Unauthorized

A brilliant meal prepared by Baltimore’s premier chef, Cindy Wolfe, was accompanied by exquisite service and 3 nearly perfect as well as 3 perfect wines. The first flight was somewhat of a competition between two nearly over-the-top white Hermitages from the exotic 2003 vintage. The 2003 Guigal Ex Voto revealed a more golden color that the Chapoutier L’Ermite as well as a more marzipan, almond oil, and marmalade-scented and flavored personality. It also appears to be on a much faster evolutionary track than the 2003 L’Ermite. The latter wine is pure liquid minerals buttressed by enormous acidity, high alcohol, and mind-blowing concentration levels. The L’Ermite could have been a great Montrachet given its richness, acidity, and liqueur of stone-like flavors. There was no doubting that Guigal’s Ex Voto was a white Hermitage. It was beginning to reveal a slightly oxidized character. I have no doubt that the top 2003 northern Rhône red wines will age for decades, but even the finest whites will need to be tracked carefully as this vintage has virtually no acidity, but possesses amazing extract. More and more I am opting to drink them during their first decade of life.

We then moved to a flight of four of the finest red wines I have in my cellar. The 1982 Trotanoyhas been fully mature for a decade, yet it continues to hold on to life, displaying no signs of cracking up. The color is beginning to show a small amount of pink and orange, but the beautiful sweet fruit is opulent, rich, and velvety textured. It was in complete contrast to the masculine, muscular, tannic, hard 1970 Latour. The latter wine possesses a dense ruby/purple color, a boatload of old style tannin, and a drying finish with a classic black walnut/black currant note. The bouquet was far more majestic than the angular, hard flavors. This is a great wine, but, despite its age of 37 years, it seemingly remains an adolescent ... as hard as that is to believe.

We next opened two immortal wines. The only bottle of 1961 Petrus I have ever owned was acquired by trading three bottles of the 1982. It was a great relief when the cork was pulled that it said “1961.” I don’t say that in jest given how many fraudulent bottles of the 1961 Petrus inhabit the planet. Pure honeyed mulberry and black cherry fruit, it offers an explosive nose of caramel, mocha, and jammy red and black fruits. Full-bodied with loads of glycerin as well as amazing opulence, this is a sensational effort. It was perfect in a more hedonistic sense whereas the darker-colored 1959 La Mission Haut Brion exhibited more cedar, scorched earth, black currant, and crushed rock characteristics along with hints of blueberries and high class cigar tobacco. Smoky, full-bodied, and rich, it possesses more acidity and tannin, giving it more structure as well as a linear mouthfeel. Both wines are extraordinary expressions of great Bordeaux from two very hot years. They are as profound as any dry red wines in the world. What a night!