Expensive Thrills

What is the Bordeaux vintage of the century? Many are talking about the current release of 1989s. But as one savvy French trade official said last year: “We are pleased with the early remarks that have been made about the quality of the ‘89s, but we French are conservative and prefer not to have more than two ‘vintages of the century’ each decade.”

Other vintage-of-century contenders from the ‘80s include the ‘85s, ‘86s, ‘88s and of course the vaunted ‘82s. In the past 10 years seven vintages have received rave notices.

Fifty years ago, even 15 years ago, this was not the case; vintages were erratic, totally dependent on the whims of nature. But technology, which came late to the chateaux of Bordeaux, changed all that.

Harry Waugh, who took over as general manager at Chateau Latour in 1963, is credited with being the first in Bordeaux to ferment wines in stainless-steel tanks--the standard in much of the rest of the winemaking world. It wasn’t until the mid-1970s that most of the rest of the Bordeaux houses replaced their old concrete vats. The impact of this change was dramatic: Had it not been for stainless-steel tanks, the 1982 Bordeaux crop would have been a disaster. Instead, highly regarded wines were produced.

Moreover, advances in grape growing--pioneered at the University of California at Davis, at Fresno State and in Australia and New Zealand--didn’t reach French farmers until the mid-1970s, meaning we first saw the impact of technology about a decade ago.

Tasting through a range of the best classified growth ’89 Bordeaux last week, I was struck by their depth and complexity. Perhaps the equal of ‘85, ’86 and ‘88, these wines remind me a little of the voluptuous 1982s, which means they are easy to like when young. But the better ones should age gracefully for a decade or two.

As for the five First Growth wines, I was struck by how typical of their houses they were. I could easily state that “Latour is typically Latour,” that “Margaux is classic Margaux,” that “Mouton is definitively Mouton,” etc., and leave it at that. This of course means it’s absurd to compare the wines qualitatively because they are so stylistically different from one another.

Still, I preferred Chateau Lafite-Rothschild ($90) simply because of the amazing persistence and complexity of its aroma. There were penetrating blackberry and cedar notes, a luxuriant texture and an aftertaste that seemed never-ending.

Other critics have ranked Lafite below the other First Growths. I think they have done so largely because of weight--the other wines are bigger, chewier, more intensely flavored. Still, I maintain that Lafite is sublime.

Chateau Margaux ($80) was next on my card, based on an intriguing spice component in the aroma and a potent, classical cassis and vanilla aftertaste. I think the ’86 Margaux is perfect, one of my favorite red wines of all time, and this one may rival it. Margaux has fought its way back from some middling vintages in the 1970s to become one of the best of the First Growths.

Chateau Latour ($95) is also a magnificent wine, typically Latour with potent, deeply complex, concentrated flavors of black currant and cassis, and a rich texture.

Chateau Haut-Brion ($110) has been a mystery to me over the last few years with some odd, off-putting aromas in some wines. But ’89 is a return to power. It may be the most complex of all the ’89 First Growths, with notes of herbs, smoke, tar, black cherry and coffee. A minor drawback is a faint meaty aroma that may well meld into more complexity as time goes by.

Chateau Mouton-Rothschild ($90) seems like too much of a good thing--and that is new roasted oak. Some writers rank Mouton among the best of the vintage, but I have a hard time getting a handle on the intriguing aromas because of the overpoweringly woody smell.

Four other ‘89s, mostly Second Growths, were excellent. Tops in that group was the lightest, Chateau Leoville-Barton ($28), a wine with ample fruit and spice, a light fresh tobacco aroma and a lean, almost reticent taste. This classic wine will improve markedly for the next few years.

Chateau Pichon-Lalande ($45) is another powerhouse, reminiscent of 1982 in some ways, but with more charm and length in the finish. It is a sturdy wine with a hint of tarragon competing for attention with black berry fruit aromas. Chateau Lynch-Bages ($40) has a rich, earthy/fruity complexity and finishes with power. Chateau Gruaud-Larose ($35) is more herbal/spicy with gentle acidity and excellent potential.

The 1989 crop was large, generally an indicator of modest quality, but Mai-Elaine de Lencquesaing, owner of Pichon-Lalande, was at the tasting dinner (staged by Wally’s wine shop in Westwood) and said that all the grape varieties ripened fully. Picking began Aug. 29, one of the earliest dates on record, without a drop of rain to mar the quality.

Wine of the Week

1990 Rodney Strong Vineyards Fume Blanc “Charlotte’s Home Vineyard” ($8.50)-- Rod Strong and his winemaker Rick Sayre have been slowly upgrading the wines of this property, which once was called Sonoma Vineyards. This wine is a good example of the freshness now found in many of the wines. The bright herbal-and-citrus fruit and textured mouthfeel make this wine perfect for lighter seafood dishes. Sayre left a tiny trace of residual sugar in the wine to give it softness on the tongue, but there is ample acidity, too. Usually discounted to the $7 price range.