Quarterly Wine Dinner with NYC Brown Baggers

9 bottles. 5 drinkers. Need I say more?

This, our third quarterly dinner of the NYC Brown Baggers, was focused on cabernet-based wines, New World vs. Old. One of our own, the semi-reclusive Jacques Cattier, set us up at Triomphe in NYC with no corkage fee (for the second time!). A great venue and many thanks go out to Jacques for setting this up. Wines were tasted single-blind; we knew what the entire group was beforehand, and each was served in a brown numbered bag.

When I arrived at the bar, two of our members were sipping Veuve Cliquot. I knew then we were in trouble!

Despite our best efforts, we're never able to take detailed notes. But we did tally votes at the end, and the WOTN surprised us.

The first wine showed a deep garnet color. Somewhat muted nose, with classic cab elements. Nice, but nothing to write home about. Collectively voted #6 of 6. I guessed it as the Cadence Tapteil. It was...

• 1997 Chateau St. Jean Cabernet Sauvignon Cinq Cépages 89 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

Wow. Very inky garnet, almost black. Cassis, graphite, cedar, toffee. Jammy palate. Good structure. Long finish. Guessed Insignia (correct). Rated #2 of 6 collectively, #1 by me. After the results were tabulated, some of us thought that this should've been WOTN.

• 1997 Joseph Phelps Insignia 95 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

Very dark. Aussie shiraz nose, with some eucalyptus. Guessed Fox Creek (correct). Rated #3 of 6 overall, #4 by me.

• 1998 Fox Creek JSM 92 Points

  Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

My first thought was "blueberries": in that regard, reminded me of the 97 Arrowood Malbec. I guessed the Cinq Cepages (incorrect). Rated #4 overall, #4 by me.

• 2001 Cadence Tapteil Vineyard 90 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

Wonderful. Mushroomy, with a slight characteristic minty note. Licorice, graphite, cassis. Great wine, fruity. Correctly Heitz (correct). Rated #5 overall, #3 by me.

• 1983 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Martha's Vineyard 93 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville

  Bottle 40,716 of 49,872. Alcohol 13.5%.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

WOTN. Very nice. Lots of fruit, lead pencil, graphite, blueberry, saddle leather, cigar box, lots of complex, mature cab aromas and flavors. Rated #1 overall (despite being rated no higher than #2 by anyone), and #2 by me.

• 1989 Château Duhart-Milon 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

The ports were provided by Paolo, our resident port expert. We had the Churchill first. More like a tawny rather than a vintage: molasses, brown sugar, rainins, and prunes. Nice. The Warre was off the charts. Very dark, with creosote, violets, licorice, and incredible depth and viscosity.

• 1992 Churchill/Graham Porto Vintage 92 Points

  Portugal, Douro, Porto

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 1994 Warre Porto Vintage 96 Points

  Portugal, Douro, Porto

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

Someone who shall remain nameless thought this was a good idea. At this point, the blind leading the blind. Note to self: champagne is not as good the morning after.

• NV Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée 87 Points

  France, Champagne

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

One of us, in a startling fit of reason, decided to forego the 98 Lynch-Bages he'd brought.

All said, a very Dickensian evening: "It was the best of times (that night), it was the worst of times" (the next morning). Suffice to say I was ready to give away my entire cellar the following day! Glad that I'm not that impulsive.