Venue was the Village Pub, an institution that has been in business for 40 years or so. Lunch primarily consisted of hanger steak with béarnaise sauce and assorted cheeses.
First, the 2008 Rhys “Alpine Vineyard” Chardonnay. The wine was expressive, pure, citrus, refreshing and energetic. While it was in a great place, it obviously has years ahead of it. The best thing I can say for the Rhys is that it did not seem wildly out of place as a starter wine for the Margaux.
The Pub decanted the Margaux while we sipped on the Rhys. The cork was perfect and the fill was high. Interesting that the label said the ABV was “11-14%”. The color was deep ruby to the rim - no browning on the edges. The nose was highly expressive and extraordinarily pretty. We sipped on the Margaux over a span of about an hour and a half. The palate delivered layer upon layer of complex secondary and some primary red fruit flavors. It delivered that femininity that you look for with Margaux within the context of classic Bordeaux. The most distinctive aspect was a very appealing slight hint of something like menthol or mint along with a floral, rose-hip essence. Very long. Reminded me in spades about what I love so much about great, aged Bordeaux.
The French ambassador must have some extremely incriminating photos of Mike. Otherwise, there’s no accounting for his newfound affectation for French wine. (Unless, of course, someone else was picking up the tab.)
Mike, did you get a chance to browse at Roberts Market? Really nice selection of good stuff there.
The 1982 Margaux sounds like a true Margaux…We had the 1989 Margaux yesterday and it was an impenetrable, monolithic block of dark fruit with no nuances, elegance or charm. Two hours later it had not moved a bit…Oh well
Rick, this 82 was the first Margaux I’ve tasted in years. The last 82 Margaux I pulled (New Year’s Eve, 1999) was hideously corked and I have no remaining Margaux in my cellar.
I’ve gone for over a decade now without buying significant Bordeaux (or California cab for that matter).
This lunch emphasized what I’ve been missing. It’s probably too late for me with Bordeaux (I have a couple of cases of 00s still remaining), but I’ve dipped my toe back in the water on California Cab.
That’s the one. The wine buyer, John Akeley, is a very knowledgeable guy. They are very strong on Cali wines, but have lots of gems from Burgundy, the Rhone, Italy, etc.
The French ambassador must have some extremely incriminating photos of Mike. Otherwise, there’s no accounting for his newfound affectation for French wine. (Unless, of course, someone else was picking up the tab.) 