TN: The theme was 1982 and older from anywhere.

B

Brad Kane

Brad Kane
Manuel and Josie were back in town and as it turned out, so was Keith Levenberg. E-mails were sent, a wine theme was set, 1982 or older from anywhere and Chris Kravitz and Jayson Cohen joined us for another fun evening at Il Corso.

1969 Poniatowski- Vouvray Clos Baudoin - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray
Oxidized with dirty barrels, nuts, tart lemon and the faint remains of dried apricot. VA started to take over the wine with time. Not pleasant. D.

1981 Bodegas Riojanas- Rioja Monte Real Gran Reserva - Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja
This was such a youthful and fresh bottle that continued to unfurl and get better as the evening progressed. Fruit forward, but with complex blood and spicy wood backing up the sweet cherry fruit. The wine picked up an interesting cement dust component and a touch of blood orange with air. Extremely fragrant on the nose and showing great depth and weight on the palate. Just a beautiful showing and plenty of life ahead of it. Low A.

1981 R. López de Heredia- Rioja Gran Reserva Viña Bosconia - Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja
In comparison to the Monte Real, this showed a more mature profile with darker, less vibrant fruit and more tobacco, earth and meat notes. Quite juicy and showing a lot of tannin. Indeed, the tannins started to clamp down hard on the wine with extended air. Good weight and it shows more extract than the Monte Real, but it lacks the succulence and vibrancy that one has. A good showing, but I've had some where the fruit was more pronounced. Keith flew up from DC with it the same day, so that probably didn't help its cause. A-.

1973 Bodegas Muga- Rioja Rioja Gran Reserva Conde de Haro - Spain, La Rioja, Rioja
I've had variable success with this wine. This was an average showing. Starts off with a bit of musty barrels, a trait that never really left the wine. Decent fruit levels and they did increase with time, but never really blossomed. Leaner than some other bottles I've had with the acidity sticking out just a touch. The usual worn wood, spice and orange citrus bringing up the rear. B.

1973 Bodegas Riojanas- Rioja Monte Real Gran Reserva - Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja
Another wine that shows wide variability. I remember Manuel one time going through several corked bottles of this before finally finding one that was tca free. Other times the VA has been out of control. When it's on, though, it can be a terrific bottle of wine. This showing was fine, but a bit sedate. It showed some decent cherry and strawberry fruit that continued to grow with air, with old wood, spice and citrus, but the wine seemed constrained in a straitjacket and perhaps a bit medicated. There just wasn't a lot of energy to the wine. Some interesting coffee and herb notes developed with air, but an unusual plastic note also came up. B.

1970 Ch“teau Lynch-Bages - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Decanted a couple of hours before we got to it, Jayson was concerned that the fruit was a little more vibrant a half hour before we got to it, but this was a lovely showing. Just what you want in an old Bordeaux, plenty of earth notes, tobacco, graphite, a hint of herb and good fruit. The fruit was a little bit in the back when first poured, hence Jayson's concern, and more black in profile, but it sweetened up with air and took on more of a cherry character. Integrated and fairly resolved, but showing wonderful length and old age sweetness. Just nicely comforting, like a well worn leather chair. Solid A-.

Pics from the evening.

The group.
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The wines.
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originally posted by Brad Kane: TN: The theme was 1982 and older from anywhere.1970 Chateau Lynch-Bages Decanted a couple of hours before we got to it, Jayson was concerned that the fruit was a little more vibrant a half hour before we got to it
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Brad, I've seen this unwelcome sequence numerous times; thus, I remain averse to decanting way ahead of time with old wines.

. . . . . Pete
 
I am also not Victor but there is a long history, in Rioja, to offer two bottlings: one more elegant, one more robust. The tradition also dictates that the elegant one goes in the Bordeaux bottle while the robust one goes in the Burgundy bottle. (So much for common sense.)
 
originally posted by Jeff Grossman:
I am also not Victor but there is a long history, in Rioja, to offer two bottlings: one more elegant, one more robust. The tradition also dictates that the elegant one goes in the Bordeaux bottle while the robust one goes in the Burgundy bottle. (So much for common sense.)
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I dunno if it ever occurred to me to think of, e.g., Tondonia as more elegant and Bosconia as more robust, but if that's the tradition it makes perfect sense considering that it would have arisen before the Parker/Rolland/etc. era. Burgundy was always regarded as the bigger, bolder wine compared to claret -- Saintsbury and André Simon both make reference to this, among others. Indeed, Burgundy then and now is generally higher in alcohol degree and if you combine that with an era of tastes favoring elegant clarets and powerful Burgundies, it's not hard to imagine the result. And there are definitely wines you can pick to get the same result today.. put a Haut-Bailly next to a Corton or Clos Vougeot and they probably shake out as elegant vs. robust, respectively...
 
originally posted by Jeff Grossman:
I am also not Victor but there is a long history, in Rioja, to offer two bottlings: one more elegant, one more robust. The tradition also dictates that the elegant one goes in the Bordeaux bottle while the robust one goes in the Burgundy bottle. (So much for common sense.)
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That's swell. I need more Bordeaux.
 
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