On Jun 24, 11:13�am, DaleW > wrote:
> Matt organized a dinner around the �1994 Bordeaux vintage last night.
> Nice group of 8 gathered at Union Square Cafe. One advantage of the
> recession has been some better corkage deals, and $10/bottle at USC
> certainly qualifies as a good deal.
>
> Ben had generously brought a starter, the 1994 Laville Haut Brion.
> Recently I've run across several very advanced 1994-1996 white Bdx,
> and Gilman has commented about same thing. I didn't detect any
> extraordinary oxidation here, just a light nutty note that seems right
> for 15. On the rounder more tropical side, a bit subdued, good not
> great for me despite vintage. B
>
> We moved to the reds, doing the Right Bank first.
>
> First Flight
> 1994 L'Evangile - this flight had some of the biggest divergences of
> opinion. I thought the Evangile a bit tight, but pretty tasty -
> midweight ripe red fruit, some coffee/mocha, good length, tannins only
> thing holding it back from outstanding. B/B+
>
> 1994 Clinet - others liked more than I �(which surprised me because
> this was one of my WOTN when we did 1994s 5 years ago). Black and red
> berries, surprisingly short/clipped. B-
>
> Second Flight
> 1994 Angelus - drinking quite well now, though there's enough
> structure to hold. Smoky, mineral, black currant and plum, very good
> and my second favorite of night. B+/A-
>
> 1994 Lafleur - the beast. Very solid black plum and berry fruit, but a
> real wall of tannins. I had written needs 15 years, Paul opined 10, so
> we settled for 12.5. � � B for now, but most room for improvement
> of night, I voted as my #3.
>
> 1994 Trotanoy - I liked a bit �more than table. Minerally, crunchy red
> fruit, again the tannins are holding it back, but I have doubts this
> can age past the tannins. Drink now with steak. B
>
> Third Flight (with main courses)
>
> 1994 Haut Brion- this is first time I ever remember an unanimous WOTN
> with this group. I've always liked this, but this bottle showed
> especially �well. Dark fruit, gravel, tobacco. Tannins are present but
> riper/rounder than some other wines. Nice balanced package of acids,
> tannins, and fruit. Smooth and elegant. A-
>
> 1994 Mouton Rothschild
> As much as we like teasing Frank re Mouton, I can't say this was worst
> wine of the night. Lead pencil, cassis, the typical refrain of
> tannins, no Moutonesque exoticism that I can note. B
>
> 1994 Cos D'Estournel
> My notes just read "Hard hard hard." Some blackcurrant fruit, but hard
> tannins totally dominate. Maybe this will show well in 10+ years, but
> I'm not sad it is my lone bottle. B-/C+
>
> Fourth Flight
> Brian had brought a couple bonus bottles, which we tried blind with
> the one remaining Medoc
>
> Blind #1
> A little herbal, big tannins, some cedary oak. Big wine, needs food.
> 1994 Sociando Mallet B-
>
> Blind #2
> I really didn't care for this, a bit weedy, hard tannins, there's both
> green fruit and green tannins. Might have been better with meat. 1994
> Reserve de Comtesse, C+
>
> 1994 Leoville Poyferre
> Some �others really disliked, I thought this showed as �a nice if not
> outstanding claret. Meaty, cassis fruit, tannins just �a tad tough,
> not great but I'd be happy with it on my dinner table on steak night.
> B
>
> So not so different than what I would have predicted going in. �Wines
> mostly good but not great, all still with substantial tannins, lots of
> "good steak wines" but with only a couple of exceptions not any
> potentially stellar wines.
>
> The appetizers were not very red Bordeaux �friendly, maybe a half
> order of pasta would have been better, but I opted for a small portion
> of a main of softshelled crab with fennel and roasted peppers. Not a
> match, but what I felt like eating. For main I got lamb chops, with a
> good potato gratin and some radicchio, arugula, etc. Three out of four
> of my chops were tasty, one tasted totally unseasoned, very strange.
> Good cheese course (I had a Cowgirl Mt Tam, Grayson, and an Italian
> smoked sheeps cheese).
>
> Thanks to Matt for organizing and to all for good company.
>
> Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent
> wine, B a good wine, C mediocre. Anything below C means I wouldn't
> drink at a party where it was only choice. Furthermore, I offer no
> promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.�

I'm surprised that they showed as well as they did. I have a couple
of bottles of 1994 Ch. Cordellian Bages and 1994 Petrus....kind of the
alpha-omega thing and the only 1994 Bordeaux in my cellar. I've been
drinking a lot of Haut Brion lately....just a coincidence but I'm
finding them to all have a fairly agressive tobacco note. Is it me (a
reformed smoker who still gets the urge occasionally) or is strong
tobacco a part of Haut Brion's terror?