The city Bordeaux crew met at Bobby Van’s Tuesday, for a look at Gruaud and its sister (once) Talbot.We started with NV Emmanuel Brochet Le Mont Benoit Champagne Extra Brut. Crisp, taut, very dry, B+/B

I had a wedge salad, ribeye, spinach and fries

1978 Ch. Gruaud Larose (magnum)
Cordier funk squared, this is on the sweaty horse end of the spectrum. Couple times I wondered if corked, but the cardboard note was transient. Some nice cassis and plum underneath though, some others liked more than I did. . B

1979 Ch. Talbot
Surprise of the night. Double-decanted midafternoon. Very ‘79- bright acids, low tannin, floral.
Nice depth to the cassis and black raspberry fruit, some cigarbox. A-

1990 Ch. Gruaud Larose
This wasn’t corked, but there was a weird note- VA overlaid with pickle and prune. C

1982 Ch. Gruaud Larose
Even though I thought this wasn’t best bottle of this I’ve had, it was still damn good! Powerful. ripe but balanced, still some structure, bit of the funk. A-
1985 Ch. Gruaud Larose
Pretty, elegant, some called flat but I never got that. Redder fruits than others, just a hint of pasture, tobacco on finish. A-/B+

1986 Ch. Gruaud Larose
This is usually a candidate for WOTN, while I enjoyed this didn’t seem as vibrant as I am used to. Still some powerful tannin, dark fruits, but a little clipped compared to other bottles. B+/B

1986 Ch. Talbot
Again, a wine I usually enjoy more, still good, tannic, some brett, fruit a little more subdued than expected. B/B+

2000 Ch. Gruaud Larose
I really didn’t care for this, thought a roasted note, came across as international and soulless. But there’s a lot of structure there, so it might come out better in a decade or more. For now B-

2000 Ch. Talbot
Double-decanted midafternoon, Ripe and a bit glossy, but to me still recognizably Bordeaux, if in a fat style than ain’t my thing. B.

Group voting
1st (18 each, tie)
1979 Talbot, 1982 Gruaud
2nd (10 pts)
1985 Gruaud
3rd (2 pts)
1978 Gruaud

Fun night with good crowd

Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C
drinkable. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a party where it was only choice.Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.