We started with shrimp cocktail and some of my home made 2006 Sparkling Chardonnay. This was followed by red pepper & green onion consommé and two more of my wines; 2007 oak aged Chardonnay and 2009 Pinot Noir. I had asked my son Andy to open those bottles and in the process, he knocked the Lafite off the counter and it bounced on the floor, but remained intact. So much for standing the bottle upright for 3 days prior. After allowing the bottle to re-settle for 15 minutes, I opened the Lafite. The capsule was slightly puffed up on the top (my three remaining bottles are still tight) and I removed it completely and wiped down the neck and cork, which had been raised above the neck about 1/16 of an inch. The cork came out smoothly, intact and damp. I chose to not decant, but pour carefully from the bottle for fear of too much exposure to air. This was served with Boeuf Bourguignonne, buttered & parsleyed potatoes, green beans and home made French bread (I used 2 parts unbleached flour and 1 part Tipo 00 flour – nice chewiness). We all raised our glasses to Janet. Very deep clear garnet color, no browning at all. The generous aroma was captivating and very complex. Hints of saddle leather, cigar box and spices. The finish was pure velvet – soft integrated tannins and it seemed to go on forever.
Over dinner, I explained to my 92-year old mother-in-law the story behind our wine and mentioned that the wine would probably be selling for $300 per bottle. “Wow!” she said. “I’ve never had a $300 wine before. Can I have another glass?” She repeated that a bit later.
Finally, I poured the dregs into my glass and slowly rotated the glass so the sediment would remain behind in the glass, and then, it was all gone. I had some dessert wines on deck, but everyone was happy to sip the other opened wines and finish with coffee and Key lime pie. It was a memorable dinner and the Lafite was wonderful.
