Wine Tasting: Age

That was educational. Same wines, many years apart. Champagne 1988 v. 2002. California Cabernet 1982 v. 2006. Bordeaux 1994 v. 2007. We're lucky to live in a city with a store like K&L Wines, where I was able to buy all of these relatively recently (no, I wasn't buying $100 bottles of wine when I was a freshman in high school). Here's what we had:

1. 2002 Veuve Cliquot "Gold Label Reserve" Brut Champagne ($70): this is the current vintage of this wine, and a great champagne, if a bit pricey. WS 93pts, WE 94pts.
2. 1988 Veuve Clicquot "Rare" Vintage Brut Champagne (~$100): this was a "library release" from Veuve a few years ago, when I bought it. This showed what I love about aged champagne, including the yeasty, toasty, caramel flavors that makes me love the Krug nonvintage brut (which is blended from lots of vintages). This is what you get if you buy vintage champagne and forget about it for 20 years or so. WS 93pts; WE 95pts.
3. NV Piper Heidseck Brut Champagne ($30): the basic, good $30 bottle of champagne, just for level-setting. Tasty, but not the measure of the vintage stuff. WS 92pts.
4. 1982 Robert Mondavi "Reserve" Napa Cabernet Sauvignon ($80): I think I bought the last two bottles they had, but I wish I could get more. This was stellar, spectacular California cabernet, 30 years old and still showed well for hours. Magical.
5. 2006 Robert Mondavi "Reserve" Napa Cabernet Sauvignon ($80): ah, yes, this is still young, but lovely, and sure to be fantastic in 20 years. Lots of tannins, not knit together yet. WS 96pts.
6. 2009 Beringer Knight's Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($20): basic, high quality $20 bottle of California cab, just to level-set. Despite being the youngest thing on the table, this is ready to drink now, not likely to last 30 years. What a difference grape selection and wine making can make. WS 91pts.
7. 1994 Léoville-Barton, St-Julien ($95): lovely example of Bordeaux, and wonderful to be able to buy it with so much age already on it. Drinking beautifully now, but this could easily last another 15 years.  WS 90pts.
8. 2007 Léoville-Barton, St-Julien ($55): lots of tannins on this left quite a pucker, but nice already and will be great in 10 or 15 years. WS 92pts, WE 94pts.
9. 1990 Suduiraut, Sauternes ($80): turns out age is great for dessert wines, too, at least if they are from Sauternes. Starts out intensely sweet, but ends with acid to spare. WS 95pts.