Tonight, we chose to celebrate the last weekend before the beginning of
the new semester by having a roast chicken for dinner and open a "Friday
night Bordeaux." Jean coyly asks if I mind if she chooses the wine and,
when I answer in the negative, she hops down the cellar and re-emerges
with a brown-bagged bottle of claret.

Mystery Claret:
color: dark, inky going slightly brick at the edges
nose: initially, very young and fruity, with an intense whack of cedar
and pencil lead and a hint of spice; after sitting in the glass for 10
minutes, it's transformed to soy sauce, herbs, dark fruit, cedar and a
hint of butterscotch
palate: medium body, fully resolved tannins, healthy acidity, plummy
fruit, earthy undertones

My guess was a Mèdoc from the mid-'90s and I settle on '96. Jean then
unveils the bottle to reveal the 1990 Chateau Pichon-Longueville Baron.
OK, so maybe the slightly roasted character should have tilted me more
toward a hot year like '90, but the wine seemed just too damn youthful
to be 18 years old. The cork was also a marvel, looking like it could
have gone another 20 years without breaking a sweat. After our first
glass, we decanted the rest of the bottle and enjoyed the more evolved
nose and flavors of the decanted wine.

Mark Lipton

On Jan 9, 11:59�pm, Mark Lipton > wrote:
> Tonight, we chose to celebrate the last weekend before the beginning of
> the new semester by having a roast chicken for dinner and open a "Friday
> night Bordeaux." �Jean coyly asks if I mind if she chooses the wine and,
> when I answer in the negative, she hops down the cellar and re-emerges
> with a brown-bagged bottle of claret.
>
> Mystery Claret:
> color: dark, inky going slightly brick at the edges
> nose: initially, very young and fruity, with an intense whack of cedar
> and pencil lead and a hint of spice; after sitting in the glass for 10
> minutes, it's transformed to soy sauce, herbs, dark fruit, cedar and a
> hint of butterscotch
> palate: medium body, fully resolved tannins, healthy acidity, plummy
> fruit, earthy undertones
>
> My guess was a M�doc from the mid-'90s and I settle on '96. �Jean then
> unveils the bottle to reveal the 1990 Chateau Pichon-Longueville Baron.
> �OK, so maybe the slightly roasted character should have tilted me more
> toward a hot year like '90, but the wine seemed just too damn youthful
> to be 18 years old. �The cork was also a marvel, looking like it could
> have gone another 20 years without breaking a sweat. �After our first
> glass, we decanted the rest of the bottle and enjoyed the more evolved
> nose and flavors of the decanted wine.
>
> Mark Lipton

I really loved the bottles of '90 Baron that I had but I drank the
last one a year or so ago...<sigh>.

Good to hear, since I have two cases in the cellar. Maybe I will open a
bottle next week. Thanks for the write-up.

Mike Hagley
"Mark Lipton" > wrote in message
...
> Tonight, we chose to celebrate the last weekend before the beginning of
> the new semester by having a roast chicken for dinner and open a "Friday
> night Bordeaux." Jean coyly asks if I mind if she chooses the wine and,
> when I answer in the negative, she hops down the cellar and re-emerges
> with a brown-bagged bottle of claret.
>
> Mystery Claret:
> color: dark, inky going slightly brick at the edges
> nose: initially, very young and fruity, with an intense whack of cedar
> and pencil lead and a hint of spice; after sitting in the glass for 10
> minutes, it's transformed to soy sauce, herbs, dark fruit, cedar and a
> hint of butterscotch
> palate: medium body, fully resolved tannins, healthy acidity, plummy
> fruit, earthy undertones
>
> My guess was a Mèdoc from the mid-'90s and I settle on '96. Jean then
> unveils the bottle to reveal the 1990 Chateau Pichon-Longueville Baron.
> OK, so maybe the slightly roasted character should have tilted me more
> toward a hot year like '90, but the wine seemed just too damn youthful
> to be 18 years old. The cork was also a marvel, looking like it could
> have gone another 20 years without breaking a sweat. After our first
> glass, we decanted the rest of the bottle and enjoyed the more evolved
> nose and flavors of the decanted wine.
>
> Mark Lipton

On Jan 9, 11:59�pm, Mark Lipton > wrote:
> Tonight, we chose to celebrate the last weekend before the beginning of
> the new semester by having a roast chicken for dinner and open a "Friday
> night Bordeaux." �Jean coyly asks if I mind if she chooses the wine and,
> when I answer in the negative, she hops down the cellar and re-emerges
> with a brown-bagged bottle of claret.
>
> Mystery Claret:
> color: dark, inky going slightly brick at the edges
> nose: initially, very young and fruity, with an intense whack of cedar
> and pencil lead and a hint of spice; after sitting in the glass for 10
> minutes, it's transformed to soy sauce, herbs, dark fruit, cedar and a
> hint of butterscotch
> palate: medium body, fully resolved tannins, healthy acidity, plummy
> fruit, earthy undertones
>
> My guess was a M�doc from the mid-'90s and I settle on '96. �Jean then
> unveils the bottle to reveal the 1990 Chateau Pichon-Longueville Baron.
> �OK, so maybe the slightly roasted character should have tilted me more
> toward a hot year like '90, but the wine seemed just too damn youthful
> to be 18 years old. �The cork was also a marvel, looking like it could
> have gone another 20 years without breaking a sweat. �After our first
> glass, we decanted the rest of the bottle and enjoyed the more evolved
> nose and flavors of the decanted wine.
>
> Mark Lipton

Thanks for note. I'm trying to think if I've ever had the '90 PB. I
think the '89 and '90 are generally considered the turning point,
where PB went suddenly from underachiever to overachiever. I've had
the former several times, very good wine, but can't recall ever having
the '90. Got any more?

Jean coyly asks if I mind if she chooses the wine and,
> when I answer in the negative, she hops down the cellar and re-emerges
> with a brown-bagged bottle of claret.

Brave man ;-)