The perfect Super Seconds hypothetical tasting

Let’s say I am arranging a tasting (or a dinner) of Super Seconds.
Which wines?
Which vintages?
(Have to be obtainable)
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1989 Pichon Baron would be a good start.

Do them all in 1996. Still quite obtainable and pretty much all of them did a good job, producing wines that are representative or at least connected with their classic styles.

1996 Pichon Lalande was great the other day. I always thought it was a bit atypical because of the unusually high Cabernet percentage but I realized I hadn’t drunk one since 2013 and opened it. Today, at least from a bottle that’s travelled to the US, you would never guess it was in any respect atypical for this estate. I wish I had cases of it, honestly.

1996 sounds like a great pick. Haven’t had PL but LLC would be my pick.

So hard to beat, a fantastic choice.

Budget wise 1996 would be less expensive than 1989. I would add another wrinkle, and serve them blind in appellation flights and also include second labels of the First Growths.

Does Pontet Canet count as a super second?

1996 Leoville las Cases
1982 or 2001 Ducru
1989 or 2005 Montrose
1970 Palmer

1989 Angelus, Pichon Baron and Lalande, Lynch Bages, Palmer, and La Conseillante.

The nice thing about ‘89 is how good both banks are. 1989s really demonstrates what aged Bordeaux is all about.

I think an 89/90 or a 95/96 tasting would be fun; the vintages are different enough to keep things interesting, but the character of the chateau would still shine through.

That’s a pricey tasting, but if you have Angelus and Palmer we could do it!

Perfect and hypothetical.

Do Cheval Blanc and Petrus count as Super Seconds? Getting more hypothetical every minute.

One of my earliest Bordeaux extravaganzas was an Angelus/Lynch Bages 1989/1990 dinner. With a 1989 d’Yquem after.

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Lots of great ideas.
I love William’s idea of 96s, but I’ve always been a fan of 89s.
I’ll do some research.

I think to be coherent it has to be limited to the Médoc…

I’d still slip La Mission in there. :slight_smile:

I kind of like the showdown idea. I was thinking 89 vs 90 Montrose, but as already noted, Angelus ( ok, right bank but great) Lynch Bages ( I include that as a super here) and LMHB in the same vintages would be cool. Good pairs could be made for 95/96 also, I would think.

I see Palmer mentioned several times but that’s a 3rd, right?

I don’t think I’ve seen any recommendations for '86 Pichon Lalande (which I’ve had and is really good) and '86 Gruaud Larose (which I haven’t had but has a great reputation, and is a 2nd but not generally considered a “super” second). Both should be somewhat “affordable” - I’ve seen the '86 Gruaud at auction for around $150, which is too rich for my own wallet but should be in line with prices for other things you’re considering.

'89 Leoville Barton is also pretty great but is showing very young and would need decanter time.

I have always considered them (and Ausone and la Mission Haut Brion) to be the equivalent of first growths, not super seconds.