Notes from a tasting dinner of the 1989 vintage with the Commanderie de Bordeaux at Vancouver.
1990 Drappier Carte d'Or Champagne - this wine has progressed in the last 3 or 4 years. Good mousse, nice citrus based nose, good length and crisp finish, and now it lingers right in the middle of the tongue in a way I had not previously noted. Very nice, although I am not sure it will ever surpass the 90 Pol Roger.2003 Mystery Wine - this turned out to be a 2003 Sauvignon Blanc made by one of our members from Riverbank Vineyard fruit near Hopland in the Russian River Valley. Grass mixed with tropical fruit in the nose, then what seemed like too much residual sugar to finish cleanly- it had a sugary acid finish, although the maker indicated it was actually low in RS.
With seared scallops, peperonata, and goat cheese foam.
First flight, served with smoked squab breast on cumin scented lentils:
Grand Mayne - this right bank flight was in many ways the most interesting, if not perhaps quite the strongest flight of the night. An excellent nose with berry fruit and vanilla, a smooth entry then the wine seemed to take on a bit of weight, although still with a smooth texture. There was both sweetness and tannin at the end. Quite good.
Magdeleine - a more wood driven nose, medium bodied but with great poise and good length. Not quite as generous as the previous wine but a good showing nonetheless.
Canon la Gaffeliere - a slightly ripe nose with herbs. Tannins were a bit harder on this wine, and it was medium to full bodied. It needs some more time (at least in my opinion - many were saying they thought the wines perfectly ready now), and it impressed me more and more as it opened up in the glass.
Angelus - a wonderful soy, black olive and cedar nose, biggest and richest wine of the flight, and also the longest finish. It lingers on palate with a hint of dry cocoa at the very end. For me, I think this was the wine of the night, and I think it would have been voted as such by more of the assembled multitude had they not been swayed by Left Bank prejudice!
Flight 2 - with braised oxtail wrapped in Savoy cabbage
D'Armailhac - The colour on this wine was a bit light, but the nose was very good with lots of red fruit and vanilla. Good weight, slightly warm, long full finish.
Fieuzal - the odd one out in this crowd - sweet vanilla nose with dark cherries, nice weight and a very becoming sweetness at the end. Perhaps not quite as good as the previous wine.
Beychevelle - I thought I detected a very slight waft of corkiness in this wine, and the nose was dusty oak. Lots of stuffing but the fruit seemed slightly muted and almost dull. It finished with lots of tannin and not quite enough fruit and sweetness. It impressed others more than it did me.
Clerc Milon - warm toasty nose with lots of plumy fruit, concentrated flavour on palate, full bodied with velvety and slightly chewy tannins. Best of flight and the best Clerc Milon I have tasted in a long time.
Flight 3 with roasted venison loin chop
Palmer - with this flight everyone headed into truly familiar territory (none of those odd right bank wines with all that merlot and the multitude of small chateaux you can never remember). A sweet nose that exhibited complexity and depth, medium body, supple and smooth on palate, and a long textbook claret finish. We opined that this wine may be at peak and will not show further improvement, although it will last for years.
Leoville Las Cases - after the wonderful Palmer, I was surprised as this wine seemed to measure up so well. Sweet fruit in the nose, and tons of concentration on palate, long with a very slight bitter note right at the tail. This wine, after much comparison, was not significantly inferior to the Palmer, and will last much longer with its tannins still to be fully resolved.
Lafite - sweet vanilla nose, medium dark colour, good bright fruit and good length. It probably needs 10 years, but it is a medium bodied wine with elegance, not a Latour. It was interesting to see people automatically turn on the adulation when a first growth turned up instead of properly assessing the wine. This is why I do all my own events blind, so the identity of the wine has no influence.
Cos d'Estournel - hard company to be judged with, but the Cos stood up pretty well. A lot of wood in the nose, smooth midpalate, and then a fairly tannic finish. This wine needs time, and I think it failed to show as well as it might have because of that - the tannins were harder than those of the Lafite, for instance. I think it is a better wine than it is often given credit for, and would like to try it again in a few years.
My favourites of the flight were Palmer, Las Cases, and Lafite, in that order.
La Tour Blanche - honey but little botrytis in the nose and almost no coconut. On the sweet side and fairly full in the mouth. Medium long finish. Great way to end this excellent event.