Unauthorized

As one can see from the menu, there is no more creative chef than Michel Richard. Some of his courses are so playful, yet so filled with flavor that they must been seen as well as tasted. His extraordinary scrambled lobster, truffle potato flakes vichyssoise, foie gras crème brûlée, tuna burger, seafood choucroute, tourte de cochon, and the short ribs of beef braised 72 hours sous vide were all incredible dishes. This event, which I donated for a charitable cause and provided all the wines from my cellar, turned out to be one of the greatest meals I have had this year.

With so many wines, especially such older dry whites, one is always worried about oxidized or corked bottles. However, this was one of those magical nights where every wine lived up to its pedigree. One of my favorite non-vintage Champagnes is the delicate, zesty Mumm de Cramant. It is also one of the finest values in Champagne in the marketplace. That was followed by a beautiful, surprisingly powerful 1999 Château Margaux Pavillon Blanc. This 100% Sauvignon Blanc exhibits wonderful waxy, honeysuckle notes, and is a much bigger, deeper white Margaux than one would expect. We then moved to the 1998 Haut-Brion-Blanc. This bottle did not seem as brilliant as previous examples. This is the second bottle, out of a six-pack I purchased, where the wine showed a more evolved style. It was not oxidized, but just far more mature than I would have thought. In contrast, the 1985 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc and 1983 Laville-Haut-Brion Blanc were incredibly youthful wines. These have been in my cellar since they were released several years after the vintage, and both were exquisite. The 1985 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc was full of fig, quince, crushed rock, and white flower characteristics. It was very rich, but oh, so delicate, as only a top white Graves can be. The 1983 Laville-Haut-Brion Blanc was even waxier and fuller, but at the same time, still possessed incredible acidity and freshness. Both of these wines should last for another 20-25 years where well-stored.

The first flight of reds included three of my favorite Pomerols, and two of my favorite vintages of those Pomerols. I did not expect the 1994 L’Eglise Clinet to stand up to the 2000 La Conseillante and 1998 Trotanoy, but it certainly acquitted itself well. From an average to above average vintage, this 1994 showed plenty of power and richness. It was still young at 14 years of age. For me, the splendid 1998 Trotanoy is the greatest Trotanoy made since the 1982 and 1970. It may eclipse both of those cuvées with time. It can be drunk now, revealing plenty of that château’s Petrus-like character, but more minerality. The 2000 La Conseillante is pure elixir. A sexy, Burgundian-styled offering, it reveal plenty of raspberry and flower notes in a full-bodied, opulent, but feminine style.

We then moved to the complex, tarry, smoky 1990 La Mission-Haut-Brion, which appears to have hit its plateau of full maturity, and a gorgeously exotic, opulent 1990 Canon-la-Gaffelière, which exhibits more chocolate, coffee, and pain grillé characteristics. A pristine 1989 Angélus still revealed a dense ruby/purple hue as well as a young, rich, pure, textured, and long personality. Fully mature, the 1983 La Mission-Haut-Brion possesses plenty of tarry notes, some amber at the edge, and hints of asphalt as well as burning embers. It could not compare to the utterly compelling 1982 La Mission-Haut-Brion, which tasted 10-15 years younger than the 1983. The powerful, concentrated 1982 displays notes of beef blood, saddle leather, tar, smoke, truffles, and oodles of black fruits. As great as it was, the 1982 La Dominique, which I believe I bought for about $80 a case back in 1984, was still holding its own. This wine has been delicious since its birth, has never gone into a closed state, and was still exhibiting plenty of cedary, earthy, spicy fruit as well as beautiful character, despite being 26 years of age. It has been one of the most satisfying 1982s to drink from day one. We finished with the 1978 La Mission-Haut-Brion, a candidate for one of the three or four finest red Bordeaux of that vintage.

Lastly, we committed infanticide by drinking the very young 1988 Yquem. This is an extraordinary vintage for this château, and the 1988 will last for another hundred years. This was a great, great night of cuisine, wines, and company.