Reception
’90 Krug Magnum - If I was the mayor of Champagne I would enact a law that required all producers to bottle only in magnums. They always seem better and this was no exception. Highly effervescent. Apple and yellow fruit. Some spice. A more elegant vintage of Krug. This started out great and stayed at that level for several hours. Staggering
Selection of Crudo
’85 Krug - not my favorite vintage of Krug as it has matured more quickly than it should. Including bottles disgorged in 2003. This bottle started out fresh but faded quickly over just 15-20 minutes. Drink up your 750’s and then start opening the mags. Very Good Plus
’88 Krug - this bottle was just starting to show the mature aroma of honey. Great yellow fruit but I didn’t find the Krug signature green apple. Effervescence has tempered over the past couple of years. Vibrant acidity. One of the great vintages of Krug. Staggering Plus
'96 Krug - will be great to drink this and the '88 side by side over the next few decades. Even more power than the '88 but the acidity keeps it balanced. Spiced green apples with both yellow and red fruit. Staggering Plus
Krug Grande Cuvee 1996 Base - this was surprisingly, especially with regard to the '96, much lighter colored than the other vintages of Krug. Wasn’t the best showing of this wine, but for me it was just slightly below the previous two vintages. I was hoping this would be the Champagne of the flight but it fell just short. Didn’t have the power of the '88 or '96. Excellent Plus
Grilled Langoustines
’89 Cristal - even better showing than the bottle from the night before.
’90 Cristal - unfortunately this was slightly off and had what smelled like VA affecting the Champagne. Still drinkable but not nearly as good as it should be. Good Minus
’99 Cristal - this and the '02 were both very similar to Tuesday’s bottles. Smoky yellow fruit, vibrant acidity another tremendous success for the vintage. For me, only Taittinger CdC is a better Champagne in '99. Staggering
’02 Cristal - Still very youthful, but is a bit forthcoming. A wealth of yellow fruit, some saline and chalk with great acidity. Staggering
Pan Seared Sea Scallop, Crispy Potato, Brown Butter Cabbage, Black Truffle-Apple Jus
While we lingered with the above Champagnes
Risotto w/Lobster, Prosciutto and Crispy Fall Vegetables
’02 Leflaive Chevalier Montrachet - pure fruit with racy acidity; my kind of white Burgundy. Floral and lemon flavors. Staggering Plus
’04 Leflaive Chevalier Montrachet - a little more reductive than the previous wine with riper fruit. Acidity gives it great structure and balance. Table was split between a favorite between the two Leflaives. Staggering Minus
Dual Pastas
Fusilli Red Wine Braised Octopus and Bone Marrow - Veal Agnolotti Piemontese Ravioli, Pioppini Mushrooms Sweetbreads, Brown Butter and Sage / Pansotti Squid Ink Lobster Ravioli, Coral Bottarga - Orecchiette w/Broccolini, Flagolet Beans, Pine Nuts and Parmigiano - (the latter two for the evolved non-meat eater)
’99 Ponsot Griotte Chambertin - My favorite vintage of Red Burgundy going back to the 70’s. Ponsot is so frustrating due to its hits and then misses. This was a solid showing but the aromatics were a bit restrained especially compared to the following two wines. Good pinot flavors. Excellent
’99 Ponsot Clos de la Roche Vieilles Vignes - smoky, spicy aromas of cherries and plums. Denser fruit than the previous wine. Still needs a few years to be at its best. Staggering minus
’99 Dujac Clos St Denis - about as aromatic as a wine can be. Fruits and violets with a scent of confectioner’s sugar. Almost as good on the palate with a lingering finish. Not sure it can/will get better. The only downside is the price of this wine, like many other Dujac wines, has gone into the stratosphere. Killer Minus
Dover Sole Burgundy Reduction and Black Trumpet Mushrooms or
Tagliata Grilled Creekstone 50-day Dry Aged Sirloin, Braised Romaine, Bone Marrow Panzanella
’83 Margaux - Corked
’86 Mouton - back in the early to mid 90’s, this was my favorite Left Bank Bordeaux. It seemed to be the wine of the night every time it was served. It then went into a shell and based on this bottle (purchased on release) the '86 Mouton has just started to emerge. Powerful with concentrated dark ripe fruit. Hopefully it will reach the heights it was 25 years ago but in a more mature version. Staggering
’81 Dunn Howell Mountain - was the best replacement for the Margaux that was on hand. Sweet black and red fruit. Had a touch, in a not off-putting way, of band aid aroma that I often find with Dunn. Wasn’t a fair vintage or placement against the previous wine. Very Good Plus.
Some pics to follow