The 60th Birthday Dinner for Joe Hendricks
           (The six-tenths of a Century Celebration of Great Wines)

Joe, Bob Stoller, Bob Warren, John & Patrice Gerster, at Gerster's house

Goose Pate with fresh whole black and white truffles on Rosemary Toast
(Gerster had arranged for three whole Perigord truffles, the size of small
 eggs, two black and one white, served on a bed of Arborio rice.  One could
 shave off what one wanted, and plop on the pate and toast points.)
---'92 Le Montrachet Laboure-Roi 
   notes: Rene Fleurot owns 1/3 hectare of Le Montrachet, but only makes a
          tiny amount under his own label; Labourie-Roi now vinifies the rest.
          Bright, lemony, with long aftertaste. Kind of missing in the middle.
          All thought it Montrachet or Chassagne, very good, but not great.
Petit Basque and Fresh Chilean Cherries
---'88 Batard-Montrachet Roger Caillot 
   notes: Much more evolved than the '92, more interesting, but with a sharp
          rather than long aftertaste. Great fruit. For long aging.
Cold Alaska Shrimp, in Tomato-Herb Remoulade, with three peppers
---'89 Le Montrachet Gagnard-Delagrange 
   notes: Fantastic. Best of the three. Wonderful gout-de-terre up front, big
          fruit, and long finish.  Shows the greatness of the vintage. 100 pts!
Live Nine-Pound Red King Crab on-the-hoof, steamed, and served with
Plugra herb butter and Sagaya's 'sweet' lemons
---'90 Richebourg Dom. Romanee-Conti 
   notes: Lots of fruit up front, but a 'stemy' overtaste that was off-putting.
          A great wine, but perhaps not up to the vintage and DRC standards.
<>
---'74 Heitz "Martha's" Cabernet Sauvignon 
   notes: Stoller noted the 'mint' right up front. A bottle from a collector
          in Fairbanks. Not as good as others, but holding well.
Sauteed Chanterelles, Oysters, and Shitakes in White Truffle Oil, finished
with demi-glace and herbs, on Butter Lettuce, Pomegranate & Cactus-Fruit
---'66 La Tache, Dom. Romanee-Conti 
   notes: Fabulous Burgundy at it's best; brick-red, Warren thought fading, but
          the rest loved it; great pinot flavor, elegant, mature, wonderful
Grilled Quail, pan-finished in demi, wild rice mixed with the Arborio-truffle,
Fresh Green Beans steamed with oregano, cherries, and herbs.
---'55 Ch. Lafite-Rothschild 
   notes: Incredible. Earthy, very light color, holding quite well for age.
          Wonderful nose, did not fade. Mature but elegant. Fabulous.
Cheese: St. Andre, Cambizola, and Basque
---'35 Richebourg Dom. Romanee-Conti 
   notes: Joe's birth year. Over-mature, but not yet gone. After the others, a
          let-down, but still a ghost of great wine.  Brown, but not oxidized.
          Better after a few minutes in the glass; old but still interesting.
Cherry and Almond Tarts
---'59 Johannisberger Klaus 'Feinste' Beerenauslese Rheingau 
   notes: from Joe's cellar. Back then, before the German standards of 1976,
          in a -big- year such as '59, they would take the surplus of their
          allocation of BA that was better, and call it their 'finest'.
          This was so. Golden yellow, almost oily, (full bottle), poured like
          syrup. Incredible aftertaste that lingered. Really TBA quality,
          and -still- holding well.  Most fantastic German ever tasted.
Blueberry Cheesecake "L'Aroma"
---'76 Langwerth von Simmern Eltdiller Sonnenberg Beerenauslese 
   notes: Again, a big one.  Sweeter than the '59, great lingering aftertaste,
          almost like a Yquem.  Not as sharp or incredibly pungent as the '59,
          but with -lots- of reisling fruit.  Stays in the mouth.  Wonderful.