Tasting Notes From December 2005

Chateau Peby-Faugeres
1999 St. Emilion
A delicious Bordeaux that was more powerful than an expensive 2001 California Cabernet opened alongside it. Concentrated black fruit with richly textured tannins. Will improve with some age, but drinking nicely now. Mocha accents. Full- bodied and dense.

Billecart-Salmon
NV Brut Rose
Champagne
From Magnum. Strawberry, yeast, and chalk aromas. Rich, full flavors with cherry stones on the palate. Very tiny bubbles with a low sense of effervesensce. Nice. '82s at Lola

Chateau Giscours
1982 Margaux
Sweet nose. Mostly opaque in appearance with a slightly browning rim. Aromas of earth and dark fruit. Light tannins. The palate seems more mature with earthy rust flavors. Medium-full bodied with a nuance of vegetable in the finish. Not bad. '82s at Lola

Chateau Talbot
1982 St. Julien
Deeply colored with very slight clearing at the rim. Stinky, funky nose with brett, vinegar, green pepper and mesquite nuances. The nose is tough to get past. The palate shows a little more sweetness but still a pronounced tanginess. Fading. This was an off bottle based on comments I heard around the table. '82s at Lola

Chateau Branaire Ducru
1982 St. Julien
In appearance this is more translucent that the previous two wines but still saturated in color. Aromas of fruit, tannin, scorched earth; waxy red berry fruit with swirling. The palate shows earth and red currants. A little short and firm. I heard another taster comment that this was a little hot. Not bad, but not lovable. '82s at Lola

Chateau Leoville Barton
1982 St. Julien
Black and opaque in the glass. Dark waxy fruit. A hint of something like lavender. Smells a little tannic. Sweet blackberry fruit on the palate. Large scaled and seemingly youthful compared to its predecessors. Tangy with slight green pepper qualities with a little more air exposure. Nice. '82s at Lola

Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande
1982 Pauillac
Saturated and deeply colored but still slightly translucent at the rim. Bottle sweet hickory nose. Sweet lovely. Tangy, concentrated palate. Pretty good. 100pts? '82s at Lola

Chateau Grand Puy Lacoste
1985 Pauillac
Deeply colored, fully saturated and inky. Initially dusty nose with a touch of veggie bell pepper and earth. Large scaled with decent fruit. A touch hot. Not bad. '82s at Lola

Chateau Calon Segur
1982 St. Estephe
Saturated color which is slightly translucent. Prettier nose than most of these wines. Soft fruit with a medium body. Soft, seamless, elegant. Not bad. Certainly peaked. Others liked this more than I did. '82s at Lola

Chateau Cos d'Estournel
1982 St. Estephe
Saturated and slightly translucent with 1/8" clearing at the rim. I had trouble pinning down the nose due to a sudden stuffiness. The palate seems to show decent fruit. Youthful but softer palate. I heard a couple tasters comment that this had a "different feel to it." Good. '82s at Lola

Chateau Montrose
1982 St. Estephe
Decent nose of wax, red currants, tannin, and iodine. Concentrated and tannic on the palate with some dustiness in the finish. Dense. Okay. Will the tannins fade? '82s at Lola

Chateau Quinault L'enclos
1998 St. Emilion
Now for something different. Lovely, concentrated and hedonistic. Lush black fruit and mint or menthol flavors. I enjoyed this. '82s at Lola

Chateau Leoville Las Cases
1982 St. Julien
Decanted for approximately 3 hours. Deeply colored and opaque. Inky and rather tannic smelling with a touch of bell pepper and dusty earth. Concentrated and dense palate. The palate contrasts somewhat from the nose. Semi-sweet black berry syrup. Seamless, rich, extracted. Nice. Really nice. Monumental, but not in a "tannic" or heavy handed way. Excellent. Youthful, but I want to enjoy it now. '82s at Lola

Chateau Suduiraut
1970 Sauterne
Lovely older Sauterne with apricot nectar and botritys flavors. Slightly past prime. '82s at Lola

Massandra
1935 Rose Muscat
Ukraine
Not sure what to think of this oddity. The wine is funky and cloudy in the glass with a brownish center but a large clear rim. Smells rather like Pedro Ximenez with syrupy raisin and fig flavors. Less sweet than a PX on the palate with more raisins and figs. Hmmm. '82s at Lola

Cheers!
James

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