A great opportunity last night to taste Bordeaux from similar vintages from different communes. The 1995 Chateau Gruaud-Larose, St.-Julien was so pretty. The nose was slightly closed, and I think this wine was maybe just beginning to emerge from it's dormant stage. Had notes of cedar with black plums, cigar box, and oddly - mint?!? This is immense - tannic, but soft St.-Julien fruit. This wine has a great future to it. The 1995 Chateau Pape-Clement, Pessac-Leognan was rustic, dirty and gravely. It's so elegant in the mouth with tobacco and black cherries. A long, round mouthfeel. The 1994 Chateau Pichon-Longueville Baron, Pauillac was nice - not great - but nice. Very dirty and powerful, this is a heck of a wine from an off vintage. The Cabernet charachter is really showing right now, and the tannins are huge. I think this wine has maybe 5 years left in it.
On to non-Bordeaux... the 2000 Banfi Brunello di Montalcino was a very nice, young example of this usually excellent, if not slightly Americanized, Brunello. Loads of Slovinean oak, but the fruit is so ripe and present. Just a little bit of the classic hints of dried cranberries with very heft tannins. Nice wine.
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