Blind tastings always reveal something that you weren't expecting. They provide the benefit of removing price and label bias, but I think the current view that blind tasting is the "great equalizer" is very much overstated.
While you have indeed taken one layer of prejudice out by tasting blind, you have added a different level of prejudice. The reason being, of course, that when you take out all the externalities you lose a lot of other context that we all use in judging a wine. So, while it may be an equalizer, it is essentially regression to the mean, equalizing all the wines on their particular showiness at this type of tasting as you've essentially eliminated the intellectual aspect of tasting wine. Knowing the age, varietal or other factors can change your view in a positive way in terms of viewing a wine within its proper context. For most tasters, who taste a wine over its entire life, this is very important.
Further, given the usual format, there is only a relatively short window to taste before making a judgment. This rewards showy wines and relies on each member of the group to treat the wine right in terms of decanting and serving temperature. The problem is accentuated by the lack of experience of most tasters in this type of setting. Personally, I can't say that I'm typically surprised how things show blind as I try to maintain enough discipline to realize the shiny object may be cubic zirconium. Patience is a virtue in not rushing to a view as wines change constantly in the glass.
Mind you, I'm not being critical about blind tastings or their value, I just believe we all need to be mindful that they don't show us as much as we think.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Sorry for the Lack of Posts
There are always a million reasons not to do something. I'm back and will be more diligent!
Thursday, November 22, 2007
A Sad Day on eBob
I've been a frequent denizen of the chat board for Robert Parker's Wine Advocate. I've learned a tremendous amount and made a bunch of friends...and as the things we love and value disappoint us the most...it is with great regret that I note that Lyle Fass has been banned from the board. I've learned a tremendous amount about wine from reading his posts and blog (Rockss and Fruit), as well as visiting him at his shop.
Mark Squires had best remember the words of John F. Kennedy. “Those who make peaceful revolution impossible, make violent revolution inevitable.” As competing voices are drowned out it only reinforces the (erroneous) notion that M. Parker is trying to dictate taste in the wine world. Alice Fiering spoke on her blog of her banning. Even when snarky and condescending, as I often find Ms. Fiering's writing to be, I am drawn to it for no other reason than it is deemed taboo. I've even learned a thing or two, although I have as yet caught the disease that makes good people reject fruit as a flaw (see I can be reductive and marginalize points of view too). The more voices the better. We should not be afraid of ideas and we must always have the courage to confront our own beliefs and examine whether they stand scrutiny.
Mostly, we must fight for those that disagree with us, lest we become what we have beheld in horror. In the words of Keith Levenberg (or was it Niemöller), "First they came for Merlot and I did not speak up because I was not Merlot."
Mark Squires had best remember the words of John F. Kennedy. “Those who make peaceful revolution impossible, make violent revolution inevitable.” As competing voices are drowned out it only reinforces the (erroneous) notion that M. Parker is trying to dictate taste in the wine world. Alice Fiering spoke on her blog of her banning. Even when snarky and condescending, as I often find Ms. Fiering's writing to be, I am drawn to it for no other reason than it is deemed taboo. I've even learned a thing or two, although I have as yet caught the disease that makes good people reject fruit as a flaw (see I can be reductive and marginalize points of view too). The more voices the better. We should not be afraid of ideas and we must always have the courage to confront our own beliefs and examine whether they stand scrutiny.
Mostly, we must fight for those that disagree with us, lest we become what we have beheld in horror. In the words of Keith Levenberg (or was it Niemöller), "First they came for Merlot and I did not speak up because I was not Merlot."
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Autumn in Piedmont in NYC
A wonderful evening last night with great people and 3 decades of Nebbiolo. I can't think of a better way to spend a rainy Monday night. I'm a big fan of the variety, especially when it starts kicking into gear at around age 25.
Starters
2000 Louis Jadot Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune
Not bad. It had some nice pure Chardonnay aromatics with smoked cashew notes that became more pronounced over the evening and made it seem older than it was. Perhaps a hint oxidized, but more likely just the character of the wine. It was quite round and creamy with decent acidity that kept everything in balance, but did not create any vivacity. I would have liked to see more minerality as well, although all in it is a nice wine that didn't aspire to greatness.
2003 Michele Chiarlo Barbera d'Asti Superiore La Court - Italy, Piedmont, Asti
It's not often you see a Barbera d'Asti striving for elegence, but this one does and almost succeeds. It lacks the rusticity and fleshiness of BdA, but it doesn't quite shed it's ruggedness. The trick here seems to be to use the tannin for structure around black, slightly sour fruit. It had a nice acidity that tied it together. Certainly a good wine for every day Italian food.
What's better than old Barbaresco...
1978 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe
A big and weighty wine that speaks its the vintage in Piedmont. It started out quite funky with a touch of band-aid that blew off pretty quicky. It left a rather feral nose of smoke and bloody meat. Certainly interesting, albeit not exceptionally elegant. It showed great presence though on the palate with significant weight and ample fruit floating over a lively acidity. I appreciated the typicity both to the grape and the vintage and I really enjoyed it, although it is not without its flaws. It certainly has years left.
1983 Gaja Barbaresco Costa Russi - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe
A pretty wine with a lot of charm, it seemed pretty textbook Barbaresco. Someone mentioned that Gaja would probably have objected to that statement, but there you are. The delicate nose gave sour cherry and rose petals and picked up hints of licorice. The palate could have used a bit more weight and the acidity overwhelmed the finish a touch. Still, a very nice presentation given the vintage. I'd bet a lot of winemaking went into making this this good.
...old Barolo
1971 Giacomo Borgogno & Figli Barolo Riserva - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe (red cap-original release)
This wine had the disadvantage of having travelled on a train and being shown next to the stellar 1974. It came around in the glass to some degree, but it never shook off the slightly balsamic nose. I think it may have been an off-bottle.
1974 Giacomo Borgogno & Figli Barolo Riserva - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe (black cap-library release)
Just a wonderful wine. It was exceptionally lively in the glass and crystal clear, belying its age. The nuanced fruit showed amazing freshness, meeting you on the way to the glass. Great Barolo characteristics with some other subtle, interesting ones such as white chocolate. An undercurrent of acidity pulled the soft, silky fruit along to the finish. Absolutely effortless. Consensus WOTN.
Not so old Barolo is nice too
1995 Giuseppe E Figlio Mascarello Barolo Monprivato - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe
I think we took this one down a bit too young. It was very tight for most of the evening, although it had started ceding ground by the end of the night. I found it well-made and varietally correct, but not mindblowing at this stage. Clearly all the elements are in place though and perhaps the nuance will start to develop with some additional age. This needs at least another five years.
1993 Giuseppe E Figlio Mascarello Barolo Ca d'Morissio Riserva Monprivato - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe
This was a somewhat controversial wine. While surprisingly ready to go, I did not enjoy it at all. Others put it in their top 3, so there you go. I found some eucalytus notes which I thought both odd and off-putting and the sweet red fruit came across a bit candied. Peter suggested that it was more of a red licorice than the black that you'd expect and I thought that pretty apt. The back end of the wine was nice, but this was not a wine for me.
1997 Prunotto Barolo - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe
I liked this quite a bit, although it is more of a correct wine than a blow the doors off wine. It had the great ripeness of the vintage, but it was styled very traditionally, which I appreciated. The nose showed ample black cherries, licorice and tar. The midpalate was a bit fat and fleshy and it needs some time to thin out on its own because the acidity is not high enough to pull off the balancing act.
Baby Barbarescos
1997 Gaja Barbaresco - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe
A very, very young prodigious wine. Tight, tannic and showing plenty of oak, it is more about structure than anything else at this point. The fruit that did show was ripe and concentrated with some smoky licorice. Tons of potential here with a tremendous amount of stuffing.
1998 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Asili - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe
A beautifully made wine with a very refined air. The nose is most of the story at this point with red berries and rose petals. Pretty chewy in the mouth with chalky tannins that don't allow the fruit to follow through from the nose. Not profound at this point, it needs a good 10 years in the cellar and could develop a little more nuance. Time will tell.
Starters
2000 Louis Jadot Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune
Not bad. It had some nice pure Chardonnay aromatics with smoked cashew notes that became more pronounced over the evening and made it seem older than it was. Perhaps a hint oxidized, but more likely just the character of the wine. It was quite round and creamy with decent acidity that kept everything in balance, but did not create any vivacity. I would have liked to see more minerality as well, although all in it is a nice wine that didn't aspire to greatness.
2003 Michele Chiarlo Barbera d'Asti Superiore La Court - Italy, Piedmont, Asti
It's not often you see a Barbera d'Asti striving for elegence, but this one does and almost succeeds. It lacks the rusticity and fleshiness of BdA, but it doesn't quite shed it's ruggedness. The trick here seems to be to use the tannin for structure around black, slightly sour fruit. It had a nice acidity that tied it together. Certainly a good wine for every day Italian food.
What's better than old Barbaresco...
1978 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe
A big and weighty wine that speaks its the vintage in Piedmont. It started out quite funky with a touch of band-aid that blew off pretty quicky. It left a rather feral nose of smoke and bloody meat. Certainly interesting, albeit not exceptionally elegant. It showed great presence though on the palate with significant weight and ample fruit floating over a lively acidity. I appreciated the typicity both to the grape and the vintage and I really enjoyed it, although it is not without its flaws. It certainly has years left.
1983 Gaja Barbaresco Costa Russi - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe
A pretty wine with a lot of charm, it seemed pretty textbook Barbaresco. Someone mentioned that Gaja would probably have objected to that statement, but there you are. The delicate nose gave sour cherry and rose petals and picked up hints of licorice. The palate could have used a bit more weight and the acidity overwhelmed the finish a touch. Still, a very nice presentation given the vintage. I'd bet a lot of winemaking went into making this this good.
...old Barolo
1971 Giacomo Borgogno & Figli Barolo Riserva - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe (red cap-original release)
This wine had the disadvantage of having travelled on a train and being shown next to the stellar 1974. It came around in the glass to some degree, but it never shook off the slightly balsamic nose. I think it may have been an off-bottle.
1974 Giacomo Borgogno & Figli Barolo Riserva - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe (black cap-library release)
Just a wonderful wine. It was exceptionally lively in the glass and crystal clear, belying its age. The nuanced fruit showed amazing freshness, meeting you on the way to the glass. Great Barolo characteristics with some other subtle, interesting ones such as white chocolate. An undercurrent of acidity pulled the soft, silky fruit along to the finish. Absolutely effortless. Consensus WOTN.
Not so old Barolo is nice too
1995 Giuseppe E Figlio Mascarello Barolo Monprivato - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe
I think we took this one down a bit too young. It was very tight for most of the evening, although it had started ceding ground by the end of the night. I found it well-made and varietally correct, but not mindblowing at this stage. Clearly all the elements are in place though and perhaps the nuance will start to develop with some additional age. This needs at least another five years.
1993 Giuseppe E Figlio Mascarello Barolo Ca d'Morissio Riserva Monprivato - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe
This was a somewhat controversial wine. While surprisingly ready to go, I did not enjoy it at all. Others put it in their top 3, so there you go. I found some eucalytus notes which I thought both odd and off-putting and the sweet red fruit came across a bit candied. Peter suggested that it was more of a red licorice than the black that you'd expect and I thought that pretty apt. The back end of the wine was nice, but this was not a wine for me.
1997 Prunotto Barolo - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe
I liked this quite a bit, although it is more of a correct wine than a blow the doors off wine. It had the great ripeness of the vintage, but it was styled very traditionally, which I appreciated. The nose showed ample black cherries, licorice and tar. The midpalate was a bit fat and fleshy and it needs some time to thin out on its own because the acidity is not high enough to pull off the balancing act.
Baby Barbarescos
1997 Gaja Barbaresco - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe
A very, very young prodigious wine. Tight, tannic and showing plenty of oak, it is more about structure than anything else at this point. The fruit that did show was ripe and concentrated with some smoky licorice. Tons of potential here with a tremendous amount of stuffing.
1998 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Asili - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe
A beautifully made wine with a very refined air. The nose is most of the story at this point with red berries and rose petals. Pretty chewy in the mouth with chalky tannins that don't allow the fruit to follow through from the nose. Not profound at this point, it needs a good 10 years in the cellar and could develop a little more nuance. Time will tell.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Idea for an Off-line...Wines You Don't Like
Everyone brings a bottle of wine that they don't care for, but that everyone else would love. I'd bring a Gruaud Larose. For some reason, that wine just doesn't fit my palate. I've had what clearly were quality ones, but they have never resonated with me, while everyone else oohs and ahhs. I'm talking mature, pristine bottles from various decades. I suppose another would be Copain. People love them and I shrug. More for them. That's what makes it interesting.
Dead Souls-Tiny Book Report
I just finished rereading Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol, a book I hadn't read since I was in high school. The plot is simple. Chichikov, an ex-government official, rides into town as a mysterious stranger looking to buy dead serfs (we don't find out the reason until the end, although it is almost beside the point). It is told in 3 acts: negotiation; fall from grace; and the author's revelation of Chichikov's motives and past. It is a surprisingly modern novel (given that it dates to the mid-19th Century) packed with ambiguous characters including a decidedly flawed hero. Gogol's ongoing dialogue with the reader during which time he explains his craft as he is creating it presage Kundera and his open, non-linear style of storytelling. What is also striking is the darkness of the humor. The novel seems to have emanated from a dark part of Gogol's psyche, the starting place of much humor. He shows clear contempt, not only for many of his characters, but often for the reader himself, whom Gogol essentially accuses of misinterpreting his aims or questioning his motives. Gogol often stops himself or articulates that he is crafting his novel in a certain way as to not be misunderstood by the reader. He is like the person that lashes out preemptively with vituperative wit to avoid being hurt. In many ways this is refreshing (and must have been at the time) given that he was a contemporary of Dumas and others whose characters wore their flaws as thin veneer. The flaws in Gogol's characters are fundamental to their being and, in a certain way, he seems to love them more for their imperfections that for their nobler qualities. We recognize the types, but in the end Gogol chides us for that analogizing, telling us to look inward to see how we are Chichikov. While, the set pieces are often hilarious, the novel as a whole is somewhat chilling, strikingly misogynistic and wholly pessimistic as to human nature. Apparently, it was supposed to be the first novel of a trilogy (although this has been disputed) and, if Gogol had answers to foibles of man that he found in Dead Souls, he took them to his grave. A classic, must-read.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
St. Emilion Back on Track!
Decanter reported today that a Paris court decided the suspension of the most recent St. Emilion classification had no legal justification. The classification was challenged by four chateaux of whom I have zero familiarity. Panos Kakaviatos, with whom I will be breaking bread in January (name dropping), noted that the Bordeaux court still needs to reach a final verdict on the fairness of treatment, which could take a couple of months, but that this ruling goes a long way towards ending the madness.
(http://www.decanter.com/news/155587.html)
(http://www.decanter.com/news/155587.html)
Using Points
If you aren't a professional critic or don't have a searchable database for me to peruse all your tasting notes, I do not care about your scores. The fact that it was an 89, but you almost gave it a 90 does not help me. Unless, I'm sitting next to you, I have no idea what it means. Thanks, I feel better now.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
OUCH!-a Poem by Ben Sherwin
Ouch! I dropped a bottle,
dropped a bottle on the floor.
It almost broke my foot I say
when I opened the cellar door.
Ouch! I dropped a bottle,
it was one that I adored,
and let's just say it isn't one
that everyone can afford.
Ouch! I dropped a bottle;
it dropped for heaven's sake.
I only thank the Lord above
that that bottle didn't break.
dropped a bottle on the floor.
It almost broke my foot I say
when I opened the cellar door.
Ouch! I dropped a bottle,
it was one that I adored,
and let's just say it isn't one
that everyone can afford.
Ouch! I dropped a bottle;
it dropped for heaven's sake.
I only thank the Lord above
that that bottle didn't break.
Confessions of a Wine Buyer-a Poem by Ben Sherwin
There are myriad wines to buy
from a variety of nations,
but if I don't jump this offer
then the train will leave the station.
How many times have I spoken
those sad and mournful words of dread
either to my fellow wine geeks
or to those voices in my head?
Sure, I'm a bit tapped out this month,
but there's a wine I have to taste.
So, I'll just get a small amount;
nothing more than a single case.
As I sit with tons of mailers,
deciding which one has to go,
I instead go on to Winebid
and quickly backfill old Bordeaux.
Not that I can't be reasonable.
I turn down offers by the pile.
Why I just turned down some Rayas
(but I thought about it for awhile).
It all goes smooth in February
when the checking account is flush,
but things get tight in September
and November is just a crush.
Has this all become a sickness?
Surely, my wife thinks I'm a nut.
I'm just hoping she doesn't hire
someone to kick my butt.
Still, nothing seems to stop me from
jumping on the next "special" deal.
So, I'll go back and year on year
keep on spinning the hamster wheel.
from a variety of nations,
but if I don't jump this offer
then the train will leave the station.
How many times have I spoken
those sad and mournful words of dread
either to my fellow wine geeks
or to those voices in my head?
Sure, I'm a bit tapped out this month,
but there's a wine I have to taste.
So, I'll just get a small amount;
nothing more than a single case.
As I sit with tons of mailers,
deciding which one has to go,
I instead go on to Winebid
and quickly backfill old Bordeaux.
Not that I can't be reasonable.
I turn down offers by the pile.
Why I just turned down some Rayas
(but I thought about it for awhile).
It all goes smooth in February
when the checking account is flush,
but things get tight in September
and November is just a crush.
Has this all become a sickness?
Surely, my wife thinks I'm a nut.
I'm just hoping she doesn't hire
someone to kick my butt.
Still, nothing seems to stop me from
jumping on the next "special" deal.
So, I'll go back and year on year
keep on spinning the hamster wheel.
Rules for Vertical Tastings
Lesson for you kids at home seeking to go to off-lines. The first rule of a vertical is bring a back-up. The second rule of a vertical is bring a back-up. You can guess the third rule. In my defense, I had decanted the bottle (1998 LMHB) and detected no cork in my generous self pour (fourth rule...) and neither did my colleague to whom I gave a sip (a big LMHB fan). It just seemed like tight, classic, steely Graves. When I heard those horrible 7 words, by the way your wine is corked, I was incredulous. I regard myself as decently sensitive to TCA and doubt I would have missed it. Yet, miss it I did as this wine was profoundly corked. So, kids, spare yourself embarassment and bring a back-up. Now I'm stuck planning the next off-line and for the rest of my life I have to hear Paul Jaouen complain about it. That's my penance and hopefully it will be enough for my sin of omission. For what it's worth, prior to being boxed in wet cardboard, it was wonderful, compact wine that had tons of stuffing. You live and you learn...
La Mission Haut-Brion Vertical (03/96/95/92/90/88/86/85/81/78/75/62)
Great athletes can't all win championships, great actors can't all win Oscars and great wines can't all be First Growths. My ultimate impression from an evening of 5 decades of La Mission Haut-Brion was of a wine that had its own personality, showed amazing consistency and was occassionally stunning. It could be alternatively powerful and elegant, but there was always the leitmotif of concentrated fruit, herbs, cedar and graphite. Textbook Graves. Perhaps the highs aren't as high as with a First Growth, but I didn't get much in the way of real lows and shouldn't consistency and longevity count? Isn't LMBH the Don Sutton of the wine world? It is easy to see buying year in and year out without much risk of disappointment. Great stuff.
Gentlemen, start your engines...
2004 Château Lynch-Bages Blanc - France, Bordeaux, Bordeaux Contrôlée
Clean and tight without much interesting going on. Light lemongrass on the nose and nice acidity. Nothing offensive, but nothing to recommend it at its price point.
Lessons Learned
2003 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
A bit like a barrel sample, it showed a hint of what it could become and then disappeared. Very powerful and extremely well structured, it showed good depth with sweet and smoky blackberry, roasted herbs and graphite, giving way to more and more graphite as the tannic bite took over and it clamped down tight. I don't think this will be a profound wine and should show austere for a while, but I think that it will eventually be a compelling offering.
1998 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
Horribly corked. (flawed)
Wines in a Minor Key
1992 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
A good wine for an off-vintage, all the pleasure of this wine is in the nose. Funky cherries (which is going to be the name of my new band) mix with herbs and cigar smoke to hold your interest until you put it your mouth. It's soft on the entry and hopes are high, but it turns reedy on the midpalate and certainly finishes short, which may not be a bad thing all things considered. Smoke 'em if you got 'em.
1985 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
A classic Claret that, while perhaps lacking some of the power of other vintages of LMHB, displays wonderful elegance and finesse. Delicate aromas of dark fruit, herbs and earth show great continuity through the finish. The palate picks up a bit more of a red berry quality that layers in nicely. It doesn't have a tremendous amount of palate presence, although it was by no means thin. Just a well-balanced effort in which everything seems to fit together beautifully. Mark wonderfully described it as a wine in a minor key.
Yin/Yang
1996 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
One of the most accessable of the '96s I've had, this wine will certainly split the crowd. A dead ringer for a well-made California Meritage, it is loosely knit showing expansive sweet, dark fruit and cedar with a nice earthiness to it. While it lacked the depth of some of the other vintages, it was one of the most open and inviting. It had excellent weight and presence in the mouth, but perhaps lacked the acidity to match the fruit and tannin that the wine possessed. Certainly a great QPR for LMHB that was reminiscent of the '96 Insignia (thanks to Mark again for that insight), but it might not be for those that demand a more classic style to their Graves.
1995 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
A classically-styled Graves that displays a high degree of class, but is a touch aloof. A fragrant nose of wild mushrooms, cassis, roasted herbs and graphite gives way to a somewhat austere steely palate. More power than pleasure at this point, it was fabulously structured and will require considerable patience. Just a bit to tightly wound for me at this stage, this wine will be middle of the fairway for some.
The Power and the Glory
1990 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
A beautiful, beautiful wine. Classic Graves elements on the nose keep expanding and opening new doors with dark fruit, herbs, graphite and tobacco. It has a wonderful presence in the mouth with a perfect ripeness matched with silky tannin. Great acidity gives it a sneaky persistence on the finish. Seamless. The vintage is really hitting on all cylinders right now.
1988 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
An appealing, large bodied wine that has a great deal of personality, but lacks a bit of focus. More of a fruit centered wine with expressive ripe, dark fruit and nice secondary floral elements. Rich and weighty with a long finish, it nevertheless comes across as a bit fat. There is ample stuffing for aging, so perhaps this is just at an adolescent stage. I think this wine may sneak up on people in a few years.
1981 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
My lucky streak with the '81 vintage continues with this elegant effort. A complex nose of flowers, earthy mushrooms and lead dominate over the delicate cherry fruit. Silky in the mouth it glides across the palate with ease. Pure finesse, it will likely go on in this gentle state for years to come, although I don't expect it will get much better. Very classy.
Great Graves
1978 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
Simply a beautiful wine. Classic old Graves with cassis, cedar, tobacco leaf, herbs...really, you could go on and on. It was surprisingly spritely but intensely focused on the palate it showed both great breadth and length. Nothing out of place. This is why we drink Bordeaux.
1975 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
A stunning bottle of wine. If you are lucky enough to have this wine, you will be welcomed by an inviting, complex nose of black fruit, roasted herbs and cigar box. This wine had tremendous presence and weight without an ounce of fat. It reminded me of a professional athlete with its strength and grace. In a word...wow.
1962 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
While corked, at first only the nose was ruined and the palate still showed some great fruit. Really impossible to analyze, but clearly this wine is very much alive (well, not this bottle). (flawed)
1986 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
A young beast of a wine that hasn't even sniffed its peak. The nose was dominated by spicy cedar and tobacco with dark fruit lingering languorously in the background. A touch backward, it is tight, concentrated ball of energy. When it explodes, watch out. The real question for me is whether it can attain the elegence of other vintages. Popped and poured to replace the corked '62, this would have benefited with some air.
Gentlemen, start your engines...
2004 Château Lynch-Bages Blanc - France, Bordeaux, Bordeaux Contrôlée
Clean and tight without much interesting going on. Light lemongrass on the nose and nice acidity. Nothing offensive, but nothing to recommend it at its price point.
Lessons Learned
2003 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
A bit like a barrel sample, it showed a hint of what it could become and then disappeared. Very powerful and extremely well structured, it showed good depth with sweet and smoky blackberry, roasted herbs and graphite, giving way to more and more graphite as the tannic bite took over and it clamped down tight. I don't think this will be a profound wine and should show austere for a while, but I think that it will eventually be a compelling offering.
1998 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
Horribly corked. (flawed)
Wines in a Minor Key
1992 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
A good wine for an off-vintage, all the pleasure of this wine is in the nose. Funky cherries (which is going to be the name of my new band) mix with herbs and cigar smoke to hold your interest until you put it your mouth. It's soft on the entry and hopes are high, but it turns reedy on the midpalate and certainly finishes short, which may not be a bad thing all things considered. Smoke 'em if you got 'em.
1985 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
A classic Claret that, while perhaps lacking some of the power of other vintages of LMHB, displays wonderful elegance and finesse. Delicate aromas of dark fruit, herbs and earth show great continuity through the finish. The palate picks up a bit more of a red berry quality that layers in nicely. It doesn't have a tremendous amount of palate presence, although it was by no means thin. Just a well-balanced effort in which everything seems to fit together beautifully. Mark wonderfully described it as a wine in a minor key.
Yin/Yang
1996 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
One of the most accessable of the '96s I've had, this wine will certainly split the crowd. A dead ringer for a well-made California Meritage, it is loosely knit showing expansive sweet, dark fruit and cedar with a nice earthiness to it. While it lacked the depth of some of the other vintages, it was one of the most open and inviting. It had excellent weight and presence in the mouth, but perhaps lacked the acidity to match the fruit and tannin that the wine possessed. Certainly a great QPR for LMHB that was reminiscent of the '96 Insignia (thanks to Mark again for that insight), but it might not be for those that demand a more classic style to their Graves.
1995 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
A classically-styled Graves that displays a high degree of class, but is a touch aloof. A fragrant nose of wild mushrooms, cassis, roasted herbs and graphite gives way to a somewhat austere steely palate. More power than pleasure at this point, it was fabulously structured and will require considerable patience. Just a bit to tightly wound for me at this stage, this wine will be middle of the fairway for some.
The Power and the Glory
1990 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
A beautiful, beautiful wine. Classic Graves elements on the nose keep expanding and opening new doors with dark fruit, herbs, graphite and tobacco. It has a wonderful presence in the mouth with a perfect ripeness matched with silky tannin. Great acidity gives it a sneaky persistence on the finish. Seamless. The vintage is really hitting on all cylinders right now.
1988 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
An appealing, large bodied wine that has a great deal of personality, but lacks a bit of focus. More of a fruit centered wine with expressive ripe, dark fruit and nice secondary floral elements. Rich and weighty with a long finish, it nevertheless comes across as a bit fat. There is ample stuffing for aging, so perhaps this is just at an adolescent stage. I think this wine may sneak up on people in a few years.
1981 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
My lucky streak with the '81 vintage continues with this elegant effort. A complex nose of flowers, earthy mushrooms and lead dominate over the delicate cherry fruit. Silky in the mouth it glides across the palate with ease. Pure finesse, it will likely go on in this gentle state for years to come, although I don't expect it will get much better. Very classy.
Great Graves
1978 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
Simply a beautiful wine. Classic old Graves with cassis, cedar, tobacco leaf, herbs...really, you could go on and on. It was surprisingly spritely but intensely focused on the palate it showed both great breadth and length. Nothing out of place. This is why we drink Bordeaux.
1975 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
A stunning bottle of wine. If you are lucky enough to have this wine, you will be welcomed by an inviting, complex nose of black fruit, roasted herbs and cigar box. This wine had tremendous presence and weight without an ounce of fat. It reminded me of a professional athlete with its strength and grace. In a word...wow.
1962 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
While corked, at first only the nose was ruined and the palate still showed some great fruit. Really impossible to analyze, but clearly this wine is very much alive (well, not this bottle). (flawed)
1986 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
A young beast of a wine that hasn't even sniffed its peak. The nose was dominated by spicy cedar and tobacco with dark fruit lingering languorously in the background. A touch backward, it is tight, concentrated ball of energy. When it explodes, watch out. The real question for me is whether it can attain the elegence of other vintages. Popped and poured to replace the corked '62, this would have benefited with some air.
Lunch with Norman Mailer and a visit with Lyle Fass
So, I’m downtown with Norman Mailer at a small café you’ve never heard of sharing a bottle of wine. We had just seen a rare “director’s cut” of La Strada through which Mailer had talked incessantly. We ordered a 2005 Gabriel Billard Pommard Les Vaumuriens that Lyle Fass had recommended to me. Very tight out of the bottle, we had the waiter, a tall thin fellow with a horse face, throw it in a decanter. We had planned to have a beer while we waited, but Mailer downed his in one gulp and called over a bottle of 2005 A.P. Vin Garys’ Vineyard from what was apparently his personal stash in the cellar of the café. The waiter came over and twisted off the cap, handing it to Mailer and asking him if he wanted to sniff it. Mailer goes absolutely berzerk and there was a bit of row that never really got beyond pushing and shoving stage and then Norman Mailer punches me in the mouth. The manager comes over and agrees to waive the corkage and we go back to the Garys’. I found it to be much more reserved than the ’04, which I appreciated greatly. It was pleasantly earthy with fairly tight cherry fruit and decent acidity. A little air brought out some baking spices, although it remained primarily about damp earth and sour cherries. We agreed that it was a nice effort in need of some age, although Mailer wondered aloud whether such a restrained effort was really indicative of Garys’ fruit. He also noted that there was a touch of heat on the finish that bothered him. I didn’t get that at all and noted that people often mistook whole cluster inclusion for alcohol. We wondered whether Andrew used stem inclusion and laughed about it for a while and then Norman Mailer punched me in the mouth.
We then turned to the Billard, which after an hour plus in the decanter had put on considerable weight and style. It was decidedly fruit driven, which surprised Mailer given that Lyle had recommended it. I assured him that Lyle recommended wines to the taste of his customer and not to his own palate and that’s what made him a resource. Mailer was dubious in that way of his and wanted to go over to Chambers St. after lunch and meet him, which we agreed to do. The fruit of the Billard was extremely focused and made the APVin seem a bit loose by comparison. It had a bit of funk and some graham cracker hovering around as well. Ultimately, it was the bright acidity that served as the third rail powering the fruit. Mailer noted how dark it was and I remarked maybe Billard used a long cold soak and we laughed for a while. Draining his last bit of one of the Riedel Vinums that he had brought (he had already smashed the previous three, but that’s another story), Mailer remarked that under $50 was really the sweet spot in 2005 Burgundy as the prices hadn’t run up as much as on the more expensive wines and that there was a lot of value there. I noted that Lyle had made the same comment and then Norman Mailer punched me in the mouth.
I’m rubbing my jaw gingerly when in walks the Dalai Lama with a coterie of what can only be described as monks. He has wearing, of course, the flowing orange robes, which I was never have been a big fan of, but I have to admit were quite in season. I had met His Holiness once at a party at David Geffen’s, although I wouldn’t say I know him. I mean, can you ever really get to know anyone at those parties? Apparently, Mailer and HH go way back (he calls him Tenzin). They wouldn’t tell me the story about from where, but both had juvenile little grins that told me it was probably something good. So, HH sits down with us. He had just gotten back from Chicago, where he and Manlin had put down Bryan Flannery steaks with a killer Chave. HH didn’t recall the vintage, so the only real point of the story seemed to be name dropping dinner with Manlin, which I found off-putting. Anyway, the conversation turns to Richard Gere and we all agree that Shilpa Shetty is a babe and that we would happily be imprisoned on her account. Unfortunately, HH starts complaining about how Gere won’t stop calling him. Mailer starts freaking out because, he claimed, he and Gere had served together in the South Pacific in WWII, which was unlikely since Gere was born in 1949, but there was really no reasoning with Mailer at that point. I’m looking around nervously as the monks begin to hover around the table and His Holiness gets up abruptly and angrily (which was bad form in my opinion), spilling some of Mailer’s wine on the sweater of Steve Wolfe, who happened to be at the next table. There was a bit of row that never really got beyond pushing and shoving stage and then Norman Mailer punches me in the mouth.
After things died down a bit, we finished off the rest of the bottles and made our way to Chambers St. Wines. I introduced Mailer to Lyle and they got along famously, as Mailer had just quit smoking. We talked for a while about the evolution of people’s palates. I noted that it was often difficult emotionally when you stop liking a wine as your palate changes. Does it invalidate your earlier opinion? Is it a question of getting it wrong or is wine so subjective that it is even subjective in a temporal sense of when you drink the wine in its evolution as well as your own? Mailer said he had no idea what I was talking about and Lyle commented that often it is just difficult for people to admit they were wrong. He noted that children learn to eat at a young age and are much more open to being wrong about likes and dislikes, while we learn to drink wine when we are older and are more set in our ways. Mailer agreed with him and we laughed for a while and then Lyle Fass punched me in the mouth.
We then turned to the Billard, which after an hour plus in the decanter had put on considerable weight and style. It was decidedly fruit driven, which surprised Mailer given that Lyle had recommended it. I assured him that Lyle recommended wines to the taste of his customer and not to his own palate and that’s what made him a resource. Mailer was dubious in that way of his and wanted to go over to Chambers St. after lunch and meet him, which we agreed to do. The fruit of the Billard was extremely focused and made the APVin seem a bit loose by comparison. It had a bit of funk and some graham cracker hovering around as well. Ultimately, it was the bright acidity that served as the third rail powering the fruit. Mailer noted how dark it was and I remarked maybe Billard used a long cold soak and we laughed for a while. Draining his last bit of one of the Riedel Vinums that he had brought (he had already smashed the previous three, but that’s another story), Mailer remarked that under $50 was really the sweet spot in 2005 Burgundy as the prices hadn’t run up as much as on the more expensive wines and that there was a lot of value there. I noted that Lyle had made the same comment and then Norman Mailer punched me in the mouth.
I’m rubbing my jaw gingerly when in walks the Dalai Lama with a coterie of what can only be described as monks. He has wearing, of course, the flowing orange robes, which I was never have been a big fan of, but I have to admit were quite in season. I had met His Holiness once at a party at David Geffen’s, although I wouldn’t say I know him. I mean, can you ever really get to know anyone at those parties? Apparently, Mailer and HH go way back (he calls him Tenzin). They wouldn’t tell me the story about from where, but both had juvenile little grins that told me it was probably something good. So, HH sits down with us. He had just gotten back from Chicago, where he and Manlin had put down Bryan Flannery steaks with a killer Chave. HH didn’t recall the vintage, so the only real point of the story seemed to be name dropping dinner with Manlin, which I found off-putting. Anyway, the conversation turns to Richard Gere and we all agree that Shilpa Shetty is a babe and that we would happily be imprisoned on her account. Unfortunately, HH starts complaining about how Gere won’t stop calling him. Mailer starts freaking out because, he claimed, he and Gere had served together in the South Pacific in WWII, which was unlikely since Gere was born in 1949, but there was really no reasoning with Mailer at that point. I’m looking around nervously as the monks begin to hover around the table and His Holiness gets up abruptly and angrily (which was bad form in my opinion), spilling some of Mailer’s wine on the sweater of Steve Wolfe, who happened to be at the next table. There was a bit of row that never really got beyond pushing and shoving stage and then Norman Mailer punches me in the mouth.
After things died down a bit, we finished off the rest of the bottles and made our way to Chambers St. Wines. I introduced Mailer to Lyle and they got along famously, as Mailer had just quit smoking. We talked for a while about the evolution of people’s palates. I noted that it was often difficult emotionally when you stop liking a wine as your palate changes. Does it invalidate your earlier opinion? Is it a question of getting it wrong or is wine so subjective that it is even subjective in a temporal sense of when you drink the wine in its evolution as well as your own? Mailer said he had no idea what I was talking about and Lyle commented that often it is just difficult for people to admit they were wrong. He noted that children learn to eat at a young age and are much more open to being wrong about likes and dislikes, while we learn to drink wine when we are older and are more set in our ways. Mailer agreed with him and we laughed for a while and then Lyle Fass punched me in the mouth.
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