Dave's Dinner Hosting the DC Crü

Dave & Mrs. Dave and Dave-ettes hosted Corkage & Mrs. & baby, JohnnyB, AlexRed & Mrs., Jaimetown, PurpleHaze & PH-duaghter, Mrs. TJ and I. Here's the menu --

First Course
Fresh Tuna Tartare on Tuna Carpaccio with Wasabi Mayonnaise

Second Course
Garden Sorel Vichyssoise

Intermezzo
Lemon-Rosemary Sorbet with Campari

Third Course
Grilled Sirloin Steak with Blue Cheese Walnut Butter served with Wild Rice Pilaf and Parmesian Grilled Asparagus

Fourth Course
Rack of Lamb served with Green Beans and Potatoes Baked in Cream

Fifth Course
Homemade White Chocolate Ice Cream with Dark Chocolate Sauce

• 1996 Pol Roger Champagne Vintage Brut 90 Points

  France, Champagne

  Really refreshing! I liked this a lot.

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• 1996 Pol Roger Champagne Blanc de Chardonnay 91 Points

  France, Champagne

  Excellent, I think I gave the edge to this over the Brut, but just by a hair.

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• 2003 Aubert Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard 93 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

  Cloudy and deeper gold, lemon vanilla sugar, tapioca pudding, orange essence & nice acidity keeping this nicely in balance. 93+

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• 2003 Peter Michael Chardonnay Ma Belle-Fille 91 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Knights Valley

  Honeyed pineapple followed by melonballs 91

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• 2003 Peter Michael Chardonnay La Carrière 93 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Knights Valley

  Quite thick, pineapple, with floral elements and light toast; mineraly, sort of like a big rock with a waterfall hitting it but without any moss and maybe even a little hazelnusstorte. 93

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• 2003 Alcina Cellars Pinot Noir Sangiacomo Vineyard 91 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

  Overripe strawberry & shallots, flinty, and a bit of foccacia 91

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• 2003 W.H. Smith Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 90 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

  Just ripe strawberry and light cherry, a bit of vanilla and then some charcoaled meat-fat 90

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• 2001 Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 92 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Quite wild with black fruits, spicebox, cotton candy, powder puff, follwed by some cherry bomb 92

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• 2001 Bressler Cabernet Sauvignon 92 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena

  An outrageous nose of juniper berries and oxygen, with layers of red and black fruits and a bit of powdered dirt, this wine had excellent balance. Super. 92+

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• 2002 Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 91 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Cigar, rich with orange zestiness, deep currant & a nice finish (one of Mrs. TJ's faves) 91+

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• 2002 Harris Estate Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon VSR Very Special Reserve Treva's Vineyard

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  A baby, very hard to evaluate. No rating at this time, this sucker needs time to think about what it wants to show IMO. N/R

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• 1984 Diamond Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Gravelly Meadow 89 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Diamond Mountain

  Sour cream, Pine Sol, sage & tastes a bit like chalk -- these all sound 'bad', but these are all just things wrapped around the fruit core. It was good. 89

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• 1984 Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon Backus Vineyard 92 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville

  Chocolate bittersweet good, charred log with hunk of hatchet out of it that is then somewhat moistened as if drenched by a rainfall 92

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• 1984 Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Bello 94 Points

  USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

  A nose of Sharpie and a bit of stinky cheese, this settled down to reveal some wonderful spice and woodsy flavors. It then emerged to show loads of tobacco notes, sort of like a pipe. All of this nicely packaged around a nice velvety core of fruit. Very, very nice. 94

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• 1983 Château Latour Grand Vin 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Grilled Guinea fowl, rough-hewn leather, followed by rose hips. Extremely supple and elegant, the finish on this wine was sublime. 94+

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• 1982 Château Gruaud Larose 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien

  Plum, oxygen, Scharffen Berger chocolate & cherry cobbler. Nice. 92+

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• 2003 Dönnhoff Oberhäuser Brücke Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel 90 Points

  Germany, Nahe

  Appley good, Somewhat 'crisp' which I didn't expect. Very nice.90

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• 1999 Sine Qua Non Sémillon Mr. K Vin De Paille 93 Points

  USA, California

  Honey love & Layer cake, I don't care what Pops says, it may be a sweet wine, but it is dessert in a bottle, at least in this case. Outstanding. 93

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• 1997 Alois Kracher Chardonnay Beerenauslese #6 Nouvelle Vague 92 Points

  Austria, Burgenland, Neusiedlersee

  A thick and dark honey-bomb with some nice acidity to keep it all focused. Nice.92+

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Such a wonderful evening!!