Bordeaux Blend

What a treat to drink.  This is a fascinating vintage.  After some less than great years, this looked like it could possibly be exceptional and the Bordeaux hype train got into gear.  Despite many fans who kept saying just be patient, it never took those last few steps.  That said, it also has so much to offer.  The wines can be austere, but they also are complex and fascinating.  Which brings us to the Lafite.  Is it a great Lafite?  No.  Is it a great wine, certainly close.  Ruby in color with browning, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has cherries, graphite, and slight cigar box.  Med

Don't get me wrong, vintages matter, but there is often some distinctions in sub-appellations.  Case in point, for me, 1983 Margaux is often better than the more heralded 1982 vintage.  If nothing else, this wine is a testament to the 1983 vintage in Margaux.  Ruby in color with some browning, mostly opaque and flat.  The nose is classic with cherries, black cherries, cigar box and a funk/earthiness.  Medium bodied.  Tart acidity.  On the palate, black cherries with some underlying funk.  Depth and complexity.  Moderate finish.  While certainly past prime, there was a lot to offer here.  Se

We were told that this is 95% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon (which is very different from today's wines).  I am not sure that at age 42 that matters so much.  Ruby/brown in color, mostly clear and bright.  The nose is nice with cassis, dried currents, dust and slight earthiness.  On the palate, light cherries and slight milk chocolate notes.  Some depth.  This wine is alive nd has some interest, but, to paraphrase the Princess Bride, "It is mostly dead".  Still this was pleasant enough and fun to drink.  

This is a producer that I am not familiar with although I believe they still produce wine today. That said, this was a very good showing for a 41 year old Medoc wine.  Purple/ruby/brown in color, mostly opaque and flat.  The nose is nice; earthy with black cherry fruit.  Medium bodied. Good balance.  On the palate, the fruit seems ripe/sweet.  Cherries, slight tobacco notes.  Deep-ish complexity.  Moderate finish.  This worked well with a Truffle Risotto.  

One never knows about older bottles until they are opened.  I would have thought this DOA but it had some life left and was a nice older wine.  Ruby/brown in color, clear and bright.  The nose has some Volatile Acidity when first poured but the blew off after about ten minutes leaving Cherries, and earthiness and slightly perfumed.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, cherry cough syrup notes with a bit of mint on the finish.  This kept improving in the glass for the 15 or so minutes that I had it.  Nice on it own, this worked great with a mushroom popover dish.  Certainly past prime, but that's

This is made from grapes donated by wineries who are members of the Commanderie in Bordeaux.  Really fun to start the Edwin's 1980's Bordeaux tasting with this wine.  Many in the crowd seemed to enjoy the wine (not me), the atmosphere (absolutely) or the opportunity to taste something cool while supporting a great charity (Edwin's)!  This was brown in color (think a bit darker than a wet tootsie roll).  The nose offered up some balsamic vinegar and warm attic dust.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, this was thin and dilute.  Not acidic or tart or off.  Really just not much of anything.  With

It seemed like a bad idea opening such a young Bordeaux, but this was surprisingly still open and drinking well.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim, opaque and bright.  The nose has black cherries, cassis, chocolate and spice.  Medium to full bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, black raspberry fruit with black cherries and underlying char.  Plenty of depth.  Complex.  Good finish with some milk chocolate notes.  This is delicious.  It will be interesting to see where this goes from here.  Does it shut down?  Does it develop more with cellaring.  In any event it is excellent right now. 

This bottle had been opened at 9:00 am for serving around 7:00 pm.  It wasn't enough, so it got decanted around 6:30.  Still was quite tight so it was left to sit in the glass for another hour where it eventually opened up.  This bottle needs time.  A 24 hour decant might not be out of line at this point.  This is a blend of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petit Verdot, 5% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 1% Malbec.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, slight earthiness, graphite, chocolate and slight roasted herbs.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  Lovely texture.  On the palat

A blend of 55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Sauvignon.  The cork was popped at 9:00 am, a half ounce poured off, then a neutral cork inserted before being transported and served at 7:00 pm.  The wine took about 30 minutes to really open and hit its stride.  Purple in color with a ruby rim, opaque and bright.  The nose shows black cherries, cassis, smoke, slight chocolate, and leather.  With air, a subtle earthiness emerges that is classic Bordeaux.  Full bodied.  Light tannins.  On the palate, this is complex and deep.  Cassis, black cherries, chocolate cigar box notes and earth.  Layers that un

Wow.  Talk about a Bordeaux styled wine made in Napa, this is it.  Just a beauty.  87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot and 1% Petite Verdot.  Ruby/purple in color, opaque and shimmering bright.  The nose is gorgeous, if young.  Cassis, black cherries, blueberries, smoke, tobacco, earthiness, cedar and spice.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  Great energy.  On the palate, this is complex and tightly layered.  Cassis and black cherries with earthiness and smoke.  Long finish.  Delicious.  This is not a huge fruit bomb at all.  Not yet at peak but well on its way.  This has another twenty to thirty