1978 Bordeaux Lunch

Bel and Brio
Tasted Friday, March 19, 2021 by Geoff7777 with 158 views

Introduction

A nostalgic visit to a bygone era of "claret".

Flight 1 (1 Note)

  • 2012 Bollinger Champagne

    France, Champagne

    This bottle courtesy of GF. This is a gorgeous champagne, and so Bollinger in style with yeasty notes of gingerbread and smokey minerals. Obviously young, but with excellent raw material for a long future.

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Flight 2 (2 Notes)

Flight 3 (3 Notes)

  • 1978 Château Cos d'Estournel

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

    This bottle courtesy of IB, decanted early and bracketed with Pichon Lalande and Ducru. The lightest and most advanced of the three. Nose of cigar leaf tobacco, capcicums and cedar, but without the richness of the other two. Lean on the palate, and in need of protein to show its best. The lean character of the vintage has not suited the austere style of the Chateau. Drink up and with food.

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  • 1978 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    This bottle courtesy of RW, decanted early and bracketed with Cos and Ducru. Deep youthful scarlet colour. Nose of old leather, tobacco and chocolate, showing the plump and plummy Merlot fruit in this wine during the '70's. The most balanced of the three wines in this bracket, and a lovely drink. While the finish seemed to become a touch bitter with extended time in the glass, this may have been because of the two wines that followed (Palmer/Margaux).

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  • 1978 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

    Lighter in colour than the Pichon Lalande next to it but still a youthful scarlet. Nose of cigars, tobacco, violets, and blackberry with a capsicum overlay that receded with time in the glass. A classic left bank '78, slightly lean but delicious and ready to be enjoyed.

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Flight 4 (2 Notes)

  • 1978 Château Palmer

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

    This bottle courtesy of IB, decanted early and bracketed with Ch Margaux. Deep youthful scarlet colour, the nose is rich, opulent, even exotic. Violets, camphor, cedar and more of the same with cassis, plum, cedar and a velvety mouth feel. A better bottle than enjoyed last year and with time in hand. This wine needs a generous decant to show all it has.

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  • 1978 Château Margaux

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

    TDG bottle acquired February 2021, and the catalyst for a 1978 BDX lunch.
    Extraordinary youthful colour, like a 10 year old wine rather than 40 plus. Nose shows violets, camphor, cedar, cassis, potpourri, lead pencils, graphite..WOW. The palate is more of the same and so stylish, with cool menthol fruit, flowers (violets in particular), menthol, cedar oak and a long cool finish. A wine of its time, so not the more "blockbuster" style of contemporary wine making and better for it. No rush for well cellared examples but why keep it? This wine is, for me, a perfect 20/20.

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Flight 5 (1 Note)

  • 2009 Jérôme Chezeaux Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru

    Dark black scarlet colour, youthful. Initailly, closed but with air opulent violets, cherry, flowers, spice and barley sugar. The warmth of the vintage making its mark. Rich palate with wonderful velvet mouthful and spice laden mouth perfume, wide on the palate. The finish is a little clipped at first but lengthens as the wine gets some air. This wine needs more time, 2030? Simply beautiful Vosne, and my best red Burgundy for some time. Thank you Robert W.

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Flight 6 (1 Note)

  • 2001 Château Guiraud

    France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

    I am out of step with the other notes regarding this popular wine. I can admire the sheer opulent richness, but I find it heavy handed, thick in both glycerol and mouthfeel, unbalanced between sugar and acid, and with a burnt barley sugar note to the long sweet finale. Not my style, but I can understand the fuss. It’s an Instagram wine.

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