Bruce’s Birthday
Bash, Part 2: Dinner 

<a target="_blank" href="http://www.grissinirestaurant.com/">Grissini</a>

484 Sylvan Avenue

Englewood Cliffs,

New Jersey 07632

201-568-3535

This magical evening continued into a delicious dinner
blessed with a stunning array of wines. The menu, prepared by Grissini
Restaurant and served al fresco, was simple, tasty and very nicely done, as
always.

Three Champagnes from Philipponnat
were all superb. The 1964 The Clos
des Goisses (magnum, disgorged 2003) presented a more high-toned, floral
personality than the 1966 that followed, with a relatively delicate,
understated personality. The 1966 Clos
des Goisses (magnum, disgorged 2000) was insanely beautiful, with an inner
core of perfumed fruit and pretty notes of toffee and spices that added
complexity. The 1990 Clos des Goisses
was beautifully polished if somewhat reticent. White pepper, apricots and
flowers lingered on the classy, elegant finish. Clos des Goisses remains
surprisingly under the radar considering the exceptional quality of what is in
the glass.

An assortment of Dom
Pérignons was no less impressive. The 1964
Dom Pérignon was hauntingly beautiful as it revealed incredible purity and
freshness, with gorgeous hazelnuts, ash and smoke that lingered on the sublime
finish. This remains one of my very favorite pre-1970s vintages of DP.&nbsp; The 1988
Dom Pérignon, tasted from magnum, showed of pretty layers of fruit with
lovely fragrance and compact yet utterly refined personality. The 1995 Dom Pérignon (from jeroboam) was
profound. In 1995 the jeroboams were disgorged a little later than the 750s, so
in this format the wine is in reality very close to the Œnothèque
bottling.&nbsp; A sensual, sumptuous
Champagne, the 1995 Dom Pérignon
exploded onto the palate with a full-throttle expression of dense, ripe fruit.
This was a remarkable bottle in every way. Readers lucky enough to own the 1995
Dom Pérignon in jeroboam are in for a thrilling ride!

We then moved into a series of insanely beautiful Champagnes
from Krug.&nbsp; The 1996
Vintage was staggering in its richness, depth and sheer density. It was
every bit the monumental Champagne its reputation suggests. The 1990 Vintage, tasted from magnum, was remarkable for its opulent
and exuberant personality and incredible finesse. The 1964 Collection was fully resolved. Though quite pretty, the wine
was probably better a few years ago, as it seemed to lack focus and definition.
The 1969 Collection showed off exotic nuances of smoke, passion fruit and
spices in an understated, hushed style for Krug. The 1979 Collection was explosive, rich and layered, with a
kaleidoscopic array of aromas and flavors, and long, exceptionally pure finish.
It was pure magic. Sadly, the 1979 Clos
du Mesnil was corked, which was a shame as 1979 is one of my favorite Krug
vintages. The 1985 Clos du Mesnil
made up for it, though. Ash, butter and smoke are some of the notes that
emerged from this finely chiseled, taut wine. The 1985 Clos de Mesnil was drop-dead gorgeous. The 1995 Clos du Mesnil was simply awesome.
A sweet, layered bouquet melded into a core of pure fruit that was a beauty to
behold. A powerful Clos de Mesnil, the 1995 came across as a superb white
Burgundy with bubbles. This bottle in particular was one of the finest –
perhaps the finest – I have ever tasted. The 1996 Clos du Mesnil was a bit shy on this night. Still, it
gradually emerged to reveal a finely-knit fabric of profound elegance. This
fine, sculpted Champagne remains one of the most exquisite wines made in this
historic vintage.

Food:

Black truffle fettuccine

Lobster risotto

Seared tuna loin

Grilled vegetables &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Wine:

<table>
 <tbody><tr>
 <td>
 1964&nbsp;&nbsp; Philipponnat
 Clos des Goisses (magnum, disgorged 2000)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 </td>
 <td>
 92
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1966&nbsp;&nbsp; Philipponnat
 Clos des Goisses (magnum, disgorged 2003)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 </td>
 <td>
 94
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1990&nbsp;&nbsp; Philipponnat
 Clos des Goisses&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 </td>
 <td>
 94
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1964&nbsp;&nbsp; Dom Pérignon&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 </td>
 <td>
 96
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1988&nbsp;&nbsp; Dom Pérignon
 (magnum)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 </td>
 <td>
 94
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1995&nbsp;&nbsp; Dom Pérignon
 (jeroboam)
 </td>
 <td>
 96
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1996&nbsp;&nbsp; Krug Vintage&nbsp; 
 </td>
 <td>
 98
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1990&nbsp;&nbsp; Krug Vintage&nbsp; 
 </td>
 <td>
 94
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1964&nbsp;&nbsp; Krug
 Collection&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 </td>
 <td>
 90
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1969&nbsp;&nbsp; Krug
 Collection&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 </td>
 <td>
 91
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1979&nbsp;&nbsp; Krug
 Collection&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 </td>
 <td>
 96
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1979&nbsp;&nbsp; Krug Clos du
 Mesnil&nbsp; 
 </td>
 <td>
 ?
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1985&nbsp;&nbsp; Krug Clos du
 Mesnil&nbsp; 
 </td>
 <td>
 96
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1995&nbsp;&nbsp; Krug Clos du
 Mesnil&nbsp; 
 </td>
 <td>
 94
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1996&nbsp;&nbsp; Krug Clos du
 Mesnil&nbsp; 
 </td>
 <td>
 99
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1989&nbsp;&nbsp; Taittinger
 Comtes de Champagne&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 </td>
 <td>
 94
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1990&nbsp;&nbsp; Taittinger
 Comtes de Champagne (magnum)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 </td>
 <td>
 94
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1996&nbsp;&nbsp; Billecart-Salmon
 Clos Sainte-Hilaire&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 </td>
 <td>
 96
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1990&nbsp;&nbsp; Billecart-Salmon
 Cuvée Nicolas François Billecart&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 </td>
 <td>
 94
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1999&nbsp;&nbsp; Jacques
 Selosse Brut 
 </td>
 <td>
 97
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1928&nbsp;&nbsp; Pommery
 (magnum) 
 </td>
 <td>
 92
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1926&nbsp;&nbsp; Bollinger
 (jeroboam)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 </td>
 <td>
 ?
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1989&nbsp;&nbsp; Domaine J.-F.
 Coche-Dury Meursault Rougeots&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 </td>
 <td>
 94
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1945&nbsp;&nbsp; Lafleur
 (magnum)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 </td>
 <td>
 ?
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1955&nbsp;&nbsp; Lafleur
 (magnum)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 </td>
 <td>
 92
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1929&nbsp;&nbsp; Rausan-Ségla
 (magnum)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 </td>
 <td>
 93
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1969&nbsp;&nbsp; Domaine Armand
 Rousseau Clos de La Roche&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 </td>
 <td>
 92
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1961&nbsp;&nbsp; La Mission
 Haut-Brion&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 </td>
 <td>
 98
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1962&nbsp;&nbsp; Vega-Sicilia
 Único (magnum)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 </td>
 <td>
 96
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1961&nbsp;&nbsp; Pétrus
 (magnum)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 </td>
 <td>
 95
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1996&nbsp;&nbsp; Palmer
 (magnum)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 </td>
 <td>
 94
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1985&nbsp;&nbsp; Bartolo
 Mascarello Barolo (magnum)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 </td>
 <td>
 94
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1989&nbsp;&nbsp; Bartolo
 Mascarello Barolo (magnum)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 </td>
 <td>
 96
 </td>
 </tr>
</tbody></table>

[Photo and credit:&nbsp;Grissini, New Jersey] &nbsp;--Antonio Galloni

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