BHG Celebration Dinner

Per Se
Tasted Thursday, September 7, 2006 by trankin with 530 views

Introduction

A celebration dinner with colleagues. Generally some well selected and well-paired wines. A great time was had by all.

I didn't take notes at this dinner - all notes are from memory.

Flight 1 - The whites (4 Notes)

The champagne was served along with several amuses-bouches, as well as the famous pearls of tapioca and caviar with oysters. A beautiful pairing.
The Condrieu was paired with ??
The Burgundy was paired with a sturgeon on a bed of whole beans. An outstanding pairing.
The Riesling was paired with the foie gras course. We had 2 whole foie gras grilled for the group. Yummm.....

Flight 2 - The reds (3 Notes)

The Barolo was paired with a ribeye of veal if I remember correctly
The Insignia & Ridge were poured simultaneously, and drunk alongside a cheese course and several dessert courses.

  • 1961 Giacomo Borgogno & Figli Barolo Riserva 95 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    No notes taken, but this one sticks in my head. On the advice of Jimmy, the sommelier, and to some degree against my judgement, this was decanted about 1 1/2 hours before we were to drink it. Unquestionably the right call. Jimmy told me that this bottle was was released from the winery just a couple years ago. Certainly the condition of the bottle supports that assertion. Due to the circumstances of the dinner, I didn't get to watch the whole decanting process, but when the wine made it to the table, all I can say is WOW. The color was absolutely incredible for a 45 year old wine. It was a dark red, with no bricking whatsoever around the edges. It was also crystal clear - no suspended sediment and just this gorgeous tone of deep garnet - looked like a perfect (young) burgundy.

    A gorgeously elegant wine, with only the slightest discernible tannins remaining. Very delicate, and yet well-structured and clearly still going strong. The nose was bright red fruits, violets, and sous-bois, with some cedar accentuating the earthy notes. On the palate, there's wonderful red fruit, gorgeous minerals, and layers of other notes chiming in from time to time. A really enjoyable wine to drink. Finish was reasonably long and sublime.

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  • 1993 Ridge Monte Bello 95 Points

    USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

    This was poured alongside an 86 Insignia as a "compare and contrast" tasting. The Monte Bello totally outclassed the Insignia.

    The nose was eucalyptus and menthol, with great berry and plum fruit. Lots going on in the nose. Gorgeous wine, drinking beautifully right now. Lovely balance of power and finesse, with just the right amount of well-integrated, rounded soft tannins for my taste at this point.

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  • 1986 Joseph Phelps Insignia 91 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    Notes from memory. This was paired against a 93 Ridge Monte Bello which totally outclassed the Insignia.

    The nose was serious barnyard, but on the palate it was all about the dark fruits, chocolate/cocoa notes, a bit of cedar perhaps. Very nice but not great. Still rather on the young side.

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