While on my annual trek to assess and buy BC wines recently, I had the
opportunity to sample a couple of lovely French wines of the same vintage, both
drinking beautifully now.

1982 Ch. La Lagune - the nose on this is no longer quite as sweet as it was a
few years ago, but it has picked up some complexity and now exhibits some
earthy, leathery tones, backed up by nutty vanilla and some spice. Smooth and
mellow, the wine is now seamless and has reached a plateau from which it should
not descend for quite a few years. I will now consider opening the case I have
so patiently squirreled away since release. Should have bought two,
particularly at the prices back then!

1982 Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle - this wine has also reached a plateau of
drinkability. The nose had similarities with the Bordeaux, oddly enough, in
that it also showed leather and earth, but with a slightly harder edge with a
hint of soy and anise, and a bit more heat, the fruit being riper and the nose
a touch hotter. Where the La Lagune tended toward a hint of cocoa, this wine
substituted coffee. It had excellent length. I can't help thinking that when
this wine was young, it did show a lot of sweetness, just as the recent
vintages do, yet it also showed a harder backbone. I wonder if the more forward
vintages of the late 90s will mature as gracefully as has this wine.

Not often you have the chance to taste two wines, both so well integrated and
perfectly mature, that you have waiting in your cellar. So similar and yet so
different!

To the people who have little patience with cellaring wines (you know who you
are - the ones posting notes on current release 'big boys'), I say - you really
cannot have any idea what you are missing when you drink wines young! This is
what it is all about!

Can you get an impression of the music by listening to an MP3 file? Sure - you
can even fool yourself into thinking that you are getting all that matters. But
you are depriving yourself of listening to the whole orchestra, in a great
hall. Wine can be a lot like that, too.

How are the 1975 La Lagune's holding up. I found some at $39 each two years
ago, but finished the last one earlier this year. They are still selling for
more than I'd like to pay. Any idea where I can buy more 1975's at $39 or
less?

Have one 1982 on shelf, which we are planning to drink this Saturday (our
5th Anniversary, and La Lagune was our first Bordeaux together). Did you
need to decant the '82? We'll be taking it along to a restaurant, and I
wonder how much decanting it may need to open up.

tia

\/

(will drink my last 1982 this Saturday, and I have a half case of 1990 and
another half case of 1995)
"Bill Spohn" > wrote in message
...
> While on my annual trek to assess and buy BC wines recently, I had the
> opportunity to sample a couple of lovely French wines of the same vintage,
both
> drinking beautifully now.
>
> 1982 Ch. La Lagune - the nose on this is no longer quite as sweet as it
was a
> few years ago, but it has picked up some complexity and now exhibits some
> earthy, leathery tones, backed up by nutty vanilla and some spice. Smooth
and
> mellow, the wine is now seamless and has reached a plateau from which it
should
> not descend for quite a few years. I will now consider opening the case I
have
> so patiently squirreled away since release. Should have bought two,
> particularly at the prices back then!
>
> 1982 Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle - this wine has also reached a plateau
of
> drinkability. The nose had similarities with the Bordeaux, oddly enough,
in
> that it also showed leather and earth, but with a slightly harder edge
with a
> hint of soy and anise, and a bit more heat, the fruit being riper and the
nose
> a touch hotter. Where the La Lagune tended toward a hint of cocoa, this
wine
> substituted coffee. It had excellent length. I can't help thinking that
when
> this wine was young, it did show a lot of sweetness, just as the recent
> vintages do, yet it also showed a harder backbone. I wonder if the more
forward
> vintages of the late 90s will mature as gracefully as has this wine.
>
> Not often you have the chance to taste two wines, both so well integrated
and
> perfectly mature, that you have waiting in your cellar. So similar and yet
so
> different!
>
> To the people who have little patience with cellaring wines (you know who
you
> are - the ones posting notes on current release 'big boys'), I say - you
really
> cannot have any idea what you are missing when you drink wines young!
This is
> what it is all about!
>
> Can you get an impression of the music by listening to an MP3 file? Sure -
you
> can even fool yourself into thinking that you are getting all that
matters. But
> you are depriving yourself of listening to the whole orchestra, in a great
> hall. Wine can be a lot like that, too.

How are the 1975 La Lagune's holding up. I found some at $39 each two years
ago, but finished the last one earlier this year. They are still selling for
more than I'd like to pay. Any idea where I can buy more 1975's at $39 or
less?

Have one 1982 on shelf, which we are planning to drink this Saturday (our
5th Anniversary, and La Lagune was our first Bordeaux together). Did you
need to decant the '82? We'll be taking it along to a restaurant, and I
wonder how much decanting it may need to open up.

tia

\/

(will drink my last 1982 this Saturday, and I have a half case of 1990 and
another half case of 1995)
"Bill Spohn" > wrote in message
...
> While on my annual trek to assess and buy BC wines recently, I had the
> opportunity to sample a couple of lovely French wines of the same vintage,
both
> drinking beautifully now.
>
> 1982 Ch. La Lagune - the nose on this is no longer quite as sweet as it
was a
> few years ago, but it has picked up some complexity and now exhibits some
> earthy, leathery tones, backed up by nutty vanilla and some spice. Smooth
and
> mellow, the wine is now seamless and has reached a plateau from which it
should
> not descend for quite a few years. I will now consider opening the case I
have
> so patiently squirreled away since release. Should have bought two,
> particularly at the prices back then!
>
> 1982 Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle - this wine has also reached a plateau
of
> drinkability. The nose had similarities with the Bordeaux, oddly enough,
in
> that it also showed leather and earth, but with a slightly harder edge
with a
> hint of soy and anise, and a bit more heat, the fruit being riper and the
nose
> a touch hotter. Where the La Lagune tended toward a hint of cocoa, this
wine
> substituted coffee. It had excellent length. I can't help thinking that
when
> this wine was young, it did show a lot of sweetness, just as the recent
> vintages do, yet it also showed a harder backbone. I wonder if the more
forward
> vintages of the late 90s will mature as gracefully as has this wine.
>
> Not often you have the chance to taste two wines, both so well integrated
and
> perfectly mature, that you have waiting in your cellar. So similar and yet
so
> different!
>
> To the people who have little patience with cellaring wines (you know who
you
> are - the ones posting notes on current release 'big boys'), I say - you
really
> cannot have any idea what you are missing when you drink wines young!
This is
> what it is all about!
>
> Can you get an impression of the music by listening to an MP3 file? Sure -
you
> can even fool yourself into thinking that you are getting all that
matters. But
> you are depriving yourself of listening to the whole orchestra, in a great
> hall. Wine can be a lot like that, too.

>Did you
>need to decant the '82? We'll be taking it along to a restaurant, and I
>wonder how much decanting it may need to open up.
>

You should decant it, and allow it to open up over the following hour or so.
Enjoy, and post a note!

Thanks for the tasting notes. I have both the 82 and 83 La Chapelle. The
83 was holding well in the not too distant past. I have not had the 82
in a long time. You served as a guinea pig for me so that I know I do
not have to rush to drink up the 82 :-) .

I have not had the 82 La Lagune. I still have a bit of the 66. It is
becoming rather dry and a bit long in tooth, but still drinks fairly
well.

My mailbox is always full to avoid spam. To contact me, erase
from my email address. Then add . I do not
check this box every day, so post if you need a quick response.

>Thanks for the tasting notes. I have both the 82 and 83 La Chapelle. The
>83 was holding well in the not too distant past. I have not had the 82
>in a long time. You served as a guinea pig for me so that I know I do
>not have to rush to drink up the 82 :-) .

Oink - always glad to be of service.......