Tonight's tasting is extra special!!!

[andrawes76]

First off, I realize that as a youngster, I am extremely fortunate to taste these wines. I didn't win the lottery, all of this was made available to me at a wine dinner I shared with a friend and a winemaker of Clos Dubreuil, Benoit Trocard (he makes incredible wine by the way)...

1961 Cheval Blanc - Holy schmolly... this wine was epic. I was fortunate to be with a friend who decided to treat us to this wine which I never anticipated being able to try. I mean a 61 bottle that was actually stored and maintained at the proper shape? YES! Here are the notes: warm, chewy, intense color blaring, complex floral, smokey, and herbal notes. Perfect combination of raspberry, blackberry currant. This wine is unbelievably well structured with an intense but soft delivery. Long in the mid palate. This wine can live easily for another 20 years if one can resist.

1982 Cheval Blanc - beautiful color, intense concentration of fruit on the nose (bacon, smoke and mesquite) with excellent structure a blend of dark fruit (raspberry, cassis) with a total warm velvet finish that lasts a LONG time...

1982 Leoville Las Cases Saint Julien - Smoke, prosciutto on the nose. Dark cherry with a little barnyard taste. Not my style and honestly I felt it was closer to corked than normal.The entire table enjoyed it, just not me...

1982 Grand Vin de Latour Pauillac - Traditional Bordeaux nose (slightly hot), chocolate covered cherries, powerful fruit and excellent acidity. This wine is powerful and very seductive. I personally feel its a 98-99 and it really put itself on top of the 82 Cheval Blanc.

1990 Chateau Haut Brion - fermented cherries, smoke and herbal notes. Again typical barnyard that disappeared after 30 minutes of decanting. At first its disappointing an falls of he cliff. Lack of acidity really doesn't grasp you in the mid or back palate. There is a slight vegetable and gamey taste. After about 30 minutes, this wine begins to come out of its hole and shine, but it never fully quite grasped me.

1990 Chateau Margaux - vegetable, herbal, smoke and oak on the nose. White pepper and tropical fruit (I know that sounds abnormal, but its true). Lots of blueberry and heavy on the alcohol nose. Not enough muscle and lacks a powerful finish. The 83 is much much better of a wine. Not bad by any means, just not what you'd expect from Margaux.

Didn't open the Pavie!

Gonna post the other notes this week on Burgundy, Rhone. Hope you all enjoy and wish Saints fans the best!