Château Margaux, Margaux 1978
Consensus WOTN; at first nose was mindblowing, with tons of graphite, violets, and blue/black fruits. Initially a little disjointed, with a kind of milky taste in the midpalate. Breathing up in the glass, it was just a beautiful wine, so well-balanced and silky, with a lasting finish, with lingering notes of graphite and blue fruits.
Château Palmer, Margaux 2000
Still on the young side, though decanted for about .5 hours. Perfumed nose, rather extraordinary, but a big bold wine in the mouth. Lots of material, somehow more red-fruited than the Margaux, acidity and perhaps some unresolves tannins (compared to Margaux) at the end. I might have liked this better than some; along with the brashness, it still had considerable elegance especially when it breathed up in the glass, and a hint of cocoa, along with perfume gave it a distinctive signature.
Château Montrose, Saint-Estèphe, 1989
After the previous wines, this one seemed a different beast. At first it appeared almost austere, though also towering, with a distinctive nose in which tobacco and maybe something like ash and even a little bergamot featured. Like the Margaux a pop n’ pour, it gained more depth of fruit in the glass, the black fruits combining with the signature notes, leading up to a long and still surprisingly dense finish. A more contemplative, and perhaps less gorgeous wine than the Margaux, it invited more lingering than was here possible.
Château Calon-Ségur, Saint-Estèphe, 1996/1998
The 98 was poured first, followed by the ’96, which alone had been decanted, again for about half an hour. Sadly, the ’98, which I believe would have been enjoyable on its own, in present company was simply outclassed. It showed slightly thin, though displaying some distinctive Calon character (somewhat herbal, a little iron or mineral) in the finish. The ’96 was a different matter: a lovely wine with depth of fruit and plenty of time left on its clock. Notably balanced with a long finish–perhaps a little more approachable than this wine tends to be; it would be interesting to try up against the '95.