau Margaux to be the class off the night. This was sone of those wines that you could easily bury your nose in and be in heaven without ever taking a sip. That, however would be such a shame as this is a complete wine that delivers on all levels. The nose is phenomenal, a splendid perfume of blooming violets, potpourri, an explosison of pretty black and blue fruits, dried spice, graphite, funk and dried earth. The palate is a sexy, silky elixir of cassis, blueberry, boysenberry, fine pencil, violets, funk and anise on a ridiculously long finish. The tannins and overall texture is fantastic. What a beauty, and while this spectacular now, it is amazingly youthful. I could easily envision this being a 100pt wine with more age. My and group WOTN. 98+(+)pts.

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Flight 7 - 1989 Flight (1 Note)

  • 1989 Château Palmer 96 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

    Very dark red/purple color, no sign of bricking. Decanted 80 minutes. Drank a glass over 90 minutes. In a another great showing for Margaux tonight, this '89 was off the charts too. This started off with an intereting bacon fat note on the nose, that for me settled into more of a savoriness over time, boldly aromatic, pencil, flowers, cassis and hucleberry on the nose. The palate is powerful and layered with dark fruit that is intertwined with blue fruits. Full bodied and deep, huckcleberry, really earthy, graphite, dried herbs and an interesting weedy note on the back end with some tart red cherry and cassis as it finishes. This has an even more striking texture I think than the '86 Margaux. Another wine ethat belies its age and should continue to improve. 96+(+)pts. My and group #2 WOTN.

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Flight 8 - Dessert Wine Flight (1 Note)

  • 1988 Château Climens 97 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac

    Youthful medium gold color (lighter than the '05 in half bottle ironically). There is a purity to this wine that resonates throughout. Beautiful orange and tangerines, orange creamsicle, bright orange blossoms, honey, and delicate spice. The palate is lithe and fleet of foot, graceful, sleek, and harmonious, with tangerine, medium body, hints of apricot and nectarine, orange chiffon, crisp and not overly sweet or spicy. This had all the grace and elegance of d'Yquem and an absolutely stellar balance that took my breath away. Stunning and quite memorable.

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Flight 9 - Bonus Bottles (3 Notes)

  • 1986 Château Lascombes Flawed

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

    Bonus bottle from Robert. Over the hill, drinkable, but unneccessary on a night like this. More than one person commented that they would drink this if they opened it on its own. Sour red cherry fruits, dried earth, orange peel, pomegranate.

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  • 1979 Château Palmer Flawed

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

    In what was a trifecta of a disaster of bottles, these bonus bottles from Robert were all toast. The last one was slightly better than the other two, but that doesn't say much. Terrible fills, and completely soak corks did not bode well in an unfortunate Winebid purchase. You'd think maybe one of them would have worked out - thanks for giving it a shot!

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  • 2005 Château Climens 93 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac

    Dark gold color. From 375ml. Just a tiny taste. Very good, bigger and spicy, apricot, orange marmalade. Fairly bold, surprisingly dakr color for the age. Our '88 from 750 was much lighter.

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Closing

WOTN Voting:
Red WOTN:
#1: 1986 Chateau Margaux (3+3+3+3+3+3+3+1.5=22.5pt)
#2: 1989 Chateau Palmer (3+2+2+2+2+2+1.5=14.5pts)
#3: 1994 Chateau Haut Brion (1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1=7pts)
#4: 1986 Chateau Mouton Rothschild (2+2+1=5pts)
#5: 1994 Chateau Mouton Rothchild (1=1pts)

White WOTN:
#1: 1988 Chateau Climens (2+2+2+2+2+2+2+1=15pts)
#2: 2010 Droin Les Clos (2+1+1+1+1+1=7pts)
#3: 2006 Roederer BdB (1+1+1=3pts)
#4: 2007 Latour C-C (2=2pts)

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