Dinner in Piermont

We had dinner Saturday evening at Xaviar's of Piermont. As the wine list was a bit expensive, we brought a bottle of 1994 Haut Brion.

While the food was inconsistent; some of the dishes were brilliant, some were plain, other were just weird, the service was excellent and the place just as romantic as I expected.

The wine itself is easily my favorite 1994 Bordeaux. Gorgeous nose of cassis and berries, ruby color, taste of earth and cassis, I don't get the usual Graves minerality, but the tannins are not all resolved now and the fruit is still a few years away from its best showing. No need to rush and open this.

Thanks for the TN and reference point. I have the Haut Brion and LMHB and was wondering if they were getting ready. Only have 4 bottles of each so guess I will wait a few more years.
Walt

Thanks for notes. I like the '94 HB, when we did a vertical at Cathleen's I thought it did well considering it sells for less than half of most vintages we tasted.

Glad restaurant was romantic, sorry food was inconsistent. Wonder if there is a staff drain with Peter Kelly and I'm sure some of his old-timers at the new place in Yonkers.

Thanks for the TN and reference point. I have the Haut Brion and LMHB and was wondering if they were getting ready. Only have 4 bottles of each so guess I will wait a few more years.
Walt

Walt, I also like the LMHB, I have a few bottles remaining. Both are really good and much more approachable than anything else I've had from 1994.

Wonder if there is a staff drain with Peter Kelly and I'm sure some of his old-timers at the new place in Yonkers.

I doubt it Dale, I think the techniques were spot on, the flavors between some components seemed to clash. Morels accompanying the sweetbreads were sweet from some unidentified sauce, hamachi with some tart slice of green apple (or was it pear?) with a wasabi (maybe) foam. Others may like it better, I just like simple focused flavors.

Thanks for the TN and reference point. I have the Haut Brion and LMHB and was wondering if they were getting ready. Only have 4 bottles of each so guess I will wait a few more years.
Walt

Walt, I also like the LMHB, I have a few bottles remaining. Both are really good and much more approachable than anything else I've had from 1994.

Interesting about '94 Graves. I do not consider '94 an approachable year, more classic and siimilar to '88. Many times I have heard that Graves is approachable in this year but my experience is that other regions are not yet at their prime.
Walt