Last night I was invited to share a special evening with our own Randy and Eve at their place in Paris.
I had spent the day just wandering the city (more later), and met Randy at a local wine shop. We wandered back to their place & after a little relaxation (ably assisted by a lovely Blanc de Blancs Champagne from Soutiran and some foie gras) we did the latest edition of the WLDG 'Talkshoe', while starting to sip from the main events.
The '95 La Mission Haut Brion was decanted to get it off some substantial sediment, while the '95 Haut Brion was merely opened and allowed to breathe after pouring small glasses for each of us. Each of the wines showed a dark red to purple hue with no signs of age at all. Initial sniffs showed the La Mission was much more open, and in fact the Haut Brion was very much a blank slate for a good 30 minutes.
Sitting down to do the live internet show, we first talked a little more about the Champagne (a lovely wine made from Chardonnay grown in a terroir known for Pinot Noir). The reds had been poured for about 45 minutes by the time we returned to them, and the La Mission Haut Brion was really starting to show something. Dark berry and cassis fruit, a touch of spice and a velvety richness that was then overcome by robust, but not rough tannins. The Haut Brion was still not showing much on the nose, but it's palate impression had lots of weight, as well as very pretty dark cherry fruit.
The show being over we turned to the dinner table for some wonderful lamb & potatoes. This was a lovely place for both wines, as the lamb was simply prepared (yet deliciously flavorful) and let the wine take center stage (moer on that later when I talk about Paris in another post). For the first part of the meal the La Mission continued to dominate, yet the Haut Brion was beginning to display its charms. Both wines remained very primary all night, so I would not open any bottles (if I had any bottles myself) for at least another 5 years. They do both have the fruit to balance the tannic grip of the '95 vintage though, so no fear in continuing to lay these bottles down.
Ultimately as we continued to sip the wines after dinner the Haut Brion displayed more breadth to its aromas and flavors while the La Mission displayed more weight. Given the reputations of the properties I was not surprised by that. These were both very well balanced mid-weight (yes I said mid-weight) wines that demonstrated their inherent class & distinction.
I hope that wines like these are always made, as the current trend (helped no doubt by the weather) seems to be leaving drinkability behind. Both wines were admirable accompaniments to the meal, to conversation, and, with the moderate alcohol, to enjoying a long evening with two wonderful people that I now count as friends. I hope we can repeat the same dinner in 5 years time (but see each other again much sooner) to see how both wines are coming along. I'll bring the Champagne!