A very belated birthday dinner at Church and State, where I had my best meal in recent memory. My friends brought the 1994 Gewurztraminer Clos Windsbuhl and 1991 Pinot Gris Heimbourg SGN. The Gewurztraminer is borderline Vendanges Tardives, but not so labeled. It is a rich, modestly sweet (probably five or six per cent rs, and not losing much of its sweetness), extravagant wine, with everything in perfect balance. It is, for me, the best non-VT or SGN wine they have ever made, the yardstick against which all subsequent wines (at least from Zind Humbrecht) must be measured. It complemented the cream of watercress soup perfectly, drying slightly, but losing none of its intensity. It also went very well with the mushroom tarte.
The SGN (out of a half bottle) was a deep amber, and probably would have made the Gewurztraminer seem flabby had I saved any to compare. A behemoth, again with everything in perfect balance, and seemingly very young. It actually held its own against the selection of desserts provided as part of the meal. If I had any, I would wait at least another ten years to try another bottle.
And what did we bring? The 1990 Veuve Clicquot Grande Dame, enjoyable but in no way memorable, lighter than I expected; and the 1995 Williams Selyem Allen, my last Bert Williams wine. Great nose, nice in the mouth, maybe five or ten years too young.