I have had a wonderful day with my kid today. First thing this morning I helped him get ready for a pretty important job interview. He’s seeking a summer internship. Right now he is in an MBA program at SMU. Then we went Pompano fishing. While we didn’t catch a damn thing - unlike yesterday when everything was biting - the day was perfect, sunny and high 50s. Porpoises all over the place. We packed it up, watched football, both falling asleep. Then I helped him make a beef bourginon, something he’s been wanting to do all week. While the “stew” was stewing, I went cycling for 1.5 hours. Needed to burn some calories before the feast.
Nick has really gotten into cooking and into fine wine. Funny, cause he’s really more of a jock. Like his mom, who played tennis and then golf all day. Perhaps he’s picking up the sensitive side of his dad, though of course I’d prefer not to do manual labor, like cooking.
For this meal I wanted to do a mature, old world versus new world tasting. I had two very pristine bottles in reserve, a 1982 Chateau Lanessan and a 1994 Caymus. The Lanessan is a perennial personal fave, the Caymus is just a trip down memory lane. I cut my teeth on Caymus when I was out of law school, and exactly Nick’s age, 25/26.
The Lanessan is gorgeous. Like an old pair of faded blue jeans. Comfortable and warm. Has that classic Bordeaux perfume of cassis, old barn plank, wet earth, saddle leather and sweet pipe tobacco. The palate is a cross between silky and grainy, if that makes any sense. Elegant and earthy. So wide open and clearly well into its tertiary stage. I would drink these up but do think these can run some more years. Been following it for 2.5 hours and it’s showing no decline. (93 pts.)
The Caymus is surprisingly fresh. Nice range of red to black fruit, some crisp citrus acids, Christmas cake and sweet spices, and an omnipresent sense of new oak, both on the nose and palate. Sprightly and fun but not complex in any way. Just a tasty but one-dimensional wine. This wine has held on very well, and shows nicely, but is nowhere near as good as I remembered. The Lanessan crushed this wine. (89 pts.)
@KThrane inspired this tasting, this trip down memory lane, with his “Huerika” thread! I also popped the 1989 Chateau Olivier but it was DOA.
The beef bourginon was excellent. I would post a picture, but I’m afraid @Jorge_Henriquez would say it looks like dog food. And it might.
