Another wonderful meal at this casual Italian bistro included excellent food. The wine of the night was the fully mature 1978 Villa Mt. Eden Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, which was in great condition. It exhibited a dense plum/garnet color with some lightening at the edge as well as beautiful aromas of crème de cassis, damp earth and spice box. Full, thick, rich, and unlikely to get much better, this brilliant 1978 was made by Nils Venge 34 years ago. The 1996 Screaming Eagle seemed monolithic compared to the Villa Mt. Eden, although it is certainly outstanding.

The 2001 Verité La Muse tasted like a two-year-old wine. Potentially fabulous, but in need of at least 5-7 years, this wine should be forgotten for now. The 2009 La Tour Martillac Blanc still exhibits some youthful oak, but the honeyed melon, quince and lemongrass characteristics are impressive.