Another sensational free for all in wine and dim sum at Mark’s (who make the finest dumplings in North America), we started with a bevy of whites led by the brilliant Krug 100% Chardonnay Champagne, the 1996 Clos du Mesnil. This wine is still tight and backward, but exceptionally promising. Owners should hold it for a couple of more years, and consume it over the following 10-15. We then moved to a relatively so-so flight of three Chablis from Louis Michel, one of my favorite producers in the stainless steel style. The 2005 La Foret was corked. The 2005 Vaudesir was good, but it lacked concentration. It is best drunk up as it is already evolved. The finest of this trio is the 2005 Le Clos, which revealed more honeyed citrus and minerality. However, for a grand cru, it lacked the concentration and depth one would expect from a top vintage and a great site. The last white as an oily, and somewhat out of place, 1995 Chapoutier Ermitage Cuvée l’Orée. It has emerged from its funky stage, and is full-bodied and powerful, but perhaps misplaced after the delicate, under-concentrated Chablis.

The first red, the 2005 SQN Pinot Noir Over and Out, was corked. The Chapoutier 2000 Terra d’Or was tannic and backward. At age eight, it is either totally closed down, or is beginning to drop some fruit, which may not be a good sign for a wine from this appellation. A stunning Mourvèdre-based cuvée from the south of France included the 1998 Domaine Tempier Bandol Migoua, a rich, complex effort that may be controversial given the essence of tree bark, fresh mushroom, blackberry, and earthy notes. Full, rich, layered, and impressively endowed, it should age for another 10-15 years. Even more impressive was the 2005 Mas Blanc Junquets, from the under the radar, but fabulous appellation of Collioure. This was a sensational, full-bodied, concentrated, powerful wine that needs another 2-3 years of bottle age. It should keep for 15 or more years. Mas Blanc’s 2005 Collioure Clos Moulin was less impressive. While outstanding, it had the misfortune of being sandwiched between the Junquets and the Tempier.

We then moved to a closed, backward, but exceptionally promising 2001 Pertimali Brunello di Montelcino Riserva. Brunello is often over-rated, over-priced, and often does not live up to its potential, but I love Pertimali, and I have been buying his wines since 1983. This beauty should turn out to be something special with another 3-5 years of cellaring. The 2005 Cyclo from Ribera del Duero was shockingly good. It is a gorgeous Spanish wine boasting great purity, depth, richness, and intensity. In total contrast was one of my last bottles of the 1977 Bodegas Weinert Malbec. This has always been one of the historic wines of Argentina, and at age 31, it continues to strut its stuff. Possessing the complexity of a first or second growth Bordeaux, wonderful freshness, depth, and ripeness, it offers earthy, spicy, complex fruit in a full-bodied style.

Next came two New World reds, including a fine 2005 Audelssa Summit Proprietary Red (a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot). The red of the day was the 1998 Fox Creek Shiraz Reserve. One of the first wines made by Sarah and Sparky Marquis, I remember it as being an almost too extracted, too rich, too intense, blockbuster fruit bomb when it was released. However, it has calmed down considerably and is much more restrained as its baby fat has fallen away. It possesses a character reminiscent of a Hermitage from a ripe vintage. This still young wine is developing beautifully, and is much more restrained, elegant, and civilized than it was earlier. It is another example of why these big Aussies are completely different once their baby fat falls away. The Fox Creek has 15-20 years of longevity ahead of it.

We finished with a slightly sweet, beautifully pure, very young, fresh 1989 Richter Riesling Spätlese Wehlener Sonnenuhr. This wine could have been two or three years old given how pristine and fresh it was.