Happy New Year To Our Dealers.

[Stephane]

Hi All,

Last saturday we organised a dinner at home.

What a surprise when one of the guest, a true connoisseur of fine wines, arrived with some Chinese Cabernet Sauvignon.

He stated: it's just for fun, don't think I brought you an "underground Premier Cru Classé".

So here is the picture of that bottle I received in Belgium and some other pics from wines I had the chance to drink lately.

If you guys like wine, prepare youself to be chocked byt these etiquettes.

Cheers

Stephane

I will open the bottle soon...

TropLong Mondot 1996, followed by the allways best wine of Medoc in my opinion: Léoville Las Case, here in 1997 (the S in Las must be pronouced) and a Cheval Balnc 1996 which was simply unbelievable !!

OK, for those of you who like incredible "etiquettes", have a look at the millésime of the siècle (ze millésime of ze siècle), 1961...

La Mission Haut Brion 1961...one occasion in a life time, I mean it.

Vieux Chateau Certan 1970 a wonderfull experience

Mouton Rotschild : I am very lucky to have tasted almost all modern millésime, and this one was great, as usual.

So now, what else ? I'm waiting...

Ok stay cool, what about a Chateau L'Evangile 1997, my favourite Pichon Comtesse (a 1997) or an another incredibly rare occasion: Ausone 1988 ?

[archibald]

Wow. A lucky guy. 1990 Lefite. 1961 Mission Haute Brion. 1996 Cheval Blanc. For those of you thinking "Hmmmm...Gen PAM or 3 bottles of wine...Well, that's a no brainer!" a wine lover says, "Gimme a PAM rep and the wine." Can't rep a Lafite, although believe it or not, the Chinese try. (They'll rep the cork and the label and swap them out on a very good but much cheaper bottle of bordeaux and hope people won't know the difference, which the majority of "trophe wine" drinkers wouldn't). I think I remember that The Wine Spectator magazine estimated that 10% of all classic bottles of uncertain provenance sold at auction are "reps."

BTW, how's the 97 l'Evangile drinking? 10 years ought to be enough for a '97, probably. I'm too much of a cheapskate to even look at most of those bottles, but I do have 1/2 a case of the l'Evangile, which was a fantastic bargain when it was released. $400 bucks a case, I think.

[fitmic]

I don't know anything about wine, but I "celebrated" Chinese new year today with dumplings for lunch.

[Stephane]

Wow. A lucky guy. 1990 Lefite. 1961 Mission Haute Brion. 1996 Cheval Blanc. For those of you thinking "Hmmmm...Gen PAM or 3 bottles of wine...Well, that's a no brainer!" a wine lover says, "Gimme a PAM rep and the wine." Can't rep a Lafite, although believe it or not, the Chinese try. (They'll rep the cork and the label and swap them out on a very good but much cheaper bottle of bordeaux and hope people won't know the difference, which the majority of "trophe wine" drinkers wouldn't). I think I remember that The Wine Spectator magazine estimated that 10% of all classic bottles of uncertain provenance sold at auction are "reps."

BTW, how's the 97 l'Evangile drinking? 10 years ought to be enough for a '97, probably. I'm too much of a cheapskate to even look at most of those bottles, but I do have 1/2 a case of the l'Evangile, which was a fantastic bargain when it was released. $400 bucks a case, I think.

Well Archi, what can I say...

I discovered wine in the mid 80's. I was drinking Pichon Comtesse, Giscours, Léoville Las Case, Chateau Margaux, Chateau Latour (Pauillac) for 1.200 to 1.500 BEF (the old belgian franc which is say 30 to 40$ a bottle in these times).

I think I drank almost all Bordeaux premier crus and the entire Classement de 1855; the only ones I missed, and still didn't taste, are Petrus and Yquem.

When wines became a real luxury (if not an absolute stupid snobism) I started to discover the rest of the world as I couldn't afford to drink them: Italy, Spain, Australia, US, New Zealand, South Africa.. (not Opus One in the US of course) and said to my self: never I will [censored] away that much money in wines anymore, I'll stick with Elderton Winery, Turkey Flat, in Aus in example.

Then came teh 90s and the incredible 2000: crazy prices. A bottle of "young" Pichon, Latour or Léoville sunddenly became a couple of 100 $ or even much more (specially Latour). Then also came that guy, brother of a friend of mine back in the 70's, that was inviting me to taste all the wines you see on the pictures...we had great fun but I must be honest with you guys: I can't even remember the ones I prefered except, again, Pichon, Latour and Léoville. Mouton is great (and I think I must have drank 10 or 15 different millésimes), L'Evangile too, but still Pichon, Latour and Léoville are the ones that talk to me.

As we say in french, I wanted to thank him on several occasions and I have "pèter un plomb" that you could translate by "burned a fuse" and decided to buy some great Bordeaux again for him when he was visiting me. The worst one, price wise, but not only, was a Chateau Margaux @ 550 euros...I kept the bottle because...it didn't even made us happy. We were absolutely disappointed.

So, I've paid my tribute to snobism and fashion with Bordeaux wines, but that's it. Never again.

And yes, I now think: imagine the number of watches, reps or gen, I would have in my collection that would last for ever, for my son, his son, and so on after 25 years of drinking these wines ....wines will end in the toilet anyway, and not because I'm [censored], but because we all pee at a point.

Enjoy your Evangile, it is a great wine and don't believe what magazines says or even Monsieur Parker: the only way to taste, drink and enjoy wine is with friends, no matter if you should have wait for an extra year to drink "à son apogée". Pleasure is the quest, the rest is [censored].

Cheers

Stephane

PS: Forgot to mention: Cheval Blanc: I would describe this as a very powerfull mint candy. I mean (but my english is not that good enough to describe) it is so long in your mouth, like a mint taste would last for hours, that you need at least an entire evening to finish a single bottle with a couple of buddies.

[Pugwash]

As we say in french, I wanted to thank him on several occasions and I have "pèter un plomb" that you could translate by "burned a fuse" and decided to buy some great Bordeaux again for him when he was visiting me. The worst one, price wise, but not only, was a Chateau Margaux @ 550 euros...I kept the bottle because...it didn't even made us happy. We were absolutely disappointed.

I'd translate "Peter un Plomb" as "To push the boat out" or "to go wild"..

"A friend was coming around, so I decided to push the boat out and get some great wine in."

[Stephane]

I'd translate "Peter un Plomb" as "To push the boat out" or "to go wild"..

"A friend was coming around, so I decided to push the boat out and get some great wine in."

Thanks Pug, I'll try to remember that saying...I really went too wild !

[Guest Carl]

Stephane-

But where is the watch?

I see only bare wrists!

And of course 1961 was a great year in Bordeaux. I recently opened my last bottle (see attachment). I admire your selection of wine very much!

Carl

(BTW Caillou 1961 is still available at the chateau at 115 euro- a steal!)

[Stephane]

Stephane-

But where is the watch?

I see only bare wrists!

And of course 1961 was a great year in Bordeaux. I recently opened my last bottle (see attachment). I admire your selection of wine very much!

Carl

(BTW Caillou 1961 is still available at the chateau at 115 euro- a steal!)

Hi Carl,

Sorry for my late reply...I never had a chance to taste that one.

And for the watch, well on one of the pics I see one but I couldn't say which it is ;-)

Cheers

Stephane