Tom Reddick was back in town last Thursday and rather than the usual Burgundy and Champagne theme, which I am happily excluded from, Suzanne Camhi organized a Bordeaux theme, so I was in like Flynn. Bill Lawrence, Jay Miller, Chris Kravitz, Paul Jaouen and Perry Shusterman rounded out the guest list and we settled in at Le Philosophe for a fun evening filled with tasty treats.
2008 François Chidaine- Vouvray Le Bouchet - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray
Suzanne was a sweetheart for bringing this wine as it's one of my favorites from '08. This one took a little while to get going, initially showing surprisingly soft acid structure. With air, however, it picked up and was its usual vivacious and enthralling self. Still youthful with quince, apple, chalky mineral and acacia. Moderately sweet, but balanced perfectly. There's just so much thrill factor and personality to this wine. It paired wonderfully with the frog leg, maitake and sunchoke appetizer. A/A-.
2006 Francis Boulard- Champagne Les Rachais - France, Champagne, Montagne de Reims, Champagne
Lean in style with a bit more mousse than I prefer. Mineral driven with a touch of brioche and not much fruit other than some tart apple and citrus. High acid and showing lots of finesse, but it could use more fruit. B/B+.
1995 Chateau Gruaud Larose - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
Post Cordier, so much of the funk is gone. It's quite beguiling on the nose, actually, with cherry, game, earth and tobacco showing. It just really says "Bordeaux." On the palate, it's quite pleasant, but doesn't quite live up to the nose. It's drinking well for a '95, showing a softness I haven't seen in too many others from the vintage, though there is some austerity to the wine on the finish. Mid-weight with a nice mix of cherry, herb, tobacco and earth flavors. There's some oak that still needs to integrate and the acids and drying tannins need some food to smooth them out. Solid B+.
1981 Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Showing beautifully with less brett than a bottle last year and much more of a Graves earth presence. Aromatically it's singing with earth, red and black fruit, worn leather, herb, tobacco and rust. There's some leanness on the palate, but it serves to streamline the wine as there's a lovely silkiness that makes for an engaging mouthfeel. Similar flavors as aromas with the fruit still showing some sweetness. Drinking nicely and showing plenty of personality, though certainly on the back side of peak. A-
1982 Domaine de Chevalier - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Controversial only in determining what was wrong with it, with the group split between it being obliterated by brett, or being corked. I never got any tca on the nose, or in the mouth, but got plenty of Brett. However, going back to the wine later in the evening, what fruit was there at the onset had left and the wine had a tell tale clipped finish that tells me there was indeed some tca around. NR (flawed)
1985 Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
A Labrador retriever of a wine as it's just so friendly and welcoming, which is how I view the '85 vintage as a whole. It's fully integrated and has a wonderful softness and elegance about it that put a smile on everyone's face. There's plenty of sweetness to the black fruit, terrific earthiness with a bit of tobacco and herb. At peak, but no rush. My second favorite wine of the night. Solid A-.
1985 Chateau Cos d'Estournel - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe
A little more subdued than the last bottle I had, but a pleasant showing nonetheless. Plenty of tobacco to be had with sweet black cherry fruit, cocoa and spice. There's a softness to the acidity and the oak is apparent, which takes away some vibrancy and focus, but it's tasty. A-/B+.
1985 Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Sadly, it appears as if this bottle has seen some poor storage along the way as it's not showing as it should and there's some discernible maderization on the nose and palate. NR.
1989 Chateau Margaux - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
A few people were stunned by how ordinary this wine showed, but, truth be told, this was viewed as a relative dog on release given the pedigree and the vintage. But, Margaux was not alone in '89 as Haut Brion was the only first growth that truly excelled that vintage. The wine shows plummy red fruit, the greenness the wine showed in its youth seems to have shifted into a much more pleasurable tobacco realm and there's nice earthiness, but there's not much mid-palate depth and there's some drying and fragility on the finish. Perfectly fine, but given the producer and the vintage, one expects much more, especially when one factors in pricing. B+.
1989 Chateau Palmer - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
When this wine is on it's a sexy beast of wine and is in the handful of wines I consider my favorite from the vintage as it shows wonderful finesse as well as power. Unfortunately, I'm probably running 50/50 between excellent showings and disappointing ones and this bottle is subdued. It's muted on the nose and on the palate. No sign of tca, but the wine is reticent. It shows some red and black fruit, cedar and mineral, but it's tough to stay focused on it when you know what the wine can be. A-/B+.
1990 Chateau La Conseillante - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol
Last wine of the night and the wine of the night. It's a full throttle, peacock of wine that is out there flamboyantly strutting its stuff. Intensely aromatic and showing plenty of ripe black plums, black currants, black raspberry and black cherry fruit with floral notes, coffee and mineral on both the nose and palate. There's some toasty oak that still needs to integrate a bit further, but the wine is nicely balanced. Really long and pleasurable in the mouth and just a joy to drink. A.
The lineup.
2008 François Chidaine- Vouvray Le Bouchet - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray
Suzanne was a sweetheart for bringing this wine as it's one of my favorites from '08. This one took a little while to get going, initially showing surprisingly soft acid structure. With air, however, it picked up and was its usual vivacious and enthralling self. Still youthful with quince, apple, chalky mineral and acacia. Moderately sweet, but balanced perfectly. There's just so much thrill factor and personality to this wine. It paired wonderfully with the frog leg, maitake and sunchoke appetizer. A/A-.
2006 Francis Boulard- Champagne Les Rachais - France, Champagne, Montagne de Reims, Champagne
Lean in style with a bit more mousse than I prefer. Mineral driven with a touch of brioche and not much fruit other than some tart apple and citrus. High acid and showing lots of finesse, but it could use more fruit. B/B+.
1995 Chateau Gruaud Larose - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
Post Cordier, so much of the funk is gone. It's quite beguiling on the nose, actually, with cherry, game, earth and tobacco showing. It just really says "Bordeaux." On the palate, it's quite pleasant, but doesn't quite live up to the nose. It's drinking well for a '95, showing a softness I haven't seen in too many others from the vintage, though there is some austerity to the wine on the finish. Mid-weight with a nice mix of cherry, herb, tobacco and earth flavors. There's some oak that still needs to integrate and the acids and drying tannins need some food to smooth them out. Solid B+.
1981 Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Showing beautifully with less brett than a bottle last year and much more of a Graves earth presence. Aromatically it's singing with earth, red and black fruit, worn leather, herb, tobacco and rust. There's some leanness on the palate, but it serves to streamline the wine as there's a lovely silkiness that makes for an engaging mouthfeel. Similar flavors as aromas with the fruit still showing some sweetness. Drinking nicely and showing plenty of personality, though certainly on the back side of peak. A-
1982 Domaine de Chevalier - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Controversial only in determining what was wrong with it, with the group split between it being obliterated by brett, or being corked. I never got any tca on the nose, or in the mouth, but got plenty of Brett. However, going back to the wine later in the evening, what fruit was there at the onset had left and the wine had a tell tale clipped finish that tells me there was indeed some tca around. NR (flawed)
1985 Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
A Labrador retriever of a wine as it's just so friendly and welcoming, which is how I view the '85 vintage as a whole. It's fully integrated and has a wonderful softness and elegance about it that put a smile on everyone's face. There's plenty of sweetness to the black fruit, terrific earthiness with a bit of tobacco and herb. At peak, but no rush. My second favorite wine of the night. Solid A-.
1985 Chateau Cos d'Estournel - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe
A little more subdued than the last bottle I had, but a pleasant showing nonetheless. Plenty of tobacco to be had with sweet black cherry fruit, cocoa and spice. There's a softness to the acidity and the oak is apparent, which takes away some vibrancy and focus, but it's tasty. A-/B+.
1985 Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Sadly, it appears as if this bottle has seen some poor storage along the way as it's not showing as it should and there's some discernible maderization on the nose and palate. NR.
1989 Chateau Margaux - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
A few people were stunned by how ordinary this wine showed, but, truth be told, this was viewed as a relative dog on release given the pedigree and the vintage. But, Margaux was not alone in '89 as Haut Brion was the only first growth that truly excelled that vintage. The wine shows plummy red fruit, the greenness the wine showed in its youth seems to have shifted into a much more pleasurable tobacco realm and there's nice earthiness, but there's not much mid-palate depth and there's some drying and fragility on the finish. Perfectly fine, but given the producer and the vintage, one expects much more, especially when one factors in pricing. B+.
1989 Chateau Palmer - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
When this wine is on it's a sexy beast of wine and is in the handful of wines I consider my favorite from the vintage as it shows wonderful finesse as well as power. Unfortunately, I'm probably running 50/50 between excellent showings and disappointing ones and this bottle is subdued. It's muted on the nose and on the palate. No sign of tca, but the wine is reticent. It shows some red and black fruit, cedar and mineral, but it's tough to stay focused on it when you know what the wine can be. A-/B+.
1990 Chateau La Conseillante - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol
Last wine of the night and the wine of the night. It's a full throttle, peacock of wine that is out there flamboyantly strutting its stuff. Intensely aromatic and showing plenty of ripe black plums, black currants, black raspberry and black cherry fruit with floral notes, coffee and mineral on both the nose and palate. There's some toasty oak that still needs to integrate a bit further, but the wine is nicely balanced. Really long and pleasurable in the mouth and just a joy to drink. A.
The lineup.