A group of us went to our friends cabin on Casper Mtn. for a repeat of the Bordeaux tasting we had last year (different wines). We managed have the party (Sat Oct 25) before the big storm, which rendered the cabin somewhat inaccessible, and the mouuntain better for skiing. (I was up there tonight skiing under the moonlight...beautiful conditions, but cold, -4 F.)
The wines:
Chateau Latour 81 Very dark, woody, black olives, very smooth finish. Darker purple color than Mouton. Ripe olives and mint on second tasting, with a little tobacco and smoke.
Chateau Mouton Rothschild 81 Cedar and lead pencil melded into sweet fruit. Wood well integrated into flavors. Fresh mint hidden in background. Second tasting (after a few minutes) a little fresh mint and broccoli.
Chateau Grand Puy Lacoste 82 Very big pruny flavors. Dark brooding wine. Almost port-like in nose. Wood in background well melded into sweet flavors. Spicy nose, with sweet and spicy finish. A little sawdust.
Chateau Leoville Barton 85 Deep purple color. Spicy, salty nose of strong road tar, mint, and lead pencil. A little bell pepper detected. A lot going on here.
Chateau Lynch Bages 85 Nose of fresh road tar and lead pencil. Very tannic flavors with gobs of fruit (to borrow a Parker phrase). Still puckering, coffe-like sweet tannins. A little brussel sprouts in nose, and fresh mint. Needs five years.
All fill levels were at the neck, in keeping with my dry and somewhat warm cellar, as well as the age of the bottles. What was interesting was how well the 81s were tasting. The subtlety and elegance of that vintage did not go unnoticed. I think I liked those wines better than the lone 82. Are all Bordeaux now made in the fruity voluptuous style? All wines were opended for one half to one hour before drinking. The GP Lacose and the Leoville Barton were decanted. All were served with a simple meal of beef brisket, mashed potatoes, peas and green beans, and no strong sauces. I think the Lynch Bages needed decanting, but, like the Vancouver restaurant, I did not have enough decanters.The Lynch Bages still seemed backward.
Parker panned the first growths from 81. Definitely not his style, but I wish I had some more. Alas, I have only one bottle of 81 left (Lafite), two 82 (Gruaud Larose), and no more 85s. One's cellar is never large enough.
Tom Schellberg