So last night I invited a dozen friends and family to join Betsy,
Dave, and I to celebrate Betsy's 50th. Her favorite small Japanese
restaurant (Nishi in Ardsley) gave us the main wing of their L shaped
room (8 Japanese businessmen took the little wing), and provided a
truly excellent meal. Food was fabulous, service amazing (the husband
cooks, the wife serves), company perfect (Betsy had a magic wand to
move people around, so everyone got to talk to everyone). I had just
suggested to Hiromi a few favorites and given a budget, I've forgotten
some courses but some included:
appetizer plate with crab legs, gyoza, edamame, and tamago
miso soup
tempura
green salad
pickles
sashimi (I think there was also a negimaki for the one non-seafood
eater)
ankimo
duck
chicken tatsuta
sushi
Other than soup and salad, everything was on communal plates, placed
every 4 people; each was perfect visually as well as from a taste
standpoint. They had set up several tables to side so I could do the
wine service. I tried to bring an assortment of wines that reflected
something special for Betsy (mostly by vintage, although incredibly in
one of my vinuous rethinkings I somehow left out our marriage year!).
Maybe it was the warmth of the occasion, but everything actually
showed very well.

2004 Pinon Vouvray Brut (magnum)
I should have bought more of these. Citrus fruit over fresh baked
bread, a huge hit as the greeting wine. B+

2007 Jakob Schneider Niederhauser Hermannshohle Riesling
Glass stopper. Lovely midweight, peach and strawberry fruit, sweetness
balanced by acids, good length. B+/A-

2000 Williams-Selyem "Hawk Hill" Chardonnay (RRV)
First sip I thought this woody and awful, probably because of having
the off-dry Riesling as previous wine. But when I revisited it was
much improved, light oak notes framing a apple meets lemon Chard
profile. Not buttery at all, decent acids. B

2000 Nigl "Privat" Senftenberger Piri Riesling
Fully mature, nice version of dry Riesling with stony minerality, a
gingery spiciness, a little hint of petrol. B/B+

1997 Havens Reserve Merlot (magnum)
Pretty funky at first opening, but that settled in a mild barnyardy
brett edge that I didn't mind at all. Lush, red plums and black
cherries, balanced acidity, mostly resolved tannins. Drinking pretty
well from magnum, but if I had 750s I'd drink up. B+

1959 Moulin Touchais
I think of ankimo as the foie gras of seafood, so had asked for it to
be included. The ankimo and sweet Loire were a good match. As to the
wine, a real winner. Wooly nose (as often is the case with chenin, for
a second I thought this was corked when opened, but actually no trace
of TCA), fresh and vibrant, no hint this was 50 years old. Moderate
sweetness, zippy acids, ripe pit fruits with citrus zest. Finish goes
on and on. Complex, lively, and lovely. A

1988 Drouhin Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru
Opened but not decanted several hours in advance. Tight at first, but
in glass opens up nicely, sweet black cherries, espresso, forest
floor. Some tannins still, good acidity, good length. B+/A-

1999 Ch. Leoville Poyferre
Cassis, cedar, a little mocha. Nice modern styled Bordeaux, and some
people's wine of the night. B+

1959 Ch. Talbot
So do you decant a 50 year old wine? I should have delivered to
restaurant a week earlier, but I didn't. So decided for sediment's
sake to double decant just before leaving for restaurant. Very funky,
but I'm relieved not corked or cooked. Served about 3 hours later,
it's still got some Cordier funk (even though Talbot wasn't Cordier
yet), but a solid body of blackcurrant and black plum fruit holds it
up well. Every time I have a serious 59 Bdx I'm amazed at freshness/
vibrancy of fruit. Resolved tannins, to be picky this isn't very long,
but it is quite tasty. A winner! A-

David works at what is probably southern Westchester's top bakery, and
brought a beautiful cake (with basset hound, cello, and knitting
basket). I don't eat dessert, but had the 1959 Caillou Creme de Tete
Sauternes. A re-release from a few years ago. Fairly deep reddish gold
color, but doesn't taste oxidized at all. Pleasant midbodied sticky, a
tad low acid, apricot and honey. Glad to have another birthyear wine
to share with Betsy's friends, and it's sound, but not really complex
and if you take out the birthyear factr a poor value (unlike the 59
Talbot, Moulin Touchais, and Ygay, all of which I'd buy again without
sentimental reasons). B

Not a bad wine in the bunch, but more importantly Betsy was happy
with her friends.

Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an
excellent*wine, B a good wine, C mediocre. Anything below C means I
wouldn't*drink at a party where it was only choice. Furthermore, I
offer no*promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of
consistency.**