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THE WINE TASTER

By Robin Garr

The Courier-Journal, Feb. 21, 1990

     Even the most ardent Francophile could hardly be blamed for believing
that the good Lord smiled on France's vineyards during the decade past.

     Particularly in Bordeaux, probably no other 10-year span has seen so
many vintages ranked as good to great, interspersed by so few poor wine
years, as the 1980s.

     "Vintage" may be one of the more offputting concepts in the world of
wine, because the notion that a wine lover must memorize complicated charts
of good and bad years seems too much like work to satisfy most people who
view wine as something merely to enjoy.

     But the good news is that vintage isn't really an important factor for
most of the good wines in general circulation today. Blush wines, white
wines, even many of the good labels from California and around the world are
fine when sold, and they're ready to drink.

     For a few of the world's finest kinds of wines, however -- a category
that absolutely includes Bordeaux -- there's an added dimension of enjoyment
that comes with knowing when the grapes were grown and how long the wine was
aged.

     With that in mind -- and adding the caution that vintage is only a
general guide to quality -- here's my personal view of the Bordeaux vintages
for red wines since 1980:



     1980 -- The decade got off to a poor start with a small, rainy harvest
that hasn't enjoyed much of a reputation, and some of the less-expensive
Bordeaux may already be over the hill. Because of this bad image, though, you
may be able to find exceptional bargains in 1980s on restaurant wine lists;
I'd take the gamble with a known maker if the price was right.



     1981 -- A good vintage, but vastly overshadowed by the publicity over
1982. Most bottlings are fully mature now, and some excellent bargains may be
available as merchants close out old stock.



     1982 -- A heat wave in Bordeaux created delicious wines that often
resemble California Cabernet Sauvignon in their ripe fruitiness. Some critics
declared it the "vintage of the century," but others question whether the
wines will age well. Those from less-prominent makers -- the so called
"petits chateaux" -- are maturing very well now. Some remain on the market,
but prices are going up. A good 1982 bottling for $20 or less is probably
worth a try.



     1983 -- Another excellent vintage, the 1983s are more in the
traditional "austere" Bordeaux style than 1982, with subtle fruit balanced by
tannic acid that will mellow gradually with time in the cellar. Some of the
inexpensive labels are approaching maturity, but the better bottlings need
more age.



     1984 -- One of the decade's few poor years and often overpriced. Most
of the 1984s I've tasted have been thin and harsh. Fortunately, they are hard
to find, as many Louisville-area retailers passed on the vintage.



     1985 -- Back to glory, another heat wave produced a vintage similar to
1982 with rich, ripe wines in quantity. Prices continued to rise, a
disadvantage, but many excellent bottlings are surprisingly accessible at a
relatively early age. Consistently worth a try if the price is right.



     1986 -- Wine lovers for years to come will enjoy debating the relative
merits of 1986 and 1985 and drawing parallels with 1982 and 1983. This year's
wines are typically more "structured" and acidic than the 1985s, but many
show promise of real excellence in maturity. Prices are high, but some of the
"lesser" labels are affordable and relatively ready to drink.



     1987 -- Just beginning to reach this area in quantity, the 1987s are a
bit problematical. A rainy harvest, which dilutes the juice in the growing
grapes and causes "light" wines, spoiled hopes for another great year, but
Bordeaux hype and the weak dollar conspired to keep prices high.

     As a result, some knowledgeable retailers are avoiding the vintage. On
the other hand, early reports indicate that many bottlings, although not
wines for the ages, are exceptionally pleasant and fruity wines for
short-term enjoyment.



     1988 -- Reports from Bordeaux indicate that fine weather produced
another first-rate "traditional" vintage like 1983 or 1986, but only the
first, bulk-style bottlings are available here so far.



     1989 -- Still in barrels in Bordeaux, these wines won't be available
here for another year or two. But get ready: The hottest summer of the
century in Europe offers hope of luscious, fruity wines that may even surpass
1982 -- for those who will be able to afford their inflated cost.



     Here are my notes on a few recent Bordeaux:



(4 stars) Chateau Carbonnieux Passac-Leognan (Graves), 1986. (Grahv.) This
dark, plum-colored wine breathes the tasty cedar-pine scent of Bordeaux and
adds an appealing hint of old leather. Its flavor is a bit on the soft side,
not too acidic; and the fruit doesn't linger, so I'd caution against
cellaring this one for more than a year or two. For the short term, though,
its fresh, full-bodied taste of grapes makes it a good match with roast beef
or lamb. ($14.99)



(3 1/2 stars) Chateau Gloria St.-Julien, 1987. (Sahn Zho-lee-ehn.) Classic
Bordeaux scents -- cedar, currants and a whiff of oak -- elevate the aroma of
this clear, bright-garnet wine. Fruit, tart acid and puckery tannin meet in
an austere flavor typical of Bordeaux. Only a musty hint of too-old barrels
appears as a flaw in an otherwise exceptional table wine. ($11.99)



(3 stars) Chateau Plagnac Cru Bourgeois Medoc, 1985. (May-dawk.) This is a
slightly hazy ruby-red wine with a typical Bordeaux scent of cedar and pine.
At this price it could rate as a best buy, but a musty old-wood quality
detracts from its aroma and takes points from an otherwise ripe, fruity
flavor. ($7.29)



(2 stars) Chateau Lagrave Paran Bordeaux, 1988. (Bore-doe.) An odd, aromatic
smell that's part eucalyptus and part petrochemical in nature offer an
unappealing introduction to this clear, dark-garnet wine, and a strange
medicinal quality cloaks the fruit in its simple flavor. ($5.99)



(1 star) Chateau La Terrasse Bordeaux Superieur, 1986. Even if the simple
fruit in this unpleasant little wine didn't resemble Beaujolais more closely
than Bordeaux, the unpleasant, rubbery stink of sulfur and oily, chemical
taste would offer two good reasons to pass it by. ($4.99)



     "The Wine Taster" appears every other Wednesday in the Louisville
Courier-Journal Food Section. Wine and Food Critic Robin Garr rates table
wines available in the Louisville area, using a one- to five-star scale
determined by quality and value. Send suggestions or questions in care of The
Courier-Journal, 525 W. Broadway, Louisville, Ky. 40202, call [phone],
or leave a message for 76702,764.