A great group met at the Bobby Vans E. 54th st outpost Tuesday for a 35 yr look at 1982.
We started with bubbles and whites, my appetizer was a very good crabcake,
2010 Christophe Mignon “Pur Meunier” Champagne
Crisp, dry, bright, I seldom drink pure Pinot Meunier but enjoy this. B+
2002 Piper-Heidsieck "Rare" Brut Champagne
Opposite style of the Mignon, super rich and with obvious dosage. But despite sweet profile this has a crisp spine, needs time, I like. B+/A-
2006 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Rose
I got a few ‘06 Comtes BdB, but I shoulda looked for the rose. Just a beautiful young larger framed rose, cherries and orange zest over a soil-driven base. Bright and full. A-
2014 Girardin Corton-Charlemagne
Peach, a little citrus, some wood. I didn’t love this at first, but it came into its own with the crabcakes. B+
Then onto the (non-blind) reds
1982 Ch. Ausone
Lean for ‘82, tangy, good red fruit but with a strange metallic note. B
1982 Ch. Leoville Poyferre
Cassis, coffee, and a little barnyard. One person said “poopy but not bretty” which I don’t understand. Delicious and long. A-/B+
1982 Ch. Talbot
Great showing, Ripe but good acids, lots of tobacco. Just a little Cordier funk. B+/A-
1982 Ch. Gruaud Larose
I thought I got a whiff of TCA when decanting before leaving, but poured bottle smelled ok, just tight, and got no hint of TCA at dinner. Ripe fruit, some barnyard, but a very subdued showing compared to normal. Underachieving bottle. B/B+
1982 Ch. Grand Puy Lacoste
Youthful, good fruit with some tannic backbone, but I thought a little too foursquare to be excellent. But group fave B+
1982 Ch. Lynch Bages
Cedar, leather and cassis. Good length. B+
1982 Ch. Ducru-Beaucaillou
Black plum and currant, mushrooms and earth, softer than most B+
1982 Ch. Leoville Las Cases
Obviously a great wine underneath, but I found hard, tannic, and backwards. Others thought it was loosening up, B for now for me
1982 Ch. Lagrave a Pomerol
Not part of the actual lineup, I brought since I thought Gruaud might be corked, it wasn’t but it underperformed. Fully mature, more acid than tannic backbone, red plum fruit with some smoke and leather. B/B+
1996 Ch. d’Yquem (375)
Candy orange slice, apricot, wax, and orange blossom. Good acids. B+
Fun night with good group.
Group scoring of reds
GPL 12
Talbot 12
Poyferre 11
LLC 7
Lynch 4
Ducru 2
Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C drinkable. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a party where it was only choice.Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.