Château Gruaud Larose St Julien Bordeaux 1989

Château Gruaud Larose St Julien Bordeaux 1989

Inspired by the aged vintage three decade old St Julien Bordeaux we had last week, I was eager for an encore and pulled from the cellar this 1989 Gruaud Larose to enjoy with Linda's beef stew dinner.  

Linda and Rick at Château Gruaud Larose

Our visit to Château Gruaud Larose was another one of the highlights of our trip to the Bordeaux Medoc region and the St Julien appellation this summer. 

Our Cellartracker records show we still hold seven bottles from the OWC - Original Wood Case of this label we acquired upon release back at the time. 

Thankfully, tonight's experience was equally rewarding, another well preserved and aged fine Bordeaux that was drinking at its apex, even at thirty years of age, showing no diminution whatsoever from age. 

Like the Ducru-Beaucaillou we consumed the other night, we still hold several cases of this label from ten vintages dating back to the birthyear vintages of our kids, 1981, 1982, 1985, and several vintages since, including several in large format magnum (1.5l) and double magnum (30l).

While we hold several older vintages, we chose the 1989 due the multitude of bottles we have from this vintage. As part of cellar management, I pulled the bottle with the lowest fill level however all seven bottles were nearly identical, not surprising since they all came from the same case and had the same provenance.

The fill level was at lower neck level with intact and prime condition foil and label. The cork was very saturated for the lower half but came out intact using an ah-so two pronged cork puller. 

Château Gruaud Larose Grand Cru Classe St Julien Bordeaux 1989

This was dark garnet colored, medium bodied, concentrated, bright, expressive black plum and currant fruits accented by pronounced brilliant violet floral and cigar box notes turning to tangy sharp tongue puckering tannins on the lingering finish. 

RM 92 points.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=5037

https://www.gruaud-larose.com/en/

Ducru Beaucaillou Birthyear Vintage

Château Ducru-Beaucaillou St Julien Bordeaux 1985 Birthyear Vintage

Celebrating son Sean's engagement to Michelle, Linda prepared a special dinner and I pulled from the cellar a special birthyear vintage bottle of this premium Bordeaux to celebrate. We hold more than a dozen vintages of Château Ducru-Beaucaillou dating back three decades including each of our kid's and their spouse's birthyears dating back to 1980.

Our visit to Château Ducru-Beaucaillou was one of the highlights of our trip to St Julien Bordeaux this summer where we had a personal tour and barrel sampled the current 2018 vintage.

Tonight we opened a 1985 vintage release to accompany Linda's dinner of grilled beef tenderloin, baked potatoes, cauliflower and fried onions and mushrooms. The pairing of the wine was perfect, especially with the mushrooms.

Our thirty-five year old bottle was in perfect condition with acceptable above neck fill level and a partially saturated but still intact cork. The provenance of the bottle dates back to acquisition upon the vintage release and being held in our cellar ever since. This is another testament to our cellar conditions for long term aging of fine wines.

As is my custom, I used an "Ah-so" two pronged cork puller to extract the cork and believe it may not have come out intact using a tradition cork screw.

Château Ducru-Beaucaillou St Julien Bordeaux 1985

Even at thirty years old, this was delicious, still at the apex of its drinking window and likely suitable for another decade of aging, showing no diminution whatsoever. It drank like a nicely aged ten year old! A testament to the age-worthiness of fine vintage Bordeaux.

Thirty years after acquisition we are being rewarded for buying Bordeaux during the 1980's, although, regretably, we have learned we consumed much of our collection to early and too young back in the nineties. We still hold several cases of this producer from the string of top vintages from 1981, 82, 83, 85, 86, 88, 89 and 1990 and are now enjoying these special vintage bottles on special occasions, such as tonight.

We also still hold several of these vintages in large format magnum (1.5l) and double magnums (3.0l). Our collection of large format birth year wines was the basis for our cellar being featured in Wine Spectator Collecting column back in June 2001.

To commemorate our visit to the Chateau, we recently conducted a vertical tasting of several vintages of Château Ducru-Beaucaillou with our 'Pour Boys Winers and Diners' wine group.

Looking back at critics' reviews for this release, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate wrote of this release in 2003, "the 1985 Ducru-Beaucaillou has a floral, cedary nose intermixed with red and black currants as well as flowers. The wine is fully mature and soft, with beautiful concentration and purity. It is not a blockbuster, and certainly not nearly as powerful and massive as the 1986, but it is certainly much more seductive." Parker gave the 1985 Ducru 92 points.

In 1996, James Suckling of Wine Spectator wrote, "Seductive and beautiful. Minty, rich and fruity aromas and flavors caress the palate and tickle the throat. Medium- to full-bodied, with super firm tannins and a long, silky finish. Drink now or hold; will improve with age."

The Zachy's wine team tasted this vintage release more recently and wrote, "We had this wine over dinner while in Bordeaux tasting the 2014s - easily one of the highlights of the entire trip. Perfectly mature and is currently drinking the way Bordeaux was intended to be consumed - with age and enough sweet fruit to complement the tertiary development. This wine is all about elegance, no hard edges, classic St Julien cedar, truffle, and damp earth are joined by tobacco and cinnamon. Tongue-staining, long finish. It is a wine that transports you back to old world style claret, where the wine doesn't clobber at 12.5% alcohol. It is truly a special treat to have this wine with this provenance and condition." Zachys Notes 95 Points, Zachys Buying Team. Zachy's wine mcrchant  show they hold this vintage release in stock available for purchase.

All those characteristics remain today as this releases holds on into its fourth decade.

Dark garnet colored, medium-full bodied, muted aromas on the nose but elegant, balanced and full flavored, bright and expressive on the palate with black currant fruits accented by sensuous floral, cedar, tobacco leaf, hints of damp earth with super firm tannins and a long, silky finish.

RM 93 points.

We hold a few more bottles of this release in a mixed case from the era and look forward to opening them in the coming year as we celebrate with family, friends, Sean and Michelle.

Like Zachys above, K&L Wine Merchants in the Bay Area, where we acquired much of this wine during the 1980's are showing they hold this vintage release wine in stock.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=17635

http://chateau-ducru-beaucaillou.com/

@DucruB #stJulien #medoc #bordeaux #GrandCruClasse1855

Philip Togni "Estate" Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

Philip Togni "Estate" Spring Mountain District Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

We pulled this Philip Togni "Estate" Napa Valley Cabernet from the cellar for Friday night dinner at home with grilled steaks and baked potatoes to kick off the holiday week. 

This is Estate bottled, meaning all the grapes in the bottle were grown on the producer's own property vineyards or 'Estate'. This producer is on Spring Mountain but I admit we have missed it during our many trips to Spring Mountain District and are not familiar with the property. 

The property is near the top of the Mountain at 2000 foot elevation. There are 25 acres of vineyards that date back to 1981 - all Bordeaux varietals Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet franc and Petit Verdot and all production in Estate sourced. Most of the 2000 case annual production is sold to a mailing list on a first-come basis with some offered in distribution in the US and in Europe. Cellar records indicate we have three vintages of this label in our cellar with this being the oldest at fourteen years.

Philip Togni is a former student of Emile Peynaud at the University of Bordeaux where he earned a Diplôme National d’Oenologie while working as assistant Régisseur at Château Lascombes. Togni is joined by his wife Birgitta who specializes in the vineyard. They are joined recently by their daughter Lisa who has an MBA and has worked in the wine Trade working harvests at Château Léoville-Barton in Bordeaux and in Australia. 

This 2005 release was awarded 95 points by Vinous, 94 points by Decanter and John Gilman, 92 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, and 91 points by Steve Tanzer.

Very much Bordeaux style, Tanzer and Robert Parker say this may be a 30- to 40-year wine and should drink well through 2047. Tanzer says to hold it for a decade. Decanter says it is just beginning to enter its 'early plateau' of maturity and I wonder if we drank it too soon and should've waited perhaps a decade to appreciate it at its apex. 

I learned throughout the nineties that we drank much of our Bordeaux collection from the eighties far too soon. Decanter says that while it has the structure and depth to last, it isn't so big as to materially improve much further from this point, so perhaps we caught it at its peak. The fun and dilemma of aging wine in a cellar collection. 

Bright ruby colored, medium-full bodied, bright vibrant red and black berry fruits with notes of coffee bean, hints of cassis, cedar, leather and smoked meat, a touch of  menthol and smoky oak with bright acids finishing with firm tannins and good length. 

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=224268

https://www.philiptognivineyard.com/

Miles-Thomas-Fort-Dinner

Gala Family Celebration dinner brings out classic birth year vintage wines

This week grandson Miles Thomas Fort came into the world. To celebrate, we hosted a gala family dinner (see below) and I pulled from the cellar several classic wines from daughter Erin's and son-in-law Johnny's birth years. Linda fixed sirloin steak, escalloped potatoes, broccoli, asparagus, dinner salad and an assortment of appetizers and desserts. The dinner brought together four generations of the McNees family.

Two of the wines we opened from Erin's birth year were featured at her and Johnny's wedding when we served them from large format Jeroboams or Imperials. Tonight we opened standard format 750ml bottles of each -  Château Grand Vin Latour and Château Leoville Las Cases from 1981.

To honor Johnny's birth year we opened a Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon 1980. With our daughter Erin taking on the Fort name, it was especially fitting that we selected for her 'signature wine', wines from Chateau Latour since the Chateau Grand Vin de Latour label features the Latour castle fortress, and their second wine is called 'Les Fort' Latour.

Interestingly, these two wines served today, Latour and Leoville Las Cases, while from different appellations, actually are neighbors, sited near each other there on the Left Bank in the Medoc. Family Fort shown above left.

Collecting birth year wines of our kids, kids-in-laws, and friends' kids is part of the great joy and fun of having a wine cellar. I talk and have written often about building out a collection to include 'every day' wines, 'once a week' and 'once a month' wines, and 'special occasion', 'once a year' or even 'once in a lifetime wines'. Tonight these were special occasion, few times in a lifetime wines. Of course, this can be taken to the next level by collecting such special wines in large format bottles. Indeed, it was my collection of large format birth year bottles that was the basis for my cellar being featured in the Collecting section of Wine Spectator Magazine back in June of 2001!

It helps, of course if your kids are born in 'collectable' worthy vintages. All not vintages are created equal and some are more age-worthy or collectable than others. Look far and wide enough and most any vintage ought to have suitable wines that year somewhere in the world!

The 1981 vintage of Bordeaux was rather modest, not considered a long lived age-worthy one. I thought we were pushing the edge of the envelope for the year holding them and serving them in our daughter's wedding year at 25 years. We're really pushing them here at 37 years. As to be expected, the super premium first growth Chateau Latour is proving to be more ageworthy than the Super Second growth premium Leoville Las Cases. Never-the-less, they were both worthy bottles for such a celebration dinner. As was the 38 year old 1980 vintage Dom Perignon!

Note also the price stickers still on both aged bottles reflecting their purchase prices back in the mid-eighties, a fraction of their eventual value. 

Château Grand Vin Latour Pauillac Bordeaux 1981

Rare among my cellar collection, this bottle had a Top Shoulder fill. Only a handful of bottles from my cellar over the years were so. The cork was totally saturated and spongy but will still intact. I wrestled with the cork using an 'ahso' two pronge cork puller and it eventually relented, albeit it pulled apart at the bottom quarter. I'm certain a traditional corkscrew would've pushed it into the bottle, or caused it to pretty much disintegrate. Opened and decanted for two hours prior to tasting.

The color was garnet colored with slight brownish and rust colored bricking. Medium bodied, still showing berry fruit, slightly astringent with modest aromatics and flavors of bell pepper and notes of cedar and leather on the moderate finish. Still nicely polished and holding together impressively given the lackluster '81 vintage, but time to drink as its clearly in the last chapter of its drinking window.

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=53474

Château Léoville Las Cases St Julien Bordeaux 1981

Like the Chateau Latour above, this cork was also saturated and spongy. It was almost identical in condition and offered essentially the same removal experience. The fill level for this bottle was surprisingly good at mid-neck level.

Almost consistent with my last tasting post fourteen months ago, tonight this bottle showed a bit more astringency than when I wrote, "While the fruits may have started to subside somewhat, starting to give way to non-fruit tones, very aromatic and flavorful, classic elegant Bordeaux notes, dark ruby brick colored, medium full bodied, black berry fruits accented by truffle, spicy cedar, tobacco, cigar box, silky smooth, concentrated and superbly balanced, with long lingering nicely integrated tannins on the spicy aromatic finish."

I gave it 89 points last year, tonight I would give it an 87 due to further deterioration or perhaps bottle variation after 37 years.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=13823


Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon 1980

A visit to the temple of Champagne, Moët & Chandon was one of the highlights of our Champagne Wine Experience back in 2006.  It is a benchmark for classic super premium ageworthy sparkling wines in the world.

It was time to drink this aged bottle. It was probably ideal up until perhaps five years ago as this was past its prime but was still an experience and a joy. Consistent with some others' experience postings, perhaps in between those that were still holding on with effervescence and bubbles, and those that were clearly over the hill. This had little pop and fizz on opening, but was still a positive experience showing its age but revealing some modest fruits and nice balance of its heritage.  Interestingly complex, tea or toffee colored, this showed a bit of leather, nut, and slightly astringent citrus, apple and dark cherry fruits.

RM 87 points

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=21774

Clan McNees and Fort

 

Château Montrose Robert Craig Mt Veeder Cab

Christmas dinner features two vintage wines - Château Montrose and Robert Craig Mt Veeder Cab

For our gala family Christmas dinner, Linda prepared her classic beef tenderloin and ramekins of broiled lobster tails on buttered bread crumbs, with corn casserole, haricot verts, and mashed potatoes. I opened two vintage red wines, Château Montrose  1986 and Robert Craig Mt Veeder Cabernet 1997. For the lobster course I served Porter Creek Russian River Valley Chardonnay.

Trolling the cellar for appropriate wine selections, I was looking at vintage Bordeaux to accompany the beef tenderloin. I recall when it was released, Robert Parker wrote of the 1986 vintage how long lived many of these wines would be so I tucked many of them away for long (er) term cellaring. I'm not sure I intended to keep them this long, but in this case was rewarded here for doing so.

For the lobster course we served Porter Creek Russian River Valley Chardonnay. This is a single vineyard designated wine from old vines from the George's Hill Vineyard.

Porter Creek Russian River Valley George's Hill Vineyard Sonoma County Chardonnay 2014

We discovered this producer, and tasted and acquired this wine during our visit to the winery during our winery visit on our trip to the Russian River Valley in Sonoma County this summer.

Straw colored and medium bodied, initially this was buttery but after opening for a while the citrus notes came through and gave way to a layer of passion fruit with hints of nutmeg on the crisp acidity finish.

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2519866


Château Montrose St. Estephe Bordeaux 1986

Notes on aging wine - long term cellaring, corks and fill levels ...

Fill level

When I opened this thirty-one year old Château Montrose, the bottom half of the cork was mushy and fill level of the bottle was at the lower neck. Aged wines are measured by the fill level, or the level of the remaining wine in the bottle. Over time a certain amount of wine will inevitably evaporate from the bottle. The effect of such evaporation is that the remaining void left from the departed wine is taken up by 'foreign' air from the outside which can 'contaminate' the wine. Hopefully, when this occurs very slowly over a long extended period of time, the deleterious effect is minimized.
saturated so it was certainly time to open this bottle as it would soon start to be undermined by the failing cork thereby exposing the wine to outside air. To date, though, it had held up and the wine was still fine. At thirty-one years, the

Hence it is important when cellaring and aging wines for an extended period, that effective humidity levels be maintained in the cellar, so as not to be humidifying the room with wine sucked out of the bottles. Also, minimizing variations in temperature is essential since such variations will result in air being sucked into and pushed out of the bottle as the wine expands and contracts from the changes in temperature. So, the stability of the temperature is as important as maintaining the appropriate temperature for aging. Opinions vary on the appropriate cellaring temperature, from 55 to 63 degrees is recommended. The cooler the temperature the more moderate the effects of aging. We tend to keep our cellar cooler than 'normal', closer to 55 degrees than 63, which is more suitable for and allowing for more subtle, longer term aging.

Folks often ask about where and how to store wines for aging. If determining a location for a rack or applicable storage space, opt for the basement or cellar for the obvious reasons of temperature moderation. One should also opt for a place near the sump pump pit where there is a natural consistent reservoir of water to address the humidity challenge, where such exists. This is most important in the dead of cold winter when temps drop and indoor relative humidity reaches dangerous low levels requiring external or supplemental humidification. A humidifier or baby nursery mister work and can help. In extreme (outside) weather, set up a bucket of water with a towel or rolled up newspaper to serve as a wick to help restore indoor relative humidity, anything to alleviate humidifying the air with wine through the corks!

Château Montrose St. Estephe Bordeaux 1986

Winemaker notes ... The wine reveals a dense ruby/purple color with only a hint of lightening at the edge. Fleshy, muscular and powerful, with aromas of red and black fruits, earth and spice, this medium to full-bodied, still tannic, brawny Montrose is not yet close to full maturity.

My notes: Opened and decanted for three hours before serving. This was dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, complex but nicely balanced, slightly subdued blackberry and black raspberry fruits accented with notes of leather, earth and spice with gripping tannins on the moderate acidic lingering finish.

Cellartracker drinking window shows this through 2022 which this tasting supports showing vibrancy still and no signs of diminution or deterioration from age. 

RM 91 points. Wine Spectator gave this 95 points, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate 92 points and Jancis Robinson gave it 17.5/20 points

A blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=511

Robert Craig Napa Valley Mt Veeder Cabernet 1997

Adjacent to the Montrose we served this Robert Craig Mt Veeder Cabernet from the highly acclaimed top rated 1997 vintage. We hold close to two dozen vintages of Robert Craig Napa Cabernets, probably more than we hold from any other producer. We've visited the estate and winery on several occasions during our Napa wine trips. We have heard Robert say this is his favorite Cabernet from his "four mountain and a valley offerings". 

There is still life left in this vintage label at twenty years of age, showing little to no diminution of fruits or flavor. This was ruby colored with bright, vibrant expressive fruit flavors, rich and concentrated black berry and black cherry fruits with tones of spice and cedar with hints of cassis, vanilla and dark mocha.

RM 92 points. Wine Spectator gave it 94 points,  Robert Parker's Wine Advocate 92 points, and  Wine Enthusiast 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=6532

http://www.robertcraigwine.com/