Last night Betsy and I went to Eleven Madison Park for another in
their series of Collectors Dinners. Theme was Champagne. Daniel Humm
did a really great job with the food, the biggest problem was there
was just too much:
Gougeres
Amuse of a lobster bisque with sweet corn
Fruits de Mer- smoked salmon, smoked sturgeon, Peekytoe crab salad,
potato salad, Kunamoto oysters (vast quantities, I could have stopped
there)
Poached salmon with a horseradish/dill/cucumber sauce
Chicken with summer truffles, purslane, & potatoes
Strawberry shortcake with strawberry sorbet (I don't eat desserts but
Betsy loved the sorbet)

Everything was delicious, service was excellent, a very good job.

I brought a mag and a rose, we shared with our table and I did a bit
of visiting with others I knew at nearby tables. A pretty good
assortment overall:

One wine I neglected to get any info on was the house Champagne they
poured as we arrived, before table's wines were opened. No notes, but
memory is of a fairly interesting wine, light bodied but with some
depth and nutty/sherry tones (not oxidized, more intentional I'd
guess).

Our table:*
NV Deutz Brut Classic
Nice NV, biscuits and apples, a little citrus, nice way to start
evening. B
*
1990 Pommery Cuvee Louise (from magnum)
I was pleased with how this showed, it was just a bit more mature
than I expected. *I would have expected from mag this would be on
upswing, I found fully mature though not at all fading. Quiet subdued
mousse, yeast biscuits, fresh pear, and a little hint of almond. Nice
length. I enjoyed and enjoyed sharing. A-

1996 Pol Roger Rose
A nice bottle, still young, though I don't think it will ever quite
match the 90 PR Rose, one of my all time favorite bargains in
Champagne. Strawberries and cherries, a little brioche, a more
delicately styled rose. Great with salmon. B+
*
1999 Veuve Cliquot (gold label)
Rounder style, applesauce and dough, fresh, not very long but ok. B
*
MV Krug Grande Cuvee
Big, toasty, full apple turnover fruit. Bringer says this was a recent
purchase, but it tastes like it has some bottle age. B+
*
From other tables
1985 Charles Heidsieck "Champagne Charlie"
A bit looser/older tasting than a bottle few months ago, citrusy,
yeasty, pretty good. B/B+

1981 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Rose
Is 1981 a great Champagne vintage? I dunno, but I really liked this.
Just a bit of petillance remaining, some nutty oxidative notes, but
underneath a really classy wine. Strawberries, honeycomb, orange zest.
Mineral on finish. I'm actually not usually a fan of a lot of age in
bubbly, but this was one of my favorites. A-

1996 Pol Roger Winston Churchill
Craig thought this a little sweaty, me -I just liked it, a lot. Young,
fresh, Fuji apples, toast, chalky minerality. Needs time but maybe my
WOTN. A-/A

NV Vouette et Sorbee "Blanc d'Argile"
(I missed noting vintage, friend tells me he thinks it's labelled NV
but all 2004 juice). High acids, zippy, a Mosel (or Savennieres) of a
Champagne. Very different from anything else I taste this night. Crisp
green apples, minerals. Cool wine. B+

1999 *Aubry "La Nombre d'Or" Veteres Vites
If I understand correctly, this contains all SIX legal varieties. I
know, we all think there are 3, but apparently there are 3 others
grandfathered in. Herbs, apples, green plums, medium bodied. Pretty
good,not just a curiosity. B+/B

There was a Selosse that had lost part of label in ice bucket, so
unsure of details. Big, lots of toasty notes, nutty yet young. I think
a lot of people really loved this, I liked, but not my favorite style.
B/B+

There wasn't a wine that I disliked that I tried, luckily Betsy was
driving. Fun evening, and 11 Mad staff did a great job.

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.*