Last night the SOBER crew gathered at Tim's in Stamford. Lovely property, but scorching so we stayed indoors. 5 year old Will had decided it was a restaurant for the night -"signs for "The Best Place to Be" and hours posted- and he had us sign in.

Started with gougers and Champagne

2002 Pol Roger Winston Churchill
Fresh, young, complete and long. Brioche, orange peel, pear. A-

1995 Henriot Enchanteleurs
Somewhat wild and exotic, slight cheesey aromas but with nice depth underneath. B+

A mystery red
I was thinking old Cali but Dan guessed that and was told wrong, so I guessed Italy. Then missed with south before getting Tuscany. 1985 Brolio Chianti Classico
Plump plum fruit but with some acidic backbone, mint, leather and cigar ash.. B/B-

To table, with lovely grilled shrimp and 2 whites

2005 Gangloff Condrieu
this caused some disagreement. I thought oxidized and hot on nose, bit better on palate, but not enticing, and short to boot. C

2003 Ramonet "Caillerets " Chassagne-Montrachet 1er
I firmly expected this to be dead, but color is good and it's quite alive. Softer than my ideal, but actually tasty. B/B+

There was also a lovely heirloom tomato salad, and cheeses, sausage, and accompaniments

We moved to reds. This was BYO, with an old Zin theme, but some of us didn't have old Zin and brought other things

1972 Sterling Merlot
Double-decanted before I left home. Plenty of fat plum fruit, some spice and earth, not complex but holding on. B

2000 Turley "Hayne" Zinfandel
Confected, hot, with flavors of candy, overripe - nay, nearly rotting- blackberries.burning meat. C-

1994 St. Francis Pagani reserve Zinfandel
Plastic cork but not oxidized. Raisins, black licorice candy, dirt. C+

Somewhere in here Tim served some truly delicious ribs

1984 Rafanelli Zinfandel
More red-fruited, with anise and smoke. Herbal nose. I like the nose more than the palate, but a relief after previous 2 wines. Holds together, balanced. B+/B

1978 Mastantuono Zinfandel (san Luis Obispo)
Never heard of this winery. Nose wasn't bad, high-toned and aromatic, but a little flat on palate, with caramelly notes over raspberry fruit, acidity is still pretty sharp. B-

1974 Gemello Zinfandel
Warm nose, funk, anise, a bit simple. B-

There was also braised beef shanks with coucocus and a kale salad

1974 Conn Creek Zinfandel
I like old Conn Creek but never knew they made a Zin. Ripe cherries, some spice. B

1971 Joseph Swan Zinfandel
Hoped that this would be Zin Of The Night, but it was corked

1978 Robert Keenan Cabernet Sauvignon
Also double-decanted before I left home. Ripe cassis, edging on hot, menthol and light barnyard, a bit clumsy. B-/B

1976 Joseph Swan Zinfandel
Opened and decanted at last minute as replacement for 1971, A little lifted on nose, sweet fruit, a little muddled by its travels, but still one of better Zins. B/B+

1990 Pibarnon Bandol
Surprisingly lithe (for vintage and appelation) bright, elegant. Don't think I would have gotten Bandol in 20 guesses but quite enjoyed B+

1988 Jadot Corton-Pougets
Good fruit, tannin, a bit coarse. B/B-

Tim blinded us - someone got St. Estephe quickly (I was out of room) but it took a while to get Montrose. Firm black fruit, some spice and earth, just a hint of barnyard. 1970 Montrose B+/A-

Finally dessert and 2 dessert wines

2001 Rieussec
Apricot and honey, sweet spices, big but with vivid acids and long finish. Delicious now and with 50 years ahead of it. A-/A

1990 de Fargues
A big old bowl of orange marmalade, some caramel, rounder and very tasty. A-

Great night. Didn;t make me want to go searching for old Zins, though.

Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C drinkable. 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.