Garagiste!

ah... after Petrus... after Le Pin... There is Valandraud. But I'll get to that in a little bit. The 2003 Lewis Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon was beautiful tonight. Very jammy with a spicy, black currant and plum nose. Very nice concentration, but slightly more reserved than in the past. A very good wine, without the great mid-palate that this wine usually has. The 1996 Chateau de Valandraud, St.-Emilion, was so nice... such a beauty! This baby opened right up from the get go. I did pour it into a magnum decanter to give it a little more room to breathe. Who says merlot isn't any good? Cocoa, earth, leather and black fruits dominate this sexy wine. It is so velvety in the mouth. As good as Cheval Blanc or Ausone? Not this bottle, but it certainly is in a unique class.

From last night... The 1968 Beaulieu Vineyards Georges de Latour was porty... nutty, oaky, and porty. Not the best bottle I've had, but I think this wine is over-rated anyway. The 1996 Muga Prado Enea Gran Reserva, Rioja, Spain is the currant release. Its sweet cherry fruit along with dill and vanilla make this wine so appealing, if not a little lackluster on the depth. The others... not worth the mention.