Waiting for Bordeaux

Well, the wait is actually over, and unlike Beckett's Godot, the Bordeaux arrived, and they arrived in style. For much of April I'd been waiting for this tasting, which should to be the head-and-shoulders wine event of the year. And, it sure delivered.

The wines being lined up before the tasting

Fourteen of us gathered in the private room at Backstreet Wine Salon in Phoenix for a four-course meal and 28 different wines: one champagne, 21(!) first growths, 3 second growths, and 3 Sauternes. If you're not familar with the Bordeaux wine classification system, read this.

Scott, Josh, Henrik, Alex, Mike, Jock, Mick, Chris, Phil and Rick

Jane, Jeff, Dave, Mark and my empty seat (in addition the people mentioned above)

The tasting was an incredible opportunity to taste many both rare and expensive wines. We only paid for the food, and each person contributed one or two bottles - with the exception of the always supergenerous Dave Nerland who brought close to 10 of them. I brought a 2001 Chateau Lafite which showed well, but my favorites were the 1996 Lafite, the 1990 Leoville-Las Cases, and, of course, the 2001 Chateau d'Yquem. The '01 Yquem is probably the consistently greatest dessert wine I've ever tasted. I've been fortunate to try it about five times and it's always superb.

Jeff and all his glasses

My place setting

Happy Josh with his friends: Haut-Brion and Latour

Me polishing off the magnum of 2001 Yquem

Without further ado, here's the list and my scores from the event:

BACKSTREET - BORDEAUX - Backstreet Wine Salon, Phoenix, AZ (4/30/2009)

Welcome champagne

• 2000 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon - France, Champagne
  Young, crisp, fresh, light (90 pts.)

One white. A good one.

• 2004 Pavillon Blanc du Château Margaux - France, Bordeaux, Bordeaux Contrôlée (93 pts.)

Pichon & Mouton

• 1983 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
  Earth, tertiary, meat (89 pts.)


• 1985 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
  More fruit left than the '83. Surprisingly youthful. (91 pts.)


• 1988 Château Mouton Rothschild - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac (91 pts.)


• 1989 Château Mouton Rothschild - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
  Not as strong as last time, but still very good. (94 pts.)


• 1993 Château Mouton Rothschild - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
  The weakest of the six Moutons this night (88 pts.)


• 1999 Château Mouton Rothschild - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
  Great nose. Drying finish. (92 pts.)


• 2001 Château Mouton Rothschild - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac (91 pts.)


• 2003 Château Mouton Rothschild - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
  Still too young, but showing great promise (93 pts.)

Haut-Brion & Lafite

Dave: "So, who thinks Lafite should be de-classified?"

• 1998 Château Haut-Brion - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan (94 pts.)


• 1999 Château Haut-Brion - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
  Good wine - but overshadowed by the '98 and '00. (91 pts.)


• 2000 Château Haut-Brion - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan (94 pts.)


• 1996 Château Lafite Rothschild - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac (96 pts.)


• 1998 Château Lafite Rothschild - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac (92 pts.)


• 1999 Château Lafite Rothschild - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
  Corked NR (flawed)


• 2001 Château Lafite Rothschild - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac (93 pts.)

Margaux & Leoville Las Cases

• 1998 Château Margaux - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux (91 pts.)


• 1999 Château Margaux - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux (93 pts.)


• 1990 Château Léoville Las Cases - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien (95 pts.)

Latour

• 1983 Château Latour - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac (92 pts.)


• 1985 Château Latour - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac (91 pts.)


• 1986 Château Latour - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac (92 pts.)


• 1998 Château Latour - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac (92 pts.)


• 1999 Château Latour - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac (91 pts.)

Sauternes

Jock: "If you have to drink Yquem, the 2001 is pretty good."

• 1988 Château Climens - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac (95 pts.)


• 2003 Château d'Yquem - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes (94 pts.)


• 2001 Château d'Yquem - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
  What can I say? Always so impressive. (98 pts.)

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