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DaleW DaleW is offline
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Default TN: La Tache 1985

On Nov 27, 2:21*am, cwdjrxyz > wrote:
> I bought 3 bottles of 1985 La Tache and 2 bottles of 1985 Romanee-
> Conti at auction in the late 1980s. The bottle of La Tache 1985 just
> opened is the first bottle of these I have tasted. The fill of all of
> the bottles is good and there are no issues that can be seen before
> opening.
>
> This was bottle # 2553 of 19487 bottles of La Tache in 1985. In
> contrast there were only 5443 bottles of 1985 Romanee-Conti. Also
> Romanee-Conti has a story associated with it that likely helps sales,
> although I do not know if the story is true or not. The Prince Conti
> and the king's mistress got into a big fight over who should be
> allowed to buy the vineyard. The king had to step in to settle this
> spat, and the vineyard went to Conti. The reason mentioned is that the
> king thought the Prince would be of more use to him than an aging
> mistress. Anyway, Romanee-Conti usually sells for much more than La
> Tache in most years, although many agree that La Tache is not far
> behind Romanee-Conti in many years and perhaps is better some years.
>
> The short story is that the 1985 is the best red Burgundy I have ever
> had with the possible exception of the 1959 La Tache.
>
> The color is fairly deep scarlet, for a Burgundy, with a bit of age
> showing around the rim, although some Chambertin is deeper in color.
> The bouquet is extremely intense and complex as well as is the taste.
> Tannins are resolved, there is enough acid, The balance is perfect.
> The wine teases you with the bouquet and taste. In general mixed dark
> fruits come to mind. It reminds you of dark cherries, black berries, a
> bit of cassis, perhaps some red fruit such as strawberry and
> raspberry, etc. Just about the time you think you have a description,
> the wine seems to shift in bouquet and taste. The finish is extremely
> long. A spicy component is more easy to detect if you leave a few
> drops in a glass and then smell it in about an hour.
>
> I do not think this wine will improve greatly with more time, but then
> it might become a bit more smooth and complex. I will be surprised if
> it does not hold up well for many more years.
>
> Although these wines were expensive when bought, even recent vintages
> of them now sell for so much that I do not even want to know current
> prices. Now if you have to ask the price, you likely can not afford
> these wines, especially Romanee-Conti.


Well, I guess you get prize for best Thanksgiving wine!
Thanks for the vicarious pleasure!