DIY BYO Dinner II

Ran one of these about a month ago and it was so successful we opted to do a second one. Few more folks and a lot more wine. I didn't get to try everything, but will post a full list of wines when I have it.

In addition to the below, we also had:
1994 Weingut Licht Bergweiler Erben Brauneberger Mosel Auslese
2013 Aubert UV-SL Chardonnay
1990 Ciacci Piccolomini D'Aragona Brunello di Montalcino Vigna di Pianrosso
2007 Leoville Barton
1992 Dalle Valle Cabernet

Plus some odds and ends that I am chasing down and will update with.

Meal was served family style

Meats & cheese to start

APPETIZERS

Buffalo Mozzerella
fennel, meyer lemon, argula, capers

Octopus a la Plancha
fingerling potato, roasted red pepper, black olive

SALAD COURSE

Seasonal Caesar Salad
grana padano, breadcrumbs

MAIN COURSE

Fresh Spaghetti
san marzano tomatoes, flore sardo

Pappardelle Bolognese
grana padano

Grass Fed & Dry Beef
thistle creek farm, pennsylvania

Roasted Chicken "Under a Brick"
cascun farms, ithaca

Organic Salmon
the hidden fjord

SIDES

New Potatos

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

DESSERT

Dark Chocolate Cake Doughnuts
cardamon

• NV Billecart-Salmon Champagne Brut Rosé

  France, Champagne

  This is always a nice champagne. Lots of strawberry, very bright flavors, very easy drinking wine. It's the right apertif to food.

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• 2011 Roses de Jeanne / Cédric Bouchard Champagne Millésimé Blanc de Noirs Les Ursules

  France, Champagne

  Really lovely champagne, lots of stone fruit, decent acidity, very nice, good complexity. Good start.

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• 2005 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut

  France, Champagne

  Bit more toasty than the bubbles we had before. Still fairly light. Easy to drink. Very fresh.

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• 1970 Château Mouton-Baronne-Philippe

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  From a 3L. Opened and poured. Tons of leather and maybe a touch of stinky socks (not in a bad way - almost kindof interesting) and just very well aged and fun to have.

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• 2004 Faiveley Chambertin-Clos de Bèze

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru

  Soft wine. One of the first reds. We had it with the caesar and it didn't really work well with that dressing. More of an earthy wine. Lots of woods and leaves. Light bodied.

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• 1990 Château Palmer

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Poured from a magnum and decanted. This is young. Has many more years to go. Lots of black fruits. A bit of leather. Beautiful wine.

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• 1984 Chateau St. Jean Brut

  USA, California, Sonoma County

  Served blind. This was all sorts of butterscotch and caramel. Very sweet for a sparkling wine. Still has some decent acidity. Well aged. Interesting wine.

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• 2007 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley

  One of my favorites from the night. This had been decanted and rebottled. Only a small pour, but impressed with the quality of the black fruits, well-integrated, just a beautiful wine.

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• 1989 Ridge Monte Bello

  USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

  Another favorite of the night although this was much more old world in style. Very woodsy, sticks, good acidity. It feels like it's in just the right spot although I suppose the fruit has faded down some (which means CT window that ends in 2009 is way off). Originally a pnp although some was decanted and the extra air seemed to help it a bit more. Very good.

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• 2000 Antinori Solaia

  Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT

  This was excellent. Very pretty. Lots of red fruit, cherry, cranberry, hints of tart, touch of leather. Very nice. Another excellent wine from the night.

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• 2008 Blankiet Estate Proprietary Red Wine Paradise Hills Vineyard

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Almost port-like coming on the heels of the Solaia. Very black fruits - lots of dark cherry, very interesting. Really enjoyed this wine even in the different style. Very good.

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• 2007 Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon Estate

  USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena

  One of those awesome Napa cabs - lots of black fruits, almost a compote-like blackberry flavor, hints of pepper, well-integrated and well structured. Almost hedonistic. Very enjoyable.

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• 1995 Dominus Estate Napanook Vineyard

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Opened and double-decanted and rebottled. Originally had thought this was a 2005 and was surprised at the level of age showing (which is very much more appropriate for the 1995). Hints of blackberry. Very well structured, in a good spot. Somehow didn't have the same level of detailed notes here, but know that I enjoyed it.

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• 2005 Ovid Red Wine

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Poured from a magnum. Opened and poured and let it sit in the glass for probably an hour before I got to it. Still going very strong. This was probably much too early to open it. Lots of fig and plum. A bit more muscular of a wine. Changed a lot in the glass. Definitely a very enjoyable wine on a night of a lot of very enjoyable wines.

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• 2008 Bodega Chacra Pinot Noir Treinta y Dos

  Argentina, Patagonia, Río Negro

  Poured from a magnum. Red fruits and Christmas spices. Low acidity. Easy drinking. In the right spot.

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• 2000 Château Cos d'Estournel

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

  Just a complete baby wine. Licorice, pepper, leather. Very pretty, but felt like it was much too early to be drinking. Will be awesome one day.

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• 1983 Giacomo Montresor Recioto della Valpolicella

  Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Recioto della Valpolicella

  Thought this would be more of a dessert wine, but it was definitely much more standard amarone. Fruit fairly well faded and the ones that do exist are more dried. More leather.

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• 2001 Château Suduiraut

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

  Loved this. Had just had a fairly large amount of red wine and this was a welcome respite. Lots of caramel, apricot, honey, and very pretty. Really enjoyable, very soft, always evolving. Delicious wine.

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• 2009 Cerbaiona (Molinari) Brunello di Montalcino

  Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino

  Poured from a magnum. Just really much too young. Drank at the very end of the night and I thought it was maybe starting to open up just a bit, but definitely not there yet. More leather and wood than anything right now.

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Hard to pick a favorite - so many really great wines from many different spots. Some ones that stood out include the 2007 Quilceda Creek, 1989 Ridge Monte Bello, 1990 Palmer, 2008 Blankiet, 2001 Suduiraut. Great to see everyone and meet some new folks. Need to find another time to do one of these.