2000 Vieux Chateau Certan
Decanted for sediment. Still inky. Lovely aromatics of plum and boysenberry. Rich forest floor and cocoa. Hint of menthol. Sensual, with perfect ripeness, still elegant and fresh. Sweet tannins on the long finish. In a perfect place in the early drinking window.
2012 Langoa Barton
Still has incredible structure. On the nose, it was initially reminiscent of a log of rotten wood. Plum, black cherry, camphor and freshly rolled tobacco. The camphor dissipated after the 1st day. Drank over three days, with some fruit loss but little softening of the tannins. Could have waited a few more years - this is going strong!
Served with beef and roasted beet salad.
I did a side-by-side with the Ferrière, which is currently drinking better than the LB.
2011 Ferrière
Another mediocre vintage, but this was fine - dare I say surprisingly good? It feels well balanced with cassis, leather, mild tannins, and a note that I could not put my finger on. Was it cooked mushroom? I’m a bit at a loss of words on this one, but it seems ready to drink now. If I had a second bottle, I would not let it sit another month. No decanting and it was “pop and pour,” but it was left out overnight on the counter without a stopper, and it had degraded by the second night.
One last entry:
1989 Château Cantemerle - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc (12/31/2020)
I can’t overstate my love for the Cordier stable in the 1980s and this reinforces that passion. From a 375 ml bottle in a Gabriel Glas Gold, savory leather and a streak of mint play off brooding dark currant to deliver fine depth. It initially seemed a little dilute, but 30 minutes of air brought out the fine tannin and acidic structure it needed to frame the flavors. While fine on its own, it really took off when paired with a prime ribeye. A terrific final red for this challenging year. (92 pts.)
Thanks everyone for the notes. 20 pre 2000 notes and 35 post 2000 notes equals $375. I rounded up to $400 and that is going out to Kijabe Children’s Education Fund. Happy New Year!