The Big "Four-O": 40+ Wines for 40 Years

Both my wife and I are turning 40 this spring, so we decided to hold a joint birthday party at our house. And what a party it turned out to be. After months of planning, the day had finally arrived. Given that the confirmed guests exceeded 50, I figured this was the perfect occasion to start tapping into some of those big bottles I have been acquiring over the past few years. And since a great celebration requires great bubbles, I decided to do a 1996 Champagne tasting, with a few, special older Champagnes. As for the reds, we were were all over the board in terms of vintages and regions. I did ask those who wanted to bring wine to try to bring vintages ending in '9', so we did have a lot of '89's and '99's, along with a '59 Chapoutier. And of course there were the compulsary blind flights with some big guns and surprising results. The stickeys were sweet and delicious. Amazingly, none of the wines were corked. The '90 Pichon had a little mustiness upon opening, but that burned off and the '78 Chave was dead (but that happens and kudos to JK for trying). The Imperial of '78 Mondavi Reserve was amazing, clearly the WOTN for most, and one of the best American wines I have ever had. Given the vast number of wines (40+), and the time requirements of performing my hosting duties, I was unable to take notes or even try many of the wines (although I heard they were really good), but I will list my recollections below. Thankfully, John Kapon was in attendance and furiously jotting down his notes and will publish his professional impressions of the wines later.

A great wine party requires great food and that is exactly what we had. Most of the dishes were prepared by Chef Loryn, while a few other dishes were prepared by friends and family. The menu was as follows:

Appetizers:
- Selection of meats and cheeses
- Stuffed grape leaves
- Sliced fresh kielbasa
- Danielle's deviled eggs
- Chicken sate with peanut sauce
- Italian pork sausage stuffed mushrooms
- Crispy coconut shrimp with apricot Dijon dipping sauce

Dinner:
- Filet of beef with sides of horseradish cream and shallot marmalade
- Medallions of chicken breast in wild mushroom sauce
- Penne in a garlic marinara
- Smashed potatoes with scallions
- Roasted carrots and string beans with shaved parmesan

Dessert:
- Chocolate birthday cake with banana creme pudding and mocha frosting
- Philly fluff cream cheese poundcake
- Homemade baklava and cookies

Now about those wines....

Veuve Clicquot Grande Dame, Bollinger Grande Annee, Billecart-Salmon Clos St-Hilaire, '90 Dom Oenotheque, Krug, Salon, Pol Roger Winston Churchill, Taittinger Comte de Champagne, Krug Magnum, Krug Clos du Mesnil, '69 Dom, Dom Rose, Dom, Billecart-Salmon Elisabeth Salmon Rose, Bollinger RD, Cristal, Philipponnat Clos des Goisses, Charles Elner "Seduction", '95 Krug (2 bottles)

• 1996 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut 94 Points

  France, Champagne

  Nice mousse, medium sized bubbles, orange peel on nose. Starts with apple and lemon, then as it warms flavors of peach and cherry tomato. Very crisp with high acidity and dry peach/plum finish. After about an hour, it becomes very cloying with a creamy buttery flavor that feels very heavy after a few sips.

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• 1996 Philipponnat Champagne Brut Clos des Goisses 90 Points

  France, Champagne

  Same as the previous night's bottle - Aggressive mousse, but tiny and slow bubbles. Yeast and walnuts on the nose. Rather sweet on the palate with ripe peach, red apple and some nuts. Relatively short finish.

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• 1990 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon Oenothèque 95 Points

  France, Champagne

  This was brought to the party by Guillame who happens to work for Dom Perignon. For anyone who has had the Dom '90 and felt it was too sweet and lush (as I did), the Oeno is for you. The extra time on the lees keeps it much fresher and younger. While the wine exhibits nice fruit tones, it has not developed the concentrated fruit of the Dom '90 - yet.

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• 1996 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut 96 Points

  France, Champagne

  So I served both a 750ml and Magnum of the '96, however, I pulled the Magnum out by mistake as I thought it was '90. I did not realize my error until Guillame asked me if noticed the difference between the 2 different formats of '96 Krug. I tried both and one was closed and one was drinking similar to the rocking bottle I had recently, although a few points less. Apparently the Magnum was the rocking bottle.

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• 1995 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut

  France, Champagne

  I did not try this time, but I served 2 bottles for people to drink during the Derby while waiting for the '96's to open up. They must have been good because nothing was left. I also gave a bottle to Chef Loryn for doing such a wonderful catering job.

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• 1996 Krug Champagne Clos du Mesnil 96 Points

  France, Champagne

  This wine has so much potential. It was extremely smooth, great bubbles, crisp nose with some floral and lemon. The palate was a little shut, but I still got apple and lemon and white peach. This was not as good on the palate as the rockin '96 Vintage I had a few weeks ago, but it has a better balance and structure that will make this that much better when it finally opens up.

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• 1996 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Le Clos Saint-Hilaire 95 Points

  France, Champagne

  Similar, but not as good as the last time. Drank after the Krug Clos du Mesnil, so that may have had something to do with it. Yeast and caramel on the nose with white peaches, lemon and minerals on the palate. Good acidity, but very smooth.

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• 1996 Salon Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut 95 Points

  France, Champagne

  This was drinking much better than the last time I had it (Valentine's Day '09) when it was all green apple. This time there was actually a little red apple and pear, great body and crisp acidity.

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• 1996 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Cuvée Elisabeth Salmon 93 Points

  France, Champagne

  I thought the '96 Dom Rose beat this one this time. Nice strawberry and peach on the palate. This bottle was a little more aggressive and acidic than the last bottle that I had.

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• 1969 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon Rosé 93 Points

  France, Champagne

  I recently acquired this bottle for the 40th birthday party and I thought it would be interesting to see if a 40-year old wine was as old and tired as I am. This was the last Champagne of the night, preceded by about 18 others, mostly from 1996. There was no pop when I opened the cork, which was a little disheartening and when poured into the glass there were no visible bubbles. The color was between brown and copper, very brandy like. The bottle had been sitting on ice, so it needed a few minutes to warm up. And then some bubbles appeared but they were small and sleepy. There was a beautiful caramel nose and the palate was also caramel with a little cocoa/tootsy roll. There was some slight stewed/dark fruit, but mostly chocolate tones. It drank like an wonderfully aged brandy. Guillame from Dom Perignon was just amazed at how gracefully this had aged, as was I, considering it was just as old as me.

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• 1996 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon Rosé 94 Points

  France, Champagne

  Drank from Magnum - same as last bottle, wet stones and flowers on the nose, blood orange with a touch of strawberry on the palate. The acidity gave it a nice vibrancy that seemed to indicate this wine has a long life ahead of it. This was a crowd favorite and I saw a lot of unhappy people when the mag was kicked.

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'05 K1.5, '99 Pride Reserve Claret, '82 Leoville Poyferre, '89 Beaucastel, '59 M. Chapoutier "La Bernadine," '98 Margaux Magnum, '99 Jean-Michel Gerin Les Grandes Places, '90 Pichon Baron Double Magnum, '85 Ridge Monte Bello, '78 Mondavi Reserve Imperial, '00 Beaucastel Hommage Magnum, '89 Lynch Bages, '99 Beaucastel, '99 Della Pieve Flaccianello, '99 Piaggia Carmignano Riserva, '99 Giuseppe E. Figlio Mascarello Barolo Monprivato, '99 Kistler Cuvee Catherine

• 1978 Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 98 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  From Imperial - this was quite the birthday treat. I acquired this bottle from Zachys at the Graham Lyons' auction. Graham had purchased this bottle in the early 80's and stored it properly since then, so the provenance was excellent. I must admit that I was quite nervous about opening this bottle. It is one thing to buy a big old bottle, but it is another thing to actually open one. So many things could go wrong. It could be corked, it could be dead, it could be bad or just so-so and that would be a real let down, especially when the party was in full swing. I debated opening it in advance, because if it was no good, my back-up was a Jero of '82 Las Cases and I knew that would take a few hours to open up. But after consulting with quite a few people, I decided to wait until the party had started. So around 7:30pm, we were actually looking for more red wine. I had wanted some of Keith's '89 Beaucastel, but Keith said it was already gone. So I told him that I was going to get a magnum of it from my cellar to open. Thankfully, I was standing in front of the unopened Mondavi and realized that it was time. I had cut the capsule earlier and the cork was pretty moldy on top and protruding slightly. I had cleaned the top of the cork when I cut the capsule, so as not to scare anyone or get any of that "stuff" in the wine. I used a standard waiter's corkscrew and the cork came out in one piece and rather easily, another scary moment (FYI - the cork has since disappeared). I stuck my nose in the bottle and wow, beautiful dark fruit nose. I grabbed the empty '98 Margaux magnum bottle and using a syphon I had bought for just this occasion, started transferring the wine to the magnum for serving. The first glass was amazing. The nose was a little more floral in the glass, slightly dusty, and some cherry. As I went for the first taste, I was fearing a weak, tired, flat wine, but the first thing that hit me were these big tannins. Not chewy or drying, but mouth coating and full-bodied. And there was still fruit, cherry, blackberry, even a little blueberry. Most notable was a touch of spiciness on the finish that gave it that extra kick and really completed the entire tasting experience. Over the next 2 hours, we quickly went through 5 of the 6 liters before the wine started to drop off. Nearly everyone who tried it commented how great the wine was and for most who did try it, it was the WOTN. It really was one of the best American wines I have ever had. I am sure the format and provenance made a big difference. Many thanks to the late, great Mr. Mondavi for making such a spectacular wine and to Graham Lyons for taking such good care of it.

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• 2000 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Hommage à Jacques Perrin 90 Points

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  From magnum - this did not give up anything. I opened this at 2pm figuring it would start to show around the time the party started. It was textbook upon opening, smoke, red meat and big tannins. I figured we were good to go. But it never budged. Not even the next day. I would not try again for another 5 years - at least! 750's may be drinking better.

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• 1998 Château Margaux 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  From magnum - I first had this bottle in 2000 and it was a bitter, tannic beast. The tannins have mellowed dramatically and I thought it tasted much older than it was. There is a nice classic bordeaux nose with some floral, oak and spice notes. A bit of spice, dirt and oak on the palate. Not much fruit, but I think this is consistent with this vintage. Probably the most feminine bordeaux of the night. This is a wine that is probably best served alone and not in a large tasting because it gets bullied by the bigger wines.

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• 1990 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron 95 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  From double magnum - this was one of the favorites of the night. Decanted into two double magnums around 5pm. Nose was a little musty at first, so I was afraid it might be corked. However, the palate was clean and the must blew off after an hour. This was similar to the 750ml I had last week, but it was little bit bigger and fresher. Dark color, pencil, cedar and spices on the nose. On the palate, blackberries, red peppers, spice and anise.

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• 1959 M. Chapoutier Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Bernardine 94 Points

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  This was brought courtesy of Jay, who is a fan of older wines. I am glad he brought it. Jay took care of serving it and he knew as soon as he opened it that we had about 20 minutes to enjoy it before it died. He was right, and every 30 seconds the flavor profile was changing. I got a lot of spice on the nose originally and on the palate it was spicy meat, like kielbasa. Shortly thereafter I started to get some more smoke and pot roast, then licorice and then prunes and raisins before it faded. This was real treat to try.

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• 1985 Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Bello 94 Points

  USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

  Still my favorite American bordeaux blend. Cedar, mushroom, dirt, blackberries and plums. '91 is still my favorite vintage, but this is close.

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• 2005 Ovid Experiment K 1.5 92 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  This was brought courtesy of Harold who has a knack for finding those unusual recent vintage bottles. I did not get a chance to try it until the next day. My guess is that it was pretty big the previous night as it was still a serious wine the next day. Tasted somewhat cultish with big tannins and loads of dark brooding fruits. Nice bordeaux blend and could easily be confused for an '05 bordeaux in a blind tasting.

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1989 Haut Brion, 1986 Mouton, 1990 La Conseillante, 1990 Montrose - All wines were decanted 3 hours and served in the order listed to about 15 people standing around the downstairs bar. Unfortunately, I did not have time to taste when I opened and decanted, so I don't know where these started from and how they evolved. I also left them sitting in the cellar too long after decanting because I got distracted. Thankfully, Jason was able to take over and pull them out of the cellar and make sure they were all good. He called the clear #1 and #2 right away.

• 1990 Château La Conseillante 97 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

  This was the surprise winner of the blind tasting. It has the in your face dark fruit and spice of a Right Banker, no lead pencil here. Dark cherry, raspberry, blackberry, smoke, and spice. Big body, long finish, just a singing bottle tonight.

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• 1986 Château Mouton Rothschild 96 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  This bottle showed really well tonight. Still has big tannins, smoky, cherry, blackberry fruits, with a long finish. This should still age effortlessly for many years to come. Group #2 of the blind tasting.

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• 1989 Château Haut-Brion 95 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  I really thought this was going to be the WOTN going into this, but it got beat by a few others. It appeared to be somewhat shut down and was more burgundian this night than the bruiser of a wine I recalled from previous tastings. Quite a contrast to the bottle of '90 HB, I had a few months ago that was just singing from start to finish. Group #3 of the blind tasting.

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• 1990 Château Montrose 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

  And on the 5th time having this bottle, I finally was disappointed. This was not the sweet, slutty, in your face, horsey wine that I had 4 times before. First there was no horse, which is better than too much, but not as good as a little. The texture and body were still there, but the extreme fruit of the vintage was not. Group #4 of the blind tasting.

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1981 Joseph Phelps Johannisberg Riesling, 1977 Robert Mondavi Johannisberg Riesling, 2001 Chateau d'Yquem Sauternes, 2000 Robert Mondavi Sauvignon Blanc Botrytis - I love to pair these American sweeties against the Big Gun. Each of the Americans cost me less than $40/375ml, whereas the d'Yquem is trading about $200/375ml.

• 2001 Château d'Yquem 95 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

  This was one of the sweetest beverages of any kind that I have ever had. The nose had apricot and orange peel. The palate had lots of sweet fruits including candied apricots and peaches, along with honey and a touch of lemon on the finish. There were chunks of sugar crystals in the bottom of the bottle. This was clearly sweet nectar, but almost too sweet.

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• 1981 Joseph Phelps Johannisberg Riesling Special Select Late Harvest 96 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  This wine amazes me every time. It is like an old Sauternes, except it was made in America and cost me $34/btl a few years ago. Lots of caramel, molasses, a little chocolate, just wonderful.

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• 2000 Robert Mondavi Winery Sauvignon Blanc Botrytis 96 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  I think this is another great American dessert wine. I bought these from the winery in '08 and at that time they looked like fresh sauvignon blanc with a light yellow color, but in less than 2 years these bottles have taken on a golden honey color. I wanted to do this blind next to the '01 d'Yquem, but time did not allow. Even with the labels in clear sight, most people said the Mondavi held its own against the d'Yquem. I felt the Mondavi was a tad better because it did not have the candied apricot taste that made the d'Yquem too sweet for me. You taste the alcohol a little more on the Mondavi, bet you also get more fruit. Plus the mondavi is a fraction of the price.

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• 1977 Robert Mondavi Winery Riesling Botrytis 91 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast

  My last couple of bottles of this have had a bit of an off taste of burnt rubber and ether mixed in with some nice caramel and honey flavors. Still nice, but not as good as bottles I had a few years ago.

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This was a truly memorable party. And while the food and the wine really added to the enjoyment, the best part was just being surrounded by our friends and family, all of whom were having a great time.