All I can say is that one of my favorite writers and gluttons, the late A. J. Liebling, would have been in awe of the food and wines that were consumed. This was the most magical culinary/vinous evening of my life, where every course was extraordinary and yet manageable, as hard to believe as that may sound to those reading this. That and the fact that every wine was singing — no corked bottles, no off bottles, no funkiness. As the scores attest, it was sublime. I am not going to comment on the wines, as I have written tasting notes on all of these, but I will say a couple of things. Anyone lucky enough to find a pristine bottle of the 1947 Le Gay will be in for one of the greatest drinking experiences of their life. It was hard to believe anything could surpass the 1959 Haut-Brion or 1961 Pétrus, both 100-point wines, but the 1947 Le Gay was even better, as hard as that is to believe. That said, the hallowed, once-in-a-lifetime perfection of this evening will be respected with no further comments.

I hope I live long enough to have another meal and wine pairing as I did with some of my best friends from France and a handful of dear friends from America. Here's the incredible menu, prepared by chef Daniel Boulud: