Notes from a BYOB Commanderie de Bordeaux black tie event in Vancouver, at which the staring and ending wines were supplied by the group and the individual first growths were contributed by the members of each table. There were four first growths per table, which we decanted and served over two courses.
With some very nice hors d’ouvres including tuna maki, lobster tart and oysters on the half shell:
Veuve Clicquot Brut in magnum – always reliable, never outstanding, IMO.
With scallop ceviche with pickled radish, watermelon and fennel seeds.
2004 Pavillon Blanc de Ch. Margaux – I always wonder at two things when I taste this wine. How do they get away with so much oak, and how do they make a 100% sauvignon blanc without it being a dead give away as to varietal when tasted blind? The oak was on the heavy side (though we aren’t talking California or Australia heavy), and the wine was slightly warm in the nose (over 14% alcohol) with lots of citrus in the nose. Rich, full flavoured and with vey good length. Not sure that the scallop ceviche was exactly what I’d have chosen (cooked might have worked better) but it went passably well with the wine. I liked this and there is no rush to drink it as it should last for many years.
With braised wild boar and lumache pasta, truffle and pecorino
1986 Ch. Leoville Barton – I was surprised to see this on the menu, wondering if it would still be as hard as the last time I tried it. In fact it showed great colour, an excellent nose with the hint of band aid I’ve often noted in this house, and the tannins have abated enough to allow enjoyment now, but I’m sure this is just entering what promises to be a very long plateau of drinkability.
With duck breast with honey glaze, and baby veg
1979 Ch. Lafite – this was my bottle and I started off the wrong way with the cork all but disintegrating as I tried to get it out, even using a Screwpull. After much coaxing, I managed to extract almost all of the bits, and held off decanting until just before service. I was most relieved to find that the bottle was good, and I got the classic cigar box aromas I always associate with this wine, building with time in the glass. Nice mature color, classic nose, smooth entry, slightly high acidity near the end, but good length, and quite elegant. The wine improved with food no doubt as it rounded off the very slight edge from the acidity.
1981 Ch. Lafite – the cork on my friend’s bottle was even worse than mine was – were they buying cut rate corks at Lafite in this period?? Totally different nose here, with much less cigar box and richer, rounder nose, slightly sweet entry, a softer wine and very pleasant, but perhaps just a tad cooked in its previous life with not as much freshness as the 79. I expect another bottle might be better.
With rack and shoulder of venison with dried cherry jus, celeriac puree.
1978 Ch. Margaux – I have always associated this wine with a fairly sizeable blast of wood in the nose, so much so that before I’ve tasted it I’ve wondered if it were American on a couple of occasions. This was blended and bottles by the new Mentzelopoulos regime, who took over in 1977, but the vineyard care had been under the Ginestets. Rather than big wood, I smelled smooth cedar aromas this time (it is finally becoming mature?) with an element of mushroom or forest floor. Now quite smooth on palate, this wine has reached its plateau of drinkability and is a very pleasant mature claret with years to go yet.
1979 Ch. Margaux – much as I liked the 78, I liked this wine even better. The nose featured more fruit, and it was a firm well structured wine that also showed superior fruit on palate. Good length and a pleasure to taste.
After this, we swapped a few tastes back and forth between tables, and I had the chance to sample these:
1983 Ch. Margaux – very harmonious wine still showing tannin. Good stuffing – this has to be a star of this vintage.
1982 Ch. Mouton Rothschild – I didn’t recognize this wine tasted blind! Smooth, soft and evolved! What happened to this, did someone put it through an ageing machine?
1975 Ch. Lafite – some of the first growths are quite decent in this vintage that no one but me seems to love. I’ve had good bottles of Mouton several times, the Latour is solid and reliable, if not at its best in this vintage, and I even had a Margaux that surprisingly failed to totally disgrace itself (I am not a fan of the 1970 – 1977 Margaux, to say the least). But until now I had never tasted the Lafite, and that is a same as it was quite good. The nose was cassis and cedar, and this was a weightier wine that the other two we had. It showed decent levels of fruit and I rather liked it.
1988 Ch. Margaux – I was wondering about this as I have a half case sitting in my cellar. Glad I didn’t open one, as while this is currently showing a pretty good nose and pretty good fruit levels, the tannins still need some time.
Finally we had:
1997 Ch. Suduiraut - I don’t usually get into Sauternes this young but this one showed really well. Sweet coconut nose, fairly sweet on palate, but well balanced and with lots of fruit. This should age quite well.
Very enjoyable event.