TN: 1996 Smith Haut Lafitte

Jean decided that we needed a hearty dinner tonight, so we fired up the grill and cooked a couple of ribeye steaks to go with corn on the cob, roasted potatoes and a green salad (well, Andrew also had peas). We'd been talking about our mutual hesitation about opening Bdx in the summertime, and with moderate temperatures today Jean brought out of the cellar:

2006 Smith Haut Lafitte Pessac-Leognan color: dark garnet with a brick rim nose: herbal, smoke, pencil lead, all atop cassis fruit palate: close to the nose, a bit of leatherhigh acidity and medium body

Jean was looking for a lighter Bdx and got it in one! Very ready to drink after a brief decant (not what I expect from a '96) and a good match with the steaks (a 4 on the Hoare scale: the wine was definitely improved by the steaks).

Mark Lipton

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Mark Lipton
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1996, right?

By 1998 SHL has really started down Oak Lane, maybe the oakiest Graves I know now. Pape-Clement, LMHB, etc might see as much, but hold it better.

Reply to
DaleW

Right. Sorry 'bout that! I almost did the same thing in the subject, but caught my error. What can I say? I'm just a 21st Century Schizoid Man. ;-)

Good to know. Our Bdx purchases have really fallen off post -'97, and your observation is indicative of the reason why. FWIW, there was no obvious oak in our bottle, though of course the roundness of the wine almost certainly bespeaks of oak in its elevage.

Mark Lipton

Reply to
Mark Lipton

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