Back To Bordeaux

At last!! I was lucky enough to have my magnanimous sister-in-law allow me to share in a bottle of Chateau Cheval Blanc, St. Emilion, 1986 that I had been storing for her for over 5 years (while she was living in that wine hotbed, Saudi Arabia. Can you believe there are people who think wine is evil?). Anyways, I love Bordeaux and even better I love good, old Bordeaux, so I was looking forward to it. We went to a great little BYOB bistro called Les Infideles (quite fitting since we are wine drinking infidels and this wine ended up in Montreal because it couldn't travel to the middle east...) and I matched the wine to a wild mushroom tart followed by Nunavik caribou with a cassis reduction sauce. mmmmmmmmm.
The waiter had trouble getting the cork out - it was quite dry but hadn't leaked. I took over and went behind the counter (to avoid a spectacle) and eased the cork out bit by bit without getting any in the wine), then decanted it.
Well, what can I say. Brick in the glass as expected, with a complex smokey, cedar-cigar box nose, followed by an elegant palate that was more vegetal than fruit driven. It opened up with time, becoming seductively more harmonious with still present firm but supple tannins. Medium bodied with a long finish. In 1986 this wine was 66% Cabernet Franc. It was not one of those WOW wines that whack you on the head, but was more of a "keep filling me up, this is gooood...." wines. Robby Parker gave this a "93" back in 1991. As for value, this had to the bargain of the century - it cost my sis-in-law a whole 3 pounds (about 7 bucks) when she bought it back in the days she worked for a wine importing agency. Just don't expect to get it for this price again - a quick check puts it at about $600 at auction....
The second wine we opened was also a St. Emilion, but much younger by choice - I wanted to contrast the two. The Chateau Pipeau, St. Emilion, 2000 was bought as a future in 2001. It was much darker in the glass, fruitier on the nose and more full bodied than the Cheval Blanc. Moderately tannic (dries the mouth right out) it tastes like an English summer pudding (thats berries for you non-brits). Good stuff, but not a wow wine. Overpriced as usual, but you can't get away from that in good Bordeaux.
Note to myself: suck it up, pay the price, and buy (ie. drink!) more Bordeaux!!!
Cheers!!