1976 BV

Dinner at LALA.

1976 Beaulieu Vineyard Georges de Latour Private Reserve - started drinking 10 minutes after decanting. Very smooth on the palate 20 minutes in, with smoke and stewed prunes on the nose. With saucisson this brought out the metallic flavors on the palate. Additional woodsy and a little meaty notes showed up, and this was really fragrant after an hour in the decanter, with more toasty notes. Perhaps there was a whiff of brett about 1½ hours in. While this was still drinking well for its age, it's clearly not as "fresh" and lively as the slightly younger bottle tasted just a day before.

Full post on dinner is here.

1981 Silver Oak

Light meal at Caprice Bar.

R. Pouillon Grande Vallée, dégorgée 2e trimestre - very fresh on the nose, floral and fragrant. Nice with good complexity on the palate, and I thought I tasted the meunier. With time the nose became more caramelized, and the wine became more alluring.

1981 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley - started drinking around 15 minutes after opening without decanting. Surprisingly big and lively nose, with lots of coconut and plenty of sweet fruit hanging around after more than 40 years. This was such a classic Cali cab, with leather and a bit of smoke thrown in. After about an hour the nose had really opened up well. The bottle was in excellent condition, as evidenced by the immaculate labels and a level that was into neck. Drinking very, very well and I would never have guessed this was more than 25 years old.

Full post on the meal is here.