More old goodies: 98 Petit Cheval, 90 Montrose, 83 Unico + more….

As mentioned here, I’ve been helping to ‘drink out a cellar’ recently, a task that is – given the wines involved – something of a task (wink).

These wines were all drank over a few hours and given at least an hour in the decanter. 

Château Cheval Blanc Le Petit Cheval 1998 (Saint-Émilion, Bordeaux, France)
Lovely looking cork. Quite big and meaty on the nose, this looked fully evolved and also a fraction cooked. Nice tannins but still not quite the drive you’d expect for this price. Couldn’t quite muster up the love for this. 17.3/90

Château La Mission Haut Brion 1997 (Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux, France)
After the Cheval this looked immediately more Cabernet dominant, with herbaceous, cedary Cabernet black fruit topped off with green hints. Rather classic old school Bordeaux in that form. After the nose the palate is something of a surprise, looking richer and more oak driven than expected, though ultimately pulling up short. 3/4 of a fine wine then, but still reasonably satisfying. 17/90

Vega Sicilia Unico Gran Reserva 1983 (Ribera del Duero, Spain)
Fully stained cork probably indicative of a less than 100% bottle. Really oxidative nose, with roast beef rolls and heavily ingrained oak. Sweetly oaky but ultimately resinous palate. Leathery finish boosted up by oak sweetness. More about oak artifice than actual fruit, this just looked old. 15/82

Château Gruard Larose 1996 (Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, France)
Lovely expression of Cabernet this. Firm and dry, proper Bordeaux in the quite firm and almost generous style. There’s a slightly stewed fruit character on the finish, but so much meaty classic power that you can’t help but like it. Reasonably cheap in the scheme of things too. 17.7/92

Château Montrose 1990 (Saint-Estephe, Bordeaux, France)
 Boom! Step up to the mark for this. Wonderful wine. Lovely nose of leaf litter, red fruit, black fruits and long dry tannins. Utterly mid weight, elegant and ethereal style in the very classic mould. So lively! Length++. Really lives up to the promise. Yes! 18.7/95