The usual suspects congregated today at the new Toki Japanese restaurant to cull some over the hill wines from their respective cellars. Fortunately, not everyone complied with the theme so we were also able to try some fresher bottles. As I arrived over an hour late, most of the wines had gone through nearly an hour of decanting; not a good thing with over the hill wines.
Chateau Margaux 1992 - Possible the worst vintage of the 90s. Looks good and smells rather nice with a indistinct fruity scent. A disaster in the mouth, unfortunately. A bit of smoke, faded fruit, acidic, bitter and watery.
Champagne Duval-Leroy Rose de Saignee NV - Just the merest tinge of old rose for color. Very attractive. Very dry and clean with high acidity. A little nutty on the finish. A very good Champagne.
Champagne Duval-Leroy 1999 - Very pale, light, very dry. High acidity. Elegant, good length and complexity. Clean, refreshing, citrus peel and a suggestion of coffee. Still a bit tight. Will surely improve with more age. It would be great to try this again in 5 years. Very good.
Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou 1989 - Very dry, leafy, faded fruit. Sweaty. Very soft. I didn't like it but it seemed to gain some strength towards the end of the lunch.
Chateau Tahbilk Marsanne 1997 - Unbelievably stinky. Rotten eggs. Undrinkable.
Chateau Lafite Rothschild 1983 - Promising, youthful color. Tobacco and leather on the nose with the same in the mouth. The fruit, though, is very subdued and tending towards dried plums and cherries. Generally soft but with a surprisingly firm finish. Decent complexity. It's clearly on the decline but is still a very good drink.
We finished with an excellent Dr. Loosen Riesling Beerenauslese 2006.