Unauthorized

Marc Hébrard flew in from France to work with the French staff at this restaurant situated at the top of the Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok that many consider to be the finest French restaurant in southern Asia. This was a special night of great wine and food, and I will take to my grave the memory of a barge going down the Chao Phray river illuminated with a sign saying “Welcome Mr. Parker.” This as well as the accompanying fireworks was a first in my magical wine life over the last thirty years.

The superb courses included a gorgeous sea salt cured salmon trout, a perfectly cooked roasted lobster, an incredibly flavorful risotto with mushrooms and Parmesan, and a decadent dish of deboned quail stuffed with foie gras. As if we hadn’t had enough cholesterol, we were presented with a filet of beef cooked in a puff pastry shell with a black truffle sauce.

With respect to the wines, it was one of those magical nights when everything performed as well as possible. A brilliant combination with the salmon trout was the Zind Humbrecht 2001 Riesling Clos Saint Urbain Rangen de Thann. Dry, buttery, and steely with plenty of dried citrus in addition to tremendous precision, power, and depth, this superb, full-bodied Riesling should age for another decade. The 2005 Verget Corton Charlemagne Vieilles Vignes, while still an infant, was a beautiful match-up with the roasted lobster. Honeysuckle, crushed rock, acacia flower, and white currant characteristics emerge from this beauty. It possesses a steely backbone, and no hint of oak. The 2001 Ornellaia is a supple, fleshy, full-bodied effort with plenty of mocha and chocolaty black currant fruit. As one might expect, the 2003 Ducru Beaucaillou and 2003 Montrose were both incredibly young, but they were decanted hours in advance to coax as much out of them as possible. They are two of the finest efforts from that irregular vintage. The 2003 Ducru Beaucaillou is stunningly rich, full-bodied, and in need of another 8-10 years of cellaring. As in the Montrose, there is not a hint of overripeness or any raisiny character. One of the great Montroses of our age, the 2003 may ultimately compete with the 1989 and 1990, and perhaps be eclipsed by the 2008. Time will tell. But it is unquestionably one of the four greatest Montroses produced over the last two decades. Inky/purple-colored with an extraordinary nose of sweet cassis, blueberries, and forest floor, it reveals massive power, sweet tannins, and a full-bodied texture. The real coup de grace of the evening was the 1986 Château Mouton Rothschild. Along with the 1982, the 1986 is one of the finest wines ever made at this estate. The 1986 may not have quite the flesh and opulence of the 1982, but it is an extraordinary expression of Mouton. Slightly more linear with an even more opaque color than the 1982, it offers up classic crème de cassis, floral, forest floor, and underbrush notes as well as overwhelming levels of fruit and concentration. This bottle showed far more complexity and bouquet than I have seen in the past. What a wine! I was mobbed for autographs and pictures right after this, as most of the Bangkok guests wanted to leave by 10:30 p.m., so I was only able to smell and take a quick sip of the 2002 Robert Weil Kiedrich Grafenberg Riesling Eiswein. But, it must be an amazing wine. I believe fewer than 500 bottles were produced.

This was a magical night with extraordinary service, food, and wine, as well as one of the most majestic views that exists in Thailand. I can’t thank enough the staff at the Mandarin Oriental and the General Manager, Kurt Wachtveitl (who announced his retirement after 41 years as General Manager of this hotel, which many world travelers consider the hotel with the greatest service in the world). And finally, a big thanks to colleague Lisa Perrotti-Brown, who once again used her enviable skills in securing all of these wines, and supervising the wine and food match ups.