Patrick was in from Colorado (and Maureen from London) so Ramon arranged for a nice group to meet at La Fonda del Sol. Theme was Bordeaux, and some good bottles were popped. Restaurant gave us plenty of room and stems. We did some tapas (jamon, chorizo, calamari, tuna tacos, tomato bread), and then I had octopus with suckling pig for my main.

2007 JM Boillot “Les ChampsGain” Puligny-Montrachet 1er
Fresh, ripe fruit, light oak, some minerality on finish, very enjoyable. B+/A-

1996 Neillon “Les Vergers” Chassagne-Montrachet 1er
A bit advanced at first pour, quickly advanced into full oxidized mode, too bad as there was interesting stuff for first couple minutes. C

2002 Remi Jobard “Charmes” Meursault 1er
Full, rich, but with a bright acidic spine, very good. A-

Blind wine- Maureen had already guessed Super Tuscan by time I tasted. Black cherries, fairly broad/soft texture, good finish. 2001 Crognolo B/B+

Flight One
1982 Leoville Poyferre
Beautiful, dark fruits intertwined with cigarbox and forest floor notes, very balanced. B+/A-

1982 Leoville Barton
Stern, still tannic, dark fruits, doesn’t move me. B-‘

Flight Two
1988 Pichon Lalande,
Herby, elegant, pretty green aromas around cassis fruit. B+

1988 Magdelaine
Feminine for an ’88, redder fruits than its flightmates, cocoa, pencil lead. B+

1985 Talbot
Full, a little barnyard, seems a bit simpler than flightmates. B

Flight Three

1978 Haut Brion
Elegant, cedary, tobacco, long and fine. My WOTN by a hair. A-

1986 Palmer
Glad to taste this as a bottle was corked at a tasting last week. Really well balanced, very fresh, both red and black fruits with some citrus zest, flowers, and cigarbox. B+/A-

Flight Four
1990 Sociando Mallet
Very Sociando, with fresh herbs and green tobacco over cassis fruit. B+

1990 Gruaud Larose
Maybe most divisive wine of night. Some loved, I thought it showed a bit roasted , with cooked plums. A little brett though not enough to bother me. B

Flight Five
1986 Pape Clement
Strange lactic note on nose. Better on palate, but I liked flightmates better. B

1986 Talbot
Clearly related to the ’86 Gruaud, a bit less bulk and depth, but very good. B+

1986 Gruaud Larose
Always love this wine, full, rich, just a touch of the Cordier funk, very long. A-

We finished with the 1988 La Tour Blanche. Very nice bottle from my favorite Sauternes vintage, with the vintages acids bolstering the sweet tropical fruit.

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.