A New Wine Label...

You know what it is J... DG. Anyway, great wine again last night. That makes 3 in a row. First, a beautiful, mature, silky 1976 Joseph Phelps Insignia. What a great bottle of wine! So cedary, with lots of dried leaves, sweet cherry and currants. Long, fabulous finish. Then, 1989 Chateau La Mission Haut Brion. I've had this wine several times in the past, one of those bottles even made my favorite wines I've ever had list. Unfortunately, this bottle does not. It was beautifully balanced, nice concentration of classic Bordeaux fruit, but this bottle didn't have the amazing depth and backbone that I've experienced in the past. With that being said, it was still a spectacular wine. Looooong finish, just wish there was more there. Last night after work we had a discussion, as we often do, about the 1855 Classification in Bordeaux (doesn't everyone?). If I had my way, I'd drop Mouton down to Second Growth, and I'd bring in La Mission Haut Brion and Pichon-Lalande as first growths. They deserve it. Also, had the 1996 Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, Pauillac. Wow. Wow. Wow!!! One hell of a wine here... It only took, oh 3-4 hours to start to open. But, when it did. Oh my. The makings of a classic wine... Amazing intensity, but not over-done. Fabulous balance and amazing length. What a round, powerful, elegant, bold wine. While not the 1982, it sure is close and certainly the best Pichon in that time frame. Grab one if you can find one and put it away for another 10 years. Classic Pichon-Lalande.