A wonderful evening, Oct. 29th.
Line up:
1985 Krug
1999 Corton Charlemagne by Tollot-Beaut
1966 Ch. La Mission Haut Brion
1955 Ch. La Mission Haut Brion
Venue: Marche Moderne in Costa Mesa, CA
Participants: Gar Kapoor, Kent Sorensen, Paul Klevgard and his date, Norma.
The Krug (Gar) had a very light honey color with some brioche on the nose. It was mature in character both on the nose and on the palate with a lot of character and a long finish. Drunk over 3 hours with initial nose of white pears and sugarcane bark which turned to hints of sweet vanilla over time. During the last hour the nose was full of orange marmalade and citrus. The palate was creamy with slight hints of sweet oak leading a luscious finish. After an hour in the glass the acid, which was mellow to start with, became vanilla smooth and there was a hint of orange peel in the finish. Group assessment ranged from 92 to 96 (take your pick). [merged notes]
The 1999 Tollot-Beaut was a revelation. The owner (me) feared it might be oxidized and brought a back up. Not to fear: this is one of the best Corton Charlemagnes I have served in recent years. To be sure it is totally mature but it is not oxidized at all. It had a slight golden cask and the nose was full of garden flowers and sweet spices. Intense fruit, great mouth feel, great mid-palate and a long finish. Consensus 96 (and Norma’s favorite of the evening).
The two reds (just about my favorite Chateau) were decanted off the sediment and served blind. Both wines showed orange on the edge, decanter A more so than decanter B. Decanter B wine was very good, but decanter A wine was stunning and after 15 minutes most picked decanter A as the older/greater wine [larger because of the orange bricking]. In fact decanter A was the 1966 (me) and decanter B was the 1955 (Kent). I have served the ’66 many times and this was one of my best bottles: a very rich yet elegant wine with hints of earth, tobacco and chocolate. The 1955 lived up to its reputation of longevity and it can easily last another 10 years. But it lacks the elegance and supple flavors of the ’66 and got slightly coarse as time went on. 1966: 94 points; 1955: 90 points.
Gar Kapoor’s notes on 1966 LMHB: “Beautiful bricking color on the edges. Nose was just ravishing and infused with truffle oil, forest mulch, dried tobacco leaf, orange peel, chocolate, and a core of red fruits. I have never had a wine with such clarity of the various aromas, one could pick each smell individually and they all meshed beautifully together. Palate had such freshness and tension with an amazing balance. The finish went was very long. 98 pts.”
His notes on 1955 LMHB: “Darker when compared to wine A, very very slight bricking on the edges. Nose is much more concentrated and denser with strong aromas of dark chocolate, warm cherries, and sweet oak still on display. The palate is rich and dense with a very good finish. 95 pts.”
Minor downside: Marche Moderne has switched corkage from $15 all bottles to $15 first bottle and $25 subsequent bottles.
Paul
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