Tasting Dinner With Salon, Laville Haut Brion, Batard-Montrachet, Lafleur, Smith Haut Lafitte & Much More!

Time for another fantastic tasting dinner with our monthly tasting group. These tasting dinners have over the years turned out to some of the real highlights of that year (see previous dinners below).

All wines tasted double blind except for the ones I brought.

2002 Salon
A racy, refined nose with notes of lime, shellfish, wet asphalt, candied lemons and gravel. Very deep and complex. Really fine. Young.
The taste is pure and tight with notes of chrushed rocks, lime, wet sand and cucumber. The finish goes for over a minute. A fine acidity. Still young, but highly enjoyable now and the coming 10+ years.
95p   (tasted 2017/04)

2002 Fleur de Passion, Diebolt-Vallois
A deep, somewhat mature nose with notes of grilled lemons, smoke, warm grass and a touch of coconut. Round and generous. Very, very good.
The taste is plump and dry with notes of grape fruit, white currants, grass and yellow apples. A long, seedy finish. Drinking perfect on this evening.
92p   (tasted 2017/04)

2011 Grande Cellier d´Or, Vilmart
A young, smoky nose with notes of earth, dry lemons, grass and slate. Cool and elegant. Very good.
The taste is cool, tight and dry with notes of starfruit, chrushed rocks and minerals. Very ascetic. A high acidity. Very long. Promising.
91p   (tasted 2017/04)

NV L´Amateur, David Leclapart
A refined, deep nose with notes of white currants, white flowers, almonds and smoke. Laid back and very fine. Intense. This is really good.
The taste is young, tight and pure with notes of lemon peel, chalk, flowers and minerals. A naked feeling to it. Very, very good. Still very young.
93p   (tasted 2017/04)

1982 Château Latour Martillac
A broad, mature nose with notes of lanolin, plastic, dried apricots and smoke. A tad loose around the edges.
The taste is mature and rich with notes of dried fruit, grilled apples, linoleum and hay. The acicity is a tad low. I have had better bottles. Went really well with the turbot though.
87p   (tasted 2017/04)

1982 Château Laville Haut Brion
An absolut stunner, caught at the top of its game. The nose is a dream with gorgeous notes of Seville oranges, rubber boots, dried mango, fried nuts and wet asphalt. Deep, deep, deep. A hint of dried up botrytis. Very complex. Just lovely.
The taste is intense and brilliant with notes of dried lemons, fried oysters, nuts, linoleum and dried flowers. The finish goes on for over two minutes. Perfect balance. The real thing. This is why one should age wine.
98p   (tasted 2017/04)

2009 Batard-Montrachet, Morey Coffinet
A broad, deep, weighty nose with notes of melted butter, cap gun smoke, banana peel and some tropical fruit. Rich and good.
The taste is big and smokey with notes of lemon cream, soap, pine apple and butter cookies. A long, warm finish. A very good structure, but maybe a tad large for my palate.
89p   (tasted 2017/04)

2009 Batard-Montrachet, Bachelet-Monnot
Oooh yes! This has a deep, velvety, complex nose with notes of yellow plums, candied lemons, butter biscuits and a fine touch of band aid. Very deep and refined. Lovely.
The taste is tight and concentrated with notes of ripe lemons, butter flowers, lime fudge and warm gravel. A long, intense finish. A fine acidity. Really, really good.
94p   (tasted 2017/04)

1998 Château Lafleur
Always a treat to drink this Pomerol. The 98 shows of a deep, maturing nose with lovely aromas of plums, violets, fresh stables, moccha and leather. Refined. Very, very good.
The taste is earthy and velvety with notes of dried red and black currants, plums, anise and autumn leaves. A very fine warmth. Has starting to mature. Really fine.
94p   (tasted 2017/04)

1998 Château Smith Haut Lafitte
The surprise of the evening. Haven´t tasted that much from Smith Haut Lafitte, but after this bottle (and a 2003 tasted recently) that has to be rectified.
The nose is deep and complex with notes of ripe red and black currants, Oriental spices, expensive leather and cigar smoke. Very, very fine.
The taste is intense and tight with notes of dusty warm earth, ginger bread, cold coffee and corinthians. A beautifully structured wine. Long. This I want to drink more of.
96p   (tasted 2017/04)

1998 Château Quinault L´Enclos
An open, direct and deep nose with notes od violets, star anise, moccha and bonfire smoke. A very fine sweet fruit in the shape of plums and blueberries. Very, very good.
The taste is sandy and tight with notes of ripe red currants, spices, dusty earth and tobacco. Some still sturdy tannins in the long finish.
92p   (tasted 2017/04)

1998 Château Troplong-Mondot
A deep yet rather restrained nose with notes of black plums, sweet tobacco, figs and smoke. Very good but when I saw the label, I expected more.
The taste is big and steady with notes of violets, rubber, hot cherries and spices. A long, stern finish. Again, very good, but is this a representative bottle?
87p   (tasted 2017/04)

1998 Château Beau-Séjour Bécot
This is a wine to love. Ripe, inviting fruit, yet with a firm backbone and a great length. The nose start you up with notes of ripe blueberries, bonfire smoke, plums, forest floor and some diesel scents. Really fine.
The taste is focused, tight and fruity with notes of warm herbs, blueberries, asphalt, leather and sweet minerals. The finisg goes on for minutes and leave the palate wanting more. A real handsome wine, still on the young side of things.
94p   (tasted 2017/04)

1997 Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey
The first of the 97 Sauternes trio sports a deep, somewhat mature nose full of botrytis and notes of mango, linoleum, mint and candied oranges. High and fine.
The taste is big and concentrated with notes of dried apricots, band aid, warm hay and detergents. A long, warm, almost hot finish. Very, very good.
91p   (tasted 2017/04)

1997 Château La Tour Blanche
A high, energetic, concentrated nose with notes of ripe oranges, duck fat, orange blossom water, candied lime and hand cream. Very finely focused and intense. Multilayered. This is really fine.
The taste is just brilliant with its combination of sweetness, acidity, candied fruit and intensity. Almond paste, candied blood oranges, band aid and warm grass makes up a stunning combination. This is a great wine.
95p   (tasted 2017/04)

1997 Château Rieussec
A tight, concentrated, rich nose with notes of  ripe passionfruit, grilled lemons, dried up lime fudge and a hint of Islay whisky. Very deep and very fine.
The taste is big, tight and concentrated with notes of orange marmelade, sugared sea weed (!), a hint of coconut and a dash of botrytis. Really packing a punch. Needs more time. Very, very good.
93p   (tasted 2017/04)

Previous Tasting Dinners:
Tasting Dinner 2016

Tasting Dinner 2015

Tasting Dinner 2014

Tasting Dinner 2013

Tasting Dinner 2012

Tasting Dinner 2011