Veuve Clicquot Retrospective at Marea

What starts as a simple dinner&nbsp;to taste a few vintages of
Veuve Clicquot’s Grande Dame somehow morphs into a large retrospective back to
1928. As is always the case with tastings such as this one, some wines don't
live up to expectations for various reasons, most of them likely related to
provenance. But those that do, well, they are spectacular.

<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1449334717686-2014-05-14+18.06.10+%281%29.jpg"> 

Seared langoustine

Our tasting group convenes at Marea, where Chef/Proprietor
Michael White has prepared a dazzling menu to go with the wines. The crudo
tasting is fabulous, as it often is here.&nbsp;Marea’s seared langoustine, prepared
as simply as possible, smells and tastes like it has just come out of the
ocean. White has proven time and again he has the magic touch when it comes to
creating divine pasta dishes. The garganelli with diver scallops, sturgeon
caviar and crème fraiche is absolutely delicious.&nbsp;I am less thrilled with the glazed Alaskan
halibut main course, as the fish is a bit too heavy for my taste. 

<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1449334727133-2014-05-14+18.34.38.jpg"> 

Garganelli with diver
scallops, sturgeon caviar and crème fraiche

As always, Wine Director Francesco Grosso takes care of the
wines with his usual effortless grace. Grosso is the rare sommelier you
never notice because he takes care of&nbsp;every detail&nbsp;before you can even think to ask. Anticipation. It’s one of the things that separates the true pros from the rest of the&nbsp;pack.

<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1449334738672-2014-05-14+17.53.08.jpg"> 

The evening starts
with wines from the 1960s

A number of wines show beautifully. As much as I enjoy older
Champagnes, I always want to see at least some life and vitality. The ability
for wines to age while retaining freshness is one of the things that elevates
the best Champagnes into the stratosphere.&nbsp;Among the early vintages, the 1953 and 1962 Brut are both
remarkable for their intensity and the grace with which they have aged.&nbsp;The 1961, tasted from magnum, isn’t too far
behind. From a purely historical perspective the 1928 Brut is fascinating to follow. It is clearly past peak, but utterly beguiling just the same.&nbsp;The 1969 Rosé is truly off the charts. What a wine! Some&nbsp;of the other vintages from the 1960s&nbsp;are a bit too evolved for my taste and past the point
where I find true pleasure.<a target="_blank" href="http://vinous.com/wines?wine_filter%5Barticle_id%5D=1260&amp;sort%5Bdirection%5D=asc&amp;sort%5Bname%5D=id">See all the wines in
the order tasted</a>&nbsp; 

The Grande Dames from the 1970s are stellar. Where to start?
At times the 1976, with its sheer power, seems the most compelling of these wines. But the
1975 is a touch fresher and more finessed. The 1979 stands out for its compelling
aromatics. Another powerful wine, the1973 is also quite intense in style, like the 1976, but
not quite as complete or finessed. Over the course of several hours the wines continue evolve, as great wines do, providing remarkable insight into the key vintages of one of the all-time great decades for Champagne.<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1449334747489-Bottles2.jpg"> 

Two Champagnes from&nbsp;Veuve&nbsp;Clicquot’s&nbsp;late-release Cave Privée program
round out the night. The 1990 Cave Privée Rosé is striking for its perfume,
silkiness and exceptional balance. Few things can top a fine, aged Rosé, and&nbsp;1990 is all finesse.

A few reds follow with the last courses, but I prefer to
concentrate on the Champagnes, as there are a number of glasses on the table
that deserve time and attention. Once again, I am reminded of how exquisite
Champagne can be with bottle age. What a pleasure it is to follow these
gorgeous Champagnes over the course of several hours with a small group of
friends.<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1449334756533-Cover.jpg"> 

You Might Also Enjoy<a target="_blank" href="http://vinous.com/articles/cellar-favorites-1976-1979-krug-vintage-magnums-nov-2015">Cellar Favorites: 1976 &amp; 1979 Krug Vintage Magnums</a>, Antonio Galloni, Nov 2015<a target="_blank" href="http://vinous.com/articles/dom-perignon-2002-2006-oct-2015">Dom Pérignon: 2002-2006</a>, Antonio Galloni, Oct 2015<a target="_blank" href="http://www.vinousmedia.com/articles/roederer-cristal-rose-a-journey-through-time-1976-2007-may-2015">Roederer Cristal Rosé: A Journey Through Time 1976-2007</a>, Antonio Galloni, May 2015<a target="_blank" href="http://www.vinousmedia.com/articles/dom-perignon-a-rose-retrospective-1962-2004-may-2015">Dom Pérignon: A Rosé Retrospective: 1962-2004</a>, Antonio Galloni, May&nbsp;2015<a target="_blank" href="http://www.vinousmedia.com/articles/a-half-century-of-clos-des-goisses-1952-2004-mar-2015">A Half Century of Clos des Goisses: 1952-2004</a>, Antonio Galloni, March&nbsp;2015-- Antonio Galloni

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