Attending the 2010 Vintages Pre-Auction Gala
Snuggling under my duvet a little after 2 in the morning, after a 3-hour milk-run train ride from Toronto, I drifted off to sleep with the memory of 20-year-old Chateau Cheval Blanc 1990 slopping around in my mouth, its magnificently layered, complex, smooth and rich taste etched in my memory. This 1st growth Bordeaux from St. Emilion is one of the 10 best wines I’d say I’ve ever tasted*; it was one of about 30 wines that Chris, Glen (Chris’ Dad) and Bernie (Glen’s friend who flew out from Calgary for the event), along with about 150-200 others, tasted on November 4, 2010 at the Vintages Auction Gala Tasting held in the beautiful Carlu Round Room in downtown Toronto.
There were about 80 wines available for tasting, arranged on 14 tables. Wines were accompanied by delicious appetizers, but sadly the big central cheese and cracker table was missing this year. My 2nd favorite wine of the night was the 2003 Chapoutier L’Ermite, a delicious and concentrated Rhone valley red. Other honorable mentions included, amongst others, the 1990 Chateau Montrose and the 1998 Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf-du-Pape. This year we managed to taste some of the highly sought-after Californian reds such as Peter Michael Les Pavots 1996, Colgin Estate Syrah 2003 and Turley Old Vines Zinfandel 1997 – which Chris thought was corked. We tasted a number of other Bordeaux first and second growths including Chateau Palmer, Margeaux, Latour and some other terrific Rhones including three different vintages of Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle (1988, 1994, 1998). But as with previous events, we were too late once we got to the Chateau d’Yquem table.
It was a fun evening and interesting to see a few familiar faces from the other three events we’ve attended over the years. We did our best to snag corks and I was delighted to obtain the cork from the Cheval Blanc. After a short sit-down (with more wine) in Bernie’s hotel room, it was back to the station for the trip home and another year before the 2011 Gala Tasting.
*In this list, from the 2006 event: the spectacular E. Guigal Cote-Rotie La Mouline 1996 and Penfolds Grange 1983, 1997 and 1979.
— David
One Response to This and That