For our main course we all went with the Filet Mignon and ordered 3 sides for the 4 of us – Roasted sweet potato, fresh asparagus and fresh cut steak fries. Side note - the sides were huge, 2 would be more than enough for 4 people.
"1999 Chateau Latour"
To thank Mick and Amy for hosting Saturday night dinners for the past 6 months or so, we decided to order a bottle of 1999 Chateau Latour, Pauillac. Château Latour is one of the five first growths of the Bordeaux region. We tried the Les Forts de Latour back in November of 2007 -
http://zippysauce.blogspot.com/2007/11/saturday-night-4-bottles-2-drunk.html
which is Château Latour’s second level wine and it is one the top five Cabernets I have ever had so I was really curious what their top level would be like. It was pricy as all of the top five growths always are but the Western Door hadn’t marked this up very much at all.
Andrew the manager came by to open the wine. We chatted and I commented about the price not being marked up very much. He said keeping all of the first growth at low markup was the Western Door’s way of thanking its wine loving patrons. He decanted the wine but poured out a small taster size in each of our glasses while we waited for our main course to arrive.
"This photo was taken days after the dinner, so picture how dark this cork was when first opened!"The bottom of the cork was so dark purple it almost seemed black. The nose on this wine was awe inspiring – big, complex with dark chocolate, coffee, green pepper, herbs, clove, cedar and dark berry running throughout. The really cool thing about the nose is about every five minutes or so it would change and one of the aromas would pop out to the forefront and then fade five minutes later as another one took its place.
Tasting the wine was interesting as it was very nicely balanced, good fruit, tannin and acidity but it too would change. At times the wine did become a touch too tannic and at other times it was really good.
I was disappointed a bit at the taste as it was really good but it didn’t blow me away. I figure by the ratings, history and write-ups about the first growths that it would blow away Joseph Phelps Insignia or the Robert Mondavi Napa Private Reserve or even the Les Forts de Latour but I actually preferred the taste of those wines over it. The nose on the other hand was easily the nicest nose I ever had the pleasure of sampling.
It was a good match most of the time with the Filets but as I said at times the taste changed on it so sometimes it was heavenly with the food and other times merely good.
Here is the group rating for the wine -Mick - 93, Mark - 95, Kathy – 92, Amy - 91, Overall – 93.25.
Here is what the Wine Spectator had to say about the wine -
CHÂTEAU LATOUR Pauillac 1999
Big, yet racy '99. Shows blackberry aromas, with a hint of spice, and is full-bodied, with a solid core of fruit, firm tannins and a dark chocolate and coffee aftertaste. Wonderful texture. Goes on and on. Best after 2006. 13,330 cases made. –JS
Score: 93
Release Price: $148
Current Auction Price: $305
The main course was very good as the Filet Mignon was cook to perfection and all of the sides were very tasty.
We finished the evening with dessert or at least the ladies did. I enjoyed the Western door; Andrew, Hal and Justin were great and made us feel very welcomed. It was a blast to try a first growth Bordeaux though at their price points I don’t see me doing that again real soon. Thankfully, Kathy did very well at the Casino that night which helped offset the dinner bill.
Cheers!
Mark
Tasting the wine was interesting as it was very nicely balanced, good fruit, tannin and acidity but it too would change. At times the wine did become a touch too tannic and at other times it was really good.
I was disappointed a bit at the taste as it was really good but it didn’t blow me away. I figure by the ratings, history and write-ups about the first growths that it would blow away Joseph Phelps Insignia or the Robert Mondavi Napa Private Reserve or even the Les Forts de Latour but I actually preferred the taste of those wines over it. The nose on the other hand was easily the nicest nose I ever had the pleasure of sampling.
It was a good match most of the time with the Filets but as I said at times the taste changed on it so sometimes it was heavenly with the food and other times merely good.
Here is the group rating for the wine -Mick - 93, Mark - 95, Kathy – 92, Amy - 91, Overall – 93.25.
Here is what the Wine Spectator had to say about the wine -
CHÂTEAU LATOUR Pauillac 1999
Big, yet racy '99. Shows blackberry aromas, with a hint of spice, and is full-bodied, with a solid core of fruit, firm tannins and a dark chocolate and coffee aftertaste. Wonderful texture. Goes on and on. Best after 2006. 13,330 cases made. –JS
Score: 93
Release Price: $148
Current Auction Price: $305
The main course was very good as the Filet Mignon was cook to perfection and all of the sides were very tasty.
We finished the evening with dessert or at least the ladies did. I enjoyed the Western door; Andrew, Hal and Justin were great and made us feel very welcomed. It was a blast to try a first growth Bordeaux though at their price points I don’t see me doing that again real soon. Thankfully, Kathy did very well at the Casino that night which helped offset the dinner bill.
Cheers!
Mark
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