| | Rice Crusted Oysters, Beet Emulsion
Cured Kingfish, Edamame-Horseradish Puree
John Dory with Cannellini Beans, Chorizo and Bouillabaisse
Rouelle of Chicken, Bacon, Pruneaux D'Agnen
Loin of Lamb with Fennel, Corn Flan and Corn Broth
Fruit Salad, Earl Grey Tea
Chocolate, Fleur de Sel and Caramel - 2002 Dom Pérignon Champagne - France, Champagne
Perfect balance, immaculate poise - a subtle wine whose power and authority become apparent as one drinks the glass. For its house style - just brilliant. A great Dom Perignon. This will age for years. (95 pts.)
- 2009 Kate Hill Riesling - Australia, Tasmania, Southern Tasmania
Impeccable balance is the most impressive feature of this wine. Gentle acid is a feature of the structure and the couple of years aging has brought out subtle petrol and mineral aspects to the beeswax and textbook varietal aromas. I think this is a wine that will be drinkable at every stage of its development. A surprise at the table and a wine that held its head high in the company of some serious wine company. (90 pts.)
- 2010 Pyramid Valley Pinot Blanc/Pinot Gris Growers Collection Kerner Estate Vineyard - New Zealand, South Island, Marlborough
Cloudy orange color - aromas of leather, fermentation, peach - in the mouth, lightly tannic, very correct orange wine flavors, lovely texture and good complexity. Paired to an 11 Madison Park dish that featured robust flavors of bean, chorizo, seafood and bouillabaisse, this was an excellent match - complimentary favors (and color!) helped elevate the wine and dish. (86 pts.)
- 2005 Meure's Wines Pinot Noir d'meure - Australia, Tasmania, Southern Tasmania
Absolutely outstanding Tassie pinot noir - the best example I have had. Ripe, earthy and slightly funk nose with a rich, involving palate and wonderful authority in the seamless finish. While this is clearly a new world wine, the level of complexity and involvement mark it out as an excellent wine. This will age for another five years, minimum - it is currently in very early maturity and I believe it has the requisite parts to improve further with age. (93 pts.)
- 1990 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley - USA, California, Napa Valley
Great Napa Cab that has transformed with age. Lots of bottle age contribute aromas of rich napa curranty fruit, eucalypt, tobacco, undergrowth, mothballs and a slightly edgy (for want of a better word) mineral aspect. In the mouth, very tannic with significant development and beautiful fruit. Very structured in style - this is a wine that is not made in a cookie- cutter style, but rather is a wine of exceptional personality. Tasted next to the Howell Mountain, one could see many similarities in aromatics and flavor spectrum with the Napa wine coming across a s slightly more evolved and rustic compared to the greatness of the Howell Mountain. (93 pts.)
- 1990 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain - USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain
Extraordinary wine that has oodles of class but also a personality of great distinction. Tasted next to the Napa bottling, the Howell Mountain came across as the younger wine by a significant margin but also the more refined in terms of tannic texture, complexity and clarity and brightness of the fruit. Noticeable VA may be a problem for some, but for me and my guests, this added a wonderful sense of lift to the wine, While the wine can be enjoyed now - I can only imagine great upside potential over the next one to two decades. Beautiful Napa fruit but with a brighter acid structure than the Napa bottling. Quote of the night: "This wine has legs. Not human legs, but rather the legs of a single cell amoeba that will develop these in about a billion years." I think she was referring to the thick, coating nature of the wine. Next in 2020 or 2025... (97 pts.)
- 1963 Dow Porto Vintage - Portugal, Douro, Porto
A very good bottle of this Berry Brother's bottling. Absolutely fresh with bright acid and a significant spirit component that adds further lift. Does pretty much everything one asks from vintage port - great power and authority, stunning mouth feel and texture and multi-layered - the only thing holding back bigger points from me would be my wish for a little more complexity. Unlike the last bottle of this consumed in 2011, I did not notice any VA. Gorgeous and bottles in this condition will last. (94 pts.)
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