A nice group met at Hawksmoor Monday night. Oysters (with lemon or with scotch bonnet mignonette, latter obviously a wine killer) to start, then I had excellent if very rich potted beef and bacon with Yorkshire pudding and gravy. Steaks were very good (I was splitting rib chop and a sirloin), though I found the “chalk board with size range and then refer to menu for price per pound” a bit cumbersome. Carrots, beef fat fries, and mushrooms rounded out meal.
2004 Vilmart Coeur de Cuvee Champagne A little warm, but nice and in a good place. Citrus, pastry and chalk. A-2014 Pepiere Clisson Muscadet Rich and zesty, nice saline finish. B+
2008 Piuze Les Clos Chablis Grapefruit and chalk, a little hint of hazelnut, I liked but not as much as prior bottles, but it was too warm. B+/B2010 Gouges Les St Georges Nuits St Georges A great wine lurking, but man this is tight now (at least one other didn’t think closed). Earth and black cherry, sure it’s more accessible than old Gouges, but I’d still give this decades. B/B+ for now, A potential.
1995 Drouhin Corton Bressandes ed fruit, elegant for relatively young Corton, with earth, sandalwood, and gamebird. A-1989 Pichon Baron Corked!
1990 Pichon Baron Rich and complex, rich cassis, cocoa, leather, gravel. A-/B+1995 La Conseillante A wine I usually like a lot, but something off with this bottle. Not corked or cooked, but there’s a strange greenness- not pyrazines or even herbal, more like pine needle. B-/C+
1996 Lynch Bages Good showing by an old fave, structured but open, cassis and black plum with pencil shavings and coffee. B+/A-There was a Sauternes as well (I think Climens), but I opted to catch earlier train home. Good night with good people 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.