I have never been so tired in my entire life... but god, it was worth it! Christmas Eve brought a few nice wines, nothing great, but some good. First, the 1999 Domaine de la Romanee Conti Vosne-Romanee 1er Cru was beautiful, but incredibly tight. Edgy with hints of spicy earth, this wine needed time to reveal a beautiful sweet strawberry finish. Power with finesse. The 1995 Ducru-Beaucaillou, St.-Julien smelled wonderful, if not a bit over done. I didn't taste it, but I am sure it was not spectacular. On to Christmas...
Christmas brings many things... Joy... Peace... Smiles... Family... 100 Point Wine... 1990 Chateau Margaux (?!!!)... yup. 2 bottles of it, too. The first was violets and cedar from the start. So soft and plush... very much a Margaux, and all of the 100 Points Mr. Parker gives this wine. Wait 10 years to drink it... The second was tight, austere and rubbery from the start... didn't appear to be a great bottle. Fast forward three hours and the wine blossomed like a hubiscus... unreal finesse, silky texture, again violets and cedar, but this bottle was certainly more closed and despite my initial thoughts, the better bottle of the two. Christmas was kind this year. It's hard working on Christmas, but the wine was wonderful... Krug Rose was a nice nice (!) bubbly to try... powerful, yet very elegant and round. Unfortunately, the wine was far too young. The 1995 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Richebourg was phenomenal, but again, was just a baby. After the Margaux, this wine was pure sweet fruit, with layers of soft tannin, black earth, black currants, plums, strawberries, and on the finish (if you could find it!) sweet cherries. Unbelievable Burgundy (WS 98). Also, a 1985 Remoissenet Charmes-Chambertin was nice, earthy, almost perfect nose. Power and elegance. But none of the wines were even close to the 1978 Chateau Petrus. The 78 Petrus doesn't even merit a 90+ rating from any of the big boys (RP, WS). I, however, would doubt that they ever had a bottle of this magnitude. For if they had, I think their rating would vastly change. Clearly the wine of the evening (and remember the company it's in...) I've had the 78 before and never thought it to be anywhere near the 75. Perhaps it's not, but when the Petrus is better than the Richebourg and the Margaux, that's something. All cedar, sweet currants, and rosemary, this wine was a powerhouse. While not the longest finish, the power of the wine blew me away. This one, despite what the other critics say, goes on my Top List. All in all, an amazing night. Funny thing is... we have a client coming in on Tuesday that we think has 4 bottles of 1982 in mind... Cheval-Blanc, Latour, Mouton, and Lafite. Together. To see which is the best. I can't wait, and I'll keep you posted. Cheers, and Merry Christmas!!!
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