Old
wine offline: Bordeaux and Australia
On Tuesday I attended an offline wine dinner. I’ve
attended lots of these events before – where wine lovers who discuss
wine online actually get together to drink the stuff – but this
event was different. Why? Well, a couple of the participants had bid
for a case of mixed old Bordeaux (provenance: English country house
cellar) at Sotheby’s, and we chipped in to spilt the cost. To make
up the numbers, and provide a useful comparison, several bottles of
older Australian reds were also added. Here are my notes on the wines.
The Bordeaux were a mixed bag with some nice surprises interspersed
among the wines that have seen better days. The Australians did pretty
well, and three in particular were very impressive.
Château La Croix du Casse 1990 Pomerol
Savoury, ripe, sweet nose has a hint of animal to it. Delicious,
deep and intense. Firm palate is still quite fruity with nice
structure. Drinking well now. Very good/excellent 90
Château La Croix du Casse 1991 Pomerol
Initially on pouring there’s a lovely blast of sweet, leafy
black fruits, but this fades after a while in the glass. The palate is
savoury and quite intense, but beginning to thin just a little.
Tannins are a little drying. But that initial pure, open nose is
lovely. Very good+ 88
Château Ducru Beaucaillou 1966 2eme Cru Classé St
Julien
Green, leafy edge to the nose with some herbiness. Palate is quite
firm and acidic, drying out a little. Tannic. Drink up. Very good 83
Château Prieure Lichine 1975 4eme Cru Classé Margaux
First bottle corked, but we had a second. This is a firm, spicy
old wine with a leathery edge. The palate is showing some sign of
decay with firm acid, but still drinkable and quite nice if you like
old wine. Very good 84
Château Leoville Lascases 1978 2eme Cru Classé St
Julien
Lovely cedary blackcurrant fruit nose with a minerally edge. Easy
drinking palate with savoury fruit and some tannins. Not as complex as
you’d expect from Las Cases, but still a mature claret that’s
drinking very well. Very good+ 87
Château Leoville Lascases 1981 2eme Cru Classé St
Julien
Savoury nose. Spicy, leathery palate is quite firm and structured.
I forgot to score this…
Clos du Marquis 1979 St Julien
Classic herb-tinged ‘old wine’ nose. The palate shows a
leathery, spicy edge. Drink now; should have been consumed some time
ago. Good/very good 78
Château Cantermerle 1979 5eme Cru Classé Médoc
Quite deep coloured. There’s a spicy, smoky edge to the nose.
The ‘old wine’ palate is herby, thin and quite spicy. Mouthdrying
high acidity. Over the hill but drinkable. Good 75
Château Poujeaux 1979 Cru Bourgeois Moulis
Quite an open, animally ‘old wine’ nose with a touch of
cheesiness. Animally, bretty palate. Quite tasty if you like bretty
wine. Very good+ 85 (A second bottle was a little less bretty and in
better shape)
Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon 1987 Margaret River,
Western Australia
Cedary, minerally edge to the nose, which is restrained and quite
classy. The structured palate displays a minerally core. Lovely
restrained style with good balance and structure; tastes remarkably
Bordeaux-like to me. Very good/excellent 92
Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon 1993 Margaret River,
Western Australia
The forward nose displays a spicy, smoky edge to the cedary,
minerally black fruits. The palate is hugely concentrated and
structured: spicy and full with lots of flavour. Bold and rich, this
is lovely. Very good/excellent 94
Petaluma Cabernet Merlot 1990 Coonawarra, Australia
Deep coloured. Cedary, minerally, slightly tarry nose with ripe
black fruits. The firm, structured palate shows more black fruits with
good acidity and balance. Still quite youthful and tannic, with lots
of potential. Lovely. Very good/excellent
92
Cyril Henschke Cabernet Sauvignon 1988 Eden Valley,
Australia
Sweet baked, jammy fruit flavours on the nose. Curranty red fruits
on the palate with some spicy caramel notes. Disappointing. Very good
84
Cullen Cabernet Merlot 1992 Margaret River, Western
Australia
Ripe, rich, tarry blackfruits dominate the nose. It’s sweet and
ripe. The palate is bold, spicy, fruity and tannic. Quite moreish and
intense, this is a vivid wine in a very Australian style. Very
good/excellent 90
Château Tour Blanche 1983 1er Cru Classé Sauternes
Striking evolved nose is gently lemony with some caramel and herb
notes. Quite delicate. The gently textured palate shows complex herby,
spicy and melon flavours. Drinking very well now I wouldn’t hold
this any longer. Very good+ 89
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