I have two purchased on release. I’m not getting any younger and was thinking about it on New Year’s Eve with a dry aged rib roast. We do New Years at home, just the two of us.
The other possibility is 1996 Pichon Lalande. Unfortunately or fortunately it is in magnum. No way we will finish it. If I poured half into a 750 would it still be good on NewYears day?
The problems of an older Burgundy drinker who is sitting on some old Bordeaux from his younger years!
Burgundy drinker here who opened this wine for an '86 buddy 2 years ago. It was fantastic.
Here’s my note from 2 years ago. I think it’s a pretty unique wine for the vintage. If you go with the PLL, it would definitely keep if you opened the mag and transferred half to a clean bottle, corked and popped into the fridge for the next day, IMO
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Thanks for an excellent and fascinating note.
Mine, bought pre-release, are still sleeping in OWBs. I assume that my kids will drink or sell them. The most backward wine I’ve ever purchased.
Respectfully, I wholeheartedly intend on drinking these Moutons and everything else I bought. Whether or not they are at the peak of maturity. Screw the kids😂. I have some 96 DRC Richebourg which seems to be a similar problem. But I will drink those also!!
I last had it in 2019, which given its aging curve would seem to be reasonably considered a “recent” note. This was at one of Mark Golodetz’s OTT lunches, so the note is a bit brief. If memory serves, this was after about 3 hours in decanter. Tasted alongside the 1982. Here goes,
young dark purple color, massive nose, cassis, fruitcake, dark plums, pepper notes, on the palate a voluptuous and piercingly pure core of ripe fruit on a scale rarely seen in a wine that is also properly balanced and fully showing its breed, the palate a near-mirror of the nose with cassis, fruitcake and cherry notes, white mineral streaks with time, still incredibly tannic but with time in glass these softened to a sufficient degree to reveal an excellent balance that convinces me at long last that this wine will go the distance and unfurl as may of us had dreamed it might, a glorious wine with a purity the 1982 will never have, and at this point my personal favorite of the two great titans of Bordeaux’s Golden Decade.
*** ( ** ), 2031-2075
is going on with this wine?
I say YOLO, OP, and add to the great notes above!
I last had M.86 in spring. Still very dark and while not totally at peak certainly very impressive and a great drink, tannins are there but not hard or agressive. With enough air a pleasure to drink, I would not hesitate
Yes, it is!
And yes, it would.
A profound wine. You would probably have to wait another twenty years to see significant change.
Can you say more about how it compared to the '82? I’m not sure what “purity” means here.
Instead, just live a long time.
Had two, and plan on doing just that with the one remaining. It’s built for the long haul.
The 1982 M. is more built on red fruits, the initial massive tannins have softened, the texture is now - with enough air - sweet, lush, chewy and expansive - a real mouth full of wine
The 86 has mainly dark/black fruits, currants, plums, pencil, tar - seems to be 15 years younger, not only 4.
Both great wines, but I’d take the 86
Having tasted both 1982 and 1986 Mouton having just been bottled, I think 2016 may be better than either. But given that the thread is about whether a 38 year old Mouton 1986 is ready, I am pretty sure I won’t be around to find out.
Had a bottle of the '86 about 15 years ago at the French Laundry, paired with the '82, and it showed wonderfully about six hours after decanting (4 hours in advance of dinner, 2 while sitting around). Got better the longer it was open, still seemed young, we went back and forth as to whether we liked it or the '82 better, came down lightly on the side of the '82. Both wonderful.
Repeated the experience this last year and found that the '86 was about two years older than 15 years ago. Still primary and young, but opens up wonderfully with time. I would recommend decanting four hours in advance, though you might try a taste when you open it. It’s possible your bottle has aged more rapidly . . .which would be a good thing! My guess is that the '96 Pichon Lalande is still quite young and could be saved for another occasion, but if you do open it I’m sure the half you don’t drink will still be great the next day, maybe even better.
So I picked up both from offsite storage. I’m planning on going with Mouton on New Years Eve but have been known to change my decisions.
As an aside I found twosies of 1995 Ducru Beaucaillou, 1996 Leoville Poyferre, and 1995 Monbousquet while searching thru my lockers. Am going to open a Monbousquet thinking it would be the most ready, but appreciate any thoughts on these wines.
I would go with the 1986 Mouton. I would open it in the morning and not decant. With beef I think it is drinking well now and, like Mark, do not think that it will change significantly in the next 10-20 years.
It is fun to drink the '86 alongside the '82 as they are both fantastic wines and very different.
Monbousquet 95 is fully ready, quite modern with a slight dry edge, I think the 1st or 2nd vintage of the new regime. Good drink.
Ducru- Beaucaillou is a great effort, early maturity and the most traditional.
Leoville-Poyferre 96 seems to be a bit tannic (still), oak noticible, not really singing 6 months ago, I’d give it more time.
M. of DB 95 …
