Even a Blind Squirrel Finds a Nut Every So Often...

Had a great time earlier this week... I'll write about those wines tomorrow or Monday. Last night saw the first really great bottles go out in a quite a while... The 2003 Joseph Phelps "Backus" Cabernet Sauvignon is mammoth. Black currants, black cherries, and anise with loads of clove, cinnamon and vanilla. It's a big wine with big tannins and big fruit. If you're not into power wines, this isn't for you (though there is a hint of finesse on the finish suggesting this will become something even better in a few years.) The 1986 Chateau Cheval-Blanc is a beauty... clearly into the top 5 wines I've tasted this year. The best example of this bottle I've ever had (around half a dozen times) and the first time I've had it in about a year. Pure cigar box, cedar (classic Cheval characteristics), with lovely black currants and dried leaves. Lots of saddle leather, mushrooms and gravel. A great, earthy wine with a finish that lasts for well over a minute. I could still taste the cedar over 30 minutes later... not as powerful as the 1982 or 1990 or 1998, this is a wine of pure elegance.