Eli organized a dinner at On20 themed around magnums. Fortunately we managed to enjoy a leisurely dinner and get out safely before the snowstorm got bad. A really fun evening with great company, food and wines in a lovely setting - I was really impressed by On20, and the ten course tasting menu was for the most part fantastic. (Notable highlights were the mini pulled pork buns, the veal tongue and cheek, and some really great desserts.)
The wines were excellent across the board - everything from magnum bar the starting 05 Spätlese (the 08 was in mag) and the Sauternes at the end which were from 750s.
2005 Schäfer-Fröhlich Bockenauer Felseneck Riesling Spätlese
From 750, opened as a casual starter before the food. Starts out a little tight at first, but really blossoms with about 15 minutes of air, showing bright peaches, red fruits and exotic floral elements with a mineral character underneath that keeps expanding with air. Fantastic focus and length.
NV Krug Champagne Grande Cuvée Brut
From magnum, older disgorgement (didn't catch the date, though Jed said this bottle had been around for several years). Quite developed in its flavour profile with pear and white fruits layered with biscuit, toasted almond and hazelnut notes with the fruit gaining in depth and freshness as it saw more air.
1993 Trimbach Riesling Cuvée Frédéric Emile
Fantastic stuff with beautiful mature smoky, honeyed and truffle flavours combining seamlessly with ripe citrus and pear. Amazing balance with plenty of richness and depth and a spine of bright acidity keeping it very fresh and lively.
2008 Schäfer-Fröhlich Bockenauer Felseneck Riesling Spätlese
Really primary and packed with incredibly fresh, ripe fruit ranging from cherries and mandarin orange to more classic apple and lime flavours, and bright floral and minerally notes emerging with some air. Very rich and sweet, but there's really bright acidity underneath keeping it very fresh and balanced. Really impressive - I need to find more of this.
1999 Château Monbousquet
Packed with dark fruits, black cherry and cassis flavours accented by earth, dark chocolate and coffee with the oak well integrated and not at all obtrusive. Really plush and polished in the mouth, very enjoyable.
1994 Karl Lawrence Cabernet Sauvignon
Interesting aromatics with ripe dark fruits mingled with tar, herbal elements, coconut and pine cones. Very plush in its mouthfeel, a little soft for my liking without much acidity or definition, but very enjoyable with the lamb.
1981 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Crazy, funky aromatics with all sorts of animal and meaty notes, musk, earth and red fruits with a little volatile acidity. Medium bodied in the mouth with a silky texture, tannins mostly resolved and layers of red fruits, earth, leather and meaty elements. Certainly a little extreme, but I quite enjoyed this.
1978 Château Langoa Barton
Really lovely, the red wine of the night for the majority of the table. Classic developed Bordeaux flavours; cedar, leather, tobacco and graphite over a core of red and dark fruits that still seem quite fresh and lively, silken and really finessed in the mouth with a lightness of touch but real presence and depth. Fantastic.
1997 Château Climens
From 750 again. I'm not a huge Sauternes fan in general but I really loved this; pineapples, apricot and peaches drenched in honey, brown sugar and spices with touches of orange blossom, really rich and velvety in the mouth and very long.