Haut Brion 1978, Mouton 1966 … and much more!

February 20, 2011

What better way to appreciate the knowledge and passion of fellow wine lovers than to put together a first growth quality Bordeaux dinner?

The restaurant was a fine setting: Ruth’s Chris Steak House in the lively Dupont Circle area of Washington D.C. If driving, it is important to set the start at 6.30 pm, when parking spaces open up! Sommelier and general manager Maria Denton is a gracious and very knowledgeable sommelier, who regularly holds tastings for area sommeliers preparing their certification exams. I have taken part in two such morning tastings – and it is not easy! One only has about four minutes to describe the visual, aromatic and gustatory aspects of a wine, served blind. A healthy challenge.

Anyway, it was great to get together with fellow DC winos Chris Bublitz, Ken Brown, Kevin Shin, Ben Giliberti, Matt Latuchie, Darryl Priest and Faryan Amir-Ghassemi for a great night. For some super tasting notes from some of the participants, please read Matt’s thread on the excellent wine bulletin board wineberserkers.com. No less than four vintages of La Mission Haut Brion, two from Latour, two from Mouton and one Haut Brion. Plus some fantastic Krug 1988 and an endearing non premoxed Meursault from the fine 2002 vintage, among others. We had some duds, some bottles that were not up to par, but that happens… Let’s focus on the highlights! Wines in bold I liked, in red even more, and when underlined, I loved absolutely.

The Krug 1988 exuded subtle and complex aromatics including ginger and biscuit, cherry, iodine and chalk and lime. It was perhaps not quite as youthful – or as sprightly – a bottle I had so much enjoyed with Chris Bublitz a few years back, who again generously shared this great wine. So I would agree with both Kevin and Ken that it was perhaps not quite up to its game, at least this particular bottle. But I liked it a lot in any case, particularly its varied aromatic profile. I could have easily nursed an entire bottle.

The Darviot Perrin Meursault Premier Cru Les Charmes 2002 is a wine that I had served often at the Chanticleer on Nantucket Island a few years back, supplied thankfully by the Boston Wine Company. Customers loved it as do I. For me, quite herbal initially on the palate, some hints of butterscotch but just hints – not oxidized! – with red apple. This is not crackling with acidity, however, showing a somewhat thick texture but at the same time, not heavy. This was a bottle I would have liked to spend more time with. It was enjoyable and subtle.

Two from La Mish

La Mission Haut Brion 1981. A bloody nose. Iron. The texture was edgy, somewhat rustic. But over time, this changed, and I was getting more tobacco combined with dark chocolate and a good – even youthful – tannic edge and substance on the mid palate. Although compared to the next flight, it proved almost dilute; it showed a fine briskness with time in glass. Do not underestimate your 1981 if you have it. Drink it confidently with a rich steak, like the ones we enjoyed at the restaurant. Its edginess – which mellows with time in glass – balances the rich meat. I liked this wine increasingly as it sat in glass, even though it never approached the better comparative warmth and “comfort” of the next wine…

La Mission Haut Brion 1976. A visibly older color, reflecting more than just the 6-year difference. Methinks the 1976 will not last as long as the 1981, but the 1976 is drinking better today. Especially in the initial comparison. There is a warm fruit aspect still today, not marmalade mind you… The alcohol levels back then were about 12 or so. (the 1981 label indicated 11.5).

Flight of the night? With this pair of 78s,  I felt as if on a wine heaven cloud…

Chateau Haut Brion 1978. From the very first sniff, I was hooked. I wish I had the money to support an addiction to Haut Brion. But seriously, could we talk about eau de parfum de tabac? Layered elegance. Perhaps it lacked the substance and/or concentration one would get from a vintage like 1998, 20 years later, or 2000 or 1982. But let’s not quibble. Its sneaky persistence, its enveloping aromas make me care less about such comparisons. I was fully charmed and hooked to the layers of subtle flavor in this 1978, which was clearly a WOTN candidate.

Chateau La Mission Haut Brion 1978. Here we have initially a meatier profile, without being thick. There is rusticity in comparison to the Haut Brion. But with time in glass, the wine calms down a bit and one feels more substance on the palate when compared to the Haut Brion, but there is less finesse, less silkiness. As Ken wrote in his tasting notes, both do exude that smoky Graves character, and I would agree that the LMHB will probably outlast the Haut Brion 1978, as it does show a more youthful palate. But at this stage, it does not match the refinement of the Haut Brion’s aromatics. But if you have LMHB 1978, consider yourself very lucky. This will be a wine to taste even better in five years, said Chris Bublitz, an authority on older Bordeaux!

From 1976 to 1966

Chateau Latour 1976. Here we have a wine that, when compared to LMHB 1976, is less elegant, less poised, and almost caramel like, certainly exhibiting a more roasted in aspect, seeming to recall – almost – the 2003. Not quite reaching the 2003’s baked aspects (I am not talking about Latour 2003, but 2003 in general). Still, one feels the heat of the 1976 vintage in Latour more so than with LMHB. Just before I left the restaurant, however, the wine seemed to have tightened up, improved. Good news for owners of Latour 1976… I feel like changing to red script, but this is borderline.

Chateau Mouton Rothschild 1966

Wow. We were all so impressed with the Haut Brion 1978, but this bottle gives it a very good run… Another style to be sure. There is something just so balanced. In a more flamboyant, theatrical, “Moutonesque” manner, with mocha notes preluding a palate with much verve and chocolate-like richness and cigar box. The Mouton does not have the finesse of the Haut Brion 1978, but it has more concentration and matiere on the palate.

Problematic threesome

As has been noted, some sadness with the next wines, including a totally shot La Mission Haut Brion 1970, which looked more like watery Beaujolais than Bordeaux. The Chateau Latour 1970 I had brought was a bit funky, if not really at fault. I got some black olive, but there was much tannic austerity, too much for its own good, on the end palate. Ben Giliberti noted excess mushroom. Not an ideal bottle to be sure. The Mouton Rothschild 1970 was readily oxidized; not nearly as much as the LMHB, but enough to notice and basically discard… C’est la vie.

Modern marvel and Super Second

We came back full throttle however with a Chateau Pavie 2002. Look, it is no secret that I have issues with Pavie as being a bit too over the top, but in a cooler vintage like the 2002, it wore its 14% alcohol (perhaps more?) well enough, even though I got those annoying oak derived notes, and this almost 10 years later. If they could just try less new oak, and perhaps less concentration, the terroir might be more discernable. For the sake of Pavie lovers, I hope it sees the light in 10-20 years and has the last laugh at all the Pavie detractors… Anyway, it was pretty good in the end.
There followed an overall decent showing methinks of Leoville Las Cases 1979. Slight TCA, but it seemed to improve in glass and showed some freshness and cedar. I think Ben and I liked it enough.

Super Sweets

The Chateau Coutet 1975 was very crisp and pure, and as Kevin noted, it was less evidently sweet and perhaps not the most complex. But I did like its flavors of white apricot and mild spice, and a good precision.

Finally, I really liked the Romano Dal Forno Nettare Veneto 1995, a prestigious white dessert wine, made in Veneto, Italy, from the Garganega grape, which was rich and viscous without being cloying. I certainly got a crème brulee aspect, and I kept drinking more.  Thanks to Kevin Shin for this discovery!