TN: Charity dinner75 Lafite, 83 Chevillon, 90 Bdx, and winemonger stickies Some of you might remember I posted a note about a raffle we had on Robin Garr's WLDG after the Gulf disaster. Even though I started it, when folks chipped in some serious bottles I ended up making another contribution and entering (though obviously not to win the prize I offered). And guess what- I won a 1975 Lafite-Rothschild. I said at the time I'd use the bottle for further fundraising. So on Sunday we had a dinner, with the folks attending each contributing to the charity of their choice for the chance to drink the '75 Lafite as well as some other wines from my cellar. A really fun and convivial group, it would have been a great evening even if it wasn't for a good cause (or causes- contributions went to both Katrina and Pakistan earthquake relief, as well as to homelessness relief). There was a little glitch at beginning of evening as the mussels I picked up at Fairway didn't get Betsy's approval, so after picking up Oswaldo at the train station I went to local market and good better shellfish. By the time I returned the first bottle was opened (to accompany some pat=E9 and speck): 1990 Pol Roger Ros=E9 Champagne before dinner. This was my last bottle of an old favorite, and I thought it just a bit tired. Good mousse, but there's a slight hint of oxidation peeking out under the strawberry-raspberry fruit. Still, I enjoy, and Betsy tells me later she thought it was the best Champagne she ever had. B from me. =20 NV Renardat-F=E2che Cerdon Bugey Due to my mussel snafu dinner was slightly delayed, so I put this out as one guest was a big fan of this wine. Nothing serious about it, just a fun lightly sweet bubbly. B-B+ With the replacement mussels the first sit-down course was really quite nice- mussels in a garlic-Pernod sauce over tomato-basil linguine. We tried a couple of whites: 2000 Hirsch Zobinger Gaisberg Riesling (Kamptal) Crisp, minerally, a bit austere. This really needed some time, though the zippy acidity matched well with the dish.B-B+ 1999 Michel Niellon Chbuttange-Montrachet The Hirsch was the better match with the pasta I thought, but this was the better wine. Fat but not flabby, nice creamy texture with sweet pear and sharp lemon flavors. Smoke and minerals with some air, very nice. B+-A- Betsy was a little unhappy about the main course. She had roasted a leg of lamb with a basil-anchovy rub (the lamb was wrapped in bacon)- it came out, rested, and was perfectly medium-rare. But with the mussel delay she ended up putting it back in a low oven to keep from cold, even at 200=B0F it pushed it to medium-medium-well. Still, awfully tasty lamb. Side was Jeremiah Tower's roasted vegetable buttortment (celeriac, carrot, parsnip, onion) with Montpelier butter. The wines: 1990 Clos de l'Oratoire (St. Emilion) This and the St. Estephe were double-decanted in mid-afternoon, this one was surprisingly tannic at the time. By dinner the hardness had disappeared, the wine was still rather fresh and youthful. Sweet red berries, good balance, nice finish. B+ 1990 Les Ormes de Pez (St. Estephe) Surprisingly, in beginning this seemed softer than the St. Emilion. Blackcurrant and red plum fruit, nose of cedar and licorice. Some nice earthy notes developed with time, I enjoyed a glbutt several hours later while washing dishes. B+ Next up, the '75s (both opened an hour or two before dinner, but not decanted till just before pouring): 1975 Ch. Lafite-Rothschild (Pauillac) Ok, in the interest of disclosure, I admit to not being impervious to emotional pulls. Before we drank this I toasted the generous friends who were making charitable gifts. I told the story of Howie Hart's donation to the raffle: "This is a special wine. My wife and I were married in '75 and in early '78 we tried a bottle of '67 Lafite and liked it so much we decided to purchase a case of the '75 (our anniversary year) when it would be released in spring '78. We opened one bottle every 5 years, the 5th one in 2000, and there are still 7 in the case, in my old stone cellar. The labels are deteriorating, as they have become mildewed and are falling off. I will be opening a bottle next month, as our anniversary is in October, but I haven't yet decided how to drink it, as my wife pbutted away in February of '04. Under the circumstances, for a cause like this, I'm sure she would approve of donating one bottle." So, you can take my notes with a grain of salt, but I will say this was the best '75 Lafite I've had (I liked the previous ones, too). Fully integrated tannins, fragrant nose of leather, earth, and graphite. The fruit is light and elegant, but not dilute at all. Seemingly fully mature, more elegant than powerful, clean sweet finish. A- 1975 Ch. Gloria (St. Julien) Surprisingly, the cru bourgeois seems bigger and less ready than the first growth. Tannins still a little hard, but good cbuttis fruit and a tobacco-mint nose make it interesting. Nice, but a bit outclbutted. B+-B A clementine-pinenut-lettuce salad followed, and then we moved to the cheese course - Roncal, Tomme de Savoie, Epoisses (Chalancy, not the Berthaud we usually see) and a Spanish cheese called Tetilla (a bit of a novelty cheese, shaped like a woman's breast, but I liked). Time for Burgs: 1983 Chevillon Nuits-St.-George I took a flyer on this at Chambers St recently- though I've had spotty luck with '83s, and 22 years old is a lot for a village level wine, I love Chevillon. This time the bet paid off. Uncorked and a small bit poured in afternoon, this had been "slow-aerating" for 6-8 hours. Nose of fall leaves, dirt, and red fruit. Palate shows sweet black cherry fruit, balanced acidity, nice finish. This is a proud old dowager, aged but not bowed. Sweet and complete, the surprise of the night. A--A 2002 J.J. Confuron Chambolle-Musigny Nice concentration, floral nose and rich dark berry and raspberry fruit. Young and in need of time, but very satisfying good Burg. B++ For dessert, Betsy had picked up a cranberry-apple pie. I served 2 dessert wines sent me by Emily Weissman at winemonger.com : 2001 Pasler "C" Trockenbeerenauslese This reminded me a lot of some of Kracher's wines (this is a Chardonnay sticky). Sweet, round, spicy. Nice plump texture, big mouthfeel. A tad more acidity and I'd have been loving this, as it was I quite liked. B+ 2002 Gsellmann & Gsellmann Eiswein This seemed a bit clumsy in comparison. Sweet, flavorful, but without the depth or complexity of the TBA (or the previous night's icewine). B-B- I'd have to give the night an A, as it's not often one gets to have good food, drink good wines, have rollicking good conversation, and still think it's all for a good cause. We actually had enough folks who wanted to sign up that I'm doing another in January. Special thanks to those who came, for their generosity and good humor. =20 Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C mediocre. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a party where it was only choice. Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency. =20 
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