Celebration Dinner

Chicago
Tasted Saturday, November 29, 2008 by winefool with 1,456 views

Introduction

I was very fortunate and thrilled to be included in a serious celebration dinner recently. The company and the wines were stellar. Limited to eight people, conversation and wine flowed freely.

Matt at Knightsbridge prepared a nice lineup of foods to accompany the wines.

Flight 1 - Assorted Canapes (2 Notes)

Mag of 89 Krug was the wine planned for welcome, but a most generous guest also brought the 90 Mesnil - a pleasant surprise!

  • 1989 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut 96 Points

    France, Champagne

    From mag. Typical spectacular toasty round Krug character here. I thought this might be tight, especially from mag, but it was drinking beautifully.

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

  • 1990 Krug Champagne Clos du Mesnil 97 Points

    France, Champagne

    Wow, all the same wonderful Krug character with just more of everything. Layers upon layers with perhaps a more citrus acidity character than the straight up vintage Krug. 97-98 pts.

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

Flight 2 - Seared Halibut with white beans, bacon, and herbs (2 Notes)

  • 1998 Domaine Jacques Prieur Montrachet 94 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Montrachet Grand Cru

    Full copper golden color. Big rich vanilla banana yellow fruit. Mmmn, electric yellow fruit on the palate with great stuffing.

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

  • 2000 Domaine Jacques Prieur Montrachet 94 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Montrachet Grand Cru

    Full bright yellow color. Odd mineral yellow nose with a fishy/cheesy note? Nose opened up and rounded out with time. nice on the palate with a creme brulee creamy smooth note (more creme than brulee) on the palate. 93-94 pts.

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

Flight 3 - Roasted Squab breast with red wine braised cabbage, confit turnip, and chestnut (3 Notes)

The burgundy course was lovely, even if every wine wasn't a knockout. There is really nothing like tasting through these old gems.

  • 1934 Joseph Drouhin Clos Saint-Denis

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru

    Pale garnet color. Sour cherry matchstick nose - dry fruit and rose petal. Nice sweet very sour cherry with rose carrying through on the palate. Lots of acidity. Very old, but something to like here. Better palate than nose.

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

  • 1959 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Echezeaux

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Echezeaux Grand Cru

    Full crimson/garnet color. Funky nose (maybe a slight bit of corkiness?). Nicely holding tart red fruit on the palate. Lovely beguiling sweetness remaining here.

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

  • 1969 Marey-Monge (Domaine de la Romanée-Conti) Romanée St. Vivant

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Romanée St. Vivant Grand Cru

    Brown garnet color. Tired nose and palate. Some hint of fruit on the palate initially but dried out quickly. Better days long past for this bottle, I'm afraid.

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

Flight 4 - Rabbit Loin with black truffle risotto (3 Notes)

Another generous guest provided the second 58 Borgogno as this was a year of some significance

  • 1958 Giacomo Borgogno & Figli Barolo Riserva 93 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    Very pale garnet color. Medium nose of roses and cherry with a hint of tar. Nice briar red cherry on the palate with dried roses and some sweetness. Nice, but not as good as the other two italians.

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

  • 1958 Fratelli Serio and Battista Borgogno Barolo Riserva Cannubi 94 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    Mediume garnet color. Clean tight nose of black fruit and red floral notes. Big bolder fresher red fruit with rose and almost some tannin/structure still remaining. Nice.

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

  • 1964 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Riserva Monfortino Speciale 96 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    Medium full garnet color. Wonderful haunting nose of bright red cherry, licorice, and brown sugar - a touch of tapioca?? Mmmmn, sweet tart sour cherry with soaring rose petal notes. Spectacular briar and floral notes. One of the finest Italian wines I've had. 96+? pts.

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

Flight 5 - Braised Short Ribs wit hroot vegetables and puff pastry (2 Notes)

One of the great flights of the year for me!

  • 1971 Pétrus 96 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

    Full deep crimson color. Lovely beguilling black fruit and menthol on the nose with olive notes. Killer black currant and cherry on the palate with a long cholocately finish. Shockingly youthful for a 1971 - more so than the Latour - reminiscint of the youthfulness of 71 Grange. Just kept getting better as it opened up in the glass. Wow, what a treat to taste such a legendary wine.

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

  • 1982 Château Latour Grand Vin 97 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    Full ruby red color. Full big nose of black currant and pencil lead with lavendar notes. Mmmn, full black coffee chocolate black fruit on the palate with hints of sweetness remaining. Lovely! WOTN for me (and the group) in a stunning lineup. This was a perfect example, better than the several times I've had it before. 97-98 pts.

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

Flight 6 - Dry Aged Beef with carmelized sweet onions and rosemary roasted parsnip (4 Notes)

A flight of 100 pt Parker cabs from the great 2002 vintage, with one unplanned extra. These were served blind and it was both fun and surprisingly challenging to pick each out - I had the Harlan and HSS swaped...

  • 2002 Sloan 93 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford

    Opaque black/purple color. Full briar black fruit nose with coffee note - very ripe. Big ripe black fruit with good acidity and some coffee notes. Superripe - not that difficult to pick out of the four blind 02s. 93-94 pts.

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

  • 2002 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select 95 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley, Stags Leap District

    Full opaque purple red color. Clean nose of serious black fruit with cassis and licorice notes. big black chocolate tannic fruit with a hint of mint. Also quite ripe, but very focused. This wine has been good since release and should only get better.

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

  • 2002 Harlan Estate 96 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    Full opaque black red color. Full deep black serious acidic friut with blueberry notes. Mmmmn, lovely black coffee fruit with chocolate notes. Some sweetness but great stucture and breed. Best of the 100pt 2002 flight. 96-97 pts.

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

  • 2004 Levy & McClellan Red 94 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    An extra throw in for the 100 pt 2002 blind flight. Full deep opaque purple color. Big ripe bright black fruit nose with coffee notes. Big bold black coffee and tar on the palate with a sweet mocha note on the finish. Interesting to taste the pre-fab cult wine. Probably wouldn't run out and spend $350+ for it, but I'd be glad to drink it any time. 94-95 pts.

    Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No

Flight 7 - Vanilla Creme Brulee (1 Note)

  • 1967 Château d'Yquem

    France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

    Since it's one of the only great birth year wines for me, I've always wanted to taste this. Next time I'll have to arrange it at the beginning of the evening instead of the end! Full deep orange gold color. Big bold bright orange botrytis nose. Same notes carry through on the palate. Breathtaking balance and acidity on a mildly sweet honey orange fruit palate. Very nice.

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

Flight 8 - Cellar Raid and Guest 'Extras' (2 Notes)

There was also a 1997 La Turque in there, but I didn't catch a note.

×
×