Bienvenues Batard Montrachet..... Ch. Margaux..... Clos de la Roche.....

Bienvenues Batard Montrachet	1992	Dom. Leflaive

2/99. Acquired in auction Jan-97 for $140 (imported for $163 net).
Surely among the best white wines of the world, Bienvenues-Batard-Montrachet is is one of the best things to come out of the fabled stable of Domaine Leflaive.
COLOR: Medium-deep straw, looking clear and fresh.
NOSE: Thrilling nose of flowers minerals northern fruits and a touch of honey. Fine, elegant and harmonious aromas. Concentrated though not excessively so. Some wood gives nice backdrop to the other aromatic elements.
TASTE: On the palate, a wonderful combination of great stuffing, breed and elegance. Not a hefty wine but exquisitely tasty and complex. Went extremely well with the delicate yet flavorful shrimps bisque.
LENGTH: Surprisingly long and (not surprisingly) pleasant finish.
TEXTURE & BALANCE: Medium-bodied full-textured wine. Crisp yet yielding, superbly crafted and very well balanced.
OVERALL: Superb-plus! Though less of a blockbuster than Batard Montrachet, this is a truly Grand Cru white. A point now.
MARK: 18.5/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? Maybe.

Chateau Margaux		1983	Margaux

2/99. Acquired in auction May-96 for $130 (imported for $146 net).
Considered among the very best if not the best of the 1983 Bordeaux vintage. I've had the wine twice in the past and even a non-Bordeaux guy like me was duly impressed by its captivating qualities.
Though I decanted the wine more than an hour before we got to it, it started out a bit closed but opened up considerably in the glass.
COLOR: Very dark ruby red with plenty of 'legs' on the glass. Not much evidence there that this is a sixteen years old wine...
NOSE: Deep, rich and very concentrated. Dark forest fruits as well as flowery aromas. Wood is apparent though not overpowering. Though the nose is highly expressive, it still holds something in reserve. I can only imagine the nose when it will become completely forward...
TASTE: Multi-flavored and flamboyantly rich. Superb fruit, plenty of 'winyness' and fantastic grip. Elegant yet tough backbone beneath. Noticeable though not harsh tannins. A great match to the wonderful truffled tarte Dorit made from four different cheese.
LENGTH: Never ending aftertaste that continues to reveal layer upon layer of ripe flavors.
TEXTURE & BALANCE: Full-bodied and powerful wine. Awe inspiring depth, very well balanced, tasty yet somewhat un-yielding. Will probably take some 5 more years to finally yield all that it has.
OVERALL: Extraordinary!! About the best Bordeaux I ever tasted (which doesn't say much...).
MARK: 19/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? Yes.

Clos de la Roche		1983	Dom. Ponsot

2/99. Acquired at auction Feb-97 for $154 (imported for $165 net).
I've been drinking this wine for the last four years. There are not many (non-Israeli) wines from which I've had more than 2-3 bottles. This here was my last and 7th bottle of the wonderful 1983 CdlR Vieilles Vignes by Ponsot.
COLOR: Medium brick-red, some clearing around the rim. Plenty of sediment at the bottom.
NOSE: Deep enticing nose of pronounced fresh berries [and this is a 16-years (B)!!] together with ripe sweetish plums, game, wet forest floor and a beautiful 'Bourgogne Nose' to put everything in perspective.
TASTE: How many time can I say "mouthfilling" of a great (B) without it sounding repetitive? Well, mouthfilling, multi-dimensional exotic wine that interacts with each and every taste bud in your mouth. Mature fruit, plenty of 'winyness', extraordinary grip with receding tannins and fresh acidity.
LENGTH: Lingering and vibrating finish that continues to sing for a long long time...
TEXTURE & BALANCE: A huge wine [in (B) terms] wearing delicate gloves. Well endowed in every department, yet fragrant harmonious and superbly balanced.
OVERALL: Extraordinary-plus!! A true Grand Vin de Bourgogne. One of the very best wines I've ever had. At its peak.
MARK: 19.5/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? Yes.

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Jacob "Yak" Shaya.