Pre-celebration dinner

Salmon crostini
Eggplant roulade
Roast duck leg with onions, roast fennel and baby carrots, roast radicchio
Cheese board. omega plums
Garum marsala scented chocolate chip cookies

• 2016 F.X. Pichler Riesling Smaragd Ried Loibenberg - Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau
  Dry and mineral, savoury and open for business. In early maturity, this is dry, crisp and clean, with superb varietal expression. A greet a dry riesling. (92 pts.)
• 2016 Domaine du Tunnel (Stéphane Robert) St. Péray Cuvée Prestige - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Péray
  As always, a beautiful, round and ripe expression St. Péray. gorgeous oak handlig matches perfectly the low-acid nature of the Marsaane-Roussane blend. While flower, wet stone, ripe apricots, warm vanilla. Rich, ripe and round. Super. (92 pts.)
• 2022 Thibaud Boudignon Rosé de Loire - France, Loire Valley, Rosé de Loire
  Fabulous rose that speaks of Cabernet Franc. Earthy and herbal, but also with a beautiful strawberry countenance which is dry and savoury and refreshing. Fun, but serious as well. (90 pts.)
• 1999 Domaine G. Roumier / Christophe Roumier Bonnes Mares - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru
  This is a big one! Profound red Burgundy with an amazing capacity for ageing. Dense colour, an absolutely profound Burgundian nose of the deepest black cherry and berry fruit, allied to an amazing iron-ore, almost rusty mineral nose that is both earthy and suggests a palate crying out for all the ageing it can be given. The wine is essentially perfect, but it is still tight and while complete, is still only hinting at the profundities that will emerge with another 10 to 15 or more years. Like the Chave Cuvee Cathelin 2000 drunk the day before, this could be a 50+ year ageing prospect. As grand a Burgundy as I have ever drunk. This could well achieve perfection in a decade. (98 pts.)
• 2020 Jean-Paul & Benoit Droin Chablis 1er Cru Montmains - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru
  Very ripe Chablis that has a pineapple lump quality to the nose and palate that while delicious, feels a little out of place. I would never have guessed Chablis if tasted blind, probably guessing at (a good!) Macon. An excellent wine, but I miss the old school flint. (90 pts.)
• 2019 Gilbert Picq & ses Fils Chablis 1er Cru Vaucoupin - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru
  dunk after an almost opulent Droin 2020, this felt spicier, with some nice floral notes. Still rather ripe in style, with a curious dried spice character that felt a little out of place for the style, in my opinion. Excellent, but not outstanding for my tastes. Again, I miss the flinty personality of old school Chablis. (88 pts.)