On Apr 10, 11:11?am, "Dee Dee" > wrote:
> On Apr 10, 10:58 am, "DaleW" > wrote:
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> > On Apr 9, 10:56?pm, "Gary Childress" > wrote:
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> > > Today at Costco I spent $35.00 for a bottle of Franciscan Magnificat.
> > > The most I've yet spent on a bottle of wine. ?I sure hope the stuff is
> > > good!!
>
> > I've spent $300-325 twice, but in neither case was I buying solely for
> > myself. For a 1986 Bdx horizontal, I bought an '86 Marguax, but was
> > splitting it with 4 others (those that were bringing less expensive
> > bottles - I was bringing the Leoville Barton - chipped in so we
> > weren't pikers next to those bringing the 1sts, LLC, etc). For a Cab
> > Franc themed tasting, I got the '83 Cheval Blanc (sticker shock, it
> > was $200 not long ago), but we all contributed to expenses.
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> > I've purchased wines in the $130-170 range a few times ('01 Haut Brion
> > -anniversary wine, plus some '59s for Betsy's birthday, etc).
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> > Those are the rare exceptions, however.
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> Was the $300 bottle and the other $130-170 bottles what you expected.
> Did you realize (by taste) that you were drinking a fine(r) wine?
> Could you have done a taste test with, say, a $50 vs. a $100 bottle in
> the same category and feel like you could discern?
>
> Thanks.
> Dee- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

I bought the '83 Cheval Blanc because I had tried before and felt it a
top example of what was in my opinion was the finest predominantly
Cabernet Franc wine in the world (and one of the 4 or 5 best bottles
I've ever had). This bottle lived up to my expectations, actually
surpassed. My note from last year:
I had chosen the Cab Franc theme as an excuse to get this bottle,
which had stunned me previously. That's a recipe for disappointment,
but not this time. Rich, vibrant, and young, with powerful blackberry
and black cherry fruit, some light mocha notes, and a clean long
finish. The nose becomes more exotic as it sits in glass, with coffee
and sandalwood curling around the solid fruit base. Great great wine
for my tastes. A+

I think most agreed. Two members of my group are professional wine
writers, one declared it better than the more expensive 1982 CB
he'dhad the previous week, The other I believe gave it a 97 (very hard
grader, as high a score for a Bordeaux as I remember him giving).

The '86 Margaux was not one of the brightest stars that night, but
more a question of tightness than lack of quality:
1986 Ch. Margaux
Tight, brooding, monolithic. I had double-decanted this about 6-7
hours
before (giving it half-hour in a decanter as I was cleaning bottle
and
other chores)- it wasn't giving up much then and it wasn't giving
anymore now. Big, needs time (25 years!). Think it will eventually be
amazing, seems to be a lot hiding there. Saving some in my glass
eventually resulted in a big powerful cassis-driven wine. A-/B+

In both cases I was glad I purchased.

In general, most of the over $100 bottles I've purchased have been
because I've tasted them.The exceptions have been things like 2001
Haut-Brion (I bought for 20th, 30th anniversaries based on my love of
HB) and a pair of '59s (Sauternes and later harvest primitivo) I
bought for Betsy's 50th.