Charity Wine Pairings for Hospice House Auction winners

We always donate an evening of classic wine and food pairings at the annual Hospice House Auction. Last night's was won by friends. It was one of those infrequent and extraordinary nights when each bottle met or exceeded expectations.

Obligatory saber start. With vegetable, cheeses and a whole serrano ham.

• 2013 Vilmart & Cie Champagne Premier Cru Rosé Emotion

  France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru

  (4/6/2024)

  We started the evening by sabering this bottle. Served cold after pop and pour (more of a whack and pour). It started out restrained and savory, dissimilar enough to my previous bottles that I pondered whether it was slightly corked. It simply needed alone time and warm air to blossom into the wine I know and love. Jubilent strawberry, cherry, orange peel. Some stony mineral notes. A delicious rosé with plenty of structure and material for longevity.

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With toast points, deviled eggs, potato chips, crème fraîche

• 2008 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut

  France, Champagne

  (4/6/2024)

  Our wine of the night, paired with ostetra caviar. I've been delaying trying the 2008, as I've found the vintage in general to be fantastic but late maturing. No regrets, this is in the zone, early in its drinking window. Opens with some flinty matchstick which I love, followed by a perfectly balance throng of flavors and textures. It has that Comtes creamy texture, but remains edgy; pure class. Lemon cream, white orchard fruit, lightly fragrant floral notes, honey, chalk, brioche. It lives up to the hype.

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• 1988 Château Rieussec

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

  (4/6/2024)

  I opened this as it was the anniversary year for two of our guests. From a half bottle, paired with mousse of foie gras. Fairly dark in color. Very rich, dominated by the botrytis character. It doesn't have the energy or complexity of the '89s or '01s, but it was solid and delicious.

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• 1953 Marchesi di Barolo Barolo

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  (4/6/2024)

  This was the birth year of one our guests who had generously donated at the Hospice House Auction to win this charity wine dinner.
  I carefully double decanted this about four or five hours before serving. The color and nose were astounding considering the age. Paired with tagliatelle with fresh perigord truffles. Once served, it continues to freshen as it unfolded. There was far more fruit that one would expect at seventy-plus years. Dried and fresh cherries, balsamic, pipe tobacco, roses. Beautifully textured and clean. Had this be served to me blind, I'd have subtracted at least forty years off my guess. I'm lucky to open a lot of old Piedmont wines, many from the '50s. This bottle, from the unheralded '53 vintage, may have been the finest I've encountered. The last glass was the best; it could have used another several hour decant. No harm, as it was transcendent.

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• 1993 Château Clinet

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

  (4/6/2024)

  This was the anniversary year for two couples who had joined us. Decanted for a couple of hours. Served with Japanese seared A5 Waygu ribeyes. This was another bottle in which the color and sweet aromas defied its age. Far more ruby than amber, the age only suggested by the clear meniscus. More blackberry and cherry than tertiary forest floor, cedar. Fresh and lively, just delicious. Apparently, no one alerted this bottle that 1993 was an uncelebrated vintage.

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• 2000 Warre Porto Vintage

  Portugal, Douro, Porto

  (4/6/2024)

  Paired with a delicous stilton cheese. If this half bottle is indicative, Warré triumphed in 2000. Dark dark dark in the glass, but full of energy. Black fruits, dark chocolate, cassis. Balance and finessed.

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• 2001 R. López de Heredia Rioja Reserva Viña Tondonia

  Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja

  (4/6/2024)

  Our nightcap or digestif. One of our guests wanted to try a rioja. Tobacco, sour cherry and dark berries, smokey leather, moist earth. While I think it's a great wine, it probably suffered by following a glass of port. Still, I think its best days are ahead. I'll never turn down a LdH Tondonia or Bosconia, Reserva or GR.

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Close the books on another outstanding evening. Charge MB's social battery, and load up on statins before the next.