Krug Grand Cuvee NV
Quite mature and barely bubbling, but like a gorgeous dry white wine, with nuance, a suave texture, almost bitter but somehow not, and with an incredible finish. The yeasty, bread notes remind you that it is a champagne. It actually freshened up with some air, with the initial sherry notes blowing off. I really enjoy. 93 pts.
1986 Pichon Lalande
Spectacular nose from the get-go, very fresh, a touch funky but quite rich to go with some rusticity. Cinnamon, dark chocolate, showing some earth and leather, but exotic as well with an amazing floral scent of hotel lobby lilies. The palate is so cabernet, fully mature but still kicking with great fruit, glycerin, tannin and intensity. At peak but with miles to go. I love combo of power, richness, silkiness and authenticity (AKA lack of excessive polish) all rolled into one. A great mature claret. My WOTN easily. 96 pts.
1986 Cos d’Estournel
Classic St Estephe meets 86, a poster-child of old school brawn. Rubbery and leafy, dark tar-like color but with brighter red fruits on the palate, shy on the nose after the PLL, but with terrific palate presence and intensity of fruit-acid-tannin. Still a bit rough around the edges, could this need more time? 93 pts.
1986 Rausan Segla
A wine I know well and which holds a special place in the BWE pantheon after its 3rd place finish (behind the 86 Mouton and the 86 Lafite) at the famous 1986 BWE Horizontal in NYC back in 2008. This bottle seemed a touch young, amazingly enough. Again, fairly quiet on the bouquet (which is usually quite complex), but what an epic wine on the palate with power and depth. Still shows some of that hard 86 tannin, and like the Cos, it is a bit on the dry side right now, but this was gaining strength as the night went on. I would decant the next time. Still, easily 94 pts.
1986 Talbot
After the PLL, this had the best bouquet. Not quite as feral and funky as the 86 Talbot can be, this was still a sexy, open, complex, inviting wine with a nose of cigar box, cedar, sweet notes, earth and leather. Also a youngish seeming bottle, but wonderfully integrated and complete. The most ready of the 86s. 94 pts.
2003 Cos d’Estournel (served double-blind)
I quite liked the 03 Cos. My first thought blind was Napa Cab as it had a minty attack, but the tannins and acids on the finish were all old world. So much that I started thinking Super Tuscan. The important point of course was how enjoyable it was, and I liked this a lot. Quite young still but highly enjoyable now with some air. I didn’t have this on release to compare, but it wasn’t over the top this night. Nothing especially 03 about it either and the oak wasn’t noticeable. If it’s Napa-esque, it’s like an old school producer such as Togni or Montelena. Nothing wrong with that. 93-94 pts tonight, but with plenty of upside.
1999 Guigal d’Ampuis Cote Rotie
Corked.
1999 Diamond Creek Red Rock Terrace Cabernet
I’ve been treated to a good number of Diamond Creek cabs by various local wine buddies, and the older ones (pre-1990) have always really impressed, while the new ones (post-2001) have left me cold. I thought this 1999 bottling was somewhere in the middle, classy and cool fruited with nice depth. It suffered next to the awesome 86s, but I think it would have impressed far more in a different setting. I like the good acids (by Cali standards) and a smoky, Graves-like impression. Very nice. 91 pts.
1998 Fontodi Vigna del Sorbo Chianti
This showed surprisingly tannic and poorly with a chunky, fairly boring impression. Needs time?
2001 Suduiraut
Text book Sauternes, with a big, sexy bouquet of maritime senses, honeysuckle and marmalade. Quite powerful, but has tons of those 01s acids to keep it zippy. Ready to go, but probably immortal as well. 93+ pts.
1996 d’Yquem
Really an incredible wine. Next to the Suduiraut, its charm and class really shine through. The Suduiraut impresses with its complex, funky nose and sweet rich fruit, while the more understated d’Yquem quietly wows with its perfect integration, seamless and essentially flawless display. There’s also epic length and power, but like the greatest wine, it is still elegant and refined (not adjectives I usually use for great dessert wines). Ultimately, it transcends its appellation, tasting less like a Sauternes than some gift from the gods. Me grok. 96 pts.