Thursday our longtime group gathered at Uncle Jack’s Steakhouse in midtown for a look at 1985 Bordeaux at 30. Nice table in a nook upstairs, gave us a nice view of our friends arriving (and people we thought our friends arriving). As we waited, a couple of starters
2007 Remelluri Rioja Blanco- I approached this with a little trepidation, not having loved some Remelluri reds before. But this I liked- full, tropical, exotic with citrus and mineral. Big wine but balanced. B+/A-
2002 Paul Bara Comtesse Marie de France Champagne- very good, in a bigger/heavier style. Citrus, toast, and apple with faint oxidative notes. I liked, but those who lean more towards Krug might like even more. B+/B
I started with a crab cake (with a “shrimp sauce” that clashed even more than the crab with the reds, but I just couldn’t order bacon or meatballs as starter for a steak) and then had the “Fred Flinstone” (rib chop with extended bone).
Right Bank Flight
1985 Ch. Magdelaine- when I double-decanted this at home it seemed thin and angry, but no sign of TCA. A bit more generous at table, it filled out and gave some fruit along with leather, ended up quite decent, but having had several of these I thought atypical. B
1985 Ch. Canon- Darker fruit, leather, cigarbox, good structure, especially acids, bright. A-/B+
Second Flight
1985 Ch. Sociando-Mallet- good fruit, lots of Sociando green/herbal notes, fresh. B+
1985 Ch. Talbot- ripe, friendly, some funk. good length. A-/B+
Third Flight
1985 Ch. Ducru Beaucaillou- full, plump, earthy, I liked a lot. B+
1985 Ch. Leoville Las Cases - I thought this seemed a bit flat next to Ducru, but others disagreed.B-
Fourth Flight
1985 Ch. Lynch Bages - loaded with lead pencil and cedar, brawny cassis fruit, full and long. A-
1985 Ch. Pichon Lalande- elegant, perfumed, fragrant. B+/A-
1985 Ch. Grand Puy Lacoste.- not a bad wine at all, just outclassed to me. No hurry though. B
Fifth Flight
1985 Ch. La Mission Haut Brion = complete and complex, my WOTN A-/A
1985 Ch. Latour - tight, wound up, lots of potential just not very giving at moment (owner didn’t have chance to decant earlier).
1985 Ch. Cos d'Estournel- good showing, held it’s own versus the big boys, brawny but balanced. B+
We did our usual 3/2/1 voting, Lynch edged LMHB for first, and Pichon Lalande edged Talbot for 3rd. I think everything except Magdelaine, Sociando, and Ducru got at least one top 3 vote. Good showing from wines, good company, good steak, good times.
Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C drinkable. 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.