Thursday I jumped on train and headed to East Village, a nice small group g athered at the St Mark's Grand Sichuan for Patrick in NY Pt 2, the Free For m night. We started with the 1996 Henriot Brut Champagne. Fresh apple fruit , nuts, bread dough, full and fresh. Pairs well with cukes in scallion sauc e, less so with spicy noodles. B+
With did the less spicy food with the reds, and then the more peppery dishe s with the Rieslings. I especially liked the 5-spice pork with chestnuts th is night, but soup dumplings, duck, chicken, etc were all very good.
I brought my red blind, and as expected no one really came close (it really doesn't taste like 40+ year old Napa PN). The 1971 Sterling Pinot Noir (de canted into another bottle about 3 hours before). Red raspberry fruit (I th ink guesses centered on 90s Gamay and Grenache), cedar, earth. Pretty and r efined, if not very pinotesque. B+
The 1996 Allemand "Chaillot" Cornas took a while to open up and come into i ts own. A bit austere at first but once it gets air plenty of dark fruit, s moke, & olives. B+/A-
The 1978 Ducru-Beaucaillou was soft and open, but also lightly corked.
1978 Gruaud-Larose Cassis, earth (and a little Cordier funk), cigarbox. Mature and ready to g o. B+1999 Musar The expected volatility but not overwhelming, some meaty/animal notes, redd er fruits. B+/B
2006 Egon Muller Schwarzhofberger Kabinett surprisingly tropical, even thought a hint of botrytis, I didn't love this as much as I usually do these wines. B/B-1996 Carl Schmitt Wagner Longuicher Maximiner Herrenberg Auslese unlike some others I didn't think this overtly oxidized, but it wasn't very attractive and finish was clipped, presumed storage issues. C
1993 Zilliken Saarburger Rausch Auslese #5 Lime, minerals, bright and focused, sugar in background, old style Saar Aus lese you'll rarely see on our warming plant. A-2002 Carl Schmitt Wagner Longuicher Maximiner Herrenberg Spatlese Ready, balanced, peaches, floral. B+
2001 Meulenhof Erdenner Treppchen Auslese Broad bodied yet with acidic focus, deep flavors, long minerally finish. A-Fun night 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 p arty where it was only choice.Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivi ty, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency