WIth grilled lamb chops and new potatoes with rosemary I opened a
bottle of 1996 Chateau Lynch Bages last night. I was sipping on a
glass of 2006 Ramey chard while prepping dinner so I opened and
decanted the bottle of LB since when I opened it the bottle was about
as funky smelling as any wine I've had in a long time. My first taste
of the LB showed a really disjointed mess of a wine with really off
flavors of nail polish, old leather, wet horse blanket and tar. I was
tempted to find another bottle but when I checked on it again in 15
minutes I found that most of the funk had blown off and a bit of
cassis was peeking through. I decided to let it sit for a while and
we munched on lobster salad and enjoyed the Ramey. After an hour the
LB was rocking. Pure cassis fruit, blackberry, blueberry, cedar and
cigar with well resolved yet firm tannins. This was one of the most
dramatic evolutions of a glass of wine that I can remember in a long
time and a good reminder to let 'em breathe. "A-"

On Mar 23, 8:44*am, "Bi!!" > wrote:
> * * WIth grilled lamb chops and new potatoes with rosemary I opened a
> bottle of 1996 Chateau Lynch Bages last night. *I was sipping on a
> glass of 2006 Ramey chard while prepping dinner so I opened and
> decanted the bottle of LB since when I opened it the bottle was about
> as funky smelling as any wine I've had in a long time. *My first taste
> of the LB showed a really disjointed mess of a wine with really off
> flavors of nail polish, old leather, wet horse blanket and tar. *I was
> tempted to find another bottle but when I checked on it again in 15
> minutes I found that most of the funk had blown off and a bit of
> cassis was peeking through. *I decided to let it sit for a while and
> we munched on lobster salad and enjoyed the Ramey. *After an hour the
> LB was rocking. *Pure cassis fruit, blackberry, blueberry, cedar and
> cigar with well resolved yet firm tannins. *This was one of the most
> dramatic evolutions of a glass of wine that I can remember in a long
> time and a good reminder to let 'em breathe. "A-"

thanks for notes. I only have a singleton of this, and plan on waiting
a few more years.
Your note is a good example of the advantages of tasting over a
period. Can you imagine if one person tasted at opening, another an
hour later? They'd think the other was a poor taster!

On Mar 23, 11:45�am, DaleW > wrote:
> On Mar 23, 8:44�am, "Bi!!" > wrote:
>
> > � � WIth grilled lamb chops and new potatoes with rosemary I opened a
> > bottle of 1996 Chateau Lynch Bages last night. �I was sipping on a
> > glass of 2006 Ramey chard while prepping dinner so I opened and
> > decanted the bottle of LB since when I opened it the bottle was about
> > as funky smelling as any wine I've had in a long time. �My first taste
> > of the LB showed a really disjointed mess of a wine with really off
> > flavors of nail polish, old leather, wet horse blanket and tar. �I was
> > tempted to find another bottle but when I checked on it again in 15
> > minutes I found that most of the funk had blown off and a bit of
> > cassis was peeking through. �I decided to let it sit for a while and
> > we munched on lobster salad and enjoyed the Ramey. �After an hour the
> > LB was rocking. �Pure cassis fruit, blackberry, blueberry, cedar and
> > cigar with well resolved yet firm tannins. �This was one of the most
> > dramatic evolutions of a glass of wine that I can remember in a long
> > time and a good reminder to let 'em breathe. "A-"
>
> thanks for notes. I only have a singleton of this, and plan on waiting
> a few more years.
> Your note is a good example of the advantages of tasting over a
> period. Can you imagine if one person tasted at opening, another an
> hour later? They'd think the other was a poor taster!

The wine still has plenty of life and showed it's age only upon
opening. It was still quite dark and showed just the faintest hint of
lightening at the rim.

"Bi!!" > wrote in message
...
On Mar 23, 11:45?am, DaleW > wrote:
> On Mar 23, 8:44?am, "Bi!!" > wrote:
>
> > ? ? WIth grilled lamb chops and new potatoes with rosemary I opened a
> > bottle of 1996 Chateau Lynch Bages last night. ?I was sipping on a
> > glass of 2006 Ramey chard while prepping dinner so I opened and
> > decanted the bottle of LB since when I opened it the bottle was about
> > as funky smelling as any wine I've had in a long time. ?My first taste
> > of the LB showed a really disjointed mess of a wine with really off
> > flavors of nail polish, old leather, wet horse blanket and tar. ?I was
> > tempted to find another bottle but when I checked on it again in 15
> > minutes I found that most of the funk had blown off and a bit of
> > cassis was peeking through. ?I decided to let it sit for a while and
> > we munched on lobster salad and enjoyed the Ramey. ?After an hour the
> > LB was rocking. ?Pure cassis fruit, blackberry, blueberry, cedar and
> > cigar with well resolved yet firm tannins. ?This was one of the most
> > dramatic evolutions of a glass of wine that I can remember in a long
> > time and a good reminder to let 'em breathe. "A-"
>
> thanks for notes. I only have a singleton of this, and plan on waiting
> a few more years.
> Your note is a good example of the advantages of tasting over a
> period. Can you imagine if one person tasted at opening, another an
> hour later? They'd think the other was a poor taster!

The wine still has plenty of life and showed it's age only upon
opening. It was still quite dark and showed just the faintest hint of
lightening at the rim.

When you open a wine like this decant it into a decanter and age it for at
least 12 hours before you drink it. We're drinking up the last few bottles
of our 1970 Lynch Bages. The wine is as spectacular now as it was when it
was compared to the first growths back in the mid 1970's. We'll have a small
tasting glass when it's decanted, then cover the remainder with Private
Preserve gas and cling wrap for 24 hours. Then we drink the rest. The wine
is always better 24 hours later. I'm always astounded, that the wine has not
just held up, but improved 39 years later.

Hugh, an aging presenescent though alert geezer,

On Mar 27, 12:58�am, "Hugh" > wrote:
> "Bi!!" > wrote in message
>
> ...
> On Mar 23, 11:45?am, DaleW > wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Mar 23, 8:44?am, "Bi!!" > wrote:
>
> > > ? ? WIth grilled lamb chops and new potatoes with rosemary I opened a
> > > bottle of 1996 Chateau Lynch Bages last night. ?I was sipping on a
> > > glass of 2006 Ramey chard while prepping dinner so I opened and
> > > decanted the bottle of LB since when I opened it the bottle was about
> > > as funky smelling as any wine I've had in a long time. ?My first taste
> > > of the LB showed a really disjointed mess of a wine with really off
> > > flavors of nail polish, old leather, wet horse blanket and tar. ?I was
> > > tempted to find another bottle but when I checked on it again in 15
> > > minutes I found that most of the funk had blown off and a bit of
> > > cassis was peeking through. ?I decided to let it sit for a while and
> > > we munched on lobster salad and enjoyed the Ramey. ?After an hour the
> > > LB was rocking. ?Pure cassis fruit, blackberry, blueberry, cedar and
> > > cigar with well resolved yet firm tannins. ?This was one of the most
> > > dramatic evolutions of a glass of wine that I can remember in a long
> > > time and a good reminder to let 'em breathe. "A-"
>
> > thanks for notes. I only have a singleton of this, and plan on waiting
> > a few more years.
> > Your note is a good example of the advantages of tasting over a
> > period. Can you imagine if one person tasted at opening, another an
> > hour later? They'd think the other was a poor taster!
>
> The wine still has plenty of life and showed it's age only upon
> opening. �It was still quite dark and showed just the faintest hint of
> lightening at the rim.
>
> When you open a wine like this decant it into a decanter and age it for at
> least 12 hours before you drink it. We're drinking up the last few bottles
> of our 1970 Lynch Bages. The wine is as spectacular now as it was when it
> was compared to the first growths back in the mid 1970's. We'll have a small
> tasting glass when it's decanted, then cover the remainder with Private
> Preserve gas and cling wrap for 24 hours. Then we drink the rest. The wine
> is always better 24 hours later. I'm always astounded, that the wine has not
> just held up, but improved 39 years later.
>
> Hugh, an aging presenescent though alert geezer,- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Thanks for the advice. I usually decant claret for an hour or two
before serving but 12- 24 hours seems a bit long to me. I find that
wines will start to lose some vigor and fruit after extended
decanting. Just my take but I really do appricieate your input.