Wayne's 70th Birthday Dinner

Luanne and I used Wayne Gladwin's 70th birthday as an excuse to have a good dinner and raid the cellar. We took the wines to Paley's Place in Portland, Oregon one week before the dinner to allow them to sit and for Vitaly Paley to design a multi-course dinner to compliment them. It was a memorable evening.

Foie Gras Pinwheel on Grilled Brioche & Apple Cider Syrup and Poached Kumamoto Oyster, Shallots, Crème Fraîche & Foie Gras Butter

• NV Bollinger Champagne Special Cuvée Brut 88 Points

  France, Champagne

  Pale gold color with copious tiny bubbles. Lemons, grass, toast, and an interesting note of flowers on the nose. Nice, dry, typical champagne flavors with a crispness that really pulls everything together nicely.

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Millionnaire Salad : Maine Lobster, Poached Quince, Seared Foie Gras, Sturgeon & Trout Caviars

• 1999 Château Margaux Pavillon Blanc 87 Points

  France, Bordeaux

  Opened about 1 hour before drinking. Lovely, pale golden yellow color. Nose of lanolin, mixed hydrocarbons, lemon, some grass and a whiff of oxidation (which blew off with 15 minutes in the glass). Decent fruit and acidity and a slight unctuousness on the palate. All in all a pleasant bottle that perhaps is just past its prime.

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Part 1: American Kobe Beef Carpaccio, Roasted Porcini & Preserved Lemon Relish
Part 2: Rabbit Ravioli, House Bacon, Mushrooms & Butternut Squash

• 1997 Fougeray de Beauclair Bonnes Mares 95 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru

  Opened about 1.5 hours before drinking, not decanted. Good, garnet-red color with only a hint of bricking at the edge. Magnificent, elegant, complex nose of roses, tea, spice, cherries and a host of other perfumy aromas that seemed to flow from the glass. I couldn't keep my nose out of it. Quintessential mature pinot noir on the palate with flavors that echoed the aromas but were somewhat less complex. Long, perfumed finish. This wine was a pleasant surprise and a revelation, especially in the context of the vintage, prior notes, and prior experience. Simply stunning. All I could wish for would be a bit more complexity on the palate.

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Crispy Veal Sweetbreads on Polenta, Red Wine-Braised Oxtail

• 1999 Château Lynch-Bages 90 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Opened about 2 hours before drinking. Not decanted. Deep, not quite opaque garnet-red color. Soaring nose of intense cabernet fruit and coffee. Nicely rich and ripe on the palate with resolved tannin and nice acidity. Moderate finish of coffee and red fruits. Still a lovely, mature Bordeaux that lacks a bit of complexity but makes up for it with balance and power.

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Squab en Salmis, Chestnut Spätzle & Roasted Seasonal Vegetables

• 1994 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate 92 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Opened about 3 hours before drinking and decanted immediately prior to pouring. Mature cabernet color with moderate brickiness. Lovely, mature nose of tea, tobacco, damp earth and classic Montelena fruit. Nicely fruity on the palate and still a bit tannic. Moderate, coffee-laden finish. Very, very good wine though perhaps not as great as I anticipated.

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Chef Selection of Cheeses:
Scharfe Maxx (Switzerland), Dallenwiler Wychäs (Switzerland),
Scio Heritage, Ancient Heritage Dairy (Oregon)

• 1990 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape 94 Points

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  Opened about 4 hours before drinking but not decanted. Beautiful, clear pink-red color, like a 5-year-old Oregon pinot noir. Complex nose of truffles, leather, tea and tobacco. Much richer on the palate than the color would lead one to expect. Richly grenache tasting with outstanding fruit, fully-resolved tannins and moderate acidity to support the plush, elegant palate impression. Moderate, rich finish. This was everything we hoped for in a mature CdP. Paired beautifully with the cheese course.

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