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The last of my great wines for Christmas dinner ...

69.136.103.23

Posted on December 25, 2018 at 09:29:12
jeffrt
Audiophile

Posts: 282
Location: New Jersey
Joined: May 29, 2000
Being retired, I can no longer avoid to even think of purchasing wines like the one I picked out of my wine cellar today. Sigh ..

1982 Ch. Latour. Many reviewers gave it a 100. I've had it for 30 odd years and even though my wine cellar is well insulated and range of temperature and humidity do not vary wildly, I don't think it has aged as well as I had hoped. It's a little dry and the cork did not come out in its entirety, even though I used my best and longest corkscrew.

I think it will still go well with the standing rib roast now cooking. I have another bottle of much younger Cabernet Sauvignon, if my wife does not care for this precious bottle.

Hope you all enjoy your special bottle for your Christmas dinner.

 

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It does happen, posted on December 26, 2018 at 09:38:39
jimbill
Audiophile

Posts: 3042
Location: Texas
Joined: May 31, 2004
I was at a wine tasting a couple of weeks ago and the couple across from us mentioned opening an '82 La Mission Haut Brion recently and having the same experience.

I too believe in opening wines more towards the beginning of their window of maturity. It's great if you can buy several bottles of something and try them throughout the years. But that's kind of hard to do, for most of us, with classified wines, especially First Growths.

 

Same here...., posted on December 25, 2018 at 11:11:30
mkuller
Audiophile

Posts: 38130
Location: SF Bay Area
Joined: April 22, 2003
...I got married in 1982 and some friends gave us a bottle as a wedding gift.

I opened it on our 20th anniversary and it had gone bad.

Shame.

 

RE: Same here...., posted on December 25, 2018 at 12:59:07
jeffrt
Audiophile

Posts: 282
Location: New Jersey
Joined: May 29, 2000
Shame. 20 years is as nothing for such a great wine, but it does need to be kept at constant temp and constant humidity to preserve it. It is a living thing, after all.

Mine turned out better than expected: dry finish, but I could see/taste/smell the intensity and richness with which it was bottled. I wish I has drunk it 15 - 20 years ago. I was afraid to drink wines such as this too young. So, many I wound up drinking far too old. Such is life.

 

Better..., posted on December 25, 2018 at 13:23:46
mkuller
Audiophile

Posts: 38130
Location: SF Bay Area
Joined: April 22, 2003
...to drink it a little too young than a little too old.


I drink CA wines and my oldest now is 8 years - probably drink it in 2020.

 

RE: Better..., posted on December 25, 2018 at 16:39:04
jeffrt
Audiophile

Posts: 282
Location: New Jersey
Joined: May 29, 2000
My oldest California (not playing oneupsmanship here) is a 1964 David Bruce Carignane. It's more of an oddity right now, more than anything else.

 

David Bruce..., posted on December 26, 2018 at 15:31:02
mkuller
Audiophile

Posts: 38130
Location: SF Bay Area
Joined: April 22, 2003
...I think of him as Santa Cruz mountains and pinot noir.

 

RE: David Bruce..., posted on December 26, 2018 at 16:58:42
jeffrt
Audiophile

Posts: 282
Location: New Jersey
Joined: May 29, 2000
In the late 70s and early 80s, Bruce also made some great Zinfandels, in my opinion, but my palate wasn't yet that sophisticated. Still may not be, but I do enjoy them still.

 

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