Yep. It isn’t like he’s popping maybach materium or pavie.
Agree on all thoughts on the Tondonia. I personally love the stuff and it’s drinking surprisingly well already
Not the 2001 Trimbach or the 99 Valdicava. Save those for when I come to visit 
I would go with the 2001 Trimbach 375th and the 1990 Latour CC.
If you are determined to open a red and a white, I would suggest the Trimbach and then probably the '77 Mondavi (though there are 4 or 5 other tempting red options in your list).
Haha- I thought this would make the decision easier! Love these suggestions! Glad to see the diversity of opinions here- makes sense that I was struggling. I’m surprised no one has endorsed Clos Ste Hune. Probably too young, at this point. Also surprised no one sprung for the 74 Oddero. No White Bordeaux either, huh? Maybe better saved for fish. At least I can strike those from the list!
I don’t have any at the moment. I’ve had two amazing White Rhone experiences with the past few months (Chave 2000 and Chapoutier Le Meal 2004). These wines were on the aged side, and I LOVED them, but they were off-putting to the person I shared them with (not the friend who will be visiting). The utter lack of any fruit can make them kind of challenging.
I do have a few Pinots with some (not a ton of) age; Domaine Gaston and Pierre Ravaut, Corton “Les Hautes Mourottes” 1997, Guy & Yvan Dufouler, Nuit St Georges “Les Poulettes” 2007, Francois Gaunoux Pommard “Les Rugiens” 2010. I’ve had the Corton and the Pommard, and frankly, wasn’t all that impressed. I’ve found Burgundy (esp older stuff) to be so hit or miss. I don’t want to pop the cork on a bottle that is drinkable, but not spectacular, which is why I didn’t list these bottles. Hope that reasoning makes sense.
Thanks for all these thoughts. Keep them coming!
Firstly, I love this thread, as I so often struggle mightily with what wine to pick - not just for company, for myself, on a random Thursday night!
Secondly, I second/third those who say no to the LdH blanco - a heavily oxidized style like that will DEFINITELY turn off a noob. I like Alan Weinberg’s selection, as it’s the best pairing with chicken, but the 2001 Trimbach is most likely to succeed with the guest
I would also avoid the Tondonia Blanco, even though I really like those wines.
Other than that, there’s no right or wrong here, nothing better than anything else as a choice. I’ve poured wine for a LOT of people like you’re describing while teaching wine classes and pouring at retail shops. In my experience, what someone will like or not is just not predictable. Pour a couple of wines you really like and talk about what they are and why you like them. Any of these are great choices for that. I only leave out Tondonia Blanco because I think more people dislike it than like it, especially if they’re not wine nerds.
Thanks for all the help. I’m not opposed to trying an older white that might have some oxidative qualities, though it sounds like the LdH might be better saved for another time. So, I was thinking maybe the 1990 Latour Corton Charlemagne (with the 2001 CFE as backup) and the 1977 Mondavi (with the 1996 Léoville Barton as backup). This will be a nice aged wine experience. We can repeat the dinner another time with young wines, and consider maybe Aubert, Raen, Chambolle-Musigny, and Stella di Campalto.
I am half way there!
I’d go Mondavi and the Aubert to allow a contrast in time/style and food pairing!
Best wishes!
I was going to say “Not the 74 Oddero!” I love older Oddero and hopefully it is still in great shape. But I don’t think you should crack this rare and unique type of wine for him until he has some Nebbiolo experience. It will (should) make his level of understanding and appreciation much higher.
I like all the comments and insight and am glad to see no one suggested Champagne or “just drink beer.”
(Or maybe some did but I did not read that closely).
I would go with:
Léoville Barton 1996 - I think you can show a classic Bordeaux wine with some age to help frame a discussion on Bordeaux in general and the aging of wines. How many noobs taste a classified Second Growth with 25 years of age? That is part of the fun of sharing wines from your cellar when someone can taste a wine they are unlikely to easily find on their own or without spending big money.
And for a white:
Aubert Chardonnay Larry Hyde & Sons 2017 - This can show a richer side of chardonnay and a new world wine. I think that can help in the discussion of whether your friend enjoys wines that show more primary fruit - or wines that show tertiary elements developed with aging.
I like this idea a lot. He likely is familiar with Cabernet based wines but not so much with aged wine. I think that a lot of the other suggestions, while excellent wines, through a whole bunch of new concepts at him while this one throughs only a couple - older wine and Bordeaux vs. California Cabernet. What I like about having this Bordeaux and this Cabernet together is that they likely will be wines of comparable quality while they likely will be wines that tasted different. It is a good lesson IMHO to teach different does not always mean better and worse - it just means different.
I’m a little surprised to see general lack of recognition that the LdH could be a huge hit. Noah said his visiting friend “has a good palate, but lacks the experience to know which styles he prefers.” That does not sound like someone who is highly likely to dislike the LdH, or someone who only drinks a narrow band of wine; rather, that sounds like someone who is a budding wine enthusiast and has some intellectual curiosity about wine (see: “good palate”).
Every single one of us here who likes the LdH, once upon a time, had it for their first time. And, for many of us, I bet that first time was revelatory. And – Yes – there are also many of us who tried it and did not like it. That’s why I referred to the LdH as a “swing for the fences” wine — I’d say the two mostly likely outcomes are “love” or “hate.” So, if you’re looking for something that’s likely to please, go ahead and play it safe. If you’re looking for something that might blow your friend’s mind, consider swinging for the fences. 
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I similarly called it polarising for much the same reason. It’s one of those wines that can be a huge hit, but you just have to be prepared for the “hate it” outcome and be able to 1) not take it personally or be upset if it happens and 2) be flexible in pivoting and opening something else that might be more their taste. But it can be a really eye opening wine for many
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Yep. That would be my approach exactly. Plus, if said friend doesn’t like the LdH, we all know it’s going to be none-the-worse-for-wear the next day or two or ten afterwards.
I love these discussions- never know where they are going to go. Fascinating to see the focus on LdH Blanco, and while there is no doubt that this is a fantastic wine, there is disagreement about how it might be perceived by a noob. I’m actually leaning towards trying this. Worst case scenario, he doesn’t like it; in that case I shove the cork back in, save it for another day, and pop the Aubert or CFE, which isn’t really a bad outcome at all.
Exactly.
I absolutely love LdH whites with roasted chicken; their “Gravonia” might literally be my favorite wine to have with the bird. Clearly, I am not alone in thinking it a successful match. Good luck, and let us know how it goes! ![[cheers.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/0/0ff9bfcdb0964982cd3240b6159868fbdf215b1a.gif "cheers"){kind=small}
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I actually all around prefer the Gravonia to the Tondonia Blanco.
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A little late to the party, but my advice is to pick one wine that you’re excited to drink that night (I’d lean towards something with age, just because I think old wines read as “special” even if you don’t have any context) and then pick the second based on how the first one goes. If you pour a first glass of the old Silverado and they flip out, then perhaps an aged Bdx to go compare would be fun, or a younger California Cab to show the impact age can have.
If they don’t love the faded-fruit aspect to an old wine, then you’ll be able to open something a bit younger and more overt without having opened two wines they didn’t enjoy. Just make sure to have a few things standing up for sediment and plan on making the judgment call ~1/2-1 glass in, so that you have time for the second wine to open up.
Same here.
It could be fun to let your friend pick one, and you pick one.