WTN: Carruades de Lafite '97 Demoiselle Sociando '01

A couple of notes from dinner last Wednesday at Cafe Provencal with Johnny, Denny and the restaurant owners.

Carruades de Lafite 1997 - Very youthful looking and quite dark. Sweet nose with classic cedar and pencil shavings after a bit of air. Some of the others detected a bit of a stink especially in the first two or three pours but I didn't get anything like that. A lightish claret, very dry, with soft tannins. Well balanced. At peak now but it seems to me it won't stay at peak very long. Best to enjoy now. Very good.

Demoiselle de Sociando Mallet 2001 - Sweet fruit on the nose. Tannic and rich. Closed and not yielding much. Better to leave this alone for another 2 years or so before trying again. It should be quite good, though.

A couple of notes from dinner last Wednesday at Cafe Provencal with Johnny, Denny and the restaurant owners.

Carruades de Lafite 1997 - Very youthful looking and quite dark. Sweet nose with classic cedar and pencil shavings after a bit of air. Some of the others detected a bit of a stink especially in the first two or three pours but I didn't get anything like that. A lightish claret, very dry, with soft tannins. Well balanced. At peak now but it seems to me it won't stay at peak very long. Best to enjoy now. Very good.

Demoiselle de Sociando Mallet 2001 - Sweet fruit on the nose. Tannic and rich. Closed and not yielding much. Better to leave this alone for another 2 years or so before trying again. It should be quite good, though.

Jay, what a wonderful note regarding the Carruades. I drank a lot of different 1997s and had an affection for the vintage not shared by many, hence nary a response to your post except from me. I drank my Carraudes early on, but wish I had let one age a little.

Glad you enjoyed the note. I was pleasantly surprised by how well the Carruades was holding up. I've had a couple of '97s but drank them all up early on.