Some time ago, while talking with my friend Gianni Mercatali, it came to light that he was about to receive four vintages of the wine produced by this chateau from the sales director of Chateau Lascombes, a Margaux appellation. He therefore wanted to organize this tasting with some friends, which would be held at a table, enjoying a pleasant meal. Brothers Tommaso and Matteo Guidi, owners of the most important catering business in Florence, along with their father, Guido Guidi, offered to make their business available to us: a luxuriously furnished property with a kitchen, their chef, and two waiters.
At that point, I told Gianni that, since the vintages to be tasted were 2022, 2016, 2015, and 2010, I’d look in my cellar to see if I had a couple more vintages to add, and indeed, I found 2005 and 1982. Perfect! They were all interesting vintages. Gianni listed a few friends to invite, and the following lucky ones came up: Leo Damiani, Simone Fracassi, Maurizio Ciampolini, Matteo Parigi Bini, Gianni Mercatali, and myself. A couple of mutual friends, very sadly, declined the invitation because they couldn’t make it. The menu would have been as follows: finger food, Fassona beef tartare, paccheri with meat sauce, and beef fillet, with various side dishes.
We began dinner with a magnificent magnum of 2007 Belle Epoque Champagne from Maison Perrier Jouet, which proved to be extremely enjoyable.
The 2007 Champagne vintage wasn’t as magnificent as the 2006 or 2008, but this bottle proved us wrong because, instead, it turned out to be magnificent.
The tasting-dinner continued starting from the youngest vintage and then arriving at the oldest, the 1982.
Everyone at the table, myself included, was eager to do this vertical tasting. The evening progressed pleasantly, and everyone commented on each vintage of the evening. The vintages tasted were all great, and the oldest, 1982, was a very important vintage for Bordeaux wines.
Before describing the wines of the evening, I should make the following clarification. I taste the tannins of the wine on the upper gum. The total width of the tannin is 6/6, that is, the entire width of the upper gum. Obviously, if the tannin is less broad, it could be, for example, 5/6, and so on. The width of the tannin is important when its quality is good or high. The broader the tannin, the more worthy of attention the wine is, but the tannin, as I specified, must, in any case, be of good quality.
Let’s now move on to describing the wines we tasted.
PERRIER TOY HOUSE
Belle Epoque Champagne Brut, Annata 2007
in large format
(Blend: 50% Chardonnay, 45% Pinot Noir and 5% Pinot Meunier)
It shines through the glass in a bright golden yellow colour while the bubbles are quite fine and numerous.
On the nose it expresses aromas of vanilla, sweets reminiscent of ricciarelli biscuits, mint, white pepper, anemone, Marseille soap, licorice and rubber.
When the glass is empty, you can smell the aroma of zabaglione.
On the palate, it is medium-bodied, savory and mineral, with flavors of lemon, citron, and citron peel. The bubbles are fine and pleasant.
A well-balanced wine thanks to the freshness that completely envelops the alcohol. Its palate is long and persistent, with a citrus and mineral finish.
Champagne still with a long life.
(96/100)
CHATEAU LASCOMBES
MARGAUX GRAND CRU CLASSÉ, vintage 2022
(Blend: 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot)
Purple, black color.
From the glass rise aromas of “after eight” (bitter chocolate and intense mint), black cherry, wood varnish, paraffin, blueberry, plum, eucalyptus, cooked cherry and cooked plum.
On the palate it reveals a medium body, flavours of licorice, plum, woodsy and mint.
A good balance between alcohol and freshness. The tannins are sweet, broad (6/6-), thick, and initially velvety, then lightly burn the upper gums and throat. The finish is long and persistent. This young wine will need to absorb some of the wood, both on the nose and on the palate. The nose is slightly perceptible of mature fruit.
(91/100)
CHATEAU LASCOMBES
MARGAUX GRAND CRU CLASSÉ, vintage 2016
(Blend: 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot)
Beautiful purple red black.
The nose reveals aromas of ripe black marasca cherry, mint, eucalyptus, dried porcini mushrooms, black truffle, and hints of boiled milk cream. Aromas of Calvados, a hint of licorice, woodsy notes, cherry jam reminiscent of Chiaverini, and violets, finishing with hints of pear.
On the palate it has a flavour of black truffle, a medium body and a good balance between alcohol and freshness, while the tannins are sweet, quite broad (5/6++) and silky.
Its intense aromatic persistence is long.
(93/100)
CHATEAU LASCOMBES
MARGAUX GRAND CRU CLASSE, vintage 2015
(Blend: 50% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot)
It shines through the glass in an intense purple-black colour.
Olfactory range with aromas of ripe blackberry, light brett, black cherry, plum finishing with puffs of black pepper.
On the palate, it’s medium-bodied and has a good balance between alcohol and freshness, the latter completely enveloping the alcohol. The tannins are sweet and fairly broad (5/6+), initially silky, then drying the upper palate a bit. Its flavorful finish is long.
The nose wasn’t optimal due to the presence of brett (slight sweaty odor). Perhaps this bottle had some problems?
(90/100)
CHATEAU LASCOMBES
MARGAUX GRAND CRU CLASSÉ, vintage 2010
(Blend: 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot and 16% Petit Verdot)
Intense garnet red – black.
Olfactory mix composed of aromas of black pepper, licorice, mint, eucalyptus, nutmeg, black truffle, blueberry, toasted hazelnut and episperm (it is the sweet note of the wood that recalls the skin of boiled chestnuts).
On the palate it reveals a medium body and has hints of plum and blueberry.
A balanced wine with freshness that dominates the alcohol content without hesitation. The tannins are sweet, fairly broad (5/6), fine, and initially silky, before lightly burning the upper gums.
(93/100)
CHATEAU LASCOMBES
MARGAUX GRAND CRU CLASSE, vintage 2005
(Blend: 50% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot)
Intense garnet red – black.
From the glass rise aromas of mint, eucalyptus, light brett, hydrolytin (the powder that transforms still water into sparkling water), black pepper, nutmeg, blueberry and black cherry.
On the palate it reveals a medium body and a good balance between alcohol and freshness.
The tannins are sweet, quite broad (5/6), quite thick, initially silky and then drying and causing a slight burning of the upper gums. Its flavour persists for a long time.
(92/100)
CHATEAU LASCOMBES
MARGAUX GRAND CRU CLASSÉ, vintage 1982
(Blends: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot)
Garnet red color with a slightly orange edge.
Aromatic notes of chinotto, tamarind, mandarin, mint, dried plum, camphor, eucalyptus, dried black fig, hints of nutmeg and wood varnish.
On the palate, it displays a medium body and a good balance between alcohol and freshness. The tannins are sweet, quite broad (5/6), and silky.
Its intense aromatic persistence is long.
(92/100)
At the end of the evening, we were joined by Rachele Damiani, daughter of Leo, Matteo, and Tommaso Guidi, who couldn’t be with us from the beginning because they were busy with work on some evenings in Florence.
We diners were very satisfied with this tasting dinner organized by the excellent Gianni Mercatali, owner of the PR agency Studio Mercatali s.r.l., which counts among its clients some of the most famous people in the world.
The chef at Guido Guidi pampered us, and the two waiters who looked after us throughout the delightful evening did the same. A heartfelt thank you to the Guidi family and to Gianni Mercatali, who conceived and organized this delicious event.
