I missed the first round of 1988 claret that Victor hosted last month, but was happy to host round 2. I had hoped to be on patio, but we needed AC so 7 of us gathered in dining room.
Charcuterie:Duck rillettes, smoked duck breast, dry salami, prosciutto di Parma, prosciutto di Tennessee (Bentons),
Cheese: Robiola, Ossau Iraty, Brie
Plus olives and cheese straws
NV Rodez Rose Champagne
(lot 05-22, assume May 2022 dg) Not been a big fan of white Rodez, but liked this rose. Quite vinuous, with supple red fruits and a toasty bread edge. Not very long but quite nice. B+
2019 Bereche Campania Remensis Rose Champagne
Very pale, barely noticeable color, rich palate of citrus and Rainier cherry, rye toast, very long. I really thought this was great. A-
I started off by searing some slices of foie gras, good excuse to get rid of some bottles of Sauternes
1988 Ch. Guiraud
Bright acids, orange marmalade and honeycomb, citrus blossoms. Very good B++
1988 Ch. Coutet (Barsac)
Medium bodied, very ripe apricot and candied orange, a hint of brown sugar, doesn’t have quite the lift the Guiraud has. B
On to the reds
1988 Ch.Haut-Bailly
A little muted, dark fruits and gravelly soil, I like but don’t love, someone who has had recently thought a possibly slightly off bottle. For me now, B/B-
1988 Ch Beychevelle.
A bit green and lean to start, fleshed out over the evening. Black cherry and chipotle pepper, some cedar, good at least for those of us not drawn to really ripe fruit. B+/B
1988 Ch. Leoville-Barton
I’m often a Barton sceptic, but this (once it got some air) it has lots of potential. The one wine of the night that I felt really needed time. Cassis, black plum, graphite, tobacco wrapped in a lot of structure - both tannic and acidic. With time this could be one of the great Bartons ever. B for now, A- potential.
1988 Ch. Talbot
Friendlier, softer, light barnyard notes over plum fruit, ok length B
1988 Ch. Pontet-Canet.
A little dried out, raspy tannins and modest red fruit, a not attractive burnt wood note. B-/C+
1988 Ch. Calon-Segur
Moved up in order because the cork was in bad shape, wine is a bit compromised and there’s some maderization., but I felt (and I think group consensus) that there’s a really nice wine underneath, you could still get black cherry and cassis, cedar, tobacco, and a sense of strength. NR
While I tended the grill and stove, we took a break with a white flight
1994 Ch. de Fieuzal Blanc
I didn’t have an 88 to pair with the Laville, so planned a 1990, but grabbed wrong bottle. Oops! Luckily wine showed well- lemon and pear, grapefruit pith, just a hint of grass and almond. B+/B I would have given more attention but it’s flightmate was spectacular,
1988 Ch. Laville Haut-Brion
Yowza. For me pretty much a perfect example of a mature white Bordeaux. Waxy, full, bright and long, with pear, coconut, flint and smoke. Very long, very complex. A
I threw in a blind red. Jayson got Cali Cab right away, and worked way to vintage, but folks were thinking Napa. I threw them a curveball by saying it was a cult wine, sending them down wrong path. Big berry fruit, road tar, eucalyptus. Good length, I liked more than group.
2001 Taken From Granite (Renaissance) Swan Song (North Yuba). B+/B
Flank steak lamb merguez, spinach, potatoes with ramp butter, fennel slaw
1988 Ch.Cos d'Estournel
Solid, stolid, foursquare. It’s Cos! B
1988 Ch. Pichon Lalande
Elegant and long, black cherry, black currant, and pencil shavings, a little tobacco leaf note. Lovely finish, lovely wine. A-/A
1988 Ch. Certan de May
Soft and saturated cork, maybe not a perfect bottle, but really good anyway. Cassis, plum, and espresso, with a light touch of green pepper and herbs, smooth tannins, long finish, just a little hint of oxidation keeping it from outstanding. B+
1988 Vieux Chateau Certan
And outstanding is what we have here. Youthful but ready to drink, powerful cassis fruit, leather, cedar, truffles, and velvety Pomerol texture (and yes I know there’s a lot of Cab). Gets more and more complex, fantastic showing. A
Really fun tasting, if you take out a few compromised bottles we had some great wines, I don’t remember last time I had 2 solid As!
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.