How was the '97 Breton Grandmont? I'm nearing the end of my stash, the last few bottles have alternated between beautiful cabernet franc and pine resin.
Popped and poured. A manly cork: in the neck for 24 years and hardly stained half an inch. The color is a deep maroon, not yet brown but no ruby flashes, either.
I can see why some call it the barolo of the south. It has the same mouthfeel -- mid-weight, slightly astringent, cleansing -- and it shares some flavors: there is a prominent tar flavor, though this has a bitterness that the barolo does not; there is a flowery air, though less the pure bliss of roses and more a sturdy mixed bouquet (though not so assertive as lily or gardenia); there is cranberry and a memory of strawberry.
My partner asked for some (...high praise, indeed, as he is best known for choosing, in red, only well-aged grand cru burgundy).
45 minutes later: The whole flavor profile is lessening. Less bitter, less flower.
2:45 later: A lot less distinctive, if a little easier to take. Probably burning up. Nice memory, though.
