A wonderful way to start our journey through 8 decades of wine. While just a cut below the '59 Latour in my opinion, this is a very close second. Fully mature, but it has years to plateau in this wonderful place. Of the entire lineup, this was my favorite of the night. Such a treat to drink such a legend. This benefited with a proper decant. When it comes to 1st growths, especially from a strong year like '59, don't be afraid to decant. Delicioso!
Wow. I was not expecting this to drink as good as it did this night. Fully mature, still has good fruit concentration, and it held its own in a very strong line up. Not as good as my favorite wine from '66 (Latour), but this is no slouch either.
Kaboom! Dang, this is drinking above its weight class from a weaker vintage. Very consistent to my tasting note for this wine back in February '22. An excellent representation from the decade of the '70s.
This is 100% Leoville Las Cases from 1986. It is a wound up tight ball of energy and as brutish as any from the rustic '86 vintage (maybe except for Mouton which is an even bigger beast). Incredible purity of fruit, iodine, blood, iron, with a structured frame and finish. To me, this wine needs 20 more years to hit its stride. It has all the stuffing to become a legend.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Richebourg Grand Cru
So... DRC and Richebourg at this price point should win WOTN right? Not so fast. To me, this ranked 4th behind '59 Haut Brion, '01 Latour, and '86 LLC. Important note... decant this wine for at least two hours. It because a beautiful lady with an incredible nose and finish by the end of the night. It was tough as nails when first opened, but it unfolded like a beautiful rose as the night went on. Tough to be the only Pinot in this line up, however. Even if it is a DRC. A beautiful wine that I would always be blessed to drink.
For me, this was drinking the best I've had it over the course of my four tastings of the '01 Latour. This wine is really coming into its own and it confirms that "off vintages" in Bordeaux as not "off vintages", but just early maturing vintages. I may be dead before the 2010 Latour comes into its prime, but that's ok because I will gladly drink '01 in the meantime. So good and so Latour! Love it. Be sure to give it a proper decant.
Uber young and not ready for consumption. Nevertheless, we needed a wine to represent the 2010s decade. It is a massive wine with the stuffing to last 2-3 more decades. Despite its youth, it is easy to discern this will become a legend. Exceptional wine, just young.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
A wonderful Corton-Charlemagne, especially at this spritely young age. It was super refreshing to have a great white wine amongst all these reds. Refined.
1959 Château Haut-Brion 96 Points
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
A wonderful way to start our journey through 8 decades of wine. While just a cut below the '59 Latour in my opinion, this is a very close second. Fully mature, but it has years to plateau in this wonderful place. Of the entire lineup, this was my favorite of the night. Such a treat to drink such a legend. This benefited with a proper decant. When it comes to 1st growths, especially from a strong year like '59, don't be afraid to decant. Delicioso!
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1966 Château Gruaud Larose Flawed
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
Completely flawed. A bottle of vinegar. Proper storage matters.
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1966 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron 91 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Wow. I was not expecting this to drink as good as it did this night. Fully mature, still has good fruit concentration, and it held its own in a very strong line up. Not as good as my favorite wine from '66 (Latour), but this is no slouch either.
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1978 Château Haut-Brion 94 Points
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Kaboom! Dang, this is drinking above its weight class from a weaker vintage. Very consistent to my tasting note for this wine back in February '22. An excellent representation from the decade of the '70s.
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1986 Château Léoville Las Cases 95 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
This is 100% Leoville Las Cases from 1986. It is a wound up tight ball of energy and as brutish as any from the rustic '86 vintage (maybe except for Mouton which is an even bigger beast). Incredible purity of fruit, iodine, blood, iron, with a structured frame and finish. To me, this wine needs 20 more years to hit its stride. It has all the stuffing to become a legend.
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1995 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Richebourg 94 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Richebourg Grand Cru
So... DRC and Richebourg at this price point should win WOTN right? Not so fast. To me, this ranked 4th behind '59 Haut Brion, '01 Latour, and '86 LLC. Important note... decant this wine for at least two hours. It because a beautiful lady with an incredible nose and finish by the end of the night. It was tough as nails when first opened, but it unfolded like a beautiful rose as the night went on. Tough to be the only Pinot in this line up, however. Even if it is a DRC. A beautiful wine that I would always be blessed to drink.
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2001 Château Latour Grand Vin 95 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
For me, this was drinking the best I've had it over the course of my four tastings of the '01 Latour. This wine is really coming into its own and it confirms that "off vintages" in Bordeaux as not "off vintages", but just early maturing vintages. I may be dead before the 2010 Latour comes into its prime, but that's ok because I will gladly drink '01 in the meantime. So good and so Latour! Love it. Be sure to give it a proper decant.
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2010 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle 93 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
Uber young and not ready for consumption. Nevertheless, we needed a wine to represent the 2010s decade. It is a massive wine with the stuffing to last 2-3 more decades. Despite its youth, it is easy to discern this will become a legend. Exceptional wine, just young.
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2020 Domaine Etienne Delarche Corton-Charlemagne 93 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
A wonderful Corton-Charlemagne, especially at this spritely young age. It was super refreshing to have a great white wine amongst all these reds. Refined.
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