I have compiled many of my most memorable Bordeaux notes from the last fifteen or sixteen months into this section, in the hopes that they will be useful for those of you out there who are wondering how certain bottles are currently drinking. I cut off the notes with the 1983 vintage (except for a few Sauternes) because I do not think that any of the better red Bordeaux vintages beyond that are anywhere near maturity. I find that as I get older, I find less and less enjoyment in drinking Bordeaux that is not at least fifteen years of age. In most cases, the best Bordeaux wines are in their prime between their twentieth and fortieth birthdays. While I taste a large number of younger Bordeaux in various guises, it is not a wine that I feel tempted to pull out of the cellar to accompany a meal. I like them to get over their adolescence before they get a seat at the table! The vast majority of these wines were tasted under double blind circumstances, though there are a number of more structured tastings whose notes found there way into this laundry list. I also attended a massive, two day affair organized by Steve Tanzer late last year to re-visit the 1982 vintage in depth. None of the notes from that tasting appear in the following log. They will appear on their own at a future date, as soon as I find where I put the bloody notes! Many of the wines I tasted on several occasions, but have synthesized the various descriptions into a homogenous note on the wine. After looking over the list, it occurred to me that I drink an awful lot of Bordeaux for a guy whose known as a Burgundy fanatic!

The Wine List:
1928 Notes
1928 Chateau Palmer
1928 Domaine de Chevalier

1945 Notes
1945 Chateau Senejac

1952 Notes
1952 Chateau Petrus
1952 Chateau Trotanoy

1955 Notes
1955 Chateau Pichon Baron

1959 Notes
1959 Chateau Lascombes
1959 Chateau Meyney
1959 Chateau Pichon Baron
1959 Chateau Montrose
1959 Chateau Margaux
1959 Haut Brion
1959 Latour Haut Brion
1959 Mouton-Rothschild
1959 Chateau L'Evangile

1961 Notes
1961 Canon
1961 Chateau Gruaud-Larose
1961 Chateau Pape Clement
1961 Chateau Lynch Bages

1962 Notes
1962 Chateau Lafite-Rothschild

1962 Notes
1964 Laville Haut Brion
1964 Domaine de Chevalier
1964 Chateau Rouget
1964 Chateau Canon
1964 Chateau Montrose
1964 Chateau Latour
1964 Chateau Haut Brion
1964 Cheval Blanc

1966 Notes
1966 Chateau Beycheville
1966 Chateau Haut Brion
1966 Chateau Leoville las Cases
1966 Chateau Margaux
1966 Chateau Palmer
1966 Chateau Ausone
1966 Chateau Mouton-Rothschild
1966 Chateau Petrus
1966 Chateau Latour

1967 Notes
1967 Chateau Trotanoy
1967 Chateau Latour
1967 Chateau La Mission Haut Brion
1967 Chateau Haut Brion

1970 Notes
1970 Chateau Haut Bailly
1970 Chateau Haut Marbuzet
1970 Chateau Giscours
1970 Domaine de Chevalier
1970 Chateau L'Evangile
1970 Chateau Lafleur Petrus
1970 Chateau Trotanoy
1970 Chateau Petrus
1970 Chateau Mouton-Rothschild
1970 Chateau Palmer

1971 Notes
1971 Chateau La Mission Haut Brion
1971 Chateau Haut Brion

1975 Notes
1975 Chateau Lafite-Rothschild
1975 Chateau Trotanoy
1975 Chateau L'Evangile

1976 Notes
1976 Chateau Mouton-Rothschild
1976 Chateau Lafite-Rothschild (served in 750 ml.)
1976 Chateau Lafite-Rothschild (served from magnum)

1978 Notes
1978 Chateau Laville Haut Brion
1978 Chateau Margaux (375 ml.)
1978 Chateau Haut Bailly
1978 Chateau La Mission Haut Brion
1978 Chateau Haut Brion

1979 Notes
1979 Chateau Leoville las Cases
1979 Chateau Lafite-Rothschild
1979 Chateau Mouton-Rothschild
1979 Chateau Palmer
1979 Chateau Margaux
1979 Chateau Certan de May

1981 Notes
1981 Chateau La Conseillante
1981 Chateau Margaux
1981 Chateau Certan de May

1982 Notes
1982 Chateau Grand Puy Lacoste
1982 Chateau La Lagune
1982 Chateau Pichon-Lalande
1982 Chateau Leoville las Cases
1982 Chateau Figeac
1982 Chateau La Mission Haut Brion
1982 Chateau Leoville-Poyferre
1982 Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou
1982 Chateau Haut Brion
1982 Chateau La Dominique
1982 Chateau La Conseillante
1982 Chateau Certan de May
1982 Chateau Trotanoy
1982 Chateau Cheval Blanc
1982 Chateau Lafite-Rothschild
1982 Chateau Mouton-Rothschild

1983 Notes
1983 Chateau Laville Haut Brion
1983 Chateau Haut Brion Blanc
1983 Chateau Palmer
1983 Chateau Lafite-Rothschild
1983 Chateau Lafleur

Sauternes Notes
1971 Chateau de Fargues
1975 Chateau de Fargues
1976 Chateau De Fargues (750 ml.)
1980 Chateau de Fargues (750)
1983 Chateau Rieussec (750 ml.)
1986 Chateau D'Y'Quem (750 ml.)
1988 Chateau Coutet

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1928

1928 Chateau Palmer

Just unbelievable stuff here: an intense, explosive bouquet of cassis, plum, floral notes, black truffle, chocolate, tobacco, and a touch of oak. Very, very deep and thick, this is an impenetrable black hole. Huge, lush, and thick on the palate, with fine balance, loads of fruit, still plenty of tannin, and a long, powerful finish. This wine is more 1928 than it is Chateau Palmer. Not a quintessential Palmer for purists, but one unmistakably great wine. Still years of life ahead of it. A real treat. Thanks Dan! 1996- 2010. 96.

1928 Domaine de Chevalier

Chocolate city! The finest 1928 I have tasted to date: a profound, Vega-like nose of sweet, sweet plum, berry, chocolate, black truffles, tobacco, earth, and vanillin oak. With air this wine became more and more signature Graves. Deep, lush, opulent, and seamless on the palate, with layer upon layer of sweet fruit, perfect balance, and a long, profound finish. Only a ton of time and a great vintage can do this to Bordeaux! I'll be waiting! A great, great wine with decades of life ahead of it! 1995-2028 97.

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1945

1945 Chateau Senejac

A relatively obscure Petit Chateaux in the southern Medoc, this wine is a great confirmation for those of us who buy vintages! A fabulous, complex nose that belies its age in a magical way (in fact, in terms of complexity , it made the 1970 Haut Marbuzet and 1970 Giscours seem like adolescents): truffles, meaty tones, super-ripe cassis, tobacco, smoke, and a hint of wood. Pure, powerful expression of fruit, with the fiery tannins only found in vintages like 1928 and 1945, and a mammoth, long, chewy finish. A truly fine wine! 92. 1995- 2015?

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1952

1952 Chateau Petrus

After having tasted the 1952 Trotanoy, I was extremely interested in tasting (mild understatement?) other 1952 right bank wines. The ‘52 Petrus was everything I could have hoped for and more. The nose was profound, with a combination of Petrus power and Petrus exotica: scents of ripe plums, quince, fresh sage, pomegranate, chocolate, menthol, black truffle, earth, and toasty oak explode from the glass. Deep, full, and just packed on the palate, with a huge core of fruit, great focus and structure, and a long, moderately tannic finish. This wine towers over the somewhat chunky, four-square 1959! A great, great Petrus form what must be a great Pomerol vintage! 1996-2025. 97.

1952 Chateau Trotanoy

I do not have much experience with Pomerols from the 1950s (not for lack of trying), but everything I hear and read leads me to believe there are no shortage of great wines out there. The '52 Trot exploded from the glass with a spectacular, very thick, but resolved nose of black cherry, tobacco, truffle, walnuts, earth, chocolate, and a touch of new oak. Deep, huge, and extremely powerful on the palate, with thick, old-style extract, superb focus, and substantial, chewy, but well-covered tannins on the finish. A great, great wine that should drink well for years to come. 1996-2010. 95.

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1955

1955 Chateau Pichon Baron

This bottle was a little shaken from travel around the city, nevertheless, it showed quite well. The nose is classic Pauillac, with a Lafite-like sweetness to the fruit. Cherry, cassis, floral tones, tobacco, and cedary, spicy wood on the nose. Medium-bodied and nicely delineated on the palate, with soft tannins, fine structure, and a long, complex, impressive finish. A fine wine still at its peak. If this wine is so good, why is the 1959 so bad? 1995- 2010. 93.

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1959

1959 Chateau Lascombes

A wonderful, sweet nose of cherry, plum, cassis, coffee, tobacco, herbs, floral notes, minerals, and cedary wood. Quite resolved and complex, butstill very captivating. Medium-full and just a touch delicate on the palate, with a sweet core of fruit, fine balance, and a long, complex finish. This is a delicious wine that has nothing left in reserve, so it should be drunk up. But, a super effort from Lascombes, and a telling example of why we should wait for our Bordeaux. Drink up. 89.

1959 Chateau Meyney

I, like so many others, have always assumed that Meyney's big push for higher quality during the 1980s only warranted interest in cellaring this chateau's most recent efforts. How wrong I was! This is classic St. Estephe: a meaty bouquet of tobacco, truffle, cassis, smoke, and herb tones. Full-bodied and quite delicious on the palate; very black fruity, with fine structure, soft tannins, and a real touch of "warm vintage" fruit on the finish. This is a shockingly fine bottle of Meyney! 1996-2004. 91.

1959 Chateau Pichon Baron

This wine came very highly recommended from one of America's finest Bordeaux palates, so maybe there are better bottles out there. I was steadfastly unconvinced. The nose is sweaty and tarry, with cassis, tobacco and cedar underneath. Abrasive and overly acidic on the finish, without any socially redeeming characteristics. If this bottle is representative, this is a resounding confirmation of the depths of Pichon Baron's slump prior to the arrival of Jean-Michel Cazes in 1987. Again, this bottle may not be representative. If it is, avoid. 65.

1959 Chateau Montrose

Very Latour-like nuances on the nose: grilled walnuts, cassis, black cherry, tobacco, minerals, smoke, and cedary wood. I initially thought this to be a Latour from the thirties! Deep and full on the palate, with plenty of stuffing, but (at least with this particular bottle), the attack promises a bit more than what the finish delivers. While not short by any stretch, it does tail off just a bit. I doubt it is the storage, (this is Nicolas). I was in the minority, but this is one wine that I would opt for drinking sooner. 1996-2010? 92.

1959 Chateau Margaux

A fabulous showing for this wine: the epitome of Chateau Margaux, with depth, sweetness, tremendous complexity and breed, and a profound perfume that only Lafite can match. A spectacular, hauntingly perfumed nose of blackberry, black truffles, violets, tobacco, earth, and vanillin oak. The sweetness of the '59 vintage, coupled with the inherent sweetness of Chateau Margaux has produced a perfume of haunting dimensions. On the palate this wine has depth, focus and complexity that can only be First Growth. But this is not a wine about power, but, rather, a round, opulent, creamy wine of silk and velvet. Long, complete, and sustained on the finish. A great wine, but one to have at over the next ten years in 750 ml. 1995-2005 95.

1959 Chateau Haut Brion

A perfect wine on other occasions, this was not the finest showing of this wine. While still a 95+ point wine, it was a touch less powerful and meaty than other bottles of this wine have been. That said, what's not to like? A wonderful Graves nose of cassis, black truffle, tobacco leaf, ash, smoke, earth, and cedary wood. Deep full and opulent on the palate, with the sweetness of fruit of 1959, fine structure, and a long, stunning finish. While this bottle needs to be drunk up in the next ten years, perfect bottles of this will go twice as long. 1995-2015. 95.

1959 Chateau Latour Haut Brion

A wonderful showing for one of the rarest '59s. Less evolved than the glorious Mouton paired with it, the nose offered up scents of cassis, saddle leather, tobacco, coffee, herbs, truffles, minerals, a hint of clove, and cedary wood. Deep, full and quite ready on the palate, with a bit of tannin buried in '59 fruit; Latour Haut Brion's backbone carries through on thelong, complex finish. An excellent bottle. 1995-2005. 93.

1959 Chateau Mouton-Rothschild

One of the greatest Moutons ever made: the sweetness and exotica of Petrus or Lafleur in a great vintage, combined with the profound depth and opulence of '59 Lafite, and a point! Spectacular nose of raspberry, meaty tones, minerals, truffles, ginger bread, tobacco, and sweet vanillin oak. A wonderful topnote of fresh sage and mint. Deep, rich and profound on the palate, with fabulous sweetness of fruit, melting tannins, and a long, fabulously complex finish. Perhaps just starting to sneak out of its apogee, this bottle at least, ought to be drunk up over the next few years. I had a second bottle of this a few weeks later, and it was even deeper, richer, and more opulent! It is one of the greatest wines I have ever tasted in my lifetime! 1995-2005. 100.

1959 Chateau L'Evangile

Just another 1959 dusting its 1961 counterpart! A monumental nose of cassis, black raspberry, red currants, tobacco, coffee, spiced meats, grilled nuts, minerals, and cedary wood. Flashes of Lafleur-like fruit cake undertones. Deep, rich and unctuous on the palate, with the opulent drama of Pomerol at its finest. A huge '59 that will go on and on and on; moderate tannins still on the finish. This wine is significantly bigger-framed than the 1959 Margaux, and yet, it is equally elegant, poised, and perfumed! Sheer greatness! 1995-2015 96+.

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1961

1961 Chateau Canon

I have had the good fortune to taste this wine on three or four occasions over the last couple of years, and it has gotten better, and better with each showing. The thickness and power of 1961 fruit really shows here, with scents of red cherry, red plum, coffee, black truffles, tobacco, game, herb tones, minerals, and just a bit of cedar soaring from the glass. Deep, thick, and palate staining in the mouth, with a huge core of fruit, slightly old-fashioned in terms of polish and tannic structure, but with wave upon wave of seriously ripe fruit cascading over the tannin on the finish. Very similar to the 1982, but without quite the winemaking sophistication. A really super bottle of wine. 1996- 2010. 93.

1961 Chateau Gruaud-Larose

Just a magnificent showing for this wine: poised, balanced and oh, so complex, with layers of sweet, a pointe fruit, and a whisper of tannin on the finish. The nose is ethereal, with scents of cassis, black truffles, a hint of flowers, tobacco, minerals, coffee, and cedary wood. Just the epitome of breed, complexity and elegance. Will the more beefy, burley recent vintages of Gruaud age as gracefully? A great wine, but to be drunk soon. 1995-2000. 94.

1961 Chateau Pape Clement

What to drink while waiting for your Haut Brions to mature? This is just another beautiful bottle of Graves that manages to stay below the radar screens of the auction market. Think about it, people are happy to pay far more than this wine sells for to lock up a few bottles of an off vintage Le Pin that has to be cellared for another ten to twenty years! A fool and his Le Pin are soon wedded. (Actually, I rather like Le Pin, it is to Lafleur what Pape Clement is to Haut Brion.) Pardon the digression. The nose is magical: complex and quite mature, with notes of cassis, plum, coffee, tobacco, Graves earth, smoke and cedar. Poised, supremely elegant, and very intensely flavored, with lovely tobacco and coffee tones. The finish is long, very complex, and hauntingly elegant. Great juice at its apogee. But don't rush, there's life in them thar hills. 1996-2020. 95.

1961 Chateau Lynch Bages

In the late 1980s, I had the good fortune to cross paths with this wine a number of times, but this was the first time I had tasted it in the 1990s. Back then I thought this wine was a great, albeit archetypical Lynch Bages, that traded as much on power and opulence as it did complexity and breed. The ensuing years have been very kind indeed. The nose is initially marked by a very Margaux-like floral component of violets! I was sure this was Chateaux Margaux or Palmer from a great, great vintage. With extended breathing, it became much more Pauillac-like, with scents of cassis, tobacco, minerals, woodsmoke, and cedar. Now I was in Lafite! Extremely deep and complex on the palate, with a great core of sweet fruit, fine tannins, and great elegance on the finish. A profound showing. 1996-2015. 96.

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1962

1962 Chateau Lafite-Rothschild

Really quite stylish and elegant, but suffering a bit for having to follow a bottle of 1967 Latour. The nose is really lovely, with scents of cassis, red fruits, roses, tobacco and cedary, spicy wood. Medium-full, poised and complex on the palate, with good balance, and fine, but not compelling length on the finish. Totally a pointe, and really more of a fine dinner companion than a wine to show well at a tasting. I have friends who have had this wine previously and thought that this was not a great showing. 1996-2002. 89+.

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1964

1964 Chateau Laville Haut Brion

Drink wines, not numbers! A great, great showing for a wine that is not supposed to be serious juice. The nose is stunning, with scents of lemon, petrol, tangerine, cream, minerals, and spring flowers. Wonderful purity and focus on the palate, with a great core of clean fruit, fine structure and balance, and a brisk girdle of acidity. This stunner is a pointe, but with at least ten more years of life ahead of it! 1996-2010. 94.

1964 Domaine de Chevalier

When one tastes the 1964 Graves and Pomerols, it is easy to see why the French government felt confident to proclaim a few weeks before the harvest that 1964 vintage was "the vintage of the century". Of course as soon as the fates got wind of this, the clouds rolled in, and it rained for what must have seemed like forty days and forty nights. However, at least the Graves and right bank wines were harvested without being rained on, and the results are some of the thickest, juiciest Bordeaux that one could ask for. This is a great DDC: plum, cassis, chocolate, tobacco, truffle, and sweet vanillin oak on the nose. A rich, thick wine that beautifully synthesizes DDC's extraordinary breed and elegance married brilliantly with the opulence of the '64 Graves. Moderate tannins are lavishly covered by sweet fruit. One of the finest wines this estate has ever made. 1995- 2010. 93+.

1964 Chateau Rouget

A very youthful, and Medoc-like showing for this wine: cassis, black cherry, tobacco, earth, and toasty new oak on the nose. Almost Las Cases-like. Full, tobaccoey, and beautifully complex on the palate, with still a fair amount of tannin on the long, complex finish. It is a shame that Rouget no longer makes wines of this quality. A superbly complex and concentrated wine, with years of life ahead of it. 1996-2010. 92+.

1964 Chateau Canon

Even better. This wine is quite marked by the exotic character of the Cabernet Franc, and rivals many a vintage of Cheval Blanc! A huge, flamboyant nose explodes from the glass with scents of roasted mullberry, tobacco, grilled nuts, menthol, bitter chocolate, herbs, and smoky oak. Deep, full, and opulent on the palate, with layers of ripe fruit, real depth in the middle, fine grip, and moderate tannins perking up on the long, powerful finish. Just a stunning wine, which I mistook for 1983 Cheval Blanc! 1996-2010. 94+.

1964 Chateau Montrose

Ah yes, a Medoc picked before the deluge. This wine is drinking beautifully well: sweet cassis, cherry, tobacco, minerals, herb tones, truffle, and cedary wood on the nose. This is very perfumed and elegant for Montrose and St. Estephe- I thought it was a St. Julien. Very deep and full on the palate, with a wonderful core of fruit. It is only on the powerful finish that the tannic grip of great Montrose becomes apparent. A great wine. 1996-2030. 93.

1964 Chateau Latour

1964 is one of my favorite Latours. While it is not one of the most powerful vintages for this titan, it is marked by such a sweetness of fruit (with almost a violet topnote) that I am happy to give up just a wisp of Latour's traditional power. Unfortunately, a poor cork here. The wine seemed quite a bit more advanced than recent bottles. A classic Latour nose of roasted cassis, cigar box, black truffles, walnuts, earth and smoke. Also a hint of oxidation, which I attribute to the cork problem. Deep, powerful, and packed with fruit on the palate, with moderate tannins, and a thickness of fruit that carries through on the finish. Stylistically, this has more in common with the 1962 Latour than most Latour '64s. But certainly a tasty bottle. 1996- 2020. 90. (94 for pristine bottles).

1964 Chateau Haut Brion

While the 1966 Haut Brion that was paired with this wine was in perfect condition, this bottle possessed a cork that offered no resistance when being pulled. I feared the worst, but the bottle showed no signs of trouble on the nose or palate after decanting. On the nose, this wine is more deeply-pitched and black fruity than the 1966, with scents of plums, cooked berries, grilled walnuts, roasted meaty tones, black truffles, and essence of Graves earth. On the palate the '64 is richer, broader, and more powerful, with well-integrated tannins, fine focus, and a long, powerful finish. However, the 1966's brighter acidity gives that wine a juicier, bouncier palate impression. This is cut along the lines of the 1959 in terms of flavor profile and palate impression, albeit, at a less concentrated and powerful level. Years of life ahead of it. 1996- 2012. 94.

1964 Chateau Cheval Blanc

Between 1950 and 1982, this is my favorite of Cheval Blanc. This wine has been drinking magically for years, but it shows absolutely no sign of decline. This was a fabulous showing: a lush, opulent, intensely black fruity nose of cassis, menthol, truffle, tobacco, smoke, and cedary, spicy wood. Rich and very deep on the palate, with layer upon layer of sweet fruit, melting tannins, and a long, utterly complex finish. This wine falls somewhere between the 1982 and 1983 in quality. An extraordinary Cheval Blanc. 1995- 2020. 95.

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1966
Many of these notes are repeated from another section of the website. I include them again here as a convenience. Sorry to anyone who abhors redundancy. Me, I dislike jumping back and forth in a website even more!

1966 Chateau Beycheville

From the same cellar as 1959 Margaux. A fine showing for a wine that is hanging on to dear life: sweet plum, blackberry, truffle, tobacco, minerals, and cedary wood on the nose. On the palate the wine is medium-full, with quite good grip, resolved flavors, and a medium length finish that just leaves a touch of tomato. The storage of this wine was most likely excellent, as this wine shows as much grip, structure, and vibrancy as one will find in 1966 Beycheville. Drink up. 1995-2000. 87.

1966 Chateau Haut Brion

From the Biederman collection (Long Island's version of Nicolas). A stunning nose of berry, red cherry, roasted nuts, tobacco, black truffles, chocolate, hot bricks, and herb tones. Great purity and freshness of tone. Medium-full, intense and concentrated on the palate, with a Burgundy-like intensity of flavor. Soft, melting tannins and bouncy acidity give this wine a lovely juicy quality. Great length and breed on the finish. One of my favorite 1966s, when in such pristine condition. Super stuff in its apogee of maturity, but holding it long-term is fraught with danger. 1996-2004. 92+.

1966 Chateau Leoville las Cases

I have had the good fortune to taste this wine on a dozen or more occasions, and have always loved it. It is one of the really great sleepers out there. However, this bottle did not show at its best: a slightly closed nose of black cherry, tobacco, meaty tones, minerals and cedar. Better examples show a purity and cherry perfume that is stunning; that was missing here. Medium-full and a bit woody on the palate, with a decent core of fruit, but without the sweetness that this wine usually displays. A bit attenuated on the finish. Unrepresentative. 1996-2010. 86+. (92)

1966 Chateau Margaux

This is a wine that I am sure is much more interesting in magnum at this date. Broadbent's comments that this wine still needs more time and extended decanting make no sense to me. This wine is serious decline. A pretty, perfumed Margaux nose of berry fruit, violets. tobacco, black truffles, and vanillin oak is the strong point of the wine. Medium-bodied and quite soft on the palate, without the acidity to give it focus or structure, this wine wanders around on the palate, and then falls off on the finish. Pretty enough stuff for uncomplicated quaffing, but look for the larger formats. Drink up. 87.

1966 Chateau Palmer

Another of the '66's that I have had numerous opportunities to run across my palate. Always brilliant, never the same! A great, tight nose of cassis, plum, tomato, herbs, tobacco, floral tones, game, and cedary wood. At times, I would have sworn this was Pomerol! Deep, full, powerful, and still a bit reticent on the palate, with a touch of tannin, great structure, and a long, complex, potentially opulent finish. This wine had a greet, great fill, and is clearly one of the least evolved 66 Palmers I have yet tasted. Tremendous potential. 2000-2025. 94+.

1966 Chateau Ausone

A chameleon of a wine: one minute Medoc-like, the next unequivocally Right Bank. Scents of ripe cherries, cassis, meaty tones, herbs, spices, tobacco, coffee, earth and cedary wood jump from the glass. Very Mouton-like. Deep, full and meaty on the palate, with a bit of roasted nut and forest floor on the finish. A pointe and showing extremely well, with great persistence on the softly-tannic finish. Wide open and wearing its heart on its sleeve, but showing no signs of imminent decline. Super stuff. 1996-2010. 91+.

1966 Chateau Mouton-Rothschild

Like the Haut Brion above, this is another Biederman preservation project. The 1966 Mouton to come out of his cellar has been excellent. The nose jumps from the glass with scents of roasted meats, cassis, red currant, Mouton spice, tobacco, herbs, minerals, coffee, and cedary, spicy wood. Deep, full and drinking very well on the palate, with a solid core of fruit, fine tannins, and a long, somewhat chunky finish. With rare exceptions, (like 1959) Mouton is a wine that just does not possess the length, polish, and breed of the other First Growths. A fine drink, but I would take the Haut Brion any day. 1996-2010. 92.

1966 Chateau Petrus

To my thinking, there are two schools of Petrus. There are the flashy, ethereal, thrill-a-minute reduction sauces of mullberry, mocha, grilled nuts, flowers and the like. Vintages such as 1970, 1971, and 1975 fall into this camp. Then there are the tougher, more tobaccoey, malty wines that are much more Medoc-like in style. I have a very, very strong preference for the former. Like the 1959, the 1966 is one of the Medoc-like Petruses (Petri?). The nose offers up aromas of tobacco, cassis, plum, coffee, earth, smoke, grilled nuts, and cedary, spicy wood. Great depth and reasonable complexity. Rich and very full-bodied on the palate, with layers of fruit, excellent structure, and a large-framed, moderately-tannic finish. This wine has moved ahead light years since the chunky, four-square, wine I tasted five years ago. I am not convinced that this will ever be a great Petrus, but it is definitely moving in a positive direction. A wine still decidedly on its way up! 2000-2035 93+.

1966 Chateau Latour

This is a Latour that I have been waiting years to see come out of its shell. Finally, the opening of the door is just beginning to be seen. This wine was so much bigger, deeper, and more powerful than any other wine of the night, that it had to be Latour. The nose was wonderful, and quite opulent for an awakening Latour: sweet cassis, tar, tobacco, walnuts, herbs, loads of minerals, and cedary wood. A few tasters commented that this cannot be Latour, because it was too sweet and open! Full, palate-staining, and extremely long on the palate, with serious tannin still to shed, great structure, and a huge, powerful finish. When this wine comes around (in another ten years!) it will be something very, very special. Only Lafleur can compete with Latour in 1966! 2006-2050. 96.

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1967

1967 Chateau Trotanoy

What can one say about this wine? A magnificent bottle of wine under any circumstances, but in the context of 1967, only the Beatles performed at a higher level! It is about as great a bottle of an off vintage wine as I have ever tasted! A shockingly profound nose of mocha, plums, berries, floral tones, tobacco, venison, grilled nuts, coffee, minerals, and cedary, spicy wood . Amazingly fresh and powerful on the palate, with layers of sweet fruit, fabulous focus, great structure and grip, and a long, complex, powerful finish. Quintessential Pomerol at its apogee! Very long and complex, this is an amazing bottle of wine that still has years of life ahead of it. 1996- 2005. 94.

1967 Chateau Latour

This has always been one of my favorite of the "off" vintages for Latour, and it showed extremely well again this year. The nose is classic Latour, with scents of roasted cassis, walnuts, truffles, tobacco, a hint of meatiness, herbs, peppery tones, and a touch of oak. Full, warm, resolved and quite chocolatey on the palate, with some tannin perking up with extended air. At its peak, but by no means in any threat of decline. Fine stuff, as usual. 1996-2010. 92.

1967 Chateau La Mission Haut Brion

Here is another of the stellar 1967s, though in contradistinction to Latour, this one's useful years are now behind it. The nose is already beginning to show signs of oxidation, but with plenty of cassis, minerals, tobacco, barnyard, and cedary wood underneath. Full-bodied, and quite surprisingly long and intense on the palate, but without the freshness of acidity to give it cut and bounce on the finish. A fine effort for the vintage, but drink up. 86.

1967 Chateau Haut Brion

While Haut Brion is not quite in the league of Trotanoy, Latour, and Petrus in 1967, it is one incredible bottle for the vintage. This wine can still be seen occasionally on the auction scene for dirt cheap, and it is an ideal claret for drinking over the next four or five years. The nose is still quite intense, with Haut Brion's signature black fruity tones of cassis, plum, chocolate, burnt tobacco, nuts, herbs, leather and a touch of toasty oak. Sounds complex? It is! On the palate, the wine is medium-full, with wonderful sweetness, excellent grip, and a degree of opulence that is surprising for a 1967. This is a lovely middleweight that delivers First Growth breed and complexity, albeit in a slightly smaller package. The human face of downsizing? I'll take this over Digital and AT&T any day!1996-2002. 89+.

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1970

1970 Chateau Haut Bailly

What's my favorite sleeper in Pomerol? Why Haut Bailly, of course. What, it's a Graves? I don't care, It's still my favorite sleeper Pomerol! Year in and year out, Haut Bailly has to be the Graves' best-kept secret. The finest showing yet for this wine: very Pomerol-like on the nose (as usual), with scents of cherry, raspberry, tobacco, game, minerals, and cedary wood. Full-bodied and quite opulent on the palate, with a slight edge of volatility adding further vibrancy and complexity. Medium-full and beautifully delineated on the palate, with a bit of tannin awash in sea of fruit on the finish. A great wine. 1995- 2010. 93+.

1970 Chateau Haut Marbuzet

A fine, fine showing for this wine: classic St. Estephe aromas of black cherry, saddle leather, earth, tobacco, cedar, and a lovely floral topnote. Full and beautifully-structured on the palate, with fine length and grip, moderate tannins, and a long, complex, beautifully-balanced finish. Drinking well now, this shows no signs of going away soon. A more structured, more tightly-focused showing than previous bottles of this wine. 1995-2010. 92.

1970 Chateau Giscours

This is a wine I have tasted dozens of times, and always enjoyed, , but this was by far the best showing yet. From a case located in Europe two years ago that had never been moved. The nose is towering: an incredibly pure expression of sweet cassis, tobacco, earth, hints of truffle, violets, and cedary wood. Like a fresher, more powerful and youthful 1961 Margaux! Deep. full and very, very fresh on the palate, with penetrating fruit, ripe (and fairly substantial) tannins, and a long, very, very complex finish. A profound showing for this wine, that rates a good five points higher than "regular" bottles of this beauty! 2000- 2035. 95.

1970 Domaine de Chevalier

Served in a fine series of stunning clarets from the 1960s. And what does one make of a slightly lesser wine at its unambiguous apogee? This wine is stellar: chocolate, herbs, tobacco, plum and berry fruit, lovely terroir, and a fine coating of vanillin oak. Deep, lush and just at its magical moment of perfection; not a hair out of place, no rough edges, but not even a hint of slippage. Flawlessly focused, poised, and as perfect as this wine will ever be. Great stuff. 1996-2010. 93.

1970 Chateau L'Evangile

I had the good fortune to taste this wine twice in the first few months of 1996, and it showed very well both times. It is a very underrated L'Evangile. The first showing was even deeper and more backward than the opulent, heart on its sleeve showing a month later. Very floral and perfumed on the nose, with scents of black fruits, sweet berries, plums, roses, tobacco, chocolate, minerals, herbs, and cedary wood. One of the bottles showed the meaty tones that L'Evangile often displays as well. Initially this wine was quite soft and round, with no diminution of flavor, but with a silkiness of structure that did not auger well for the future, However, with fifteen minutes of air, this wine blossomed into a focused, serious bottle with plenty of structure and verve. Full-bodied and at its peak, but with no signs of slippage, this beautiful wine is at its apogee, but should hold there nicely for the next five to ten years. Very good stuff. 1996- 2005. 90+.

1970 Chateau Lafleur Petrus

I recently picked up this wine at auction in New York for less than $75.00 a bottle (with all premiums paid), which has to be one of the rare steals in the current frenzy of Bordeaux pricing. I have popped this wine four or five times in the last year, and it seems to get better with each passing day. The nose is a quintessential expression of Pomerol: sweet black raspberry, plum, chocolate, tobacco, minerals, hints of game, sweet vanillin oak, and a lovely floral topnote. Full-bodied, round, velvety, and opulent on the palate, with a great core of fruit, perfect structure, and a long, complex finish. Just a whisper of melting tannins give the wine grip on the finish. While it will most likely not make compelling drinking twenty years from now, it shows no signs of slipping anytime soon. A wonderful Pomerol at its absolute apogee. 1996-2006. 94.

1970 Chateau Trotanoy

Having owned this wine and then selling it five years ago, it pains me to taste it now. I initially thought this wine was too tough and astringent for its ultimate own good, and bailed. Fool. The nose is classic, great Trotanoy, with scents of cassis, roasted plums, venison, tobacco, chocolate, herbs, smoke, and toasty new oak. Deep, full, and packed with fruit on the palate, with still a fair bit of tannin to resolve (but tannin completely buried in fruit), and a long, powerful finish. A great Trotanoy, that is still a few years away from its apogee. 2000-2040. 94+.

1970 Chateau Petrus

Though a tight, youthful showing, this wine's breed and concentration were manifest. It is in vogue right now to pan Petrus as overrated (which it certainly is not) because it is overpriced (which it most certainly is), but there is no denying the spectacular quality of this wine when the chateau gets everything right. Robert Parker has recently downgraded the 1982 and 1985, but without taking his own advice to heart. It was Parker who most insistently noted that Petrus makes one of the biggest and most backward wines in all of Bordeaux, certainly of the First Growths these days. Both 1982 and 1985 are impossibly closed wines, but they are also very clearly two of the greatest wines of their respective vintages. Ten years from now both of those wines will be watching their reputations ascend again, as they emerge from hibernation. The exact same thing has happened with the 1970 Petrus, whose reviews were ecstatic on release, and then ratcheted down as the wine closed up, and are now moving briskly upward as the wine opens up again. The nose on the 1970 is still a bit reticent, but there is plenty of red currants, cassis, meaty tones, tobacco, exotic spices, coffee, cloves and toasty oak lurking just below the surface. Huge, absolutely stuffed with fruit, but tight on the palate, with a tremendous core of fruit, firm tannins, and a tightly-knit, very complex finish. A young, very serious wine. 2002-2040. 95.

1970 Chateau Mouton-Rothschild

A notorious practitioner of bottle variation, this particular showing was one of the underachievers. The nose offered up scents of ripe cabernet fruit, tobacco, truffle, earth and cedar. Clearly Pauillac, but not so clearly Mouton. Full-bodied, but a bit soupy and sluggish on the palate. Lacking in delineation and concentration, the tannins stick out a bit on the lumpy finish. A representative showing in so much that there are plenty of bottles of 1970 Mouton out there just like this, but also a large number of bottles that show decidedly more sweetness and perfume on the nose and rate five points higher. At the price this wine fetches, I would not touch it with a ten foot pole! 1996-2005. This bottle: 88.

1970 Chateau Palmer

Want to show someone new to wine the wonder of Bordeaux, serve them this wine! This particular bottle was shaken all the way from Atlanta to New York (via air), and yet still showed stunningly well: the classic Palmer nose of blackberry, mulberry, tobacco, sweet black truffles, floral tones, minerals, and vanillin oak is superb. Great depth of fruit, fine tannins, and stellar grip on the backend. The sheer opulence and caressing sweetness of fruit in the mid-palate is enthralling. A beautiful, beautiful wine that is clearly in the zenith of its maturity, but with a t least another decade of spectacular drinking ahead. One of the youngest, and finest Medocs of the '70 vintage. Which Palmer to pick for current drinking, 1966 or 1970? Life is full of tough decisions. 1996-2020. 94+.

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1971

1971 Chateau La Mission Haut Brion

I have always been a fan of the top 1971s; they display a wonderful purity and poise that is coupled with quite concentrated fruit in the best wines. This is clearly one of the best. The fine bouquet offers up scents of red fruit, truffle, tobacco, meaty tones, herbs, saddle leather and cedar. Quite full and powerful on the palate, with a strong sense of extract, still a bit of tannin, and a long, complex, finish of great grip. This is super stuff, and with more time to go. 1996-2010. 92.

1971 Chateau Haut Brion

This is more classically Graves on the nose than the La Mission that was paired with it, with scents of tobacco, cassis, plum, truffle, herbs, chocolate, and cedary wood. Deep, broad, and beautiful on the palate, with a core of sweet, sweet fruit, fine balance, and a long, complex finish. This beauty is wearing its heart on its sleeve, and should be drunk up before it begins its gradual decline. A mission I would be willing to undertake at a moment's notice! 1996-2000. 91.

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1975

1975 Chateau Lafite-Rothschild

Never one of my favorite Lafites; the quality is readily apparent, but stylistically, the mark of the vintage overwhelms the perfume of the property. That said, this was an excellent showing for this wine: deep and roasted on the nose, with cassis, plum, a strong note of saddle leather, tobacco, smoke and cedary wood. Full and powerful on the palate, with loads of fruit in ascendancy over the rustic tannins. This is one 1975 that faces no danger of drying out. 1995-2015. 91.

1975 Chateau Trotanoy

While 1975 has more than its share of disappointments in the Medoc, the Pomerols from this vintage are some of the greatest young wines I have tasted! What a crime that Trotanoy has been allowed to slide (pushed?) into dotage and sloth after the 1982, because this patch of dirt can produce some of the most complete, profound wines in all of Bordeaux. The 1975 Trot offers up a profound nose of mullberry, plum, tobacco, coffee, mocha, herb tones, grilled nuts, minerals, game, and toasty new oak. Reticent, but at the same time, with incredible depth and promising complexity. The nose here is purer and less marked by the vintage than 1982. Deep and packed with layer upon powerful layer of fruit on the palate, the wine has ripe tannins, great focus and balance, and a long, complex, profound finish. This is one of the greatest young Pomerols I have tasted in a long time, with great grip and extract; this could well be in the same league with 1975 Petrus! A great, great young wine, that needs at least another five years in the cellar to really show its paces. While this wine is not actually disappointing to drink now, it is not even close to its peak. Tasted twice in 1996, with similar euphoric results. It is clearly in the league with the very top Pomerols of 1982, 1985, 1989 or 1990! Drink 2000- 2025. 95

1975 Chateau L'Evangile

This wine is the real stuff: very traditionally vinified, with a scale and power of the great, old vintages of Pomerol. The nose is deep and brooding, with tremendous complexity, but only moderate nuance as of yet: cassis, plum, chocolate, meaty tones, tobacco, smoke, earth, and cedary wood on the bouquet. Deep and extremely powerful on the palate, with layers of ripe fruit, tremendous extract, and a long, quite -tannic finish. A mammoth wine that is still at least ten years away! This wine has the thickness of fruit and awesome extract of the 1975 Lafleur. I have to place it ahead of the 1982, 1985, and 1990 L'Evangiles! It is a legendary bottle of Pomerol that lives on in relative obscurity. 96. 2005-2050.

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1976

1976 Chateau Mouton-Rothschild

Perhaps a success for the vintage, but damn near undrinkable! The 1976 Mouton displays a nasty combination of underripe, weedy, cabernet fruit, hard, astringent tannins, and a muddled, unfocused bouquet. The nose is deep, but one-dimensional, with aromas of cassis, herbs, leather, barnyard, prunes, and cedary, spicy wood. While full-bodied and surprisingly powerful for a 1976, the wine is already beginning to dry out on the palate, with astringency sneaking in to demolish the finish. A big, beefy wine that has always been a bit short on sweet fruit. 1995- 1997. 81.

I have included two separate notes on 1976 Lafite to demonstrate the differences in evolution between different sized bottles of the same wine. I am a great believer that wines age better in larger format bottles. In some cases, such as 1978 Leoville las Cases, as well as 1976 Lafite, I think that the 750 ml. bottle will never, at any time in its evolution, taste as fine as it does in larger bottles. These wines tasted remarkably different, and they were purchased from the same cool cellar about three years ago. I cannot vouch for their provenance at the time they were put into that cellar, but as the gentleman was a very large collector, and possessed multiple cases of this wine, I suspect that all formats were purchased at the same time.

1976 Chateau Lafite-Rothschild (in 750ml)

This Lafite has been drinking very well for the last six to eight years, and shows no sign of imminent decline. That said, I cannot state that I have ever tasted one of these that I would say was at its absolute apogee. A friend of mine commented that he thinks this is one wine that will never see the stroke of twelve midnight; rather it will always be caught at 11:59 or 12:01! In any event, it is a revelation for the vintage. The nose is a melange of classic Lafite tones and the slightly "roasted" tones of the vintage. Scents of cassis, red currants, tobacco, citrus notes, truffle, minerals, hints of game, and cedary, spicy wood dominate the nose. Medium-bodied, complex, and quite stylish on the palate, with fine acidity and just a wisp of tannin poking through on the finish. I like this wine better in magnum, where the tannins are much more pronounced, but the fruit is much sweeter and deeper in tone. (I tasted it recently in double magnum as well, where it was a good ten years away from maturity.) A fine bottle, but clearly not a 96 point wine. 1996-2005.) 91.

1976 Chateau Lafite-Rothschild (served from magnum)

In magnum, just a profound, magnificent wine: a pointe and an archetypical Lafite in all its splendor. A hauntingly fine nose of sweet cassis, berry, violets, truffles, lead pencil, tobacco, minerals and cedary wood explodes from the glass. Rich, full and perfectly balanced on the palate, with layers of sweet fruit, bright acidity, melting tannins, and a long, super-complex finish. A magical drink now, with years of life ahead of it. While this wine has peaked in 750s, it has a long way to go in larger format. 1995-2025. 94.

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1978

1978 Chateau Laville Haut Brion

A very, very young wine! This wine was decanted for twenty-five minutes before serving, and it only opened up a tad. The reticent nose offers up fresh scents of lemon, fig, beeswax, petrol, a touch of grassiness, minerals, honey, and sweet vanillin oak. Full-bodied and lemony on the palate, with a great core of fruit, firm acids, fine focus, and a long, potentially complex finish. Amazingly, this wine is still at least five years away from hitting its peak! A fine Laville. 2003-2015. 90.

1978 Chateau Margaux (375 ml.)

The 1978 vintage, welcomed as the "miracle vintage" when a late burst of great weather pushed the grapes to ripeness after a very difficult season, has produced a great many wines that have not aged as well as their early promise indicated. As the puppy fat of sweet fruit has melted away, the vintage's lack of ripeness can be tasted in a great number of wines. There is a "greenness" and hardness to many '78s on the finish that does not augur well for the future. Unfortunately, even Chateau Margaux cannot wholly escape these characteristics. However, from a historical perspective, the 1978 Margaux remains a very important wine. 1978 marked the first vintage under the reign of the Mentzelopolous family, and a return to First Growth form for Chateau Margaux. Between 1961 and 1978, there were no Margaux releases to really get excited about. I just wish I could warm up to the 1978. While the wine is certainly one of the shining successes of the vintage, I have always had a very strong preference for the 1979. Qualitatively, the distance between the two wines is small, but stylistically, the 1979 is cut much more in the elegant, perfumed style that Margaux was so famous for in its heyday. The 1978 is much more herbal on the nose (Napa Valley-like), with a note of bell pepper lurking with the cassis. That said, this half bottle was the prettiest example of the 1978 I have yet tasted, so we can hope that the herbs are just a bit of the adolescent grumpiness of the wine. With an hour's air, this wine unfolded to reveal scents of sweet cassis, chocolate, violets, tobacco, and sweet vanillin oak. With another ten years or so, this wine may evolve into the classic Margaux melange of cassis, black truffles, violets and vanilla. Full-bodied, and quite powerful on the palate for a 1978, this wine still shows a bit of green tannin on the finish. While I would opt for consuming most 1978 Medocs now, before the fruit starts to fade, this is one wine I would be willing to bet on improving with another six to eight years bottle age. A solid effort, but not up to the high praise of some commentators. 2000-2015. 90.

1978 Chateau Haut Bailly

This wine offers further evidence that 1978 is truly a great vintage in the Graves, no matter how irregular the rest of Bordeaux has become with extended bottle age. This wine was spectacular: a great nose of cassis, tobacco, minerals, cigar box, chocolate, herbs, and nutty tones explodes from the glass. On the palate, this wine is a tape measure shot, hit on the meat of the bat with full extension. Totally a pointe, with sweet layers of fruit, superb length, excellent acidity and just a bit of tannin poking through on the finish. A shockingly profound showing. Remember, this wine was served double blind immediately after 1983 Palmer! It has to be good! Just how good will Haut Brion, Domaine de Chevalier, and La Mission be when they finally peak? 1996-2010. 93!

1978 Chateau La Mission Haut Brion

Tasting this wine "double blind" I called this wine a great vintage of Ridge Monte Bello, (for the second consecutive time)!. The nose was quite Californian initially, but with time developed more Bordeaux characteristics. Scents of super-ripe, baked cassis, mint, tobacco and spicy cedary wood on the nose, and with extended breathing, a distinctive grilled meatiness. Quite full-bodied and long on the palate, but without the great complexity one would expect. Moderate tannins are buried in fruit on the finish. Tasting the La Mission and Haut Brion over the last few months, it is clear that the Graves has had the most success in 1978. Nothing underripe about this wine! Interestingly, while this was a fine showing, this particular bottle was quite a bit more advanced than bottles I have in my cellar. Perfectly stored bottles are still a good six to eight years away from their apogee. 2000-2020. 94.

1978 Chateau Haut Brion

A really wonderful showing. 1978 is not one of my favorite Bordeaux vintages, with most of the wines showing a decidedly "green" streak from a lack of adequate ripeness. However, the high points of the vintage are found in the Graves. The nose offers up scents of sweet plum, red cherry, hot bricks, herb tones, tobacco, hints of chocolate, grilled nuts, earth, and cedary wood. This wine reminds me quite a bit of the 1966, though I called it Pomerol on the blind. Medium-full, round and creamy on the palate, with more obvious ripeness than 1978 Medocs. The finish is long, complex, and very stylish. Not a great Haut Brion, but a very, very good one. Clearly one of the handful of top 1978s. 1996-2006. 93.

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1979

1979 Chateau Leoville las Cases

Las Cases has fashioned one of the biggest, most powerful Medocs of the vintage. It is still a few years away from complete maturity, and as much as I enjoy the bouquet and appreciate the depth of this wine, I am not sure it is ever going to completely loss its distinct touch of "greenness" on the finish. While the 1978 Las Cases tastes thoroughly ripe (a rarity for '78), the '79 tastes as if it should be the 1978! The nose is first rate, with scents of black cherry, coffee, tobacco, minerals, and toasty new oak. Quite full-bodied and still quite tannic on the palate, with good concentration, but betrayed by just a touch of underripeness on the finish.

1979 Chateau Lafite-Rothschild

A great showing for this wine: quite rich and powerful for a '79, with flawless evolution. A classic Lafite nose of sweet cassis, violets, tobacco, minerals, and cedary wood. Great complexity and finesse on the palate, with lovely depth of fruit, perfect structure, and a long, meltingly tannic finish. Not a wine of great power, but rather an intensely flavored wine cut in a medium-full format. This is shockingly good. 1995-2005 92.

1979 Chateau Mouton-Rothschild

A surprisingly good showing for this wine. Tasted in the early 1980s, this wine was thin and dilute. This showing was significantly deeper: a very big, somewhat tough 1979, that displayed a really lovely nose, but a somewhat disjointed palate. Sweet cassis, cherry, meaty tones, tobacco, spices, and toasty oak on the nose. Full and chewy on the palate, with fine black fruit tones, but a bit astringent on the finish. Will take a few more years to soften, but it will never come completely into harmony. A fitting close to a very difficult decade at Mouton. 1999- 2010. 88.

1979 Chateau Palmer

Just a magnificent, classic Palmer nose of black truffles, mullberry, violets, tobacco, minerals, and a deft touch of toasty new oak. Medium-bodied, poised, and beautifully-balanced on the palate, with soft, melting tannins, great grip and length, and a long, complex, lovely finish. One of the best 1979s, as well as one of the best Palmers in the 1961-1995 stretch. A sleeper for those who value complexity, breed, and finesse over raw power. 1996-2010. 92.

1979 Chateau Margaux

I have had this wine on a number of occasions, and I have always found it delicious. Tucked into a 1966 tasting (and paired with 1966 Chateau Palmer!), I had a hard time placing the wine. A lovely, albeit nasty, curveball. For the first time, I detected a notes of almost California-like components on the nose: minty, cassis, tobacco, herb tones, minerals, violets, coffee, and toasty new oak. Still quite adolescent in terms of flavor and aromatic development. Full-bodied and quite powerful on the palate; again, clearly very young and primary still. Moderate tannins and fine acidity on the finish promise a super drink ten years down the road. This was the most backward bottle of this wine that I have tasted in the last five years (this bottle recently came from a particularly cool cellar), and it seems that with further cellaring, it will be on of the spectacular success stories of 1979. A very fine Margaux that is developing at a snail's pace, especially for a 1979. 2002- 2040. 92+.

1979 Chateau Certan de May

A magnificent showing for this wine: a stunning, smoky nose of plum, cassis, herbs, tobacco, chocolate, earth, and cedary wood. In aromatic profile, much like a great vintage of Cos D'Estournal (say 1985) might taste like at peak maturity. Deep, lush and resolved on the palate, with layers of ripe fruit, melting tannins, beautiful focus, and a long, super complex finish. Clearly one of the wines of the vintage, and with years of life ahead of it. Look for this at auction! 1995-2010. 93+.

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1981

1981 Chateau La Conseillante

The finest showing in four or five years: sweet raspberry, plum, herbs, tobacco, floral tones, minerals, coffee, and sweet vanillin oak on the nose. Medium-full, but sweet, sumptuous, and opulent on the palate, with the silk and lace of great Pomerol. Melting tannins are buried in fruit on the finish. A great, complex, super concentrated 1981, that has to be one of the wines of the vintage. Excellent. 1995-2010. 92.

1981 Chateau Margaux

A lovely, perfumed, and stylish 1981: cassis, berries, violets, mint, truffle, minerals, and toasty new oak on the nose. Medium-full, deep and complex on the palate, with melting tannins, fine length, and a great sense of style and grace. Interestingly, like the 1978 and 1979, this wine shares and aromatic profile with many a wine from California! Good stuff, but time to drink up. 1995-2001. 89.

1981 Chateau Certan de May

Just a magnificent showing for this wine: fabulous resolution (a la 64 or 66) combined with great sweetness of fruit. The nose explodes from the glass with scents of ripe cherries, raspberries, tobacco, exotic spices, minerals, smoke, and cedary wood. Spicy like Mouton, with the cabernet really showing (a higher percentage this year?); sweet, long a superb on the palate, with melting tannins, great structure, and a long, complete finish. The wine of the vintage. 1995-2005. 94.

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1982

1982 Chateau Grand Puy Lacoste

There has been some banter back and forth on the internet about whether or not the quality of the 1982s is ever so slightly overstated because of a confluence of historical factors made them cheap and plentiful in the United States. This is most definitely not the case. 1982 has produced a tremendous number of great wines, and clearly belongs in the roles with the greatest handful of vintages of the last century. The 1982 Grand Puy Lacoste is a perfect example of how fabulous this vintage is up and down the ranks. This was really a wonderful showing for this wine: black cherry, tobacco, violets, hints of black truffle, minerals, and vanillin oak on the nose. This is by far the most forward bottle of this wine I have seen. Full-bodied and packed with lush, creamy 1982 fruit on the palate, with round, ripe tannins, and a long, lush finish. Really the finest Guppy I have ever tasted, by a huge margin. I am not sure how complex this will become with more age, but for an upfront, opulent mouthful, this wine is certainly a crowdpleaser. 1999-2020. 93. 89.

1982 Chateau La Lagune

This wine is just stunning! A very Margaux-like nose of ripe berries, plums, tobacco, truffle, minerals, and toasty new oak soars from the glass. On the palate, layers of sweet, ripe fruit roll over the palate, with fine focus, soft tannins, and a long, complex, opulent finish. Of all the classed growth 1982s. this may well be drinking the best at the moment. I have to give this the nod over the more macho 1989 La Lagune. 1995- 2015. 93.

1982 Chateau Pichon-Lalande

I have to confess that I am not a huge fan of Pichon-Lalande. The high percentage of merlot in the wine always seems to bring about a certain weediness to both the aromas and flavors of this wine. Coupled with the very heavily toasted oak employed here, I get this herbal/coffee component in doses that I find detracts from the wine. A few years back I sold off all my Pichon-Lalande (1970-1986) to purchase extra bottles of 1990 Burgundies. While I do not rue the extra '90 Burgs, the way this wine showed, I am beginning to think I may have been a bit hasty in unloading the 1982 with the other vintages! This legendary Pichon has gotten better and better with time. The fat, luxurious fruit of its youth has backed off just a bit to reveal a finely-honed structure and laser-like palate penetration. The nose is still phenomenal: black cherry, herb tones, coffee, tobacco, cigar box and toasty new oak soar from the glass. On the palate the wine is lush, lavish and accessible, but with structure and grip now showing through on the finish. Substantial, very ripe tannins perk up the finish. While a monumental wine already (as it has been throughout its life), the '82 Pichon-Lalande is clearly still on its way up. Dazzling stuff, but patience will still be rewarded! 2000-2025. 95.

1982 Chateau Leoville las Cases

This wine had the difficult task of following a flight of 1983 Chave Hermitage and 1983 Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle at a dinner. After the preceding two wines, this fabulous claret came across as very one-dimensional. Certainly still very closed and dumb, the absolute quality is manifest: scents of super sweet black cherry, herbs, tobacco, minerals, and plenty of vanillin oak jump from the glass. On the palate the wine is huge and impeccably-balanced, with great acidity for a 1982, layers of ripe fruit, flawless structure, and a spectacular, long finish. This legend in the making needs another good ten years! 2005- 2060. 96.

1982 Chateau Figeac

Really a fine showing for this wine: plums, cherries, coffee, tobacco, grilled nuts, floral tones, minerals, and toasty new oak on the nose. Very complex and flamboyant. Deep and lush on the palate, with layers of super-ripe fruit, great structure, and along, softly-tannic finish. This wine has shown consistently brilliant for me, but Steve Tanzer has had less luck with it. 1995-2020. 93.

1982 Chateau La Mission Haut Brion

A great showing for this wine (no easy matter after 88 Petrus!): the sweet, jammy fruit of 1982 supplies a lovely mid-range to all of La Mission's truffle and cigar box bass notes. The nose is stunning: sweet cassis, black raspberry, tobacco, truffle, earth, smoke, cigar box, French roast, meaty tones, and cedary wood. Deep, full and packed with sweet fruit, plenty of firm tannin, and a long, rich, chewy finish. A fine, thick 82 that is getting better and better as it ages. Clearly one of the top dozen wines of the Left Bank. 2002-2040. 95.

1982 Chateau Leoville-Poyferre

What makes Poyferre such a uniquely beautiful chateau is the incredible soil notes that play such a dominant role in the wine's bouquet and flavors. Unfortunately, this example was slightly corked. However, the quality underneath is readily apparent: cherry, plum, coffee, minerals, and toasty oak cover the high notes on the nose. The base register is occupied by Poyferre's wonderful earth tones. Full-bodied and long on the palate, with excellent, succulent red fruit flavors, and that Poyferre soil on the finish. A great wine by any standards, and the finest Poyferre I have ever had the pleasure to run across my palate. 2000-2025. 92.

1982 Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou

In a flight with Las Cases and Lalande, this wine impressively demonstrated why it is the finest Ducru since the 1961! A great nose (signature St. Julien) of black cherry, tobacco, minerals, and cedary wood explodes from the glass. Deep, rich, and perfectly focused on the palate, with impeccable structure and balance, firm tannins, and a long, complex, powerful finish. Along with Las Cases and Lafite, this was the most closed and youthful wine of the tasting. 2002-2035. 94.

1982 Chateau Haut Brion

While this wine does not have the power of the 1989 Haut Brion (or many of the other 1982 First Growths, for that matter), it is still a fabulous wine. The nose is magnificent: scents of plums, black cherries, roasted nuts, tobacco, minerals, floral tones, herbs, brick dust, and toasty oak waft from the glass. Full-bodied, lush, and potentially very silky on the palate, with beautiful focus and complexity, supreme elegance, and a long, softly-tannic finish. Some tasters will fault this for its lack of profound 1982 power (it is nowhere near as big as la Mission or Lafite), I am prepared to let this wine do the seducing for the next forty years! 2000-2035. 96.

1982 Chateau La Dominique

A beautiful, Merlot-dominated nose of plum, raspberry, dill weed, tobacco, menthol, toffee, and sweet vanillin oak. Deep, full, and still fairly tannic, with layers of ripe fruit, fine balance, and a long, complex finish. An excellent showing, I confused this wine with the 1982 La Conseillante in a blind tasting. A great La Dominique. 1998-2015. 93.

1982 Chateau La Conseillante

While this wine is truly lovely if well stored, I have crossed paths with a depressing number of stewed bottles of chocolate-covered prunes that obviously suffered from poor handling. Plenty of these have originated in New York, so I strongly urge those of you who procured your wine in the northeast to taste your bottles. This note is from one of the rare pristine examples of this wine that I have tasted. The cabernet franc in the blend really showed through: scents of black cherry, plum, coffee, herb tones, grilled nuts, earth, and cedary wood soar from the glass. Medium-full, sweet and stylish on the palate, with a fine core of fruit, excellent structure, and a long, fat, softly-tannic finish. A fine showing, and I have recently had even better bottles! 1997- 2015. 93.

1982 Chateau Certan de May

I love Certan de May, at least when they get everything right. There certainly is no "righter" example in recent times than the legendary 1982! I had tasted this wine three or four times in the year preceding this note, and had always found the wine impressive but quite unyielding. Finally, the sun is just beginning to poke its head out from behind the clouds. This example was much more forward than the last couple of bottles. The nose is stunning: deeply black fruity, with scents of roasted plums, grilled meats, tar, truffle, tobacco, smoke, and toasty oak. A massive wine on the palate, with layers of ripe fruit, a distinct tarry note, and substantial, ripe tannins on the finish. A great, great wine still in search of a few more years in the cellar. 2002-2035. 95.

1982 Chateau Trotanoy

This was the finest showing yet for this spectacular wine. I remember well Robert Parker stating that this wine was ready to drink five or six years ago, and popping one of my scant few bottles only to be rewarded with a totally dumb and closed wine. A bottle last year at Steve Tanzer's 1982 Bordeaux tasting was still not showing as well as this bottle. The nose (no mistaking Pomerol here!) explodes form the glass with scents of chocolate, roasted plums, herb tones, tobacco, dill, hints of sweet truffle, and toasty new oak. Deep, rich, and opulent on the palate, with a thickness and power of a great vintage; moderate tannins are buried in an avalanche of fruit. I mistook this wine for a legendary 1961 Pomerol! 2000-2030. 97.

1982 Chateau Cheval Blanc

The most flamboyant and exotic 1982 continues to close down for a bit of a nap. Every time I have had this wine over the last several years, it has gotten tighter and more powerful. However, this is a wine with so much stuffing and fruit that this wine closing down is analogous to turning around an aircraft carrier at full throttle: it takes a lot of room and a lot of time. The nose is still legendary, with scents of ripe plums, mulberries, menthol, tobacco, grilled nuts, herbs, chocolate, and toasty new oak. Deep, pure, black fruity and explosive on the palate, with big, thick fruit, impeccable balance, and a very, very , very long finish. This wine may not open up again from hibernation for ten years! 2002-2050. 98.

1982 Chateau Lafite-Rothschild

This is the greatest Lafite since the 1959, but its time has not yet come. An immense Lafite of flawless balance, the '82 will dazzle for decades once it has reached its apogee. The bouquet is tight but incredibly deep: cassis, cooked plum, coffee, roasted nuts, minerals, and toasty new oak. On the palate the wine is once again tight, but just packed full of super-ripe fruit, firm, ripe tannins, and a long, thickly-extracted finish. Still a good ten years away, this legend in the making will drink profoundly for fifty years! 2005-2060. 98+.

1982 Chateau Mouton-Rothschild

Why on earth would I open this wine? Actually, I had no choice, this bottle had a bad cork that had let go and the bottle was seriously ullaged. It was a case of drink now or trust to luck and hope the bottle would not be totally oxidized when I pulled the cork down the road. I never trust to luck. Fortunately, the wine was still in excellent condition, and for those who have had this legend, they can confirm that this is one dizzying, heart in your mouth, thrill a minute ride. This (along with the 1986) is a Mouton of epic proportions that harkens back to the last legendary Mouton, the 1959. A pity there are not more Moutons at this level. The bad cork may have actually allowed this wine to show even more of what is coming down the road to the patient and the blessed, as a bottle I had last year was significantly more closed and brooding. The nose just explodes from the glass with scents of red currants, coffee, meaty tones, roasted plums, oriental spices, tobacco, minerals, and heavily toasted new oak. On the palate, the wine is just crammed with layer upon layer of super ripe, opulent, magnificent fruit. The wine has plenty of tannin, but it is awash in a tsunami of cabernet. The poise, the focus, and the balance of the wine are simply perfect. But don't even think about opening it (unless cornered, as I was...I really was!) for at least another ten years. It is educational now, but it will be one of life's most memorable bottles of claret when it really hits its plateau of maturity. 2008-2075. 100 (easy).

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1983

1983 Chateau Laville Haut Brion

A superb showing for this wine: honey, figs, apples, minerals, a touch of petrol, touch of coconut, lemon, and sweet vanillin oak on the nose. Full-bodied and crisp on the palate, with a huge mid-palate that is just beginning to open; long and complete on the finish. I have a slight preference for both Haut Brion Blanc and Domaine de Chevalier Blanc in this vintage, but a fine wine, nonetheless. 1998-2015. 92.

1983 Chateau Haut Brion Blanc

A stunning showing: an explosive nose of honeyed figs, herb tones, apple, lemon, minerals, a touch of gout de petrol, and sweet vanillin oak. Just beginning to really open, with a very powerful palate impression, full body, and a long, crisp, very complex finish. A magnificent wine, just nearing its plateau. 1995-2025. 93+.

1983 Chateau Palmer

Why don't these people make more great wine? Like Chateau Figeac, Palmer can be so, so good when they get it right, that it is frustrating to taste all the missed opportunities in vintages such as 1990, 1986, 1985, and 1982. Anyway, this is one of the legendary Palmers, just beginning to hit its stride at age thirteen. The nose is spectacular, with scents of sweet, sweet cassis, roasted tobacco, black truffles, chocolate, leather, floral notes, and cedary wood. On the palate the wine is plush, opulent, and packed with sweet fruit, with fine structure, moderate tannins, and a long, complex, powerful finish. While the wine is delicious to drink now, there is still more to come, so for those with less than a dozen bottles, try and hold off for another three to five years. Believe me, there is no hurry. 2000-2030. 94.

1983 Chateau Lafite-Rothschild

A very fine showing for this big, chewy Lafite. The relative ferocity of youth is beginning to subside in this bottle, though the nose is still in its formative stage: scents of sweet cassis, coconut, tobacco, coffee, minerals, toasty new oak, and a floral topnote waft from the glass. Deep, full and beginning to get quite lush on the palate, with a bit of the roasted character of the vintage still showing through on the palate; a long, complex, moderately-tannic finish closes out this excellent Lafite. Give this wine another four or five years to reach its apogee. 2000-2025. 93+.

1983 Chateau Lafleur

A half dozen of these were purchased for $30.00 a bottle back in 1987, and, alas, this was the last bottle. Clearly the wine of the vintage along with Margaux, this wine is still not close to its apogee. The nose is (the last?) of the classic Lafleurs, with the fruit cake, exotic fruit tones and meatiness of this singular chateau. Scents of crushed raspberries, red currants, citronel, grilled meats, coffee, tobacco, smoke, and cedary wood explode from the glass. Huge and palate-staining on the palate, with a massive core of super ripe fruit, chewy tannins, and a mammoth long finish. At least ten years away from its peak, but still a very impressive mouthful today. Clearly a step up from the slightly overripe 1982, this is one of my favorite Lafleurs. 2005-2050. 96.

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Sauternes

1971 Chateau de Fargues

A fabulous showing for this wine: infinitely deeper and racier than the 1980 tasted last week. The nose is superb, with scents of apricot, orange, honey, creme brulee, almonds, minerals, and buttery oak. Full, lush and crisp on the palate, with great structure, and a long, opulent finish. A pointe now, but with years of life ahead of it. 1995-2009. 92.

1975 Chateau de Fargues

Chateau de Fargues is one of my most beloved Sauternes properties. At one-third the price, one gets Y'Quem flavors and aromas, but cut in a slightly less massive style that I find even more appealing. The 1975 has an absolutely beautiful, complex nose of toasted coconut, honey, pineapple, apple, grilled nuts, and sweet new oak. Deep, full and lush on the palate, with plenty of botrytis and fruit, but without the zesty acidity of 75 Y'Quem. Interestingly, I have to give the nod to the '76 De Fargues over this. 1996-2010. 90.

1976 Chateau De Fargues (750 ml.)

For whatever reason, De Fargues appears to have been much more successful in 1976 than in 1975. Just the opposite of Y'Quem, the 76 De Fargues shows that lovely, zesty acidity that the 1975 lacks. The nose is superb: toasted coconut, orange, apricot, honey, creme brulee, floral tones and sweet vanillin oak. Full-bodied, lush, and quite nicely framed by acidity, with fine resolution to its flavors, and a long, powerful finish. Very complete and complex, this wine is right now a step up from even the 1976 Y'Quem! 1996-2016? 92.

1980 Chateau de Fargues (750)

An excellent wine, but just beginning to show a bit of softness around the edges. Perhaps this bottle was not perfect. The nose was stunning: honey, apricot, grilled nuts, creme brulee, minerals, and vanillin oak. Rich and opulent on the palate, but (on this evening), not displaying the lovely, zesty acidity of the 71,75, or 76. A fine wine, with the Y'Quem flavor profile, but not quite bright enough for superb. 1995-2002. 88.

1983 Chateau Rieussec (750 ml.)

This wine is shockingly advanced, in fact, it is already in decline. The changes that have taken place since Lafite took over are now producing a wine of much more longevity, one must hope. The nose is tiring, and already threatening an incipient oxidation. Scents of coconut, honey, creme brulee, pineapple and grilled nuts are complex, but lacking in freshness. Soft and fairly undistinguished on the palate, with the fruit already fading and leaving behind the tannic skeleton on the finish. If this is representative, drink up yesterday! 85.

1986 Chateau D'Y'Quem (750 ml.)

I love Y'Quem, at least I think I do. I guess I love 1975 and 1988 Y'Quem! Where is the acidity? In vintages such as 1976, 1980, 1983 and 1986, I find these wines to be heavy-handed and cloying. Sacrilege. Blasphemy. Heretic. Sorry, it's true. I expected great things from this wine, especially since I find the vintage extremely good. But I always seem to cellar Climens, and dabble with the rest. The nose is lovely: pineapple, coconut, creme brulee, honey, floral tones, butter, and sweet vanillin oak. So far so, so good. But the palate is curiously flat and dull. I am tasting this double blind, and I immediately rule out Y'Quem! Sure there is plenty of depth and oomph, but man this is tough going. Is it possible that importers think this juice is indestructible, and hence they treat it with the same disdain that they used to reserve for Rioja? I don't know, maybe the stuff tastes better over there, over there, over there...I am left still craving the orangey acidity and cut of the 1975! Time will tell, but I've got Rousseau Chambertin to buy...1996-2050. 88. (95-if you like the stuff 20/50 grade!)

1988 Chateau Coutet

Coutet is always a wine that leaves me a bit cold with its lack of acidity. The nose clearly says Barsac, with its higher-toned, more elegant style, but this wine is still a bit obvious and four-square on the palate. The nose was lovely, with scents of coconut, apple, pineapple, a bit of honey, and sweet vanillin oak. However, the intensity of a wine like Climens was clearly missing. On the palate, this is a wine of modest concentration, decent acidity, and not as much botrytis as one expects from a top 1988. Perhaps the Cuvee Madame just emasculates the regular bottling. Not a wine that would make me part with my money! 2000-2020. 87.