Latour 1971 at Blue Hill at Stone Barns

WINE TALK
1

I recently did a fairly extensive Latour vertical, and one the stand out wines was the 1971. Yesterday was my wife’s birthday, so with an evening at Blue Hill at Stone Barns ahead, I thought this would be the perfect wine. We ate at the bar, a superb meal, culminating with the finest pork I have ever had. The pace was perfect, the wine paired with everything from the woody trumpet mushroom with eggs, the pork and a few extra dishes that they gave us. We live within a couple of miles of it, and have watched the evolution from the first friends and family (they mixed up the sugar and salt that night, to some very fine meal, to a phase when they were a little too precious to its fully mature self, an utterly brilliant restaurant. At its best, I prefer Blue Hill to most of the great Manhattan restaurants, and yesterday, it was clearly at its best. This and bouley remain my two favorite NY restaurants.

Sorry got carried away. Back to the Latour. The bottle was in great shape; from a humid cool natural cellar, the label was water stained and peeling, but the level was well into the neck. Charles the sommelier decanted the wine, and seemed very excited by it. Showed beautifully, the wine having still gorgeous cassis fruit, leather and cedar and that telltale Latour marker, which comes across as slightly ferric. Gorgeous on the palate with a long seamless, layered finish. 95.

2

The 71 Latour has always been an under rated wine for the last 30 years I have been drinking it. An excellent value and a perfect Bordeaux to have anytime a fully mature wine is in order.

3

Ah a little spit-take thanks to Z’s comment.

I try to be magnanimous in these situations but this is too much, you sir…are one lucky bastard.
What a fab evening, I’ve seen the place on Bourdains show and top chef and elsewhere it’s truley one of our dream destinations.
Congrats

4

That is in really bad taste, David.

5

Agreed, that’s an awful attempt at humor and truly outré.

I really want to try Blue Hill at Stone Barns next trip east, I’m happy this visit was special for you and your wife.

6

Let me make it clearer, David.
It was unprovoked, it is offensive and I am offended. Please remove it.

7

Sorry for Mr. Z’s abominable comment,but sadly,it always seems to be par for the course. [scratch.gif]

Very nice note,Mark!

8

Best not to continue quoting it.

9

Last had a bottle of the subject wine almost 2 years ago. Indeed a good one.

Best,

N

10

Mr. Golodetz once insulted my wife to her face a few years ago, so I wouldn’t shed too many tears for his delicate psyche.

11

Nice note Mark. Sorry you had to endure a personal attack. That was uncalled for and it reminds me of why I took a long hiatus from this board.

12

Like we always say. Put people on ignore. It’s magical.

13

Mess mopped up…so to speak.

14

Absolutely.

15

Was the wine from your cellar or Blue Hill. If from your cellar, what’s the BYO charge?

Hey Doc, if you make it east, maybe we can head to Crabtree’s for an offline. N.B. to Mark, I’ll let you approve what I bring. [wink.gif]

16

Mark great note and I really love the food descriptions. Really my favorite to read.

17

Mark - I was there for a wedding and the food was superb, with excellent wines, as weddings go. I plan to return and had a very nice chat with the sommelier, but I do not recall what he told me about corkage. I assume you brought the Latour. What did they charge to open and pour it?

18

I had the '71 a few months ago and absolutely loved it! My only experience with that vintage of Latour but found it to be drinking perfectly. Thanks for sharing!

19

Let me guess, the pork was sous-vide?

20

Thanks Jorge.

Yes it was from my cellar, but a recently acquired bottle from a Brit, who had apparently fought in the Battle of Britain. I have had a number of bottles from that cellar, and they have all been stellar. The corkage was I believe $65.

There were two cuts of pork, the belly and the loin. I am sure they were cooked sous vide; fork tender and yet intensely flavored.