Catching up on some notes. These are from a get together of wine and music aficionados who gathered at my place to watch some music videos (mostly blues and rock) and sip some American wines.
1974 Beaulieu Vineyards Georges de Latour – we had no idea how this one would be doing – top notch vintage, but one never knows about provenance of a bottle that hasn’t resided in your cellar since release (and even then yu can get duds at this age). Well this one wasn’t a dud – pale Burgundian colour, which is what you’d expect, and at first a slightly rubbery nose that cleaned up to become a nice mature, leathery fruit nose. Elegant on palate and with quite good balance, all tannins having resolved, probably years ago.
1984 Beaulieu Vineyards Georges de Latour – darker colour, and an even better nose than the 74, but sadly that was this wine’s best aspect as it seemed a bit out of balance and was mute on palate, giving a bland impression. Decent terminal acidity.
1985 Joseph Phelps Insignia – my contribution as I’d drunk up all my old BVs years ago. I was a bit wary about this one when I decanted and first tasted it, as it seemed narrow, but it opened up nicely to show a lot of mint and some cocoa in the nose, a nice sweet entry with ample remaining fruit, and good length. Very good.
1986 Mondavi Cab – the regular bottling, which I pulled out of the cellar and served blind. Still in pretty good shape with a typical Cal-cab profile, seeming younger than it was.
2002 Beaulieu Vineyards Georges de Latour – dark wine with a ripish nose and also ripe on palate, lots of black fruit – nice wine.
2003 Beaulieu Vineyards Georges de Latour – a bit of a surprise- very forward sweet fruit nose, soft tannins, well integrated, but WTF? No traditional GDL would ever drink so forwardly. ‘GDL light’? Hope they haven’t changed their style to this – a very attractive sweet wine, but what about all the wine made in the previous 5 decades that many loved?
1986 Monticello Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Jefferson Cuvée – a very claret like wine (I also pulled this one blind on them) with mellow mature fruit in the nose and perhaps a hint of mocha, this was an elegant completely mature wine that continues to offer pleasure.
1997 Louis Martini Gnarly Vines Zinfandel – this one was a bit jarring after all the mature cabs. Dark, quite ripe, smooth on palate but lacking complexity and maybe a tad hot in the nose.
1992 Warres Quinta da Cavadinha Port – sweet enough to make them think about Grahams, and indeed, one could be excused for thinking this a Malvedos from the same period. Better than I’d thought it might be with good medium colour, a mellow spicy nose, not overly hot up front but seemed to be more so at the end. Drinking well now. I find that I have one bottle left and also have some 92 Malvedos. The temptation to open the two together may be more than I can withstand!