Josh Kates very generously offered to host a Bordeaux tasting while I was in Indiana at the end of June. It was quite the exceptional evening of wine, cheese, and good company. Thank you very much Josh!
My PhD advisor started us off with an outstanding Champagne:
Charles Heidsieck, Rose Reserve, Champage NV
Light bronze/salmon. Awesome nose! Rich yeast and mineral, with amazing blood orange and apricot notes. So dense, wow! Amazing aromatics. Similar notes in the palate, dense and powerful from the first moment, with incredible richness and density, amazing presence from start to the endless, minerally finish. This is every bit as good, if not better than, the Krug NV. Wow! 4.5 Stars [6/26/14]
Then the Bordeaux. 4 reds, tasted single blind: Chateau Bel-Air Lagrave, Moulis en Medoc 1978; Chateau Calon-Segur, St. Estephe 1998; Chateau Yon-Figeac, St. Emillion 2000; Chateau Haut Bages Averous, Pauillac 2004 (2nd wine of Lynch-Bages)
1. Medium garnet, going orange and then clear at the rim. Wonderful, mature nose of meaty red currant, plum, aromatic citrus rind, with a bit of flowers, smokey notes, and wonderful dusty earth, with some glycerin showing (but not a lot). Similar notes on the palate, mostly showing tart, focused red fruit with a wonderful, rich, succulent, slightly meaty texture, and a great, wonderful, penetrating finishing. Amazingly fresh. 5 to 10 years more, perhaps 15. Obviously the '78 Bel-Air Lagrave. 4 Stars. [6/26/14]
2. Medium-dark garnet. Exceptional nose, aromatic, with good richness and depth, dark berry fruits, damson, beef blood, leather, a bit of tobacco, mushroom, and dusty, chalky earth. On the palate, lean and tart but fleshy red fruit, with tones of dense dark berries, damson, and dusty earth providing wonderful texture toward the finish. Give it 5 more years, and drink in the 10 - 15 years after that. I'm convinced that this is the '98 Calon Segur. 4 Stars [6/26/14]
3. Medium ruby. Wonderful, aromatic, and slightly heady nose, with lush blackberry and a touch of blueberry, some rich cassis, a hint of citrus rind, beef blood, tobacco leaf, a hint of mint, chocolate, and mineral. Similar notes on the palate, with tart, savory red fruit, cassis, plum, and a savory, slightly earthy/chocolately finish with wonderful texture. Dense harmonious mineral and dark fruit undertones. Up to 20 years ahead. Has many of the hallmarks of St. Emilion, I'm confident that this is the '00 Yon-Figeac. 4 Stars [6/26/14]
4. Medium-dark ruby. Excellent, rather lovely and aromatic nose of black cherry, leather, a touch of tobacco, and pencil lead, with a wonderful, succulent tone. On the palate, wonderful, savory, creamy cherry upfront, followed by tart red currant, tobacco leaf, leathery, dusty earth, and nice pencil lead notes. Very, very nice. Another 10 - 15 years easy. This is very Pauillac, and obviously the '04 Haut Bages Averous. 4 Stars [6/26/14]
The wines revealed:
1: Bel-Air Lagrave, Moulis-en-Medoc 1978
2: Yon-Figeac, St. Emilion 2000
In retrospect, this does have 2000s dense, harmonious and impressive structure. It makes sense that this is a St. Emilion from a structured vintage.
3: Calon-Segur, St. Estephe 1998
It makes sense that this is from a weaker Left Bank year that favored Merlot. But when fully open, it reveals lots of St. Estephe leather and dusty, minerally earth. This is really quite a tremendous wine. Pity that it is somewhat pricey now.
4: Haut Bages Averous, Pauillac 2004
Funny to note that when I was typing up the notes for the Calon-Segur and the Yon-Figeac, I kept forgetting which one I was working on, because even on paper, they sounded so much like their appellations were switched. I'm actually somewhat relieved by that, because it means that I was fooled by a tricky case!