1982 Grand Puy Lacoste

25 Feb 2012: The deal was that Ken would do the cooking and I would supply the wines. So I got an abbreviated version of the menu in advance: lobster, linguine and lamb and 4 drinkers. I had totally not prepared for the endless dishes that kept appearing on the table: fresh crabmeat salad, oysters (Belon and Fine de Claire), mussels cooked in white wine, deep fried eel, linguine with crayfish, grilled lobster in a rich parmesan sauce, and finally 3 beautifully roasted racks of lamb - what a feast (I didn't quite count how many we were, but Ken's clan formed a majority!). I had decided that I would take a champagne, a white wine with fresh acidity, complexity and concentration, a red burgundy that would provide appealing red fruit complexity and approachability, as well as a 1982 Grand Puy Lacoste (Pauillac) to pair with the lamb.

Selosse Initial was the starter wine that I had prepared. Gorgeously oxidative nose of honey, ripe pear, grapefruit, marzipan, acacia, grilled nuts and shortbread, layered with chalky mineral and yeast. Creamy mousse and a very long finish, with a spicy kick at the back. Such a beautiful wine. Best paired with the rather savoury crabmeat and crab roe..... 17.5/20

The 2007 Hospices de Beaune Corton-Charlemagne Cuvée François de Salins was simply divine. A very sophisticated and elegant bouquet of citrus, lemon curd, smoke, gingery spice, just deftly complemented by some fruity aromas of melon and passion fruit. Need just a bit of time in the glass to achieve a more harmonised balance. Vibrant acidity balancing the lightly viscous texture. Finishes extremely long. Drinking so well now and for the next 10+ years. 18.5/20 (Though a gorgeous wine, not the best match with the rich parmesan sauce.....a Riesling Spatlese or an Alsatian Pinot Gris might have done a better job...)

Grilled lobster in rich parmesan sauce

I had not decanted the 1982 Grand Puy Lacoste, just had the cork removed. A little worried whether it would withstand a few hours even in this position, I thought we had better try it before the burgundy. Deep garnet. A very classic Pauillac nose of blueberry, blackberry, cedar, tobacco, cigar box and pot pourri, with some hint of liquorice. Silky texture, mellowed tannin, fresh acidity. Very very smooth, with a long long finish of almost 60 seconds. Very sophisticated and very classic. Beautiful now, and will drink at this peak for another 8 - 10 years. 18/20

The 2007 Hospices de Beaune Corton Grand Cru Cuvée Docteur Peste as every bit as I had remembered. In fact, most of us had preferred it in pairing with the lamb, as the wine still showed some ripe but firm tannin, and plenty of very refreshing red fruit (cherry and redcurrant) and spices, with gamey, leather and earthy notes slowing developing in the glass. Such a well-made wine and so easy to enjoy right now! 17/20



Perfectly cooked lamb rack- deliciously pink!

 Such a treat to have Ken and his sister cooking for all of us. I loved the creamy texture of the fine de claire and the salty tang of the belon.  The very plump mussels were from Australia.  The lobsters were cooked al dente (apparently he had steamed the claws a little in advance) - only I found the parmesan sauce a little rich and a little too intensely-flavoured, overwhelming the freshness of the lobster.  The lamb was perfectly cooked to a coral-pink colour.  That really was a feast!  It took me a good few hours to digest the food. Apparently, we had not quite exhausted Ken's repertoire this evening....I'll make sure to starve in preparation!