I seldom take off for a wine lunch, but Mark offered up a 1982 Bordeaux tas ting and I couldn’t resist. Dave had my car, so Betsy dr0ive Craig and I up. Cheeses (Comte, a Delice soft cheese , and my new fave, Flory's t ruckle), charcuterie (lonza, bresaola, cecina, pasthourma, pate, head chees e, rillettes, smoked lard), Bucatini alla Amatriciana. Plus a taste of deli cious Beluga to start.
NV David Leclapart “L’Apotre” Champagne Believe this is non-dosage, but while crisp not the least bit austre. Fresh pear and apple, a little pie dough, smoke and chalk. Liked this a lot B+
1982 Ch. Prieure Lichine Tart and a little mean, not very 82ish. One person thought corked, I didn ’t. But that doesn’t mean I wanted more. B-/C+1982 Ch La Lagune More fruit, a little barnyard, surprisingly a little hard,.B
1982 Ch Sociando Mallet Barnyard funk, no real Sociando green, a little tailing on finish. I? ?ve had better bottles but this was just drinkable. B-1982 Ch Batailley I think only bottle this day I’d never had before. I think I could count the Batailleys I’ve had on one hand. Resolved tannin, cassis, pencil lead. I think I liked more than most, nice fully mature Pauillac. B
+1982 Ch Beychevelle Finally, this is what I think ‘82 claret is supposed to taste like. Lush cassis and black cherry fruit, tobacco, and a little earth. Gets flor al in glass, plush wine yet with a backbone. A-
1982 Ch Grand Puy Lacoste Very Pauillac, black fruit with some cigarbox and pencil lead hovering in b ackground. B+/B1982 Ch Ducru Beaucaillou Just lovely. Totally ready but with lots of life left. Black plum and curra nt, coffee, cigarbox. Long finish. Gets a earthy forest-floor meets truffle note. Very long. A/A-
1982 Ch Pichon Lalande Lovely, powerful yet elegant, slightly high toned, herby notes over solid d ark fruit, classic, A-The 3 Leovilles were served blind, but others accurately guessed the non-co rked wine (and the corked one by elimination):
1982 Ch Leoville Barton Corked.1982 Ch Leoville Las Cases Lots of ripe plush fruit, not so much else going on. Tight? B/B+
1982 Ch Leoville Poyferre Red and black fruits, saddle, cedar. Lovely showing. A-Mark had a mystery wine, but I didn’t guess on wine as foil slipped and I was pretty sure I knew. After others got wine I guessed ‘83 on vintage. It was the 1985 Jaboulet “la Chapelle” Hermitag e. Dark berry fruit, mint, grilled meat, smoke. Lovely bottle. B+
Really fun afternoon! Thanks to Mark and Nancy for hosting
Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C drinkable. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a p arty where it was only choice.Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivi ty, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.