Dinner notes:

with amuses bouche:

1995 Henriot Champagne – showing some complexity, clean, very nice.

with scallop soup:

2006 Eben Sadie Palladius – while I prefer Sadie’s reds, this unusual
blend of Chenin, Viognier and grenchae blanc is always interesting.
This one for some reason didn’t show much nose but was full flavoured
and had a persistent finish.

with Alsatian style halibut sausage:

1999 Dom. Weinbach Schlossberg Riesling – loved this one – typical
Riesling nose with petrol and hint of pear, lots of flavour on palate
and finished long and dry.

with porcini risotto:

1997 Aurelio Settimo Roche Barolo – edges starting to show some brick,
very good nose with black cherry, still showing tannins in the mouth,
with good fruit and a nice sweetness at the end.

with duck magret and confit:

1983 Boyd Cantenac – wanted to drink up some 83s before they fall too
far off the table. I didn’t have too high an expectation for this
Margaux, but was pleasantly surprised to find it the darker of the
two, with a dark nose of plums and spice, fruit was good and the
length just fine. Really hit and miss with this producer. I have some
decent 1975, but have been disappointed many times by other vintages.

1983 La Gaffeliere – this St. Emilion was less pleasing. Slightly
muted pale wine, the entry was OK, but fruit was missing mid palate,
and it did have tannins at the end. The nose briefly rallied, but then
went AWOL again. Basically a waste of time – if not a dead wine, it
was certainly in extremis.

with gorgonzola:

1988 Ch. Guiraud – a nice pineapple nose, medium sweet, a bit lighter
than the following wine, with good balance.

1988 Ch. Suduiraut – more depth in this nose, and more lemon, clean
with a long honeyed finish. Great fun to have tasted this pair
repeatedly over several years to watch them change.