So fortunate recently to be enjoying some older bottles of Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse De Lalande (PL). This property is a long time favourite of your scribe and it has been written up several times previously on this Blog including here on June 18, 2013. Actively followed and collected this property since proprietor May de Lencquesaing’s very first vintage of 1978. Arranged for her an important vertical dinner by our Commanderie de Bordeaux at the Four Seasons Hotel on November 13, 1986 that put Vancouver on her map with 12 vintages led off by both excellent 1983 & 1982 and going back to 1953 in Marie-Jeanne & 1934 in Magnum. Madame’s husband the General, who was present, preferred the “softer rounder voluptuous” 1982 but May admired the “tighter, firmer, balanced, more tannic, classic” 1983. Over the next 35 years many occasions arose to monitor those twin vintages including during hospitality stays with May as her guest at PL or later at her nearby Haut-Medoc sister property of Chateau Bernadotte. Many tasting-dinners of PL attended highlighted by one held at Jean-Georges in New York on October 6, 2002 where her best 7 vintages of the eighties (81, 82, 83, 85, 86, 88, and 89) were each provided en Imperiale (size of 8 standard bottles or 6 litres). Twenty years ago in that format your scribe was enthralled by the 1986 with those firm solid tannins (a record according to Emile Peynaud) yet balanced by an amazing core of intense special terroir fruit expression. Long ager for sure. More drinkable were the herbal 81, smooth charming 82, clean classic 83, elegant 85, younger austere 88 + great future rich 89. All truly remarkable!

Since the sale of the property in 2007 to Louis Roederer the PL wine continues at a very high level indeed among the other top Super Seconds under respected Directeur General Nicolas Glumineau since 2012. Nicolas said the wines of the eighties are “on a lovely plateau of drinking now” but is a big fan of their 1959 vintage. Recently he
stated “2010 is in the shadow of 2009 today but 2010 has complexity & power for a long life ahead.” Different blends with 2010 66% cab sauv, 24 merlot, 7 cab franc, and 3 petit verdot compared with 2009 more cab sauv 75%/20M/0CF/5PV. He compares them to Opera with 2010 Verdi’s strength of Rigoletto while 2009 is the powerful duel of the Russian Tchaikovsky between Onegin & Lensky. The climate these days has warmed for better ripeness of the tannins and the cabernet franc variety (which suits the soil) now is being used much more in the blend instead of petit verdot. Admire how they currently are looking for freshness with that excellent 2019 in the same category as 2010.

Last week was filled with anticipation to try over 2 consecutive home dinners of roasted pheasant and chicken-mushroom lasagna, two well stored bottles of the 1983 (abv 12) & 1986 (abv 12.5) PL. Delight and surprise. It is now nearly 9 years later from my 2013 comment of “more classic and still needing more time to show at the highest level” for 1983. Pleased to report it is now showing fantastic at the highest plateau level which should continue for quite a while yet. May was right, it is classic and so outstanding with cassis and cigar box complexity approaching 40 years of age. PL stands way above the general vintage rating for 1983 (as noted here in November 11, 2013) with such a clean meticulously made delightful wine shining brightly. The surprise was how backward that 1986 PL still remains. The colour is a deep red, almost barrel sample like, with impressive intense fruit but lots of tannins and acidity remain, not showing any expected tertiary aromas. With airing in the decanter and warming it developed and opened somewhat but needs more time to show at the highest level ultimately expected. Patience.

Check out some other recent posts involving May’s 93rd birthday celebration at Chateau d’Yquem here on May 21, 2018 and our Zoom session plus recent screen photo here June 15, 2020. Meanwhile dynamo May is carrying on towards her 97th Birthday on May 17, 2022. Spending time in South Africa, Switzerland, and Bordeaux she is busy these days
finalizing her historic manuscript of an amazing interesting life well lived. Expected to be published this year in French with a translation into English soon after. Anxiously awaiting. All the best wishes. Many thanks for all your valuable contributions to all of us over so many years in the world of wine.

Question: Name of the wind affecting Rioja vineyards?

Answer: There is a strong wind called CIERZO. It flows from northern Spain through the Ebro River Valley affecting several regions in Spain including Rioja plus Aragon & Navarra. Similar to the MISTRAL in the Rhone Valley of France. The positive result of the winds is usually a benefit to the vineyards in moderating temperatures and humidity levels allowing the grapes to ripen more gradually with less disease pressure.

Lunar New Year celebrations seem to have expanded in 2022. The Chinese calendar is based on the cycles of the moon so this Year of the Tiger begins with the start of the new moon on February 1 running on for 15 days, Asian communities especially are celebrating their important festive holiday for looking forward, renewal and friendship. The Year of the Tiger (king of beasts in China) signifies endurance, fortitude, resilience, and strength plus looking after each other. This celebration is bigger than ever in Vancouver right now with more restaurants featuring festive celebratory dishes for families and friends. Of course many menus make use of traditional food items that symbolize forthcoming good fortune including noodles for longevity, fish for abundance or surplus, Spring rolls & dumplings for wealth, pistachios for a happy year ahead, Mandarin oranges, pomelo, & tangerines for good luck and so on.

On February 5, 2022 your scribe celebrated Lunar New Year with a dinner in grand style at the thriving Mott 32 inside the just rebranded Trump International Hotel now named Paradox Hotel. They highlighted an 8 course Chinese New Year Menu shown below with prominent lobster and prawn dishes plus chicken & duck. We enjoyed a
table of 6 in a private area displaying appropriate hanging red lanterns. Our own menu was pre-ordered and paired with quality wine gems less known but acquired and chosen by true professional Wine Director Robert Stelmachuk (also Vancouver Magazine 2020 Sommelier of the Year). Mott 32 has developed a top reputation for the best dim sum in town made to order from the finest fresh ingredients. We started with two exquisite dumplings of beetroot, scallop & shrimp in a most delicate wrapping followed by a Siu Mai of Iberico pork, quail egg, and black truffle. The matching celebratory bubbles of Laieta 2011 Gran Reserva Brut Nature worked fine. Next came a crispy roasted pork belly perfectly paired with an interesting Hungarian Tokaji Furmint 2013 from that special vineyard with volcanic rocks of Szent Tamas showing dry (often sweet in their dessert Aszu wine) full with good balancing acidity Riesling-like. The piece de resistance was the fantastic whole Peking Duck apple wood roasted presented and then
carved with separate golden skin plus the thinnest ever wraps with all the accoutrements. Outstanding culinary work! Three unique reds served of 2015 Scholium Project 1MN Bechtold Ranch Cinsault 13.32 abv own root planted in Lodi California in 1870; 2013 Alto Moncayo big 16+ abv rich intense powerful Garnacha from Campo de Borja in Spain; and 2014 L.A. Cetto Nebbiolo Reserve from Valle De Guadalupe in Baja Mexico earthy, peppery, smooth and much riper than classic Piedmont. More tasty beautifully prepared dishes including prawns, smoked cod at the
table, vegetables, crunchy fried rice with flying fish roe, soy ice cream with Valrhona white chocolate. What a wonderful way to celebrate the Lunar New Year!

Please chime in with your own experience. Anyone matching food with improving cabernet sauvignon from Ningxia (north central China) or newer marselan grape wines all from China?

Question: Is there a wine to celebrate Groundhog Day?

Answer: Unusual request. February 2 is always Groundhog Day when people in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania from 1887 are watching out for that furry marmot Phil. If he sees his shadow that means 6 more weeks of Winter. The local wineries in Penn. will be busy including the aptly named Groundhog Winery serving their 26 different wines. Similarly in Canada we have Nova Scotia Sam and Ontario Willie who in 2022 have reached conflicting opinions. Sam predicts a long cold winter while Willie says an early Spring is on the way. However, Phil agrees with Sam so
be prepared for more wintery weather. Any celebratory wine will do but perhaps start your own February 2 tradition tasting the next new vintage of your go-to libation. Groundhog Day is also the name of a funny movie starring Bill Murray.

Alsace is a fascinating wine region with a long history of dedicated winemaking families. Your scribe has been a devoted fan of their wines since way back in the seventies. Got quite familiar in identifying the different grape varieties grown there through the availability in Vancouver of Alsace wines particularly from Hugel (rich full style)
and Trimbach (balanced dry style). Always admired the clear definition shown in the wines produced from the different varieties and on visits to the region successfully passed their fun tasting test to become a member of the Confrerie Saint-Etienne. This northern region is situated in a valley between the Vosges mountains and the Rhine Valley and is much drier and warmer than most people recognize. Most of their wines are reasonably priced, friendly drinking young, and match so well with food. Yet there is another level of key sites recognized since the 9th century but formalized by the INAO in 1975 now with 51 AOC Alsace Grands Crus (only 4% of the region). Interesting to examine the dominant geological soil characteristics of each of these vineyards. Note that only Rangen (check out Clos Saint Urbain from Zind-Humbrecht) in the most southerly area of Thann has volcanic soil.
Riesling is always a favourite of mine among the 4 varietals (with a few exceptions) that are allowed Grands Crus status with Gewurztraminer, Muscat, and Pinot Gris. Collected and enjoyed lots of Alsace Riesling over the years. Tried whenever I could the top standard of Clos Ste Hune from Trimbach, a tiny 1.67 hectare plot of Rosacker on “dolomitic limestone” that rewards a deep, full, most complex and ageable treasure. Lucky to try some memorable bottles of Hune with avid collector Jean Joho of Everest restaurant Alsatian cuisine in Chicago which just recently closed. More available to me were bottles of Cuvee Frederic Emile Riesling from Trimbach, particularly the 1981 vintage that I purchased throughout the eighties at $11.95/bottle. In May 1989 BCLDB put the remaining slow moving inventory on sale for $7.95/bottle. Your scribe astutely bought those 62 bottles and has been delightfully monitoring the progress of 1981 ever since. It is composed of 2 Grands Crus at Ribeauville of Geisberg (marl-limestone-sandstone) & Osterberg (marl) from high elevation steep S/SE exposure of older vines. Trimbach also has another leased site for making Geisberg Vignoble du Couvent de Ribeauvillé (check out 2009, 2016, and 2019). An outstanding Riesling from Hugel is Jubilee 2001 (own vineyard 100% Schoenenbourg Grand Cru from Riquewihr) called by the late Etienne Hugel their “best one since 1990”. On January 28, 2022 we drank our last bottle of that 1981 cache at 40 years of age compared with the same vineyard & producer of top vintage 2001 at 20 years. These paired so well for courses of smoky roasted eggplant with ricotta wrapped in shredded phyllo pastry (kadaifi) plus “gourmet” Bretagne sardines Vintage Year 2015 by Rodel (bought in Paris) with fresh dill potato salad. Both worked magically. 2001 was 12.5 abv fuller richer floral ginger mineral notes while 1981 was an easy lower brilliant 11.2  abv so bright elegant petrol well structured acid vibrancy. Perhaps some of the earlier 62 bottles had more fruit left (if you prefer that) but this last one is really lovely now – ethereal and so beautifully drinkable. Wish we had more bottles left. The Trimbach website says “potential is for aging 20+ years”. They might want to change those notes to read at least “40+ years”!