Our 40th Anniversary-Day 7 added

[stefan]

Day -2

Tomorrow we leave for South Padre Island, where we'll meet T & Judd; stefanJr, Irena, & Shea; to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary. Here is the wine I am taking along:

99 Bonneau du Martray Corton Charlemagne mag
05 Bouchard Meursault Genevrieres
05 Henri Boillot Puligny-Montrachet
02 Fevre Blanchot
05 Louis Michel Fourchaume
03 Trimbach Cuvee Frederic Emile Riesling
02 Jadot Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Clos de la Garenne
05 V. Girardin Puligny-Montrachet VV
96 St Innocent Freedom Hill Chardonnay mag

03 Coutet
90 Doisy Daene
01 Hoepler Noble Reserve Trockenbeerenauslese
03 J. J. Christoffel Urziger Wurzgarten Auslese
83 Suduiraut

00 Pol Roger Rose Brut
NV Eric Rodez Brut
NV Veuve Cliquot Brut
93 Pol Roger Brut
NV Piper Heidsieck

93 Latour
70 Gruaud Larose
85 La Lagune
89 Rausan Segla
95 Smith Haut Lafitte
98 D'Armailhac
95 St Pierre
96 Chapelle de la Mission Haut-Brion
75 Brane Cantenac
95 Le Boscq
95 Cos Labory
82 Mouton Baronne Philippe

00 L'Enclos
98 Pavie Decesse
95 Rol Valentin
99 Certan de May

95 Ridge Lytton Springs
05 Ravenswood Big River

95 Geantet-Pansiot Charmes Chambertin
01 Pierre Amiot Clos de la Roche
00 Bouchard Clos de la Mousse
99 Hudelot Bonnes Mares
99 Hudelot Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru
98 Drouhin Bonnes Mares
01 Amiot MSD 1er
93 Amiot MSD 1er

06 St Innocent White Rose
06 St Innocent 7 Springs Special Selection
06 St Innocent Zenith

03 Usseglio Chateauneuf du Pape
01 Giraud Chateauneuf du Pape Chateauneuf du Pape
04 Roger Sabon Prestige

I hope it is enough for a week. There is no room in the car for more.

stefan

[Tom In DC]

Holy Cow! What's the car, a club van???

Looks like a good time will be had by all!

Congrats, stefan and Lucie!

[finner]

Congrats on your milestone. Wise is the man who knows that a woman loves a good Puligny.

[aimeedogdogdog]

Who needs room for clothes in the car as long as there is enough wine, right? I applause you, Stefan!
I was going to ask you for the tasting note on the "82 Mouton Baronne Philippe" because in great year a small wine should come up big, but instead just ask you to enjoy your time with Lucie and the family.

Happy 40th Anniversity! And many more return!
Werner

[Jay Winton]

Congratulations for 40 happy years!!!

[Chasse-Spleen]

Congratulations Stefan and Lucie! An awesome list, but one thing I don't understand - there must be a larger, sort of official party of some sort, no? If it's just the traditional Stefan family gathering, I totally understand. But if there is a larger, central shindig, what will be served? On your answer the careers of fledgling wine directors hang in the balance...
-Chasse

[Claret]

Congratulations Bill. We will be celebrating my parents 50th this summer. I am the first born from young parents.

Based upon last week's 2006 Patricia Green Ribbon Ridge Old Vines PN experience, my impression is that the 2006's can show a ripe and fruity style that is very showy now for the fruit, but without long term structure. You should have seen the confused look on my girlfriend's face after I tasted the wine and told her that Patty was a slut! I would love to hear how all of Mark's wines perform which should show some more structure.

I hope that 4 cases is enough!

[Nicklasss]

Happy 40th stefan. It is a nice milestone for sure, and unfortunately rarely seen.

Looking at the wines, the week will be glorious and I know Lucie loves you, because you're bringing wines especially for her... i know, all the wines I buy and drink, I do it for Marie-Claude.

I will be especially interested in the Hudelot TN.

Nic

[HarryKaris]

Congratulation to you and Jan. Great list of wines....with some nice CdP's.....
Have a great party.

CdP-Harry

[Rick]

Bill and Jan
You guys enjoy that week at the beach and celebrating a 40 years together

As I started scrolling down the list of wines I was thinking you would tell us you rented a refrigerated truck for the drive

Rick and Kathy

[JimHow]

Congratulations!

[stefan]

Thanks, all.

No larger party, Chris; just us seven.

I'll try to do daily notes, starting tomorrow. Now, on the morning of day -1, I have to load the wines into the back seat of Lucie's vintage 1998 Camry.

Nic, for me the Hudelot wines will be the most interesting tries, partly because I have not tasted them.

stefan

[Houndsong]

Good deal.

[stefan]

Day 1

Lucie, Judd, and I arrived on South Padre Island in the early afternoon and immediately found a use for the wine we brought. No, we did not start imbibing right away. The opening between the wall and the stair bannister was too wide for the gate we brought, but the box for three magnums was perfect for bridging the gap. We also noticed that the gap between the slats on the railing was wide enough for Shea to go through, so we tore down the three boxes for the 750s and twined them to the stairway slats. Now the only container we have for our return home is my WineKaddy, so we are committed to drinking at least 37 bottles and 2 magnums in the coming week (not that I expect that to be a problem with this group).

Having done our work for the day, I opened

1999 Moine-Hudelot Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru. This is obviously a good wine, with sour cherry flavors, but the nose shows oxidation problems. I hope this is a cork problem and not a provenance problem. A sharp gouda blunts the oxidation and matches with the sharpness of the Chambolle on the sides. My rating is a guess. stefan 89. Judd ?. Lucie 89. stefanJr ?.

2006 St. Innocent Zenith PN. "Oh, man, that's good!" exclaims Lucie. Indeed it is. The Zenith has a syrupy texture and good holding power. The fruits are dark; mostly blackberries. Judd gets some dirty feet (a good thing, he says) and stefanJr detects some funk that blows off, but Lucie and I do not. s 91+. L 92. J 91. sJr 90-91. T 89.

With bison pate and cheese we drank

1989 Cos Labory. This wine is finally mature. The red and black currants are tasty and the hint of roasted green peppers adds complexity. s 90. L 90. sJr 90-91. I 91.

With boiled shrimp and tabouli we drank

2005 Louis Michel Fourchaume. The Chablis tastes a bit sweet and flabby after the St. Estephe. The flavor is very good with the shrimp. The wine seems to be in a awkward phrase. However, I drank a glass after the Bouchard Meursault and loved the purity and steeliness of the Chablis--it seemed not at all flabby. s 87 at first; 90-91 later. J 87. sJr 88.

2005 Bouchard Meursault Genevrieres. Funny how noticeable the oak is after the Michel Chablis. Still, the buttery, smoky character seems just right for the fruit. s 89. sJr 88. T 91. I 90.

Lucie called for more red, so I opened

1995 St. Pierre. As soon as I poured this wine, we heard an explosion down the street and all the lights went off, not to return until Sunday morning. We all gave the St. Julien less attention than it deserved. It is quite a good wine which has been mature for a few years. It will hold for many more, of course, but we have drunk through our case since it is one of the most forward of the '95 left bank Grand Cru Classe wines. s 90. sJr 90.

[tim]

Many congrats, and WOW, what an incredible selection of wines!

[DavidG]

Wonderful selection of wines to celebrate a great milestone. Congratulations to you and Lucie! Many more...

[stefan]

Day 2

For breakfast we ate turkey bacon, scrambled eggs, and fruit while sipping on

NV Veuve Cliquot. This is a proper Champagne with good mousse, toast, and yeast. After a few years of producing weak NVs, this house has made a good come back. stefan 88. Lucie 90. Judd 88. stefanJr 88.

With ham sandwiches and guacamole we drank

1996 St. Innocent Freedom Hill Chardonnay (magnum). This golden wine is remarkably fresh--no premox here! It has a lovely mature floral Chassagne nose reminiscent of Ramonet and a taste consistent with the bouquet. s 90. sJr 91. L 90. J 89.

With sirloin and baked sweet potatoes we drank

1982 Mouton-Baronne-Philippe. This fully mature Pauillac is light but has lovely red fruit. "That wine is yummy," opines Lucie. This is certainly not a steak wine, and some downgraded the wine because of the weak paring. s 91. J 90. L 92. sJr 88-89. Irena 89. T 88.

1993 Latour. Our only first growth is slightly corked. Nevertheless, although the nose is muted, what is there is lovely. The wine shows class in the mouth with flavors all over. "Better with steak, but still soft," Judd comments. J 89. s -. L 88. T-. I 92. sJr-.

1999 Certan de May. Chocolate time! "That nose is nice!" exclaims Lucie. T 90. sJr 90.91. J 90. I 91. L 90. s 90.

2000 L'Enclos. Highly structured, long finish, rather tannic. "Leather and blackberries," says Judd. "Too young, but excellent with cheese," chimes in stefanJr. J 92. T 92. sJr 90-91. L 92. s 90.

With strawberry-rhubarb pie we drank

1983 Suduiraut. "Lots of motor oil," says stefanJr, "you will like it, Dad". Right he is. "Also citrus rinds," adds Judd. There is a strong flavor of orange. "Tart", says Irena. s 90. K 91. I 88.

[PappaDoc]

To Bill & Jan,

All our best wishes to a couple that truely examplifies a bond of love.

Love,

Stephanie & John

[stefan]

Thanks, guys & gals.

I am off to the beach to teach Shea how to build Galveston dribble castles.

stefan

[stefan]

Day 3

With salted nuts we drank

1993 Pol Roger Brut. Very good up front with predominately citrus flavors. The PR is yeasty and holds well. Excellent for the vintage. stefan 91. Judd 93. T 92. Irena 91. stefanJr 90. Lucie 92.

With grilled gulf red snapper, grilled zucchini, and cous-cous we drank

1999 Bonneau du Martray Corton Charlemagne (magnum). At least 7 of my case of 750s suffered premox, so I was worried about this big bottle. Fortunately, it was not oxidized. "Goddam, that is good with the fish," says stefanJr. "Really mouth filling," adds Judd. J 91+. s 91. J 92. sJr 92. I 91. T 91.

1998 Drouhin Bonnes Mares. What a great '98 this is! Very black, sticky berries. Powerful nose but with Chambolle elegance. "This is how I like Pinot Noir; pure pinot," says stefanJr. "Smells like the inside of a moccasin," says Judd. Say what? s 93. L 93. J 93. T 91. sJr 94. I 92.

With cheese, the Beatles, and other oldtimers we drank

1995 Smith-Haut-Lafitte. This is quite nice but still young. Wait 2-3 more years if you have just a few bottles. L 91. s 90. J 90. sJr 90.

Answering the several calls for more red, I then opened

1993 Pierre Amiot Morey St Denis Les Millandes 1er Cru. I guess this was pretty good, but it had some sulphuric funk, according to stefanJr. I did not pay much attention to it.

[jal]

Two out of my three magnums of 1999 Bonneau du Martray were premoxed, but that other bottle was phenomenal!!

I finished my last bottle of the 1995 Smith Haut Lafitte a couple of years ago, really nice juice and totally underrated at the time.

I'm surprised the Bonnes Mares was ready, from your notes, it seems like it tastes like my kind of wine (though I don't think I purposefully ever tried to smell the inside of a mocassin.

Happy fortieth anniversary Bill and Jan. Wishing you guys many many more together.

[stefan]

Thanks, Jacques et al. Too bad about your magnums of BdM CC. I have one more and likely will open it sooner rather than later.

With his moccasin remark Judd meant that there was a nice leather aroma to the Bonnes Mares. I also thought it might be too young, but likely the wine was stored closer to 70F than to 55F for who knows how many years.

stefan

[JCNorthway]

Stefan,

You and Lucie do know how to celebrate a special occasion! Congratulations on your 40 years. Paula and I celebrated just half of that this weekend with our 20th. It was a more modest and shorter celebration. We spent a couple of nights in a downtown Chicago hotel, attended a performance of the symphony, popped a bottle of 1989 Tarlant Brut Champagne (I picked up 6 a few years ago to celebrate these anniversaries), and enjoyed a lovely dinner at Les Nomades, one of the city's best dining venues. Not only is the food outstanding, but the service is also top notch. And it's a very civilized atmosphere; they even still require jackets for men, though I saw a group of young women in jeans - go figure.

I look forward to reading more of your celebratory saga.

Jon

[stefan]

Congratulations to you and Paula on your twentieth, Jon.

Dress codes are very funny. I've been to places that require coat & ties for men yet women can wear shorts.

stefan

[Jay Winton]

1995 Smith Haut Lafitte....I have a mag of this I think...what's the window? Jon and Paula..20 years for us as well this September so what better way to celebrate than to be with the BWE crew in Maine. We also just bought a condo in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.....

[stefan]

Jay, I would hold the magnum of SHL for at least five more years.

stefan

[stefan]

Day 4.

Before dinner we revisited

1993 Pierre Amiot Morey St Denis Les Millandes 1er Cru. This is mature and pretty good, with raspberry and strawberry flavors. stefanJr says that the funk from yesterday is gone and the wine is now much better. stefan 88-89. stefanJr 90. Judd 88. Lucie 90.

With red snapper cakes we drank

2005 Vincent Girardin Puligny-Montrachet VV. Upon tasting T's fish cakes, stefanJr exclaims, "Holy s***, that is good." Then he tasted the Puligny and repeated himself. This well balanced Burgundy matches well with the fish cakes. It is a bit light and could use more acid, but that is quibbling. s 89. L 89 (raised to 91 when she re-tastes it after drinking the Chablis). sJr 89. J 87. T 91. Irena 89.

With grilled shrimp we drank

2002 William Fevre Blanchot. "Malolactic fermentation gone wild," chemist stefanJr says. Judd says the same thing in the vernacular, "Buttered popcorn". "I like Chablis to taste like the shrimp, steely and minerally," continues the chip off the old block. Minerals are there but they are not pure. I much prefer Louis Michel Chablis, but the world values Fevre more. s 86. J 86. sJr 86. I 87. L 89.

With cheese we drank

1995 Geantet-Pansiot Charmes-Chambertin. This Grand Cru is still young. Nevertheless, the nose is developed, with underbrush and black pepper seasoning the Brazos berries. It is similar in the mouth and holds well. The wine is very good but a bit thin. s 91. J 90. L 90. T 92. I 91. sJr 90.

2003 Usseglio Chateauneuf du Pape. "Somebody stepped on a plum," comments Judd. The CdP has good structure but is sweeter and fruitier than I expected. s 87. J 91. sJr 89.

While playing dealer's choice and glancing at the Lakers-Nuggets game we drank

1975 Brane-Cantenac. I like the Margauxberry bouquet and the sweet fruit taste of this wine. The tannins are tame.

[Jay Winton]

Jay, I would hold the magnum of SHL for at least five more years.

stefan

So BWE 2014?

[stefan]

Sounds like just the right event, Jay.

stefan

[stefan]

Day 5

With various pizzas we drank

201 Domaine Giraud Chateauneuf du Pape. This CdP has sweeter fruit and more umph than the Usseglio we drank the night before. It is a bit too alcoholic for me (the label says 15%). "Some greenness, as if the leaves were left with the blackberries," says Judd. stefan 88. stefanJr 88. T 89. Lucie 87.

2006 St. Innocent White Rose Pinot Noir. Mark Vlossak makes a wonderful Burgundy. The White Rose has very clean asphalt that accents pure fruit. There is a lot going on in the background. s 92. sJr 93. Irena 92. L 92. Judd 94. T 91.

1995 Ridge Lytton Springs. Lip smacking blueberries and boysenberries. "Black pepper jelly," says Judd. I think I understand what he means--the taste of pepper without the spice of it. s 89. I 90. sJr 91. J 90 L 90.

2005 Ravenswood Big River Zinfandel. "Fresh chocolate bread," observes stefanJr. This Zin tingles the mouth after swallowing. It is very good for its style. s 88. J 88. sJr 88. I 88.

2001 Hopler Noble Reserve Trockenbeerenauslese. The color is orange. The wine tastes of apricots, persimmons, and nectarines sprinkled with white pepper. sJr decides that there are worthy dessert wines other than Sauternes. s 91. sJr 93. J 92. I 92.

[Ramon_NYC]

This is nice reading. Congratulations, Stefan, with your anniversary!
Thank you for the notes and looking forward to the next installment.

Ramon

[stefan]

Day 6

Before dinner we drank

1970 Gruaud Larose. There is some funk that vanishes with a nibble of cheese. Wild raspberry flavor. The tannins are soft and the fruit is sweet. Strangely, there is no tobacco or other old wine accents. stefan 88. stefanJr 90 (because it aged gracefully). Irena 90.

With oysters on the half shell we drank

NV Eric Rodez Brut. "I would prefer a sharper and more effervescent Champagne with the oysters," says Judd. I agree. This is a very nice Champagne, but there is a shortage of bubbles in this bottle. Later both Judd and stefanJr remark that the Champagne is better by itself. s 90 (taking into account the bubbles this wine usually has). Judd 88. Lucie 90. sJr 89. T 88. I 89.

With grilled shrimp and grilled oysters we drank

2003 Trimbach Frederic Emil Riesling. "Oh, boy, lots of motor oil," notes Lucie. Still on the upswing, the F-E is attractive now. The shrimp brings out the sweetness in this dry Riesling. s 91. J 89. T 89. L 90. I 89. sJr 89.

2005 Henri Boillot Puligny-Montrachet. As usual, this Chardonnay is really good, with smoked apples steeped in lime juice. "This Puligny is made for the shrimp," opines Judd. Personally, I prefer the Trimbach with the shrimp. "Smells more like oil than smoke to me," says T. s 89. T 89. L 92. J 92. I 90+.

No one wanted to drink a corked bottle of 2001 Pierre Amiot MSD 1er Cru Les Millandes, but with a delicious rhubarb, nectarine, and strawberry crumble we drank

1990 Doisy-Daene. A golden beauty, but I became distracted by the basketball game.

[aimeedogdogdog]

Oysters...hmm... Yum! I love oysters with Muscadet!
Stefan, give it a try next time when you have oysters again. You might like it too.

Werner

[stefan]

Day 7

To have a glass at lunch with left over pizza, stefanJr opened

1995 Le Boscq. stefanJr says that this "harmless little wine" is just what he was looking for. Irena calls it "really nice". I took a sip before dinner and agree. Irena 90. stefanJr 90. Judd 89.

With grilled chicken we drank

1999 Moine-Hdelot Bonnes Mares. The smell on the cork was suspicious but I did not try the wine. Before dinner I asked stefanJr to check it out--CORKED. My nose confirmed, but I drank half a glass anyway. I think the wine is very good but definitely young, so I may not open another bottle for a while.

2001 Pierre Amiot Clos de la Roche. Opened as a back up to the corked Bonnes Mares, the Amiot is too warm and is not enough oxygenated. Once it cools off, the quality is obvious. It has sweet cherry fruit with some underbrush. "Lavender," adds Lucie. The wine makes me smack my lips. stefan 91. T 89. J 89. sJr 90. I 89. Lucie 90.

I was surprised that my score was the highest as I was conservative.

2006 St. Innocent Seven Springs Special Selection. The 7 S SS was well liked by the BWEers who drank it in Jim's room. "Candied Lavender," says T. To me the nose is shockingly alcoholic after the subtle CdlR. Powerful in the mouth, the 7 Springs overwhelms the chicken. I have trouble with it in context. s -. T 91. J 89. L 91. sJr 91 (for now; 93 projected).

We finished with '98 Pavie Decesse, but I don't think anyone paid much attention to this very nice wine.

[Jay Winton]

I thought Stefan rested on the 7th day...obviously not

[DavidG]

Very good, Jay!
I guess Stefan is above all that.

Came across the St Innocent Seven Springs "regular" '06 bottling in a restaurant last night. Very nice bottle. I wouldn't have known to try it if not for Stefan's educational efforts.

[stefan]

Glad you enjoyed it, David.

We took the 8th day off driving back home on Saturday--no wine except that I finished the yummy Doisy-Daene while watching BB. Last night Lucie & I drank the bottle of 98 D'Armailhac we had no time for at the beach. Today we scrambled in the morning on the golf course and are now waiting for friends to bring their kids over to swim while the adults imbibe.

Busy, busy, busy,... It will be relaxing to get back to the office tomorrow.

stefan

[SteveH]

Bill & Jan,

Congratulations on your 40th!
An impressive roundup of food and wine, and with no failed white Burgs in sight. I am glad to hear that your ' 75 Brane offered some fruit.

Very nice, indeed.
Steve

[stefan]

Thanks, Steve. Where have ya been?

stefan