Interesting small group tasting at lunch the other day.
2008 Dom. Vrignaud Chablis 1er cru Fourchaume Vielles Vignes – not a familiar producer to me. Nice citrus nose, tons of acidity and good minerality.
1982 Heitz Cabernet Martha’s Vineyard – although I am very familiar with this wine, this bottle completely fooled me. The nose was showing more claret like than Calcab, and the reason for that was that the usual minty component was AWOL. Medium colour, now fading to orange at the edges, and in the mouth there was still good levels of fruit. I’d have put money on it being a St. Julien, not an Oakville!
1990 Ch. Saint Auriol Corbieres - not sure why this modest wine had failed to come out of hiding years earlier, as I expect it had been best by the mid 90s, but it was nonetheless interesting. At first I pegged it as being a dead parrot, but I left it in the glass for a bit and mirabile dictum it started to open up and the nose began to display some warm nutmeg and tomato notes, the best facet of the wine as the fruit had long ago left the building.
1995 Sassicaia – my own offering, only the second bottle out of a case that I felt merited tasting again. This wine continues to get better and better with age – it had a lovely pure cabernet nose with some obvious wood, a sweet entry and was well put together with a lengthy finish. No rush.
1982 Leoville Barton – Corked. C’est dommage! This would have made a superb bookend to the 82 Heitz, had it been in good shape.
