1990 Bordeaux Tasting
May 1, 1993, Hotel Northampton.
Organized by Big Y Wines, Northampton, MA for $58.
With Sergio and Mercedes.
Some leftovers tasted 5/2/93.
Flight 0
1988 La Louviere (blanc) -- 86 points
Light, grassy nose. Light crisp. Herbaceous finish.
Flight 1
Tasted blind, told only that they were cabernet-based wines.
1990 Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve ($27) -- 87-89 points
Bright black ruby color. Nose of ripe black berries. Ripe
black fruit. Medium short finish.
2nd day: A little more body and ripeness but still has
short finish.
1970 Les Forts de Latour ($50) -- 88
Black with significant monk's robe. Lots of sediment.
Turpentine nose. Mellow mature Bordeaux. Toffee, caramel,
appealing.
2nd day (89 points): Younger and more tannic than
the 1970 Montrose, but not as appealing.
1990 Montrose ($35 on futures, infinity now?) 87-90
Cheesy nose. Gripping tannins. Long finish of tar and black
fruits. Overripeness detracts from appeal.
2nd day (92 points): Full nose of roasted nuts.
That cheesy smell has
mellowed into cooked ground meat. Full body, great
concentration. Long chocolaty finish. Apricot
brandy. Very good, but not enough fruit. Like eating Baker's
chocolate. Tastes good but not sweet enough to be great.
Wonder if it was a cooked bottle?
1970 Montrose -- 89
Medium dark, mature red orange. Again, lots of sediment.
Mellow creme caramel, oranges.
2nd day (91): Prunes, apricots, very nice. If this 23 year old
Montrose requires a day to open up, how long will it be
before the 90 is ready to drink?
Flight 2
1990 Meyney ($15) -- 90
Yummy. Minerals, medium long finish. Very appealing. Drink
now - 2005. Delicious.
2nd day (88): A little hot and alcoholic. Not as appealing.
1990 Sociando Mallet ($19) -- 89-92
Oodles of tannin. Long hard finish. Great balance.
Drink 2000 - 2015.
2nd day (91-93): Fruit more prominent now. Excellent.
May be ready by 1996-7. Goes well with chocolate!
1990 Pape Clement ($33) -- 88-90
Small nose of cheese and black fruits. More forward than the
the others. Somewhat appealing.
2nd day (89-91): Quite a different wine from the others:
More minerals, more plums than berries. Very nice.
1990 Cos d'Estournel ($30) -- 89-92
Ripe black fruits. Lots of tannin. Chewy, tight, hard to judge.
Sweeter than the wines in Flight 3, but impenetrable.
Flight 3
1990 Leoville Barton ($25) -- 88-90
Nice ripe nose. Forward, has character. Most drinkable wine of
the flight.
2nd day (88?): Sour
1990 Lynch Bages -- 91-?
Very ripe fruit. Massive tannins. Much tighter than the 85
was at this stage, but that fruit . . .
2nd day: Softer, less fruity.
1990 Pichon Lalande ($30) -- 90-93
Bacon nose. Yummy, appealing fruit. Classic forward ripeness
of Pichon Lalande. Alot like the 83 without the strong
concentration. Drink 1995 - 2005. Mercedes' favorite?
2nd day (92-93): Tannic nose. Most immediately appealing
wine of the tasting. Very nice indeed.
1990 Pichon Baron -- 91-94
Concentrated and tannic. Much tighter than the 89 Baron
or the 90 Lalande. Also much darker than the 90 Lalande.
Flight 4
1990 L'Evangile ($50) -- 93-96
Big meaty nose. Big and chewy. Very long finish. Sweet ground
beef. A great earthiness. Licorice. There should have been
more Pomerols in this tasting.
1990 Margaux ($90) -- 96-100
Lovely floral aromas. Fabulously expansive in the mouth.
Wet stones. Very long finish. A great wine. Stunning.
Yes, this is what a 100 point wine tastes like!
1990 Latour -- 95-98
Muted nose of red currants. Expansive, ripe red fruits.
Very tight. Very long finish. Black color is impressive.
Less exciting now than the others in this flight but
the potential is obvious.
1990 Cheval Blanc ($85) -- 91-94
Smoky meaty nose. Expansive. Tasty, good acidity. Medium
long finish. Drink 1994 - 2005.
1979 Cheval Blanc ($85) -- 92
Nice bouquet of oranges, apricots. Gorgeous, ready, earthy.
Tasty and complex.
Dessert
1988 Latour Blanche ($25) -- 92
Honey, apricots, almonds, walnuts. Nice citrus gives it
balance. Very good Sauternes.
All original content © Ken Vastola