Notes from a very memorable tasting dinner of 1961 Bordeaux, arranged by the redoubtable Albert Givton. Albert tends to collect wines on release and keep them in a very cool cellar (10 C, or 50 F.), which means that they age imperceptibly, and wines from his cellar are very likely to be in fine shape when 90% of the rest of the bottles in existence, cellared at significantly higher temperatures, are dead ducks.
The event was arranged at the Blue Water Café in Vancouver, and although they feature fishy cuisine, there was not much of that in evidence at this dinner – quite the contrary.
For whatever reason, this site won't accept the images I have - thinks they are too large (they aren't). If you want to see this report with photos, look at http://www.winefanatic.ca/bb/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=4435&p=20211#p20211
We had canapés of miso sablefish, Arctic Char rillettes, and Dungeness crab sushi rolls with two different bottles of:
1983 J.F. Coche-Dury Meursault ‘Casse-Tete' – light straw colour very ripe fruit in the nose, with wax and citrus elements, palate coating, almost thick mouth feel, excellent length and acidity. 2nd bottle – less in the nose, far leaner on palate, a bit flat in finish, decent, but a very different wine!
2005 Dom. Comte Senarde Corton Grand Cru – this wine is made from Pinot Blanc (called locally Pinot Beurot or Burot), permitted historically in Burgundy but utilized far more in Alsace. Lighter in colour, a faint hint of grapefruit in the nose with up front acidity that makes it a lively wine.
The first course was a foie gras terrine with peaches and honey white balsamic reduction, served in a hollowed brioche.
1953 Ch. Roumieu Lacoste Barsac – amber colour, high toned sweet nose, smooth, long in good shape and not too sweet to mate well with the FG.
With quail wrapped in ventreche, stuffed with pine nuts, sausage and chard.
L’Arrosée – this St. Emilion has always been well known in Vancouver, but much less so elsewhere for some reason. This one had a bricky browning colour, a good earthy mature nose, was supple and ended with quite a bit of acidity. High in cabernet.
La Gaffeliere Naudes – this chateau dropped the ‘Naudes’ sometime after this vintage. The wine had a darker redder colour sweeter nose, but an even more acidic finish, creamy texture, and very good length.
Clinet – this Pomerol was DOA, luckily the only wine of the event to be that way.
With veal tenderloin and cheeks with sweetbreads with chanterelles boulangere potatoes and Bordelaise sauce:
Pape Clement (Graves)– as we moved to the left bank things immediately picked up in terms of colour. Sweet fruit and tobacco in the nose, sweet entry, some savory notes on palate also finishing sweet, but marred, for me, by a definite note of charred wood at the end. C’est dommage!
Cantemerle (Haut Medoc) – musty hints at first, then the nose cleaned up with a bit of time and became quite nice with old fruit and a balanced wine. Best of flight for me. Had the Pape not been flawed by the finish, this would have been second favourite.
Malescot St. Exupery (Margaux) – earth, a hint of wood and sweet fruit in the nose, with nice hints of spice, good length, well structured and classy.
Calon Segur (St. Estephe) - darker colour (this flight had pretty much avoided the browning edges of the earlier wines) , and also showing some nice spicy fruit in the nose, this had a whiff of volatile acidity and slightly high terminal acidity, otherwise a good showing.
With saddle of lamb roasted on a bed of thyme:
St. Pierre (St. Julien) – good colour, a really lovely nose with good fruit levels, and sweet fruit on palate, acting like it was 20 years younger. Nice wine. Tasty.
Leoville Barton (St. Julien) – Lively wine with excellent fruit in the nose, plumy and sweet, that carried through on palate. Delicious wine with good length.
Gruaud Larose (St. Julien) - we had a St. Julien winner with this one. Delightful mature nose with sweet fruit and cinnamon hints, well structured and long.
Pontet Canet (Pauillac) – another classy wine with plenty of stuffing, some nice cocoa in the nose and good length.
Grand Puy Lacoste (Pauillac) – the last two wines were also the best of the night. Ripe nose of cedar and plum, sweet and delicious in the mouth and very long.
Lynch Bages (Pauillac) – I got slight mint in this nose, allied with mature fruit and wood notes, more sweet fruit, a thick mouth feel and great length.
It sure doesn’t get much better than this, and there will probably never be as small and high quality a vintage again. Wonderful memorable Bordeaux!
For afters we had petits fours with:
Malaga Solera Scholtz Hermanos 1885 – a solera system wine with components going back into the late 19th century, this brown alcoholic wine was only fairly sweet with a hot raisiny nose and great persistence in the mouth, seemingly lingering for minutes. Great way to end the tasting.
(It DID cost about exactly what the monthly municipal tax bill on the house is, as a matter of fact!)