At Thanksgiving, I always match the wines with the dressing my wife makes, which is quite spicy and peppery, so it is always Châteauneuf du Pape except for the obligatory white. Most of our guests love wine, but are not into it seriously. The first wine to disappear was the 2007 Reuling Chardonnay from Aubert. It continues to age beautifully, and may have even closed down a bit from where it was a year ago. The 2003 Clos des Papes continues to go from strength to strength. All the 2003s showed well, with perhaps a touch of heat damage to the Pégaü Cuvée da Capo. The cork was fine and the ullage level was normal, but the wine had a certain roasted character to it which I do not believe came from the vintage as there was some staining underneath the capsule. 

We had some sensational appetizers (I am not a big fan of turkey no matter how it is prepared). The Daniel Boulud smoked salmon, which I get from Brown Trading in Maine, is fabulous, and the Florida stone crabs, while super-expensive, are meaty and delicious. I love Kumamoto oysters, which I purchase from an aquatic farm in Washington State. About ten dozen of them cost $200, and frankly, I got tired of shucking after a while and abandoned them. The Turkey was heirloom and seemed tough and stringy. The dressing was superb, and that, along with sauerkraut and more sausage made my meal. It was a fun event with wonderful friends and family, and not a drop of wine was left. I thought the “wine of the day” was the 2007 Clos St. Jean Châteauneuf du Pape Deus Ex Machina, but I think most of my guests would have picked the Clos des Papes or the Reuling Chardonnay.