1982. Bit of a busy one Friday, winos stepping over winos and an auction house perusing inventory. When it was time to sit and discuss some business I was asked, Do you have any wine around? I was like, what do I look like a flight attendant? It's a storage facility, not Troglodytes Tavern. Then it occurred to me I had one last bottle of Cave Past lingering around, the last because it would be the best, I was certain.I know nothing about wine, but I do know that there is such a thing as the 1982 vintage in Bordeaux. As Eric Asimov put it in a March 2012 NYTimes article, "This year is the 30th anniversary of the 1982 vintage in Bordeaux, possibly the most significant wine vintage ever. Well, maybe that’s an exaggeration, but certainly the most significant of the last 50 years, and arguably of the 20th century."
By some horrendous mishap and oversight, I had in my super-secret possession (Gil gave it to me) a most coveted '82 Bordeaux. I actually was going to open it this weekend, I'd hired the bodyguard and everything, but in this moment there were so many deeply appreciated winos around, it only made sense to offer it; a gift from the ghosts of Cave past to this eclectic moment of Cave present. 1982 Chateau Prieure Lichine Margeaux, it was a very satisfying afternoon.
2010. But then I had to decide what to open for the weekend. I went with this recent addition, 2010 (seriously, I just look at all those french words I have to type and cringe) Michel Chapoutier Cotes du Roussillon Villages Les Vignes Bila-Haut. More or less. I read about this one in the Zachy's catalogue I got a few weeks back. The revered and esteemed Mr. Parker, who made the '82 vintage famous and vice-versa, gave this stuff a 92-94. @ $12 a bottle, worth a try. 
Turns out Topline is carrying it, and you can see the pricetag on it reads $10.99. I'd just picked this up and planned on letting it sit a bit, but at that price I can go get another one. I opened it yesterday, had some last night, and it's...pleasant enough. Half the battle of wine is figuring out what wine is in your life, and for me it's a generally decent, occasionally deeply pleasant glass of wine with dinner a few times a week...interspersed with crazy, mindblowing wine experiences. So this wine meets that first one. Here is a review from Cellartracker that covers it: "Light, enjoyable easy drinker. Not highly concentrated for those that love rich opulent wines, but enjoyable and nice for what it is."
