2/9/2024 - BellevuePhil Likes this wine:

The year was 1986, triumph and tragedy.

The world witnessed the launch of the Space Station Mir by the Soviet Union, the exhilarating victory of Argentina in the FIFA World Cup held in Mexico, the awe-inspiring return of Halley's Comet and let’s not forget the catastrophic Chernobyl nuclear disaster.

And of course my 16th birthday which unfortunately and fortunately was spent alone 220 miles north of Fairbanks in a village with no name due to my adventurer father who ran out of gas in his Piper cub…searching for Don Sheldon’s (the bush pilots) lost bag.

Stranded, we walked to the village.

The 1986 Château Gruaud Larose is a true masterpiece of winemaking, a vintage that embodies elegance, complexity, and timeless allure. With each sip, one is transported to the sun-drenched vineyards of Bordeaux, where the grapes ripened under the watchful gaze of the Gironde estuary.

This wine pours a deep, garnet hue, hinting at the depth and richness that awaits within the glass. On the nose, it offers an enticing bouquet of ripe blackcurrants, dark cherries, and hints of cedar and tobacco, layered with subtle notes of leather and earthiness. It is a symphony of aromas that captivates the senses and promises a truly indulgent experience.

I closed my eyes and I recalled the warmth of the sun kissing my skin as I frolicked with a young native girl who spoke no English, yet possessed a tanned body which I will never forget amidst the luscious blueberry bushes. Together, we reveled in the simple pleasures of life, rolling in the tart sweetness of the berries until our bodies were stained with their vibrant hues. In the stillness of the evening, we sought refuge in a weathered canoe, hidden away from the world as reindeer leaped gracefully over our makeshift sanctuary.

It was in that moment of serenity that I cracked open two bottles of this precious wine, liberated from my fathers plane bag, that he had stolen from the Pump House in Fairbanks, our only companions in the wilderness. With no glasses to separate us from the liquid ambrosia, I corked it with a buck knife and we drank deeply, savoring each exquisite sip as if it were the elixir of life itself.

The finish is long and lingering, leaving behind echoes of dark fruit and subtle oak, a testament to the wine's impeccable balance and structure. This is a wine that demands to be savored, a true expression of the terroir from which it hails. Wine to me is a living memory and tonight, alone in my Bellevue home with my bearskin rug and my 64 Fender amp glowing red, I uncorked this bottle and my mind drifted back to a summer's eve in June, amidst the rugged beauty of Alaska's Brooks Range.

The 1986 Chateau Gruaud Larose my friends, when allowed to open like a young flower of the spring, is a symphony of the senses, a voyage through time and space that transcends the boundaries of mere mortal existence.

As the deep crimson liquid cascades into my glass, I am reminded of the vibrant hues of the blueberries that once stained my skin, a testament to the untamed beauty of nature's bounty. With each swirl and sniff, I am greeted by a bouquet of aromas that evoke memories long forgotten yet forever cherished summer love between a white boy and a native girl.

The taste, oh the memories, and oh the taste of this wine tonight! It is like nectar from the gods, a tantalizing blend of sweetness and depth that caresses my palate with every sip. It is as if I am reliving that moment in the canoe, hidden away from the world, with only the reindeer and the northern lights as our witnesses.

And though time may have faded her image, and reality may have diverged from fantasy, this wine remains a steadfast reminder of the passion and adventure that once defined my existence. So here's to you, my dear friends, and to the journey that lies ahead. May we savor every moment, as we savor every sip of this divine elixir. Cheers!

UPDATE MINIMUM FOUR HOUR DECANT. I KNOW PREVIOUSLY SAID TWO, THEN THREE, BUT FOUR SHE OPENS LIKE MY INDIAN ON A DESERST HIGHWAY AT SUNSET WITH THE SMELL OFF THE RAIN 50 MILES AWAY!

WEIRD QUESTION: THE 1989 IS POP AND POUR, AND THREE YEARS EARLIER FOUR HOURS???

2/29/2020 - PAOK Wines Brussels wrote:

Outside temperature: 17oC, inside temperature: 21oC, body temperature 36,4oC. On these conditions the wine performed very well. Decanted for 2h42 but i should have kept it for 2-3 minutes more. Big cork, size doesn’t matter though. Drinkable. Good wine.

5/7/2017 - jaumealaska Likes this wine:

Tasted again a year after last bottle. In an eclectic line up of Grenache based wines this was the winner. Once the alcohol blew off this showed spice pepper some garrigue lots of red fruit with solid tannins. Long finish. Could not get enough of this one. Drinking well now but no hurry.

6/9/2023 - vide wrote:

All right, I was right the first time round. A great wine betrayed by an overblown and superficial vintage, whose wines possess a style that is the result of a very influential American wine critic and global warming.

Claret needs backbone: it needs tannin. Recent wines are being produced for a market that wants its wines now. But this is not how Claret works.

2010, I think, will be a better vintage. I countenance patience and old age.

vide.

2/16/2019 - Jchen01854 wrote:

Average of JS scores
Lafite 98, Margaux 97, Mouton 99, Haut Brion 97, Petrus 98, la Mission 96, Cheval blank 96, d'Yquem98,

7/23/2022 - Iti Bun-an Likes this wine:

Vintage 2014 is only 4.3* at vivino. Should have been 4.4* if properly decanted. Tastingbook says 5hrs decanting time but i decanted it 6hrs (decanter) this time & it was perfect! Previously i followed 5hrs and it was not as good as tonight.
No wonder JS rated it 96*👍

10/13/2019 - Mark Dignam Does not like this wine:

This is the second time I have drunk this wine and this bottle is even more boring and uninspiring than the first. The color is okay-dark red core though rather thin rim. Nose lacks fruit and shows green tobacco shrill acidity and dusty oak. Not sure where the fruit has gone but the thin rim suggests it is gone for good. Palate is light bodied and tastes more like a generic cab blend than a classified growth. The wine was stored in air cond facility and is not out of condition but offers rather tart fruit, too much acid and spiky tannins. Drinkable but disappointing and a waste of money.