WTN: 1999 Chateau Haut Brion

We celebrated the wife's birthday this past weekend. In order to mask her age we never serve birth year bottles, but instead pull bottles from years where we experienced a significant event. 1999 was the year we were finally able to stop making house payments. The wine selection improved dramatically from then on.

The Haut Brion was decanted while I finished the prep on dinner. Given my limited culinary skills we stuck to steak, baked potato and salad, but since we are both die hard carnivores that was no problem. Besides, the Haut Brion was the star of the show. It was really too soon for this one, but it opened up nicely over dinner, with plenty of fruit as well as some emerging Bordeaux aromas (tobacco, cedar, warm earth and leather types of scents). The balance is what is so lovely about the wine, with the structure just melting into the fruit the way the fat of the ribeye melted into each bite of meat.

Jeannie declared it a success, and that's really all that matters.

Thanks for the great note.

The balance is what is so lovely about the wine, with the structure just melting into the fruit the way the fat of the ribeye melted into each bite of meat.

Great line! I only wish I had some of this to drink.

[David M. Bueker]

Wow. How did I miss this note. Thanks so much Doug. Can we come to dinner at your house?

We celebrated the wife's birthday this past weekend. In order to mask her age we never serve birth year bottles, but instead pull bottles from years where we experienced a significant event. 1999 was the year we were finally able to stop making house payments. The wine selection improved dramatically from then on.

The Haut Brion was decanted while I finished the prep on dinner. Given my limited culinary skills we stuck to steak, baked potato and salad, but since we are both die hard carnivores that was no problem. Besides, the Haut Brion was the star of the show. It was really too soon for this one, but it opened up nicely over dinner, with plenty of fruit as well as some emerging Bordeaux aromas (tobacco, cedar, warm earth and leather types of scents). The balance is what is so lovely about the wine, with the structure just melting into the fruit the way the fat of the ribeye melted into each bite of meat.

Jeannie declared it a success, and that's really all that matters.

Sounds a wonderful meal and event. I can almost smell & taste it.

Cheers, Dave C