OenoMacrowine conference gala dinner at Château Luchey-Halde
Château Luchey-Halde, Mérignac, Bordeaux, France
Tasted July 12, 2023 by penguinoid with 123 views
Introduction
The conference dinner for the OenoMacrowine (joint International Symposium of Enology of Bordeaux and Macrowine conference) was held at Château Luchey-Halde. This provided the chance to try some exceptional wines and talk with colleagues.
Unfortunately, it was not a sit-down meal and so my notes are shorter than I'd have liked: it is hard to balance a plate and wine glass, and then make notes!
I also did not taste in any particular logical order: I tasted the Yquem as soon as it became available, and then switched back to red wine once it ran out.
Flight 1 - Wines tasted on arrival (2 notes)
After visiting the winery, we tasted a couple of wines prior to the start of dinner. Unfortunately, there wasn't the chance to taste the wines of Château Luchey-Halde.
Red
2019 Château de Ferrand
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
Medium(+) ruby. Red and black plum, cassis, mulberry, black cherry. Dried cherry. Charred oak. Medium(+) tannins, medium acid. Rich and full. Rounded.
Flight 2 - Aperitif (1 note)
Loupiac is a region that's new to me, and makes good value wines in a style similar to Sauternes in the Entre-Deux-Mers region.
White - Sweet/Dessert
2016 Château du Cros
France, Bordeaux, Entre-Deux-Mers, Loupiac
Mid gold. Barleysugar. Dried apricot, orange marmalade. Wet stone? Vanilla, cream? Oak. Sweet but balanced with medium acidity.
Flight 3 - Wines with dinner (4 notes)
Dinner was mainly in the form of small dishes, and there was the opportunity to taste some great wines
Red
2017 Château Haut-Batailley
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Medium(+) purple. Red and black plum, cassis(?). Davidsons plum, cranberry, maybe strawberry? (Red fruit). Medium(+) acidity and tannins. Elegant. Subtle oak.
Retasted later in the evening: blackberry jam and toast!
Red
2012 Château Mauvesin Barton
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Moulis en Médoc
Medium ruby, hint of brick. Cassis/blackcurrant, blackberry. Red and black plum. Rosehip. Cranberry, strawberry. Leather, earth. Cedar, sweet spice. Medium(+) acidity, fine grained medium tannins. Has aged very nicely and is drinking very well.
Red
2013 Château Léognan
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Medium ruby, fading to brick. Red plum, strawberry, rhubarb? Cassis. Cedar, sweet spice. Earth? Balsamic vinegar. Medium(+) acidity, smoothed and resolved medium(+) tannins. Also drinking very nicely.
Red
2017 Château Lagrange (St. Julien)
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
Intense purple (still very young!). Quite intense cassis, mulberry, black plum. Cedar, sweet spice. Liquorice, cough syrup? Medium acidity, medium tannins. Already very balanced and quite drinkable. Will be beautiful with age.
Flight 4 - Dessert (1 note)
My second chance to try Yquem. My first was last year, also at a conference dinner in Bordeaux. I wonder if I'll get a third chance to taste it? Either way, it's an exceptional wine that easily justifies its price -- even if that does make it unaffordable for me.
White - Sweet/Dessert
2016 Château d'Yquem
France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
Medium gold. Apricot, Fresh lemon peel. Lemon and orange marmalade. Tonic water. Cumquat marmalade. Stewed quince. Cedar(?). Sweet but perfectly balanced by the fresh medium(+) acidity. Really elegant and lithe. Complex. Surprisingly medium(-) bodied. Very obviously an exceptional wine.
Flight 5 - After Yquem (2 notes)
There were a limited number of bottles of Yquem, and naturally they ran out. I took the opportunity to try some other red wines, even though I am sure it was heretical to drink these just after the Yquem.
Red
2014 Château Lynch-Bages
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Intense purple. Black plum, cassis, mulberry. Gooseberry. Tobacco. Menthol. Cedar. Medium(+) acidity, medium(+) tannins. Structural.
Red
2017 Château Sociando-Mallet
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc
Medium(+) purple. Cassis/blackcurrant. Red and black plum. Gooseberry. Blackcurrant leaf. Cedar, tobacco. Lighter than the Lynch-Bages tasted just previously. Medium tannins, medium acidity. Smooth!
Flight 6 - Digestif (1 note)
Hennessy supplied some cognacs, and I tried the XO. While it is clearly a very good, complex brandy, my preference for Armagnac remains unchanged :)
Spirits
N.V. Hennessy Cognac X.O.
France, Cognac
Splintery oak, vanilla, caramel. Crème brûlée. Hot on nose - alcohol is very prominent. Smooth palate. Complex.
Flight 7 - One last glass... (1 note)
I am sure it was also heretical to have a final glass of wine after the digestif, but I wanted to try this particular estate...
Red
2014 Réserve de la Comtesse
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Medium purple. Cassis, black plum. Blackberry. Mulberry, elderberry. Smoke/charred oak. Dark, charred. Medium(+) tannins, medium acidity.
Closing
It was a great evening and a great chance to try some exceptional wines, including wines from some estates I've been wanting to try for ages but which I could not normally afford.
I'd love to retaste many of these just by themselves with a good meal, but even just getting to taste a glass was a privilege.
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