OK, so it's been a good wine week but I have to either get to the gym (not my first choice) or my new skates have to arrive so I can get on the ice and burn some calories, or I am going to have to fast until Christmas! Last nights dinner at the Mockingbird Cafe in Basking Ridge (Tom and Kathy West who had the Limestone Cafe for years in Peapack/Gladstone now own it) was truly amazing. Food was great - perfect with the wines, understated, nicely prepared and presented, complimenting perfectly without upstaging at all. But as good as the food was, the spotlight was on the wine. I daresay it will be a while before this casual neighborhood Bistro sees the likes of what we drank again. Here is the line-up believe it or not!

Corton Charlemagne 2000, Bouchard Pere et Fils - Lovely, solid and complex, just beginning to develop some bottle age characteristics. Delicious now, even better with 4-6 more years my guess.

Fontaine Gagnard Batard Montrachet 2004 - Way too young, a great wine that has lost its initial tight, linear and closed in character but is still all primary. Beautiful definition, balance, and harmony with all the parts in the right places. Needs 7-10 more years is my guess to really develop its full potential. Would love to be around to try it then!

Dom Perigon 1985 - Medium straw gold and just a hint of amber. Lovely nutty nose, fullish, mouthfilling - dryish and showing some age, this has been cellared here rather than held and late disgorged at the winery. A bit more evolved than those examples but still a complex, lovely old bubbly!

Joslyn Napa Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 - Poor wine! Totally unfair in this mixed company - solid new world dark fruits, sweet oak, good depth, plush, supple and approachable. Outclassed tonight but a very nice wine in its own right.

Cheval Blanc 1949 - Drinking Cheval in almost any vintage is a pretty good time, but to have this benchmark wine was really a treat! Still very fresh, dark earth and plum, mature notes, with tea and smoke. Seamless and silky on the palate, it actually kept filling out and putting on weight as it aired in the glass. Beautiful, elegant and fine. A great experience!

Mouton Rothschild 1966 - No doubt over-achiever of the evening, this was solid, dark and brooding with earth tones - the word merde was thrown around, but duly noted it was good merde! Classic Mouton cedar and cassis, #2 pencil! Solid, still fresh, in great condition and a powerful delicious wine.

Chateau Latour 1982 - Solid and dark still in color, big boned, lovely concentrated, dark earth tones, hints of cedar, earth. Complex, layered, long and drinking beautifully. At some point in time the superlatives become superfluous - let's just say these last few were all monumentally great wines and forgoe arguing about which is best - all great!

Chateau Climens Haut Barsac 1959 -  Evolved nose of Creme Brulee, caramel; mid weight, classy and fine on the entry with moderate sweetness and good flavors - finishing drier and very long. Balanced, not quite delicate but reserved in style - very pretty and drinking very well. 

Warres Port 1970 - A bit spirity on the nose, certainly mature but still holding very well. A fairly dryish style, mid weight, lovely Port and a great way to end the evening!

Thanks all for a great evening, great wines and especially to Chip for digging deep and providing some truly great wines! Let's do it again!