Highlights of last night wines
Once again, last night, the restaurant was quite full, the energy was joyful and we opened some seriously good wines, here are some of the highlights of last night.
La Clarté de Haut-Brion Graves 2011 (Magnum - 1.5L) (@chateauhautbrion_)
What a beautiful wine! The predominance of Sauvignon Blanc in the blend provides freshness, brightness, focus, incredible balance, and length. Aromas of honeysuckle mingle with citrus, yellow fruits, white and yellow flowers, as well as slightly herbal, vegetable notes. The palate is beautifully balanced, structured and textured, layered, generous and complex, yet light on its feet and elegant. Loooooove it.
Domaine Lignier-Michelot Nuits-St-Georges 2012 (Magnum -1.5L) (@domaine_virgile_lignier )
This wine was amazingly good and still so youthful, I was very surprised and impressed. Lots of ripe dark and red cherry, mineral, generous and complex palate, great balance, full of life, and really smooth. Well integrated. Highly recommended.
Château Angélus Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 1978 (@chateauangelus)
I was a bit skeptical at first when seeing the condition of the label, and more especially the state of the cork, black and dirty on top, soft, soaked, and crumbling in the middle and at the base. Even the first smell inspired something rotten inside. The light brick/brownish color also revealed an advanced stage. However, the taste was ok, so, I served it, and to my surprise, it opened up after about 10 minutes and revealed some interesting aromatics: smoky earth, underbrush, dark fruits, leather, horse saddle, forest floor. The soft and light palate showed some fruits, good acidity, and structure. Fragile, but still very much alive. Surprising. Definitely, a must-taste.
Château Lafite Rothschild Pauillac 1978 (@chateaulafiterothschild)
Label in good condition. Light green bottle with thinner glass than I remembered and the punt also not as deep as I thought it would be, but still presenting some features from the 70s. I'm always careful when it comes to Lafite Rothschild, counterfeits are always a concern. The cork seemed correct, with expected dimensions and conditions. The nose presented some smokiness and earthiness the like of Haut-Brion, more than a Pauillac. Tasted very young too. Surprising here again. Fake? Maybe not...
Most vintages of the 70s for Bordeaux wines being quite mediocre overall, I cannot help to think that, either 1978 is an extraordinary underrated vintage, which has somehow developed gracefully over the last decade, after being tight and closed all these years, and, thus, must be discovered at once, prior it reaches its peak, as these two wines above exhibited some really interesting and enjoyable features.
Or, these two wines are amongst some of the exceptions of this particular vintage, 1978, which, in Bordeaux, was nicknamed "the miracle vintage" due to a beautiful September, which saved the "Millésime", while most producers were expecting the worst, yet, it ended up not being so bad after all, even producing some rather fine wines for some Chateaux. Trying more Bordeaux 1978 should give us the answer.
Cheers! Santé!
Dom
LeDomduVin (aka Dominique Noel)
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