WTN: Nice Wines, Great Evening

We got together with another wine/food couple and decided the theme should be great wines, simple food. Had a couple of nice apps, grilled fillet mignon and homemade brownies for dessert. The food was very good and allowed the attention to be on the wine. Four wines were served, a white before dinner and three reds during dinner.

1) '00 Chassange Montrachet "L'Ormeau - Nice gold color, beautifully balanced, touch of acidity that gave it life. This was a better wine than I expected because I have been in a rut with white Burgs having too much oak. Have one more bottle and wish I had more. Probably will go another 2-3 years but won't get any better.

2) '86 Lynch Bages - Very soft, some may call it simple but think it was just fading. A nice wine but did not have anything that stood out and seemed to show less as the evening wore on. Had a hard time competing with the next two wines.

3) '86 Gruaud LaRose - Full body wine with rustic edges that seem to go with Gruaud. Beautiful nose, color and balance. This ended up being the WOTN slightly edging out the next wine. Has some life left but would not expect to get too many more years.

4) '91 Montalena - Obviously a cab but a very nice cab. This wine was 5 years younger than the other two reds but in five years may be drinking the best. Nice balance, big flavors and very enjoyable.

Observation - I bought '86 thinking they would last forever. Over the last few years and confirmed above, I have changed my mind and will be working on drinking most of them because I think the fruit will fade. The Gruaud was very good but will not last too many more years and the Lynch Bages was definitely on the downside.

Walt

We had a '77 Montelena two weeks ago that was in very fine form and far from fading. Intriguingly, I thought a friend's blind guess of Tuscany was a great and thought-provoking guess - tasting it non-blind, I felt it indeed closer to super-Tuscan than Napa (though I accept that in many respects Napa isn't what Napa was when this was bottled - and my experience of Napa is somewhat limited).

Not a wine I could afford to nuy regularly, but I'll certainly keep an eye out for older bottles.

regards

Ian

FWIW I'd also have guessed a healthy dose of Merlot in a blend with Cabernet Sauvignon (had I not known). I would have been miles off on the vintage as well, but I confidently predict that I would have been able to tell it was a red (not white) wine possibly

3) '86 Gruaud LaRose - Full body wine with rustic edges that seem to go with Gruaud. Beautiful nose, color and balance. This ended up being the WOTN slightly edging out the next wine. Has some life left but would not expect to get too many more years.

Wow, Walt. I am surprised that this wine was as advanced as you found it. I have a bottle carefully stashed away until it was 'ready.' Mayhap that time is soonish.

Mark Lipton

We had a '77 Montelena two weeks ago that was in very fine form and far from fading. Intriguingly, I thought a friend's blind guess of Tuscany was a great and thought-provoking guess - tasting it non-blind, I felt it indeed closer to super-Tuscan than Napa (though I accept that in many respects Napa isn't what Napa was when this was bottled - and my experience of Napa is somewhat limited).

I am not a fan of CA wines but do believe the pendulum has swung slightly back from the majority of ripe high alcohol juicy wines. I have tasted several lately that seem to be more old world than new world in style. Liked the '80's and early 90's. stopped purchasing from '94 thru '04 but they may be worth a try again. The alcohol is high due to reasons other than late picking and maybe the world has gotten enough of aged RP 95 point wines from CA.
Walt

3) '86 Gruaud LaRose - Full body wine with rustic edges that seem to go with Gruaud. Beautiful nose, color and balance. This ended up being the WOTN slightly edging out the next wine. Has some life left but would not expect to get too many more years.

Wow, Walt. I am surprised that this wine was as advanced as you found it. I have a bottle carefully stashed away until it was 'ready.' Mayhap that time is soonish.

Mark Lipton

Mark,
Based on this wine last Saturday and my experience over the last several years, this wine is at it's plateau. It may go another 5 years but think it will not improve. I bought it on release and it has been sitting in a controlled cellar ever since. My last bottle tried was similar. This is not like '75 where the race was fruit vs tannins. I think it is just a race to see how long the fruit will last. May have been an overated year. Just my opinion and sure could be wrong.
Walt