Dinner with Gil B @ Châteauneuf-du-Salil, Albany, NY 8/23/2025
Gil Bauer came over to Salil's for dinner. Jared and Salil's friend Zack joined in.
Gil brought some great cheese and bread. Salil made his famous chicken thighs.
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Flight 1: Starters
With three cheeses: Jasper Hill Farm Harbison (the soft one, top),
Jasper Hill Farm Bayley Hazen blue cheese,
and Idiazabal (a Spanish Basque sheep's milk cheese), with
Berkshire Mountain Bakery Cherry Pecan bread all brought by Gil.
2008 Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Himmelreich Riesling Spätlese Anrecht -
Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
[Pop & pour around 5pm. Tasted about 6pm.] Lovely nose of brown sugar with a hint
of botrytis. For me, this is too sweet to start a meal. Seems more like an Auslese.
But it is a delicious wine. (93 points)
2012 Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Schlossberg Riesling 'Schmitt' -
Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
[Pop & pour around 5pm. Tasted about 6pm.] Light, sweet nose.
Not quite as sweet as the 2008 Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Himmelreich Riesling
Spätlese Anrecht that I had before this.
Too sweet for a starter, but a very tasty wine. (92 points)
There was also a N.V. Étienne Calsac Champagne Blanc de Blancs
L'échappée Belle which I did not try.
Jared decants the 1970 Pichon Baron, while Gil watches:
Flight 2: Château Pichon-Longueville Baron
With Salil's famous chicken thighs with carrots, cauliflower, and wild rice.
1970 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron -
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
[Decanted shortly before serving.] Lovely mature nose of dried red fruit and cedar.
Fully mature, maybe past prime. A little too sour on the finish.
(88 points)
1988 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron -
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
[Decanted around 4:30pm. Tasted around 7pm.] A ripe red current nose.
Big and rich in the mouth. Lovely red fruit with a hint of licorice and spice.
The fruit covers the tannins here easily, unlike many 88s I've had before.
Yummy now, but no rush to drink. (94 points)
Flight 3: Château Lynch-Bages
With Salil's famous chicken thighs with carrots, cauliflower, and wild rice.
1985 Château Lynch-Bages - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
[Double-decanted about 4pm. Tasted about 6pm.] Slightly grassy red fruit in the nose.
Beautiful red and black fruit in the mouth as the wine continues to open up in the glass. Over time it shows all kinds of subtle nuances and spices. Probably at its peak.
(94 points)
2000 Château Lynch-Bages - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
[Double-decanted around 2pm. Tasted around 7pm.] Aging very slowly.
A rich, complete Lynch-Bages. Jammy black fruit. Rich and elegant.
Unless you have a lot, I would wait a few more years before opening one of these.
(94–95 points)
Flight 4: Giacosa Barolo
With more of Salil's famous chicken thighs with carrots, cauliflower, and wild rice.
1993 Bruno Giacosa Barolo - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
[Double-decanted about 4pm. Tasted about 7:30pm.] Muted nose of juicy red fruit.
Still showing more tannin than fruit. Sour cherry on the finish.
Disappointing. (86 points)
Flight 5: Dessert
With Salil's fabulous cardamom-pistachio tres leches cake and the blue cheese and bread.
2002 Joh. Jos. Christoffel Erben Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Eiswein -
Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
[Pop & pour.] Subtle honey and brown sugar in the nose. Exquisite in the mouth.
Long complex finish. A great match with the Bayley Hazen blue cheese from
Jasper Hill Farm on Berkshire Mountain Bakery Cherry Pecan bread.
I wish I could drink this all night. (97 points)
Salil is excited about the Eiswein:
Conclusion
It was fun seeing Gil and the whole group. Great wine, food, and company.
