Message
par Nicklasss » dim. 26 oct. 2014 20:59
Difficile à choisir. J'ai participé à quelques dégustations super, même légèrement épiques. Cependant, j'avoue qu'une dégustation où il y a un paquet de personnes, et où on goûte un paquet de vins extraordinaires, c'est spécial! Mais la meilleure dégustation, c'est probablement en 2012, quand je suis allé souper avec un ami et sa femme, grand amateur de vins de Fort Lauderdale, dans un des meilleurs restaurants de la ville, déguster quelques bouteilles à trois, Stuart me précisant qu'il aurait pu inviter d'autres personnes, mais il voulait que nous ayons de bonne portion chacun, et il me réservait toute qu'une surprise... 3 bouteilles spéciales. En anglais, je vous laisse lire, mais vous allez comprendre.
Tonight was one tough mission. I met SdR and his wife, to Market 17 restaurant, in Fort Lauderdale. I was really happy to meet them back, last time was at the 2009 BWE convention I think. We talked about many subject that night, especially my bad experience with a Fort Lauderdale hotel lately, how Simone and Julien (my kids) are doing, the pleasure being under the floridian sun, and even some basic comments-discussion about Iran or the US university. Always fun to see each other, as everyone looks healthy and in great shape.
SdR and K are really generous. I have a tough time thinking why two such nice persons, would spend time with me, while I'm around. This is a bit the magic of BWE, to keep friendship strong. Worst part is I don't know if SdR and K will ever come to Québec, but I feel like I owe them something.
The food at the restaurant was just very very good, near extraordinary. The lobster, the seabass, the red snapper, the antelope and the guinea hen (I really thought it was guinea pig, until SdR explain to me it was pintade). The dessert were also really fresh and good. The best meal I had in Florida this week!
Now if we go to the wine, it become more complicated. I know SdR is really generous, but an exchange of E-mail together let me thought about the worst. And the worst happened...
First wine of the night was tasted not blind. SdR get it out of the wine bag he brought, so the 1996 Chevalier-Montrachet from Domaine Leflaive land of the table. It seduces me right away, with it light to medium gold color. The nose was typical from Leflaive style, with nuts, butter, minerals, apricot skin, honey and vanillin. All these in a complex mixture. The mouth started well defined, with mostly mineral, but gain weight and complexity during the 75 minutes we had it. not as thick as a Bâtard-Montrachet, this is thick anyway and really precise in the mineral, honey, light tangerines flavors in mouth. Add some long smooth light butter, more minerals on the final that is extremely long, and you have a great wine from Bourgogne. TN : 95.
This was a good start and I asked SdR to hide the label for the two other wines, as i would be as fair as I could before seing what i would be tasting. The first red was still looking young, dark red with just a softer red on the rim. Nose was just, well what word would be right, let say gorgeous! Very ripe, with sweet blackcurrants, ripe black cherries, prunes, great intensity, light touch of cinnamon, complex, inviting. What a nose with a great intensity. In mouth, just followed the nose, with strong flavors of prunes, ripe currants, thick dark berries, and a very long aftertaste that end up with truffle. I tried to identify the wine, and with the finish, I figured out it would be from Pomerol, from the 1975 or 1982 vintage. I could not found anything related to Cabernet Franc (at first no, but later yes). I was amazed when SdR turned the bottle, who was the 1982 Chateau Lafleur. I would say that this is very kind from him, to have brought this wine, as I already wrote that this would be one of the wine I would like the most taste. Later on, some more aromas developped, like truffle, coffee beans and even a bit of mint. In mouth, a bit exotic oak stood out, with the light vegetal rasberries flavors, that just add to the complexity. Even some tobacco. Well, this was just one of the greatest wine I had, and I'm really happy SdR shared a bottle with K and me. I preferred that wine to my beloved 1990 Chateau La Conseillante... TN : 99.
The second red wine was a real puzzle. The color was a bit deeper red. On the nose, not as open as wine number 1, but there was some dark rasberries, blackcurrants, dry clay and red cherries aromas to start with. A bit more closed, even if SdR applied the same process to that wine, being opening in the morning, decant to remove sediments, washing the bottle with water, pour back the wine in the bottle, put a cork on it and put it back in the cellar until tonight. In mouth, the wine was bigger than number one, with deeper blackcurrants, darker feeling, earthy, ripe dark berries. The lenght on final was also impressive, with more tannins. I could guesse it was Merlot, but for the vintage, I thought it was between 1985 and 1988, as it seemed much younger than number 1. More creamy dark berries on the nose, and adding smoke and some minerals flavors in mouth. That was also a great wine, but I knew I was preferring the 1982 Chateau Lafleur before seing the bottle of the 1982 Petrus. It was a tough choice to made but the Petrus would not want to give all it has that night. Don't get me wrong, it is great wine, and yes way better than the 1967-1974-1997 Petrus I had in the past, but the 1982 Chateau Lafleur tonight had decided to be an amazing wine and beat the king of Pomerol. TN : 95-96+. That specific bottle of the 1982 Petrus, that SdR bought in pre-arrival, perfectly stored, would have needed 5-7 more years.
Well what can you do after that? I have brought a little 1990 Domaine de la Roche Moreau, a Quarts de Chaume I bought locally for 38 $. To go with dessert, it was very good, as I did not know what to expect. Medium gold, full of wax, sweet lemon, oranges on the nose. In mouth, sweet but well balanced with some good acidity and bitterness. Flavors of bitter oranges, wax, warm brown sugar and lemon zest. Not as long as the previous wine, but hold on well when in mouth but drink now. Nicely balanced and in the end, a nice surprise. TN : 89.
Well, I can't thanks SdR and K enough to have spend sometimes with me while in Fort Lauderdale. Especially with the bottles opened, I was joking saying to SdR that he broke all my dreams, as those two 1982 were part of my dream wines, especially the Lafleur. But at the end, I'm happy that SdR selected these bottles as he can say that he realised one of my dream (and I will find some new dream bottles) and it is always great fun to handle with BWE people, tasting good-any wines, while enjoying and discussing about life simply.
Happy Nic
Il a changé durant toute la dégustation qui avait durée pendant environ 2hres. Un sentiment de respect envers cette fiole. Il est fascinant de voir à quel point les vieilles bouteilles peuvent rester en forme et nous donner tout un spectacle en bouche. 
