Our Bordeaux group met up at Quality Bistro in midtown Manhattan for a look at 1989 claret. There were 3 Champagne starters, all excellent and all in quite different styles.
2017 Chartogne-Taillet “les Couarres” Extra Brut
Bright pear, lilac, almond. Nervy, elegant, with a delicate mousse, very fun. A-/B+
2012 Roederer Starck Brut Nature Rose
Taut but still giving , Rainier cherry and cranberry, baking bread, long chalky finish. While I thought giving at first Jay prompted me to retry much later, now really giving. Balanced, stony, long. A-
2008 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Rose
Sweet tangerine and blood orange, red cherry, rye bread,.chalk. After the low dosage bubbles takes a minute to adjust, but this is classic and long. A-
We started with the “butter garni” (a huge pile of butter mixed with shallots, pimente d'espelette, fleur de sel) served with grilled sourdough, radishes, cornichons, leeks, ham, chorizo spread, and more. Soon followed by fried chicken, black truffle croquettes, and duck confit club sandwiches. I barely touched my strip steak frites as I was full by time it arrived. Food and service were very good.
1989 Ch. Angelus
Black plum, menthol, incense, I enjoy the nose of this but find the palate a bit rougher, with some oak tannin sticking out. B/B-
1989 Ch. Magdelaine
Elegant, soulful. Black cherry, woodsmoke, cigarbox. Long complex finish. A-
1989 Vieux Ch. Certan
Rich balanced. Black plum, cassis, espresso, Earl Grey tea. Very long, with a long future.
A-/A
1989 Ch. Pichon Baron
While this was pretty good, I’ve had great bottles of this. Black currant, mocha, leather, some slightly grating tannin, not as long as it can be. B/B+
1989 Ch. Pichon Lalande
More of a middleweight, with nice velvety texture, moderate black plum and cassis fruit, some herbs. B+
1989 Ch. Leoville Las Cases
I found this somewhat lean and foursquare, with modest black fruit, some green tobacco leaf. B-
1989 Ch. Palmer
Dark berries, cocoa, a little green pepper and forest floor. Long refined finish. A-
1989 Ch. Lynch Bages
Young and masculine, cassis and saddle leather, very long A-
Really good night. Wines showed very well (no corked!) and the company and food were great. Afterwards our usual group voting (just of the theme reds)
Palmer 19 pts
Lynch Bages 17
VCC 10
Magdelaine 5
Pichon Baron 2
Pichon Lalande 1
LLC 1
(edited to correct an embarassing misspelling of duck)
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.