WTN: Issan & Lagrange,CaliCabs, old Torres, Madeira, etc

Last night I attended an excellent dinner at Tocqueville with the winemakers from Ch. d'Issan and Ch. Lagrange (St Julien). Due to a missing email, I realized during day I didn't know where, when or what I was supposed to bring (though Mark had earlier said "anything but Bordeaux.") I eventually talked to Craig, who knowing a bit of what I had said "aim for interesting rather than expensive, maybe a CFE or older Cab," I was stuck at office and limited to what I had at overflow storage, so chose a '97 CFE and a older Jordan.

Arrived at Tocqueville to find a nice group gathered. Mark the organizer introduced Emmanuel Cruse from Issan and Bruno Eynard who suceeded Marcel Ducasse at Lagrange. Both were cordial, charming, and informative throughout the evening. The rest of the guests were an assortment of journalist and amateurs. While we gathered some excellent hors d'oeuvres circulated, my faves some little foie stacks and some pastry straws- I think beet cracker around goat cheese. We eventually sat down for dinner, and had a ball.

Flight 1 (I chose cheese and truffle grits with an egg)
2005 Ch. d'Issan- bigger and more modern (though not extreme) than I'm used to with Issan, but a nice wine with rich dark fruit, some toasty oak, good length. Needs time B+

2001 Ch. d'Issan- medweight, Margaux berry fruit, lots of leather and just a hint of barnyard. At moment I (and I think I alone!) preferred to 2005. B+

2006 Ch. Lagrange- medium bodied, red fruit, coffee, plenty of oak. B+/B

2005 Ch. Lagrange - lots of oak, but seemed to me to have plenty of stuffing to integrate. Big, burly, but not hot or unwieldy. A-/B+

Flight 2 (lobster with I think celeriac puree)
2000 Ch. d'Issan- rather medium bodied for a 2000, but balanced and elegant. Not sure of decanting but this was drinking surprisingly well. B+/A-

1999 Ch. d'Issan- ripe, low acid, soft tannins. Ready to go. B

2002 Ch. Lagrange- my neighbor didn't care for this, but I've always enjoyed (it was incredibly cheap on release with strong dollar), more sturdy than charming, this will never be elegant but I fnd tasty. B+/B

2000 Ch. Lagrange- fairly open, lots of mocha, somewhat tannin,quite long, needs time but very nice. B+

Flight 3 (beef 2 ways)
1998 Ch. d'Issan- medium bodied, just a hint of green, tastes fairly mature though there are some slightly gritty tannins than need to resolve. B-

1996 Ch. d'Issan- medium to full, a little barnyard, redder fruit. B

1996 Ch. Lagrange- I liked this more than my neighbors, the oak has resolved into a complex blend of chocolate and espresso, fruit is vibrant without being showy, a little animal note. nice finish, A-

1989 Ch. Lagrange- still a bit tannic, low acid, solid fruit, but I didn't like as much as tablemates - I found it a tad plodding, though I have liked before (and have some) B

Flight 4
1990 Ch. Lagrange (d-mag) Rich black cherries, cigarbox, lots of earth. Lovely wine and my favorite of the Bordeaux. A-

1982 Ch. Lagrange (mag) previous regime. Nice mature claret, fairly low acid, quite decent but without any 1982 "oomph" B

The hell with flights, look out, here come the random wines. No real rhyme or reason, just something someone thought would be fun to try.

1983 Diamond Creek Gravelly Meadow
I was looking forward to this, but thought it really weird. Then I tried sniffing some neighbor's pours, and realized I had "soapy glass syndrome." One of the more expensive "primes" I've ever had.

1990 Jadot Savigny les Beaune
Still holding on surprisingly well. Low acid, a bit dusty, but still some good black cherry fruit and decent finish. B/B+

1962 Torres Gran Coronas Reserva
(Said both Reserva and Gran Reserva). Dark plum fruit, citrus zest, menthol. A little reticient at first, opens up and shows nice complexity. A-/B+

1980 Robert Pecota Cabernet Sauvignon
I've never heard of this. Holding on, rather tart red fruit, some green notes, not dead but not something I really like. But owner said it was about $8. C+

1976 Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon
Very muted, then it blossomed. Mature but not tired, lots of herbal notes, red fruit,. Resolved tannins, balanced acidity, I was happy with the showing. B+

1934 Bual
Neglected to write down producer. Toffee, caramel, spice, long and lovely, fine wine. A-

There was a mystery port, and I left before it was unveiled. I thought very good, youthful fruit but a lot of complex earth/spice notes that maybe think this had some age. If we're supposed to guess I've go with mid60s Fonseca VP, but I'm hopeless with port styles. B+/A-

I had also brought 1997 Trimbach Cuvee Frederic Emile. Not oxidized, but with that '97 softness, I'd drink now. Mineral, fat for a Freddie, apple and ginger. It was a bit of a waste and most people were past interest in dry white, too bad. Good not great CFE. B/B+

Oops, time for the mad dash for the train. Shared a cab and a jog with Mark and Nancy, and enjoyed chatting with them on train home. No cabs at my station, so a nice long icy walk to clear my head. Really good night, thanks to Mark for organizing, Bruno and Emmanuel for their humor and insights, and to all for their company,

(title edited for spelling)
Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C mediocre. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a party where it was only choice. Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency. 

Glad to hear the '00 Lagrange is coming along. Still stitting on some. Was going to pop one last year, but was steered away by comments around here.

Nice notes, Dale. Sounds like a fun and interesting tasting.

I had the 2000 Issan two years ago and my bottle too showed very well for it's age.

Where do you think the 1996 Lagrange is in it's maturity curve? Not there yet, early, fully mature, etc?

For the search engine, Madeira, not Madiera, or else I wasn't born in Rio de Janiero (another frequently occurring switcharoo).

Thanks Oswaldo, title edited.
Carl, for my tastes I'll wait a few more.
Patrick, I'd guess just approaching maturity, at moment I'm thinking starting 2015, but based on track record probably a wine that can last another 20-25. I'm not sure how much air these had (at least a couple hours). This will probably be at a '96 horizontal this winter/spring, we'll see how it does then.

[David M. Bueker]

'96 Lagrange has been around in the secondary market (mostly shops selling collections) for a while, and so provenance varies. I still have a couple purchased on release, and would echo Dale's 2015 time frame. Of course Lagrange is often accessible regardless of age, so popping one any time is rarely a mistake. The 2000 does indeed need time, but has provided a lot of pleasure throughout its early life.

I disposed of my 1997 CFE's a couple of years back. Only at release (read purchase point) did I think this wine befitting the label. Every bottle thereafter was on some form of slippery slope. Had some bad experiences with the 1994 Freddy's. too.

Thanks for your notes on what must have been a great wine dinner.

Craig informs me the 1934 Madeira was from Cossart, and the "Port" was a 1973 from an Aussie producer (not sure who). Didn't see that one coming!