Perfect Night: 2002 Chave | 1973 Latour | 1989 Raffault | 2005 Rougeard |1985 Magdelaine

[Robert.A.Jr]

Not surprised by the showing of 1973 Latour. The 1973 red Bordeaux were fairly light weight but actually tasted pretty good. The top producers made solid wines. Back in the mid-70s through the early 80s, they were dirt cheap so I went through quite a few bottles of the best ones.

The aromatics on this wine, alone, made it worth the price of admission. Classic, fully ripe, wide-open Bordeaux. My description really does not do it justice. Now I don’t go out and source more, given the cost and risk of a poor showing, but I enjoyed it immensely. Incidentally, I popped a 1965 Mouton several years ago that gave me close to similar pleasure, and yet came from an otherwise similarly crappy vintage.

[Robert.A.Jr]

The 2005 Rougeard Les Poyeux … this wine will eclipse the famous 1989 and 1990 Raffaults, no competition. (96 pts.)

Guess I’ll never know since I haven’t had either the 89 or 90, but I was less than thrilled with the 2002 version. Seemed mature and on the downslope already.

I’ve had lots of bottles of 89 and 90, starting in 1996. They’ve always been excellent. And they are excellent, now. I know some others are big on 2002 Raffault. I am not. Perhaps they transform later and I will be surprised.

The Rougeard Les P really has extra gears by comparison. The 2005 is fabulous. Another level even above its 2003 and 2007 siblings. I had the 2005 and 2003 side by side a couple years ago with Tooch and Corey. Had the 2002 at Chambers, along with a Baudry Franc de Pied, 2003.

[David_Glasser]

@David Glasser

I like a bit of seared foie gras atop filet.

This. Bernard Morillon in Beaune did a filet topped with seared foie gras and grilled pineapple I had once that was phenomenal.

I’ll have to try filet with grilled pineapple. Tangentially, that and foie gras are among my favorite matches for Sauternes.

[Claus_Jeppesen]

Seems like an excuse for having a Florida food palate. Tell me more about your love for the fancy California Pizza Kitchen or the factory of Cheesecake

Says the man that shows up to my house in baggy sweat clothes - Fu’Fu’Lemon - wolfs down a tray of stone crabs, every subsequent course presented, then wanted to order chicken wings at 1 AM. Notice that Charlie Carnes and I sported skinny jeans.

Totally agree
Can´t have a palate without a sixpack, eastetic volumninous skeletal muscles and thick mane

[Thomas_Keim]

Moved to the 1973 Chateau Latour as we started cooking the dinner. Had been slow-ox’d for about 2 hours. An amazingly delicious, alive, classy wine. f*ck the crappy vintage; this wine defies vintage. Elegant, with its range of dried red fruits and forest floor. Sweet dried fruits, soft palate, tannins fully integrated. And stayed alive all night. Circled back several hours later, and it was equally enjoyable. Incidentally, some of this wine also went into the sautéed Vidalia onions - scandalous, perhaps, but yum (91 pts.)

This is the vintage I cut my teeth on Bordeaux with. Had a local retailer closing out all their '73s at about five years of age, and I went crazy, drinking them like water over a year or two period. They weren’t big wines, but pretty luscious and full of fruit. The Latour was a personal favorite, and one I hung on to over the years, drinking a bottle every couple years or so. Beychevelle was another terrific wine.

[A_So]

Had the 73 Latour a while ago. Stunning wine.

The 02 Chave blanc, not so much…

[Joe_Chanley]

Robert, had the 89 and 90 Picasses about a week ago…both showed extremely well and we preferred the 89 which had a little more complexity and depth. Feel like it will continue to coast along seamlessly.

[Marc_Frontario]

Duuude…what a night…u know its good when neither Robert nor I made it past our couches…not that the wives really care…its probably their preference…
-U know it’s a good night when after pounding 5 elite bottles of wine we drive off from Chateau Alfert to arrive at a local gelato shop and I was basically holding a sauced Alfert by the ankles as he was sample diving with his baby plastic spoon (adorable)
-U know its a good night when u consume so much wine and then u attempt to reiterate one of Alfert’s favorite wine descriptors like…Apogee…which even with a fuqn Rosetta Stone tutorial and being completely sober, I still cant pronounce it correctly
-U know its a good night when u eat so many roasted beats…that the following day when u go to use the bathroom, and u think u have acquired stage 4 colon cancer…wait a minute, that does not equate to a good night…not at all…

But these Wines…momma mia…these wines!

So just prior to my departure…Alfert texts me a modeling shot of the popped '73 Latour…now the pic looked like it was an Avante garde prep photo for some International wine magazine cover…
sleek angled shot with a subdued lighting which featured a gentle shadow that shaded half the label…dude must have taken 50 shots to get the one he wanted!!

So I must say, this is very exciting for me because I have never tasted Latour!..and to be honest, I had loooow expectations …really low

Alfert is now texting me to hurry up and get the cheese and sausage over…I told him I couldn’t promise the cheese, but I could promise him the sausage…if he’s sweet (channeling my inner Corey H)

I finally arrive and exchange pleasantries.
Robert fills me in on the wines of the evening…oh my…a few of my favs will be in attendance.

Enough of my incoherent ramblings
Lets get to the wines…

2002 Chave Hermitage blanc
This is a wine I gifted Alfert from our Fu’nomenal dinner months back…though the Chave was clearly not at (apogee) *I still can’t pronounce it…yet this was still very enjoyable…Had dried walnuts, and a really bright citrus component, the acid still had plenty of lift to say, ‘don’t count me out brother!’ Quite nice

’73 Latour
One sniff of this baby and I look at Robert and shake my head in full approval. What a lovely nose. A bit of a pan grille with leather and damp soil…niiice
The palate…clearly a light herbaceous notes…but not off putting on anyway because it is wrapped in cool red fruits, sous bois, tobacco leaf, earth and dried cedar notes…this is not dilute at all and held up fairly well over the evening…
…Hellz Yesss…This.is.fuqn.fantastic…

Off to a killer start…our spirits are lifted
So I’m talking to the boys and then I glance over to Alfert…WTF is going on here? The dude looks like he’s wrestling a wine bottle in some kind of WWE cage match

…Alfert can’t get the cork out with the Durand
…no worries…muscles marinara(me) came to the rescue and saved the poor '89 Olga Raffault from Alfert’s vice’less like grip.

’89 Raffault
Now this is a fantastic chinon. First sniff, some bell pepper notes, green tobacco leaf, tomato paste and cigar ash, damp earth…The entire package was seemless, it really glides effortlessly over the palate from start to finish…we are right in my wheelhouse here…this is impressive stuff

…like I have said before in previous franc tasting notes…Classic cab Franc is like the V8/Bloodly Mary of wine.

2005 Rougeard
Now with Alfert, this is where it gets a little weird…
the dude at this point can barely control his emotions…absolutely going gaga over this…he barely contain himself… clearly starstruck. he starts firing off the Rougeard, ‘two suns quote’…it was to the point that I think he actually wanted us to leave so he could be alone with the bottle …it was getting borderline uncomfortable…I can almost assure that I right now the guy is penning a separate laureate’esque poem of the wine
…‘ode to Rougeard?’… Or maybe ‘owed to Rougeard?’
…bcuz dat stuff spensive

So the wine…ok this is a really good wine, more stuffing than the Raffault, the fruit is more electric here, more energy…a slightly less classic profile than the Raffault…and to me less seemless than the Raffault and too primary at this point…I’m not sure it is even my favorite Poyeaux…I might give that hat tip to the '03…I clearly preferred the Raffault…what will this be like in another 15 yrs?..possibly better, but I will probably never know

Next wine…I brought a '01 Cantemerle because Alfert and I really enjoy '01 bordeaux… I was sure Alfert has never had this vintage of Cantemerle…and we are fans of this underrated Chateau…but…Alfert clearly rev’d up by the line up wants to go to the bullpen…
he wants to go big…hmmm what will it be?..out goes the call for the…

’85 Magdelaine…boom, it’s popped…annnnnnd…holy crap, how fresh is this wine? Blind I may have guessed 15yrs younger…Gorgeous crisp red fruits, dignified classic elegance on the palate, good energy, earthy, clear citrus note on the finish…wow, really nice.


All the wines were killer…On any night I may have liked one over the other based on mood…Zero duds…great dinner…Filet with melted blue cheese and sauteed onions, purple potatoes, roasted beats and gourmet salad.

What can I say…Alfert spoils me…he’s like my sugah daddy…but for wine…thank u again brother.


Favorite to least
Olga Raffault
Latour
Magdelaine
Rougeard
Chave

Almost picked '73 Latour because for a 45 yr old wine to show like this deserves mad respect …but I preferred the profile of the Raffault by a hair…but like I said, any of these bottles are worthy of WOTN

[AlexS]

Alfert’s vice’less like grip.

So much win.

And killer notes, Marc - it’s good to know FL man can sometimes be a decent writer too

[Marc_Frontario]

Alfert’s vice’less like grip.

So much win.

And killer notes, Marc - it’s good to know FL man can sometimes be a decent writer too

Sometimes

[Jay_Miller]

Glad to hear your 2005 Poyeaux showed as well as mine did the other week. Gorgeous wine.

[Robert.A.Jr]

Consider me a bit surprised that the Rougeard was not top of Marc’s list, but watching his palate evolve over these 10+ years that we’ve been drinking together, and he definitely prefers classic wines with a ton of maturity on them!

I think these Rougeards will redefine the appreciation for mature Chinon. They are not modern in the least, but have a greater intensity of fruit than what we saw from the 1980s Raffault, 1990 Joguets, etc. I think Baudry is running in the same vein. These are just better wines, IMHO. And that’s coming from someone that cut his teeth on Raffault, and still loves them so.

While I certainly don’t wanna rush my maturity, will love trying this 2005 Rougeard at age 30. I doubt it makes it there. I hope I do!

[Dave_McCloskey]

Sounds like a fantastic evening, well done. I recently had a 2009 Chave Hermitage Blanc served with Alaskan King Crab. Knockout!

[Jason_T]

I think that 89 Raffault has the most green funk I’ve ever gotten on a nose. Like being attacked by peppercorns. Absolutely lovely body though.

There’s btl variation. Best ones don’t have much green funk.

Agreed. The handful I’ve had didn’t have that much green.

[Charlie_Carnes]

Consider me a bit surprised that the Rougeard was not top of Marc’s list…

Didn’t he coin the non-bingo term, “screechy”?

[Faryan_Amir-Ghassemi]

Great lineup. As much as I love library release Raffaults like 78, 85, 89, and 90, you have one next to a locked in Rougeard like 05 P and it’s lights out.

Has anyone ever posted an omfg note on chave blanc?