End Of Year- Best of Year 2006

It was pretty much non-stop --the partying and the plethora of fine wines sampled Christmas through New Year. I cooked the New Year's Dinner with the assistance of Gail Dobish and this what we came up with along with wines served:

Appetizer Course: "Beggar's Purses" with Osetra Caviar
1996 Tattinger Comtes De Champagne Blanc de Blancs---outstanding with verve and class. Simply enchanting. (95)
1990 Dom Perignon: Excellent but a little flat compared to the Tats---amazingly about 8 oz of wine which had been stuck in the fridge without cork for 2 days showed plenty of pettillance and was even more delicious without any hint of oxidation. Bodes well for the aging of this champagne. (92-96 )

First Course: Salmon with Provencal Vegetables (Ratatouille)
2002 Meursault Perrieres (Michel Gaunoux) ---Lemony and loaded with minerality but young viney character (my guess) leaves it without much depth. Merely good. (88-89 )
2002 Meursault Geneverieres (Latour-Giraud) Much deeper in color and flavor; solid wine, perhaps lacking a touch of finesse, with a robust and round finish. Very good and may surprise on the upside (89-92 )

Second Course: Gnocchi w Lobster & Royal Trumpet Mushrooms in a Coconut-Curry Sauce
1992 Puligny Montrachet (? ): Rich nose ; full and broad but ultimately alcoholic and short on depth. Not bad , but much more was expected. Drink up. (88)
1992 Chevalier Montrachet (Michel Colin): Subdued but discreetly botrytized nose; finely etched fruit, persistent middle and finish. If not thoroughly exciting it still shows a lot of class and restraint. Almost classic Grand Cru Burgundy except for the Barsac-like nose . Better drink now rather than in 3-4 years.

A Trou "Whatever": Sorbet of Chartreuse and Grappa (Levy's Christmas Blend)
Comment: A teaspoon of intensity like you have never experienced

Third Course: Fettuccini with White Truffle Butter (An excuse to drink more wine)
2000 Barbaresco Asili (Produttori) Aromatically sound and interesting but , even though decanted 2 hours prior, it had little going on the palate and was simply dull. Properly tannic at this stage it is still unexciting. Have tasted the 2000 Produttori wines several times with little to recommend. The 1999's, on the other hand, were excellent. And this wine was my contribution to the dinner!! (86)

Fourth Course: Chestnut Soup with Duck Leg Confit
2002 Charmes Chambertin (Laurent): Rich color; dense and full nose with exciting hints of truffles and earth; solid palate, a solidity which is mainstream and not that of a Grand Cru. Has immense extract and sweet fruit extract but somehow missing the magic of a fine terror driven wine. Chunky, but still burgundy and not some indifferent clunky pinot noir (89)

Fifth Course: Rack of Lamb. Turmeric Scented Potatoes and Haricot Verts