Anniversary Dinner

Domino and I celebrated our 18th wedding anniversary with dinner at Le Cochon. Food and service are excellent, and corkage is quite reasonable at $20/b. We began our evening at the bar and enjoyed cocktails before we were seated for dinner.

Glidden Point Farm oysters
Rillons, crispy leeks, cherry gastrique & house-made pickles

• 2024 Jean Reverdy & Fils Sauvignon Blanc Charme de Loire 90 Points

  France, Loire Valley, Val de Loire

  By the glass at Le Cochon. Pale color with notes of lemon, mineral, lime leaf and dried pineapple. Bright. Flavors of orchard fruit and citrus with mineral accents. Balancing acidity. Lovely.

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• NV Laurent-Perrier Champagne La Cuvée Brut 92 Points

  France, Champagne

  Half bottle off the list at Le Cochon. Pale color with a short mousse. Pale color with notes of apple, almond, wet dough and chalk. Flavors of pastry cream, apple, dried yeast and almond flour. Lovely.

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Clam chowder with smoked ramp swirls

Boeuf bourguignon w/pommes puree
Cassoulet w/white beans and pistachio-cilantro pistou

• 1990 Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 97 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  I opened a half bottle of this wine during dinner the night I proposed to Domino so it seemed a fitting bottle to enjoy at dinner tonight. Our penultimate bottle, double decanted off its sediment and poured a few small sips about 90 minutes later. Garnet/crimson red color with slight bricking at the meniscus- doesn't look all of its 36 years. Opens with aromas of leather, red plum, cedar, rose petals, lavender and tobacco. Full-bodied and fully-integrated, with flavors of plum, licorice, red currants, cola and macerated red berries. Aromas of iodine and iron emerge as it opens in the glass. It really expands on the palate as well, showing mixed fruit, sweet tobacco, iron and rose water flavors. As it continues to breathe and unfurl in the glass, now over two hours since the cork was pulled, the fruit tends more black than red, and subtle herbaceous notes emerge. The finish lasts for well over a minute and shows plenty of fruit along with rose, sage, iron and sweet tobacco. A wonderful example of this wine which showed no signs of slowing down over nearly three hours. Gorgeous.

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Strawberry crepes
Chocolate pot de crème
House-made chocolate ice cream with chocolate torte

• 2023 Château du Haut-Pick Sauternes 88 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

  By the glass at Le Cochon, from half bottle, and a label I've not seen before. The vineyard is planted to 80% semillon and 20% sauvignon blanc and sauvignon gris, and average vine age is 40 years. Light gold color. Aromas of ripe peach, mandarin orange and dried apple. The palate shows peach, apricot, pear nectar, papaya and pineapple flavors. Plenty of acidity to keep it from coming off as overly sweet or cloying...quite nice.

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