Thursday, May 19, 2011
I Knew I Hated That Guy
Bernie Madoff's wine and liquor collection was sold off at auction by Morrell & Co. last week. "All we know about the provenance is that it was seized by the FBI and U.S. Marshals' Service from two locations. More than that, we do not know." Not the best provenance, but Morrell seems to be peddling the collection more as conversation pieces than as quality consumables, and has even included some wines that normally “wouldn’t pass muster and make it into our auction." The 58 lots were valued at a low estimate of $15,000, with the proceeds going to the United States Department of Justice Asset Forfeiture Fund to help pay damages to the victims of Madoff’s multibillion dollar Ponzi scheme. That'll help.
I know a guy who was pretty nearly destroyed by Madoff. Life savings wiped out. So I may already be a little biased in this matter, but what I really, really hate about the guy is that with all that money he stole, he had crap wine and stored it indifferently. I mean, if you're going to rip off all your closest friends, some Jewish charities, some hedge funds, whatever, that's your business. But have some decency. Get a little wine refrigerator for the house in Palm Beach, for god's sake.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Epic
I don't know what to say. Mark Beavan's 50th birthday party at Il Grano restaurant. I got the last seat.
A few of these were not good bottles, or were simply over the hill, but the line up is as stellar as any I've been party to.
We actually passed on the last five, but washed it all down with a magnum of 1985 Cristal.
| 1961 Bollinger RD Jeroboam | ||
| 1961 Moet Imperial RD mag | ||
| 1961 Taitinger CDC | ||
| 1959 Dom Perignon | ||
| 1911 Moet | ||
| MV Krug Private Cuvee | ||
| 1959 Bouchard Montrachet | ||
| 1966 Bouchard Montrachet | ||
| 1973 DRC Montrachet | ||
| 1983 Ramonet Montrachet | ||
| 1985 Ramonet Montrachet | ||
| 1928 Chevillot Les Gaudichots | ||
| 1943 DRC La Tache | ||
| 1955 Leroy Chambertin - | ||
| 1962 Vogue Bonnes Mares | ||
| 1971 DRC RC Magnum | ||
| 1971 DRC La Tache Magnum | ||
| 1978 DRC La Tache | ||
| 1985 DRC La Tache | ||
| 1991 DRC La Tache | ||
| 1995 DRC La Tache | ||
| 1999 DRC La Tache | ||
| 1947 Pol Roger (Charles & Diana wedding uvee) | ||
| 1971 Salon | ||
| 1961 Monfortino | ||
| 1961 Vega Sicilia | ||
| 1961 Palmer | ||
| 1961 Mouton | ||
| 1961 Latour | ||
| 1961 La Mission Haut Brion | ||
| 1961 Haut Brion | ||
| 1961 L'Evangile | ||
| 1961 Latour a Pomerol | ||
| 1947 La Tour Blanche Passed on: 1978 Chave Hermitage 1978 Guigal La Landonne 1945 Gruaud Larose Magnum 1947 Calon Segur Magnum 1990 Margaux (which means we ONLY had 3-of-5 First Growths) | ||
