Wine 1: Deeply pitched nose of black currant that keeps the rich notes of slightly green tobacco well under control. The nose here just strengthens with time, becoming denser and more fragrant as the wine sits in the glass. The palate offers up a similar experience, with rich, dense cassis flavors that still manage to remain weightless in the mouth. The purity of fruit, the structure that gradually unfolds, and the overall balance are impeccable. Despite the richness and purity of the fruit, however, the overall profile here is that of a structured, firm, classically made Cabernet Sauvignon dominated wine—no flabbiness here. This wine is drinking beautifully now, but should have many years of life ahead of it. The aromas and flavors here are no longer primary, so I had to guess that it was a wine with some bottle age on it.
Key descriptors (in my mind): Structured, classical balance, purity of fruit, some bottle age.
Wine 2: A slightly more hightoned nose than Wine 1, with airy aromas of damp soil, saddle leather, and underbrush seamlessly merged with the recognizable cassis aromas one expects from a Bordeaux. On the finish, the wine shows a touch of astringency and slightly dry tannins that are not all that rare in Bordeaux, but the vibrancy of the fruit makes these complicating notes rather than dominating characteristics of the wine. This one there is no doubt on, particularly on the finish—this has to be a Left Bank Bordeaux. The complexity, the multiple layers that shift over time are distinctive here and I should have identified this right away as a well-aged example.
Key descriptors (in my mind): Soil-driven, slightly austere finish balanced by vibrant fruit, tertiary aromas and flavors, complex shape-shifting profile typical of a wine with some bottle age...
I suppose my descriptions are not good enough for people to guess (and I never guessed the actual wine), but I was able to zero in a little bit...
The wines:
Wine #1: 1992 Ridge Monte Bello
Wine #2: 1986 Gruaud Larose
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