TN: birthday dinner for 2 : MM, Latour, D'Yquem etc
Posted: Mon May 12, 2008 3:13 pm
Pre-dinner: 1996 Pol cuvee Winston Churchill: young to the point of vinfanticide but a superb Pol for the ladies (note to leave these for another 5 years)
Dinner to celebrate a friend and my birthday with our respective wives:-
Stuffed zucchini flowers with crab & prawn on an avocado & pea lemon base (sounds weird but simply superb counterpoint to light taste)
Tyrells Vat 1 semillon 1993: perfect match with the aged but still very sprightly semillon showing that hint that it really is in the window without exhibiting any kero or OTH signs, simply magnificent from a vintage that I do not recall producing any other remarkable wines in Oz (than Hunter semillon)
chicken broth with duck raviolini : so light but tasty with a little pepper...
Mount Mary Cabernets 1991 : more recent vintages are known as "Quintet" from label and I believe this is actually drinking better than 1990. The mesh of the traditional varietals has combined seamlessly to build in the glass despite the low alcohol there is no suggestion that this is anything other than full-bodied and there is a hint of fruit sweetness on the front palate that I attribute partly to the cab-franc and perhaps malbec with this age that just seems at odds with a 17 year old Oz wine. Absolute magic that is like a topline 2nd growth or perhaps even haut-brion and will fool anyone not familiar with the wine that it is Bdx. No need to apologise or cultural cringe on any scale this wine is a delight
squid ink flattened giant tortellini filled with generous lobster and shellfood bisque sauce
Chateau Latour 1983 this vintage was originally lauded as the equal of the 82 but then downgraded by Parker and others. On release I thought the original diagnosis was right (albeit not quite as big as 82) and 25 years on this wine is really only just into its window after a serious decant. Magnificent power and length that will improve for my palate over the next decade at least before a plateau for another 10-15 years - so it is hardly likely to be shortlived!!
cured venison with pine nuts and raddichio
St Henri 1990 complete change of pace and varietal with this new world wine filling all the palates and matching the venison superbly. How much more improvement is there in this wine is arguable depending on whether you demand considerable primary fruit in which case it will drink perfectly for the next 5 years, or perfer more secondary flavours in which case you should not touch it for at least the next 5 years. HTis wine has a long future similar to the 62, 71 & 86...
dark chocolate budhino on the side of cold crepes done in roulade style with alcoholic ricotta and caramelised pear
Ch. d'Yquem 1983 from a 375ml bottle so much closer to perfection than the full bottles that will require at least another decade to reach the beginning of their window and probably 2 decades to reach a plateau- with the only downside being that we should have opened another one! This wine is not the equal of 1921 or even 1929 but it is comfortably heading to being the greatest d'Yquem of the 2nd half of the 20th century (with due deference to the 67) and will give you an idea of what the 2001 is likely to do. Frankly this is the reason to drink sauternes and unless you have drunk the other great wines mentioned above this is dessert wine paradise to which only a couple of TBAs can aspire. Young d'Yquem is power but far too much acidity and only hints at what is to come - and quite frankly unenjoyable compared with a good Rieussec etc but after the first quarter century in halfbottles a d'Yquem is starting to show its wares and you start to receive a dividend on both the price and the patience: some very happy campers
Coffee (ristretti) and dark chocolate givrettes
and for some reason on waking later that morning I still felt full of food but could still taste each of the courses and accompanying wines ...
Dinner to celebrate a friend and my birthday with our respective wives:-
Stuffed zucchini flowers with crab & prawn on an avocado & pea lemon base (sounds weird but simply superb counterpoint to light taste)
Tyrells Vat 1 semillon 1993: perfect match with the aged but still very sprightly semillon showing that hint that it really is in the window without exhibiting any kero or OTH signs, simply magnificent from a vintage that I do not recall producing any other remarkable wines in Oz (than Hunter semillon)
chicken broth with duck raviolini : so light but tasty with a little pepper...
Mount Mary Cabernets 1991 : more recent vintages are known as "Quintet" from label and I believe this is actually drinking better than 1990. The mesh of the traditional varietals has combined seamlessly to build in the glass despite the low alcohol there is no suggestion that this is anything other than full-bodied and there is a hint of fruit sweetness on the front palate that I attribute partly to the cab-franc and perhaps malbec with this age that just seems at odds with a 17 year old Oz wine. Absolute magic that is like a topline 2nd growth or perhaps even haut-brion and will fool anyone not familiar with the wine that it is Bdx. No need to apologise or cultural cringe on any scale this wine is a delight
squid ink flattened giant tortellini filled with generous lobster and shellfood bisque sauce
Chateau Latour 1983 this vintage was originally lauded as the equal of the 82 but then downgraded by Parker and others. On release I thought the original diagnosis was right (albeit not quite as big as 82) and 25 years on this wine is really only just into its window after a serious decant. Magnificent power and length that will improve for my palate over the next decade at least before a plateau for another 10-15 years - so it is hardly likely to be shortlived!!
cured venison with pine nuts and raddichio
St Henri 1990 complete change of pace and varietal with this new world wine filling all the palates and matching the venison superbly. How much more improvement is there in this wine is arguable depending on whether you demand considerable primary fruit in which case it will drink perfectly for the next 5 years, or perfer more secondary flavours in which case you should not touch it for at least the next 5 years. HTis wine has a long future similar to the 62, 71 & 86...
dark chocolate budhino on the side of cold crepes done in roulade style with alcoholic ricotta and caramelised pear
Ch. d'Yquem 1983 from a 375ml bottle so much closer to perfection than the full bottles that will require at least another decade to reach the beginning of their window and probably 2 decades to reach a plateau- with the only downside being that we should have opened another one! This wine is not the equal of 1921 or even 1929 but it is comfortably heading to being the greatest d'Yquem of the 2nd half of the 20th century (with due deference to the 67) and will give you an idea of what the 2001 is likely to do. Frankly this is the reason to drink sauternes and unless you have drunk the other great wines mentioned above this is dessert wine paradise to which only a couple of TBAs can aspire. Young d'Yquem is power but far too much acidity and only hints at what is to come - and quite frankly unenjoyable compared with a good Rieussec etc but after the first quarter century in halfbottles a d'Yquem is starting to show its wares and you start to receive a dividend on both the price and the patience: some very happy campers
Coffee (ristretti) and dark chocolate givrettes
and for some reason on waking later that morning I still felt full of food but could still taste each of the courses and accompanying wines ...
Now you can retire. 