1982 Ducru Beaucaillou and 1998 Silvio Grasso Bricco Luciani

Traveled to the 16th annual EuroAutoFestival which is held on the beautiful Zentrum grounds of BMW's North American Manufacturing Plant in Greer South Carolina, near the picturesque Blue Ridge Mountains.  Always a great event and an opportunity to enjoy fine dining in the charming downtown area of Greenville SC.  The venerable Poinsett Hotel, with original architecture dating back to 1928, is a welcoming venue for a quick weekend getaway.

The 1982 Ducru Beaucaillou (St. Julien) was decanted before dinner and as we began to taste it, it became clear that we were not going to be able to resist it charms.  An executive decision was made to give it a bit of air and then enjoy it while ensconced in a cozy private sitting area of the luxurious, grand old lobby of the Poinsett.   I am glad that we did because this bottle was showing beautifully since the last one we had a couple of years ago.  Brought back memories of my first acquaintance with great Bordeaux many years ago.  An intoxicating mix of black cherry, tobacco, cedar, earth, mineral and sweet fine-grained tannins (alc 12% ?).  More powerful at this juncture (yet with beautiful balance) than the 1982 La Mission Haut-Brion which we enjoyed last year.  (The 82 La Mission is all about delicately structured fruit, scorched earth and hints of anise.)  The aromatics of the '82 Ducru exhibit wonderful florals with sous bois notes.  This is a beautifully contemplative wine with a lovely complexity on the finish that unveils layer upon layer of character.  It's at a really good place right now.  

The 1998 Silvio Grasso Bricco Lucciani (La Morra) was decanted and enjoyed with dinner a bit later.  Tannins have mellowed and provide an elegant framework for the tasty fruit.  After a couple of hours, it really opened up and the perfume on the nose was gorgeous. Very well balanced (14% alc), this bottling still has another five years of peak drinking ahead of it (at minimum).  A very nice example of how friendly and approachable La Morra wines are.

Along with the wine photos, have included a couple of interesting pics of an older Jaguar sedan outfitted for the good life, and a beautiful modern-day classic, the McLaren, from the EuroAutoFest.