Saturday was one of the most epic wine dinners in my lifetime. All but the Champagne blind

1988 Jacquesson Signature Brut (mag)
Broad, toasty, ready to go. B

To table (with cheese and pates)
Blind White Flight #1
#1 Dark gold, lifted nose, nutty, our first guesses were old white Bordeaux, once Rioja was also dismissed I tried white Musar. Then Cathleen says “Northern Italian Mountain for the prize. Others liked more than I did.. 1998 Ronchi di Cialla Cialla Bianco (Friuli) B-

#2 Pale, petrol, grapefruit and orange zest, very long. We were guessing great vintage of CFE, close but no cigar. After John got CSH it took a while to get vintage. Really great bottle. 1979 Trimbach Clos Ste Hune, A-

White Flight #2
Group quickly gravitated to white Bordeaux, but it was the first one that folks thought HBB.
#1 Fresh, bright, still woody but beautifully balanced. John wondered if this somehow got more sulfur than usual, stunningly fresh for a rainy vintage.. 1984 Laville Haut Brion A-/B+
#2 Orange color, nutty, advanced but drinkable. 1984 Haut Brion Blanc C+, though actually helped by crab cakes to make it a B.

Delicious crab cakes with avocado and remoulade

Red Flight #1 (Burg glasses)
First wine was actually poured by itself (with instructions to use Burg glass), but when Sasha smells he says “I need to get my wine to match this one. “ Victor also immediately gets Syrah
#1) smoky slightly stemmy meaty/bacony , elegant red fruit. First guess Cote Rotie, once Cornas confirmed we debated producer. 1999 Verset Cornas A-/B+
#2 ) silky refined classic, Hermitage and Chave were guessed immediately by the better tasters (not me), 1991 Chave Hermitage A-/A

Red Flight #2 (Burg glasses)
Acids led to vintage . Took a moment to get producer, John got both wines
#1) High acids, lush redder fruit, meaty, young. 1996 Rousseau Clos St Jacques Gevrey-Chambertin 1er B+ with upside
#2) High acid, shut down, needs years, great bones underneath. 1996 Rousseau Chambertin B for drinking now, sure it will be a superstar

Red Flight #3 (told to use Bordeaux glasses)
Not my best night guessing, but at least I recognized my wine (VCC)
They quickly got Pomerol, chateau in couple guesses. On early end of maturity plateau, rich cassis and black plum, tobacco, woodsmoke, herbs. Long finish. 1983 Vieux Chateau Certan. A-/B+
Deep black currant, graphite, a bit tight and brooding. First guesses Pauillac. Needs time. 1985 Ducru-Beaucaillou (this is one of the recent reconditioned bottles, nice job). B+ with potential.

Red Flight #4 ( Bordeaux glasses)
You can sense the great wine underneath, but the 1971 La Mission Haut Brion is corked,
Wow, just a lovely elegant wine. Wow, Victor got wine and vintage so fast it was shocking. Black cherry, tobacco, cocoa. Not a powerhouse but an elegant thoroughbred. 1961 Beychevelle A- (stay tuned for flight 6)

Somewhere in here we got a lovely beef stew, with peas and barley.,

Red Flight #5 ( Bordeaux glasses)
Victor is on fire with guesses (after John immediately nails vintage for both). Red fruits, cigarbox, sandalwood. Lovely 1970 LA Fleur-Petrus A-/B+
I think I liked less than table, I thought a bit monolithic, still somewhat wrapped in structure 1970 Latour B/B+ from me, others liked much more

Red Flight #6 ( Bordeaux glasses)
Turns out Dan’s diabolical plan was flight 4 & 6 were to be same wines (he had magnums of the 71 LMHB and ‘61 Beychevelle). When the La Mish was corked, he opened a 750 of another Beychevelle. I really liked the second half of the Beychevelle, but had no clue it was wine I’d already had.
This was a last minute pull. Some maderization, redder fruit with smoked meat, cinnamon, clove. It was declared not a pristine bottle, but I actually found pretty decent in a fading kind of way. 1945 Beychevelle B
Lovely, elegant, red and black cherry, cigarbox. Oops, there is 1961 Beychevelle part 2 A-/A

Intermezzo ( Bordeaux glass)
Nose has a lot of VA, with smoke and soy, this bottle is pretty tired. 1953 Magdelaine C/C+

Red Flight #7 ( Bordeaux glasses)
I liked more than table I think. Black plum, red cherry, green pepper, with just a touch of soy.Very mature, but I thought still classy.1964 Canon B+/B
Bigger wine but with definite maderization.Off bottle. 1964 Latour C+

Finale -Dan wasn't happy with last flight, so one more wine
Very Graves, dark berries with tobacco and gravel, good length. 1978 La Tour Haut Brion. B+

Really fun night, with old friends (and a new one). Very generous of hosts (and guests).
Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C drinkable. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a party where it was only choice. Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.