The place for all things wine, focused on serious wine discussions.

TN: 2003 Lynch Moussas

Moderators: Jenise, Robin Garr, David M. Bueker

no avatar
User

Covert

Rank

NOT David Caruso

Posts

4065

Joined

Wed Mar 29, 2006 9:17 pm

Location

Albany, New York

TN: 2003 Lynch Moussas

by Covert » Sat Apr 29, 2006 9:57 am

Spectacular, very complex, exotic nose; perfect fruit holding off a bit drying fine tannins, which will of course resolve wonderfully in time; delicious nutmeg and such in the finish temporarily cloaked in soft delicious oak.

But more importantly, 2003 Lynch Moussas is one of those rare wines that one might call transportational, like 1988 Mouton and 1996 Sociando Millet. It takes you to a pleasant place to which you otherwise would not go. Lynn said she could taste forest floor and grass. Rolling hills had already come to my mind when she said it. I was transported there.

To be transported to somewhere, you have to be somewhere else to be transported from. Normally the lake deck of our camp would be a place to go to. But now, after millions of years “forever wild,” Ha! the entire shore across from us is agroan with heavy equipment trundling along freshly plowed roads, over the crests of what were gateways to the stars.

The old man who owned the property, who vowed to keep the land in the Adirondack wilderness tradition, passed it to his kids, who smelled millions from development: only $900,000 a lot! Get it while it is still available,–and the millionaires came, immediately–one in every seven households–plenty around to throw their money at what little remains of God’s country. The ghosts of the Adirondack Indians who named the lake A-ta-te-ka, meaning “where friends meet”–not where friends develop–have been driven to their final resting place somewhere away from it all–probably not on this disappearing earth.

I have given up on it. My final death throw a fortnight ago. A year ago, my neighbors of the Lake Association decided that our land was no longer open to the animals, especially ducks and geese, which crap on the bocce ball field and the paths to the pontoon boats. So they strung clotheslines up between the trees at the shore’s edge and tied garbage bags every few feet. “That should scare all the animals,” they rightly figured. My lake view is now, fittingly, garbage.

But last Friday night I was tired, stressed out from a hard week’s work. Nobody was at the lake yet, I thought. My neighbors come only for recreation, when the weather is perfect. They would will away the fall, winter and spring if they could. Just pontoon boat weather, please, so I can carry my Martini around the lake shore while I churn up the fish beds.

So I took down the close line with the garbage bags from in front of my lake view and sat back behind my ceiling-to-floor windows to look at the sun set behind the lake. I even said to myself if any animal should venture onto the property, I would walk to the shore, scare the intruder away, and replace the clothesline, as much as it would hurt my soul to do it.

I had no more than settled back in my chair when my view changed to the fat ass of my neighbor putting the line back up. I won’t bother with details of my meltdown, but I am sure the association now knows that I am either an alcoholic or a madman. I apologized to the man last night.

It doesn’t bother me much anymore. I have given up. At least I have the memories. When I was eight, I drove my father’s Henry J along dirt roads on Long Island. It was a place to get away from it all, like our camp was last year, when I was still bragging about living across from wilderness which would never change. You couldn’t see one single camp along the back shore. The barbarians are at Alaska’s gate, fnally. It is over.

I have the memories. But a wine like 2003 Lynch Moussas takes me to a lovely place just beyond the reach of memories. People who believe in God in the traditional sense call that place Heaven. Until the technologists plow over that final path, we still have it in glorious wines like 2003 Lynch moussas.

Dale Williams criticizes we who always seem to weave Robert Parker Jr. into every post. He is probably justified,–but there is a reason for it: the theme of Mondovino. Mr. Parker said the underachieving wine was admittedly a little better than usual. It deserves 88 points, he said. The property is getting there. Just a little more work. That ought to provide enough catalyst to distill the transportationality out of it in a couple more vintages. But on the other hand, maybe new technology put it in there. I really don’t know.

Anyway, I don’t care what anybody else says. 2003 Lynch Moussas is outstanding.
no avatar
User

Jenise

Rank

FLDG Dishwasher

Posts

42509

Joined

Tue Mar 21, 2006 2:45 pm

Location

The Pacific Northest Westest

Re: TN: 2003 Lynch Moussas

by Jenise » Sat Apr 29, 2006 12:00 pm

That's the one 03 I tried to buy, and even though I put in my order with the one local retailer who offered it within hours, it was all gone. Glad you got some.

I think you need to keep cutting down that clothesline, though. They have no right to F-up your view. If someone tried to do that here? I'd make war.
My wine shopping and I have never had a problem. Just a perpetual race between the bankruptcy court and Hell.--Rogov
no avatar
User

Covert

Rank

NOT David Caruso

Posts

4065

Joined

Wed Mar 29, 2006 9:17 pm

Location

Albany, New York

Re: TN: 2003 Lynch Moussas

by Covert » Sun Apr 30, 2006 10:49 am

I could only find four bottles; now I have three. I may try overseas. Most LM is sold in Europe; very little in the States. I loved the three vintages I tried: 1996, 1997 and 2003. If I can have wine shipped from the UK, I should order a fairly substantial vertical, since LM is inexpensive.

I envited the guy who put up the clothsline to put a bunch more garbage bags on it. I told him I figured the geese would soon become inured to the eye sore; then I would assume nobody would have a problem if I took it down. I probably should have offered to take pictures of it so that the lake association members could display the memory on their walls.

I can still use this camp for a base to get to more unspoiled reaches of the mountains. For example, yesterday Lynn and I climbed Rooster Comb, which overlooks Keene Valley, in the high peaks region, and offers grand views of Marcy and Giant. It was a perfect, warm, sunny day. Marcy, still covered with snow, looked magnificent.
no avatar
User

Bob Ross

Rank

Wine guru

Posts

5703

Joined

Sun Mar 26, 2006 10:39 pm

Location

Franklin Lakes, NJ

Re: TN: 2003 Lynch Moussas

by Bob Ross » Sun Apr 30, 2006 10:59 am

Covert, did you have to get up to Lower Wolf Jaw for views, or does the lack of vegetation allow views further down?

Regards, Bob
no avatar
User

Covert

Rank

NOT David Caruso

Posts

4065

Joined

Wed Mar 29, 2006 9:17 pm

Location

Albany, New York

Re: TN: 2003 Lynch Moussas

by Covert » Sun Apr 30, 2006 1:04 pm

Hi Bob,

I didn't have a map with me to identify all of the mountains, but I thought that I was looking at Lower and Upper Wolf Jaws off to the left of Marcy, just because the double spires on both peaks looked like jaws. The higher Wolf Jaw, assuming it was Upper WJ, obscured about half, maybe two-thirds, of lower Marcy. But a substantial portion of Marcy looms above the Wolf Jaws when viewed from the partially bald summit of Rooster Comb.

You also get a spectacular view of Keene Valley, with Giant across the valley from Round Mountain, first in line, and Chappel Pond clearly in view.

Best,
Covert
no avatar
User

Bob Ross

Rank

Wine guru

Posts

5703

Joined

Sun Mar 26, 2006 10:39 pm

Location

Franklin Lakes, NJ

Re: TN: 2003 Lynch Moussas

by Bob Ross » Sun Apr 30, 2006 1:36 pm

Thanks, Covert. I haven't had good views from Rooster Comb, but have only hiked that route in the summer and early fall. That's a wonderful area of the world -- my first "summit" was Marcy in 1964 -- I was so proud of myself. :-)

Regards, Bob
no avatar
User

Covert

Rank

NOT David Caruso

Posts

4065

Joined

Wed Mar 29, 2006 9:17 pm

Location

Albany, New York

Re: TN: 2003 Lynch Moussas

by Covert » Sun Apr 30, 2006 3:01 pm

Bob,

Are you sure you were on the bald part of Rooster Comb summit? I think you can hike over the summit without great views if you don't make a special point to walk over to the rocky summit part. It is not on the trail per se. I assure you, the view is great!

Have you climbed Crane Mountain? It is the closest mountain to my camp and one of the most beautiful hikes in the Adirondacks.

Make sure you let me know if you ever make it back this way.

Covert
no avatar
User

Bob Ross

Rank

Wine guru

Posts

5703

Joined

Sun Mar 26, 2006 10:39 pm

Location

Franklin Lakes, NJ

Re: TN: 2003 Lynch Moussas

by Bob Ross » Sun Apr 30, 2006 3:10 pm

You're right, Covert. I see that I actually wrote a note to the NY/NJ Trail Conference after that hike and suggested they annotate the map to take the side trip to that lookout.

Turned out my map was one issue earlier, and the current map made added the side trip. That hike was in 1965 -- I'm surprised I forgot that detail.

I'll certainly let you know when I come up that way. I'm doing quite a bit of trail maintenance in the Catskills this year, so doubt I'll go so far north ... but one never knows when the urge strikes.

Crane is on my to do list -- I love the views I've seen in photos taken from the summit.

Regards, Bob

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot], SemrushBot and 4 guests

Powered by phpBB ® | phpBB3 Style by KomiDesign