1986 is an important year for me, because it was the year I got married. Chateau Meyney is an important wine for me, because it was one of the first really good Bordeaux I could afford back in the 1980s. We drank a lot of it in the late 80s and through out the 1990s. When I set up my cellar in LA almost 20 years ago, I stocked it with a number of my favorite Meyney vintages (and 1986s in general) bought at auction.
As this weekend is our 29th anniversary, I decided to open the last bottle of '86 Meyney in my cellar.
This bottle showed significant ullage, being at the high shoulder level, and the cork was deeply stained. Fortunately, however, the wine was still in excellent shape. I decanted it off a moderate amount of dense sediment about 40 minutes before dinner (rack of lamb with a blue cheese/panko crust, mushroom risotto, and salad). Still a very respectable ruby color, but with some brick at the rim. Big bouquet of cedar, leather, tobacco, plums, and prunes. On the palate, it was smooth and silky. The flavor associations it called to mind included an old humidor, leather, prunes, and cedar.
Probably just past peak, so I won't be buying more, but this last bottle made me happy.
Grade: 89
