----------------Corsair Madness---------------

Murphy was in town. What better reason than to schedule a 'planning'
session for the annual 'Butte Creek' gathering.  Murph, Shawn, Chip,
John, DrBob, and Hans convened the Corsair.  Magic was to happen.
Each was to bring -only the best-.  Hans would lend his chef-Dan.
Here's the story.

Murph, ever the jokester, had arranged John to bring a couple of 
empty bottles, which we'd put a couple of dregs in, and say to
Warren, 'look what you missed coming late'!!  '55 Lafite, and 
'21 Montrose.  Well, Warren came early, and the subterfuge was
tough.  He almost bought it.  Well, on to the dinner.

Murph arranged a 'reception' wine as everyone entered.  All thought
it mid-80's, good French Burgundy. Shawn declared it '71, probably
Leroy, Nuit-St. Georges.  Oof.  He was -right on-.  Remember, Shawn
was declared the 'best nose in Alaska' in the Daily Snooze article
'The days of wine and noses'. It was all down hill from there.

On to dinner. A bottle appeared, in bag, clearly a French one.
All guessed it as French Burgundy, white, Hans said Corton,
others Batard. The unveiling: DRC Montrachet.  Woof. BUT: It was
Kistler, THE Kistler vineyard, and a great California.  Oops.

The pate arrives, served with capers and onions.  Flying-fish-eggs
in sushi.  Oysters on the half-shell.  Wine (1) is fabulous, guessed
as '93 DRC.  It's '92 DRC Eschezeaux.  Hans says, 'well, I'll stop
serving it to the people I don't like!'  Wine (2) is much better.
Guessed as Richebourg, DRC.  It's '93 Eschezeaux DRC.  Not bad.

Salmon poached in cream, with herb-butter sauce.  Melted in the
mouth.  Wine (1) was declared 'prunes, over-ripe, not great' by
Warren.  It was his wine, '86 Richebourg Meo-Camuzet.  Lots of
harrumph.  Wine (2) was pronounced by Shawn as 'definitely California',
and was lighter than the '93 Eschezeaux, and turned out to be
the DRC '93 Richebourg.  Much discussion.  How could the Eschezeaux
be -so much- stronger a wine than the Richebourg???

Intermezzo.  A -black- decanter arrived.  Cinnamon, Cloves, intense.
This was an anomaly.  THIS wine was better than the DRC's.  It 
clearly transcended pinot.  It stood by itself.  All pronounced it
a -wax-capsule-demon- from Mme. Leroy, and it was: the '90 Leroy
Richebourg.  The -wine- of the evening. $600/the bottle, IF you
can find it.  And, it's worth it.

Quail arrived.  Stuffed with infusions of peppers and leeks; the
thyme jumping out of the mouth.  And, a wine to match: spicy, earthy,
BIG, with incredible depth.  Guessed as '85 or '90.  Turned out to
be the '70 Montrose.  Heavy sediment.  Wine for the next decade.
Bordeaux at it's -best-.  Some Burgundy-drinkers were re-considering
their best wine experiences as Bordeaux.  From Chip.

Veal tenderloin with Oregon truffles.  Wines kept coming. The folks who
brought wine knew they brought Pomerol, but didn't know others did, too.
'78 Vieux Chateaux Certain was guessed younger, as it tasted.  BUT, then,
what do we know.

Rack of Lamb with morels.  A -major- dish from chef-Dan. And, '90
Vieux Chateaux Certain (surprise!) was big and earthy.  Wonderful.
Nice to compare two vintages of the same wine; the '78 nice and soft,
(Hans had taken it off the list because it was -too big-!!--> big
change!!) and the '90, enormous, round, plummy, full of spice.

Five cheeses, brie, blue, and others.  And, a -really- chewy wine.
Of course, guessed as Pomerol, '89 Les Croix Des Gay; a -rare- find.

White wine arrives.  Sniff.  Reisling.  Goldon color. Some said '71,
most '76.  ??BA. ?TBA?  Finally, Warren brings something good. 
Bernkastler Doctor, Auslese '76.  Major German. -Lots- of fruit.
Goes well with the Cherries Jubilee.

Not bad for a planning session.  The bottles, the dead soldiers, 
line up for the occasion. Murph outlines plans for a Chambertin
vertical and 'over 40' vintages of Cheval-Blanc. 

It's -nice- to be a wine snob.