So last night I invited a dozen friends and family to join Betsy,
Dave, and I to celebrate Betsy's 50th. Her favorite small Japanese
restaurant (Nishi in Ardsley) gave us the main wing of their L shaped
room (8 Japanese businessmen took the little wing), and provided a
truly excellent meal. Food was fabulous, service amazing (the husband
cooks, the wife serves), company perfect (Betsy had a magic wand to
move people around, so everyone got to talk to everyone). I had just
suggested to Hiromi a few favorites and given a budget, I've forgotten
some courses but some included:
appetizer plate with crab legs, gyoza, edamame, and tamago
miso soup
tempura
green salad
pickles
sashimi (I think there was also a negimaki for the one non-seafood
eater)
ankimo
duck
chicken tatsuta
sushi
Other than soup and salad, everything was on communal plates, placed
every 4 people; each was perfect visually as well as from a taste
standpoint. They had set up several tables to side so I could do the
wine service. I tried to bring an assortment of wines that reflected
something special for Betsy (mostly by vintage, although incredibly in
one of my vinuous rethinkings I somehow left out our marriage year!).
Maybe it was the warmth of the occasion, but everything actually
showed very well.

2004 Pinon Vouvray Brut (magnum)
I should have bought more of these. Citrus fruit over fresh baked
bread, a huge hit as the greeting wine. B+

2007 Jakob Schneider Niederhauser Hermannshohle Riesling
Glass stopper. Lovely midweight, peach and strawberry fruit, sweetness
balanced by acids, good length. B+/A-

2000 Williams-Selyem "Hawk Hill" Chardonnay (RRV)
First sip I thought this woody and awful, probably because of having
the off-dry Riesling as previous wine. But when I revisited it was
much improved, light oak notes framing a apple meets lemon Chard
profile. Not buttery at all, decent acids. B

2000 Nigl "Privat" Senftenberger Piri Riesling
Fully mature, nice version of dry Riesling with stony minerality, a
gingery spiciness, a little hint of petrol. B/B+

1997 Havens Reserve Merlot (magnum)
Pretty funky at first opening, but that settled in a mild barnyardy
brett edge that I didn't mind at all. Lush, red plums and black
cherries, balanced acidity, mostly resolved tannins. Drinking pretty
well from magnum, but if I had 750s I'd drink up. B+

1959 Moulin Touchais
I think of ankimo as the foie gras of seafood, so had asked for it to
be included. The ankimo and sweet Loire were a good match. As to the
wine, a real winner. Wooly nose (as often is the case with chenin, for
a second I thought this was corked when opened, but actually no trace
of TCA), fresh and vibrant, no hint this was 50 years old. Moderate
sweetness, zippy acids, ripe pit fruits with citrus zest. Finish goes
on and on. Complex, lively, and lovely. A

1988 Drouhin Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru
Opened but not decanted several hours in advance. Tight at first, but
in glass opens up nicely, sweet black cherries, espresso, forest
floor. Some tannins still, good acidity, good length. B+/A-

1999 Ch. Leoville Poyferre
Cassis, cedar, a little mocha. Nice modern styled Bordeaux, and some
people's wine of the night. B+

1959 Ch. Talbot
So do you decant a 50 year old wine? I should have delivered to
restaurant a week earlier, but I didn't. So decided for sediment's
sake to double decant just before leaving for restaurant. Very funky,
but I'm relieved not corked or cooked. Served about 3 hours later,
it's still got some Cordier funk (even though Talbot wasn't Cordier
yet), but a solid body of blackcurrant and black plum fruit holds it
up well. Every time I have a serious 59 Bdx I'm amazed at freshness/
vibrancy of fruit. Resolved tannins, to be picky this isn't very long,
but it is quite tasty. A winner! A-

David works at what is probably southern Westchester's top bakery, and
brought a beautiful cake (with basset hound, cello, and knitting
basket). I don't eat dessert, but had the 1959 Caillou Creme de Tete
Sauternes. A re-release from a few years ago. Fairly deep reddish gold
color, but doesn't taste oxidized at all. Pleasant midbodied sticky, a
tad low acid, apricot and honey. Glad to have another birthyear wine
to share with Betsy's friends, and it's sound, but not really complex
and if you take out the birthyear factr a poor value (unlike the 59
Talbot, Moulin Touchais, and Ygay, all of which I'd buy again without
sentimental reasons). B

Not a bad wine in the bunch, but more importantly Betsy was happy
with her friends.

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.**

DaleW wrote:

Well done, Dale! What a great event, with fantastic food and wine (and
I have little doubt of the quality of the company). Your experience
with the '59s is awe-inspiring, both for the excellence of your choices
and the good condition of the bottles.

> 2004 Pinon Vouvray Brut (magnum)
> I should have bought more of these. Citrus fruit over fresh baked
> bread, a huge hit as the greeting wine. B+

This was a vintage-labeled version? I just recently got the latest
release of the NV Pinon Brut from CSW, but haven't cracked one yet. I
picked up the latest Foreau Brut to compare it with, too ;-)

Congratulations to both you and Betsy, Dale!

Mark Lipton


--
alt.food.wine FAQ: http://winefaq.cwdjr.net

On Dec 9, 11:59�am, Mark Lipton > wrote:
> DaleW wrote:
>
> Well done, Dale! �What a great event, with fantastic food and wine (and
> I have little doubt of the quality of the company). �Your experience
> with the '59s is awe-inspiring, both for the excellence of your choices
> and the good condition of the bottles.
>
> > 2004 Pinon Vouvray Brut (magnum)
> > I should have bought more of these. Citrus fruit over fresh baked
> > bread, a huge hit as the greeting wine. B+
>
> This was a vintage-labeled version? �I just recently got the latest
> release of the NV Pinon Brut from CSW, but haven't cracked one yet. �I
> picked up the latest Foreau Brut to compare it with, too ;-)
>
> Congratulations to both you and Betsy, Dale!
>
> Mark Lipton
>
> --
> alt.food.wine FAQ: �http://winefaq.cwdjr.net

Nice choice of wines. Great call serving a Loire sweet with ankimo!

On Dec 9, 10:25*am, DaleW > wrote:


> 1959 Moulin Touchais
> I think of ankimo as the foie gras of seafood, so had asked for it to
> be included. The ankimo and sweet Loire were a good match. As to the
> wine, a real winner. Wooly nose (as often is the case with chenin, for
> a second I thought this was corked when opened, but actually no trace
> of TCA), fresh and vibrant, no hint this was 50 years old. Moderate
> sweetness, zippy acids, ripe pit fruits with citrus zest. Finish goes
> on and on. Complex, lively, and lovely. A

I am glad you found your bottle of 1959 Moulin Touchais in outstanding
condition. I have the 1959, 1949, and 1976, and all have been in good
condition and holding well. I have heard reports of even much older
examples that still were in good condition. I hope this wine is still
being made as in the past so that it will still be of top quality and
last well.

On Dec 9, 11:59�am, Mark Lipton > wrote:
>Your experience
> with the '59s is awe-inspiring, both for the excellence of your choices
> and the good condition of the bottles.
>
Well, my "choices" were based mostly on the relatively few 1959s that
I could afford. I got lucky, out of 6 only one (Lanessan) was tired,
but I think that was more wine than storage- and it was the cheapest
and still provided some pleasure. Ferrari Jonica, Caillou, Ygay were
from trusted retailers, other three from online auctions (Moulin
Touchais from France, Talbot and Lanessan from winebid. So I got
lucky.


> > 2004 Pinon Vouvray Brut (magnum)
>
> This was a vintage-labeled version? �I just recently got the latest
> release of the NV Pinon Brut from CSW, but haven't cracked one yet. �I
> picked up the latest Foreau Brut to compare it with, too ;-)
>
Yes, 2004 vntage. I like the NV Pinon too, usually a great value.

On Dec 9, 2:31�pm, cwdjrxyz > wrote:
> On Dec 9, 10:25�am, DaleW > wrote:
>
> > 1959 Moulin Touchais
> > I think of ankimo as the foie gras of seafood, so had asked for it to
> > be included. The ankimo and sweet Loire were a good match. As to the
> > wine, a real winner. Wooly nose (as often is the case with chenin, for
> > a second I thought this was corked when opened, but actually no trace
> > of TCA), fresh and vibrant, no hint this was 50 years old. Moderate
> > sweetness, zippy acids, ripe pit fruits with citrus zest. Finish goes
> > on and on. Complex, lively, and lovely. A
>
> I am glad you found your bottle of 1959 Moulin Touchais in outstanding
> condition. I have the 1959, 1949, and 1976, and all have been in good
> condition and holding well. I have heard reports of even much older
> examples that still were in good condition. I hope this wine is still
> being made as in the past so that it will still be of top quality and
> last well.

I've enjoyed the 75 and 85, but not tasted anything younger (though I
have a couple 89s)