Solihull Fine Wine Society November tasting.
It's 25 years old and to celebrate its silver anniversary, we are tasting 21
1982 clarets over two sessions.All blind as usual. served in pairs.
But as a starter Veuve Cliquot 1982, pale gold with very little mousse, an almost burgundian nose, buttery bisquits, soft and long, good balance, but not many years in front of it...impressive now.
Ch l'Etoile Graves Orange rim, a bit dull, restrained stony smokey appealing nose, soft, no tannins, fruit still there with spice......
Ch Chasse Spleen, Moulis Brown edge, odd coarse nose of furnture polish, but cassis there, fair entry but fruit almost gone, drying out.
Ch Cancet, St Emilion This and the following identical appearance, bright brick with mahogany edge. A truly farmyard pungent nose, with layers of smoke and olf fireworks, soft, chewy, long and lovely.
Ch Larcis-Ducasse, St Emilion A very sweetshop toffee nose, wet leather and dust, spice and sugar, drying out......did it see some additional sugar??? not good
Ch Pibran Pauillac Huge extract, youthful, no age, haunting nose of cigarbox and spice, perfumed. Superb softness yet tannins still there, berry fruits... a mans wine, so I got the commune. What a wine for a cru bourgois.
Ch Batailley Pauillac Bright and mature, complex wonderful old wood, cassis, spice, but then a let down, how could that wonderful nose belong to an austere drying out wine. ( others thought differently," some life yet" said one. Afterlife thought I !!
Ch Grand Puy Lacoste Pauillac Mature, pepperminty nose and crushed autumn leaves, a burst of heat on entry then spice and soft tannins, long
Ch Lynch Bages depth, intense, brroding, hint of brown, in your face fine classic claret, floral, spice, old cupboards, sweet, a fruit bomb with tannins and so soft, liquid berries, complex......a star. my 2nd WOTN
Ch Pichon Longueville, Baron, Pauillac Depth and no age, powerful Graves steely nose with hints of curry, good entrance with some residual fruit, still tannins, " how much more life, will it come around?)
Ch Pichon Lalande Pauillac Huge depth and viscosity, no age at all, portlike. The most enchanting nose of all things claret, smoke, leather, autumn smells spice...........and then, an amazing mouthful of layers of fruit and spice and tannin and ALL in balance. So long. This was without doubt one of those lifetime wines " just lay me down by still waters with a bottle of this, and my vinous life would be completed." Obvious WOTN and worth RP's 100 pointer.,
Didn't the Pibran do well.
Next month 11 more wines and we have not touched 3 more commune,.......roll on December
John T