Mostly Bordeaux, starring '82 GPL, '75 LLC and '88 Climens
Mr. and Mrs. Vino's
Tasted November 2, 2013 by dbg with 621 views
Introduction
Chris B, Tom and Gail W, Peggy and I were invited to Jay and Peggy W's home to discuss plans for the 2014 BWE Convention coming to DC March 28-30. Info will be forthcoming but of course there was also dinner and popping of corks. So first things first...
I wasn't aware that I would be designated scribe for the evening until quite late in the game, so I didn't pay enough attention to recall the names of the very nice Champagne we were greeted with or the nicely typical 2007(?) Meursault that followed as we all caught up on each others' lives milling about the kitchen while Mrs. Vino was working her kitchen magic.
And magic it was. Peggy W prepared a fantastic fall feast. Say what you will about asparagus being a tough wine match. We just put our glasses aside to breathe while we indulged in a delicious asparagus soup. Tenderloin of pork, cooked to tender mouth-melting perfection and covered with an intense mushroom cream sauce followed, accompanied by roasted root vegetables. The food was a great complement to the wines and vice versa. I didn't want to stop eating. A pumpkin cheesecake and Fisher's caramel corn finished the night, and both actually matched well with the Sauternes.
Flight 1 (6 notes)
Red
2003 Château Pontet-Canet
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Stored since release, perfect fill and cork. Loved this wine immediately after release but a bottle in 2010 was hot and alcoholic, not showing much fruit. Time to revisit at age 10. Dark red/purple with minimal lightening at rim. Dark berries and cassis with some road tar on the nose, but there's that alcoholic heat. Medium to full bodied on the palate, ripe fruits, more California than Bordeaux, no real complexity, and would benefit from more acid and less alcohol in the balance department. Four hours in a decanter reduced the impression of alcohol but otherwise this didn't develop much. Better than the bottle 3 years ago. I'll wait another 5 years to open the next one and hope it will develop more interest over time but right now this is no more than very good.
Red
2001 Le Vieux Donjon Châteauneuf-du-Pape
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Popped and poured, drunk over 4hours. Bright red to rim. Clean nose of cherries, plums, spice and flowers. Medium bodied, beautifully balanced, smooth with mostly resolved tannins, fresh ripe fruit with a bit of complexity, no fading as it finishes medium long. Drinking really well now and should continue to do so for another few years before developing a more aged profile.
Red
1998 Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia
Italy, Tuscany, Bolgheri, Bolgheri Sassicaia
Decanted several hours before drinking. Dark red/purple. Cassis, berries, cedar, mint, floral notes made for a more complex and Bordeaux-like nose than the 2003 Pontet Canet, but not in the same ballpark with the 1982 Grand Puy Lacoste or 1975 Leoville Las Cases. Medium body, smooth palate feel, excellent balance, some nice complexity, flavors follow the nose, long finish with a bit of green peeking in but not obtrusive, outstanding.
Red
1982 Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Not sure how long this was decanted prior to drinking but it remained remarkably consistent over 4 hours. Dark red core, lightening at rim. Killer complex classic aged Bordeaux nose with cassis, dark berries cedar, tobacco and tea leaves, wet earth. Medium to full bodied, great balance, rich fruit mingling with complexities first seen on the nose, that classic sweet aged Bordeaux feel, long finish, a little tannin still in evidence, this will continue to drink well for many years, outstanding.
Red
1975 Château Léoville Las Cases
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
Decanted several hours prior to drinking and consumed over 4 hours. Solid red core, lightening at rim with just a little bricking. Killer complex classic aged Bordeaux nose with cassis, cherry, cedar, tobacco and tea leaves, wet earth. Medium bodied, well balanced, flavors and complexities follow the nose with the classic sweet aged Bordeaux palate, a little harsher finish than the 1982 Grand Puy Lacoste. After about an hour the wine turns tougher and more rustic, but then returns to its former self. I don't think it was my palate as others noted the same, and the other wines being drunk were not undergoing a similar change. This waxing and waning went on through the evening. When the wine was on it was outstanding, with fading back and forth to very good/excellent.
White - Sweet/Dessert
1988 Château Climens
France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac
MacArthurs purchase April 2013. Dark gold/light brown, 2 shades darker than bottles cellared since release. Perfect fill. Great Climens nose with white fruits, honey, medium to full body, palate coating sweetness and complexity, traces of caramel not found in "younger" bottles stored since release but very nice complexity and length. Should drink well for years if well stored. The prior bottle from this source had signs of seepage and a hint of mold, but all of the others, including this one, have been outstanding.
Closing
Despite all the great food and wine, Mr. Vino's irrepressible enthusiasm compelled him to open just one more special bottle: the 1996 Sociando Mallet. BWE's first WOTY. At that late hour, and particularly after the sweet cheesecake, caramel corn and Climens, my palate and brain just couldn't give it a fair shake, so no TN on that one. Perhaps Jay will add a day-after note.
We also made good progress on the BWE '14 plans. Charlie Palmer Steak is the Saturday venue. I've already made a deposit and will be putting up a thread shortly asking for people to send $$ to reserve their spots. We've got some good candidates in mind for the Friday venue and were brainstorming ideas for possible organized extracurricular activities. There is a ton of stuff to do in DC.
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