Last night my wine group had an NCAA Tournament-themed taste-off where we set of pairs of wines in a bracket format & tasted them off. It was fun, but awkward, as different styles of wine were matched up. Of course the tasting did prove that defense is very important, as most of the more showy wines were knocked out early. (My wine came in second in the overall tournament, bested by some Washington Syrah from Herman Munster or someone like that.)
Anyway, our host for the evening opened his cellar (always a dangerous move after a tasting), and we had three wines that stole the show:
First up was the 1998 Chave Hermitage, and to my thinking it was the wine of the night. Certainly it was still very much a baby, and only after 30+ minutes of coaxing and swirling did the full extent of its meat, bacon & very dark fruit really come out. The balance was impeccable, and the wine was completely integrated despite its relative youth. Stunning wine that I could drink every night were I to have sufficient funds. I would write a lot more, but I really only needed a couple of words: young & complete.
Next came the 2001 Sine Qua Non Midnight Oil Syrah which I epxected to show goopy and over ripe compared to the Chave. Well it was certainly more fruit forward, but not goopy in any way. It had one thing that so many rich, new world wines lack: acidity. The freshness of the acidity kept the wine lively and never allowed it to become heavy. This was also a baby, but certainly much more apporachable than the Chave. Can someone point me to the nearest ribeye?
Finally we drank the 1983 Cheval Blanc which was delicious in a fully mature Bordeax way, but suffered in comparison. So I had a little food and some water, and allowed my palate to clear & the wine to open in the glass to reveal leather, red berries, and a dusty/smoky/cedary patina that was soft and caressing both aromatically and on the palate. I don't think the '83 is an outstanding Cheval Blanc (and it did not turn my head the way the '70 did several years ago), but it was certainly an outstanding wine that showed all the benefits of aging and of the great combination of Cabernet Franc & Merlot.
Jed - thanks for your more than generous contributions!
). I've had some great '83s, and last time when I served to my SOBER group someone commented it was the second time in previous year he had the '83 CB within a week of the '82, and both times preferred the '82.