I say this unequivocally, boldly, blatantly, fearlessly: The recent Chaine des Rotisseurs annual induction and grade elevation wine dinner at the Castle restaurant in Leicester, Massachusetts, was the greatest gourmet dining experience in my long years with life and my long association with wine.

I have been host at superlative wine dinners for Sweet Life Foods’ supermarket owners at prestigious dining rooms with food prepared by world famous chefs, accompanied by world famous pedigree wines.

In Italy, at the Villa d’Este dinner, by Lake Como, our wines were the best of Brunello di Montalcino, Barolo, Barbaresco, Turriga, Amarone and two rare whites. Our delicious food, exquisitely prepared and presented, perfectly complemented the wines. That dinner is etched in memory.

Similarly, we were delighted with unforgettable food and wine at these world renowned dining rooms: The Old Swiss House in Lucerne, Switzerland; the Dorchester Hotel and Café Royale in London, England; the Mena House and Auberge de Turf in Cairo, Egypt; the Grande Bretagne Hotel in Athens, Greece; the Opera House in Rio di Janeiro, Brazil; The Palace Hotel in Acapulco, Mexico; the Chateau D’Artigny and Au Trou Gascon, in France; the Cerromar Hotel in Puerto Rico; atop the Galata Tower, an ancient lighthouse, in Istanbul, Turkey. We dined sumptuously with the finest wines in Spain, Venezuela, Jamaica, Canary Islands, St. Martin, the Bahamas, Israel and in many glamorous restaurants in this country. The varied menus and wines afforded experiences beyond our imaginations.

So how could the unpretentious Castle restaurant, in sleepy little old Leicester, occupy the rarified culinary atmosphere with these revered international gourmet kitchens? Answer: Grand Master Chef Stanley Nicas, Maitre d’/Sommelier James Nicas and a tuxedoed, nimble-footed, efficient, charming waitstaff. The latter were everywhere at once. With lightning speed, they served hot food simultaneously to 80 Chaine members and guests; they whisked away used tableware and, as if by magic, immediately replaced them with gleaming fresh ones.

So why my euphoric accolades for this Castle wine dinner? Let me ask you, dear reader: How do all five Bordeaux Classified First Growths 1975 vintage grab you? We had them. And what about O. LaFlaive’s great white Burgundy Puligny-Montrachets 1987 and 1997 vintages? We had them. Imagine four different vintages of Lolonis’ "Private Reserve" pedigree Zinfandels, vintages 1991 through 1994. We had them. Drool over the famous Demosielle Grande Cuvee Brut French Champagne for starters; now hold your breath—a luscious, unctuous, incredibly complex-fruited Lieserer Schlossberg Beerenauslese 1976 with dessert. We had them--13 wines of unparalleled, unsurpassed quality. Do not these wines confirm my passionate enthusiasm?

And chef Stanley’s five hors d’oeuvres/food courses yielded nothing to these vinous icons. His imaginatively prepared food provided exciting and unique gourmet dining.

The setting: The Crusader Room where, Dr. Joel Spiro, bailli provencial, with metal skewer and resounding kisses, ceremoniously inducted localites Karen Robert, Linda Hammer and Michael Ursin; Mesdames Lori Zamansky, Maureen Stelmach and Denise Nicas were elevated in rank for 10 years of dedicated service.

Hors d’oeuvres of marinated salmon rolls stuffed with herbed cream cheese, pinwheels of herbed marinated salmon in herbed pancake, and butterflied shrimp in maple syrup, accompanied by Champagne, followed the ceremony. The combination of Champagne with the smoked salmon was perfection, with the maple-syruped shrimp—daring, innovative and successful.

The Camelot Room: Twelve brilliantly sparkling wine glasses, all properly matched to the wines, occupied each place setting. Champagne glasses were used for the walk around chat around following the induction ceremony.

Before the food was served we were told how the Chaine started in France, in 1219, as a guild of goose roasters. It ended with the French Revolution and was restarted in 1950. The Castle shortly thereafter organized the local Chaine chapter, Colonial New England. Spiro reminded us of the Chaine’s basic tenets: eat hot food immediately when served, not wait for others’ food to come; no smoking during dinner.

First course: a thrilling, tender, taste-tantalizing trilogy of mousse, comprising salmon, yellowtail flounder and Nantucket scallop. An exceptional sauce of parsley, sage, thyme, chives, heavy herbed cream and a hint of citrus accented the dish.

The paired Puligny Montrachets ’87 and ’97 elicited exclamations of approval around the room. People table-hopped seeking confirmation of their preference. The ’87 showed nutty, buttery complexity; the ’97 offered big fruit, big body and blissful balance, but lacked the ‘87’s complex maturity, which in time it will achieve. The fish and wines merited A to A-plus rating.

Second course: pan-seared exquisitely seasoned lamb and veal, both delicate, delicious, tender to the cut of the fork. Again, the sauce consisting of extra virgin olive oil and poached, peeled, finely diced fresh tomatoes, enhanced an already perfect dish.

Cheers echoed among the tables as we sipped the four "Private Reserve" Lolonis Zinfandels. Each wine was a triumph with the meat. The ’93 vintage is my perennial favorite. The zin’s intricate fruit complexity, balance, smoothness and forever aftertaste confirmed my A-plus rating. Close behind was the slow-to-emerge A to A-plus ’94; I preferred the A-rated ’92 to the A-minus ’91. Each of the four wines would grace the most fastidious connoisseur’s dining table. Second course merited my A-plus rating.

High drama ensued as the waitstaff judiciously—but with sufficiency—poured the five Bordeaux 1975 Classsified First Growths: Chateaux Mouton Rothschild, Lafite Rothschild, Margaux, Latour and Haut Brion. Wisely, the waitstaff poured the wines before we were served the remarkable heaven-blessed Beef Wellington entrée.

The 1975 vintage produced rich, full, firm, tannic, concentrated wines, which needed many years to mature; although a successful vintage, some wines are still "hard" and require extended cellaring. The questions needing answer at this dinner: How well did the wines mature over 25 years? Did they dry out, losing both fruit and complexity? Were they still maturing, with their best yet to show?

Deep concentration prevailed as we sighted, swirled, sniffed, sipped, savored—no one spit—swallowed and spoke about the wines. Not surprising, there was little agreement of preference among the palateers. I was surprised how well the Lafite Rothschild pampered my palate. I thought it would not have held up. It did, and I chose it over the other four greats!

For me, the fragrant, peppery, ripe-fruited sweet Lafite and the deep fruited, velvety, smoky Haut Brion were superb: voluptuously mature, elegant, soft, smooth, silky, astounding with intriguing flavor complexity and perfectly balanced. Both have ageability.

The long-lived Latour and the muscular Mouton Rothschild—both having retained their fruit and still developing complexity—need further aging. The usually "feminine" Margaux—considered the shortest-lived of the First Growths--was awkward and unbalanced at first. Upon getting its act together, it showed good fruit and some complexity. I’m baffled over its potential; it may or may not improve; it may slide downhill fast.

All of the above notwithstanding—I dislike having to compare great wines of perhaps miniscule differences in quality at a given moment or having to be concerned about the condition of my palate at that particular moment—I rated all five wines in the A category: Lafite, A to A-plus; Haut Brion, A; Mouton A-minus to A; Margaux and Latour, A-minus. Understandably and respectfully, I assert that many of my confreres will disagree with these evaluations.

Entrée: Simply stated, the aged-beef Beef Wellington was the most succulent, most tender, most juicy filet to ever grace my palate. Augmented with Madeira sauce, accented with delicious black truffles and marinated essence of truffle, the melt-in-mouth filet left us speechless. For the first time this evening, the room was quiet: conversation would have diminished concentration on the filet’s exquisite flavors. A with five plusses! And dear reader, be assured, my confreres will not disagree with this evaluation!

The remarkable dinner ended in glory. Salzburg Knockel, a gossamer puff of airiness, a hybrid of meringue and souffle in a sauce of strawberries and crème anglaise, evoked applause of approval from the wine-suffused and the uninhibited. My "ecstatically delicious," is an understatement. After a substantial dinner of wine and food, only a dessert of such delicacy would suffice.

Lieserer Schlossberg Beerenauslese 1976, is a long-lived, rich, sweet, honey-like, apricot accented white dessert wine. Yet crisp and firm--made from grapes individually picked out--it paired perfectly with the dessert. Climate conditions limit the production of beerenauslesen to two or three times in a decade. Want to try this wine if you can find it? Be prepared to pay $200.

Wine Pick: Mirassou White Burgundy Pinot Blanc 1998, about $11. Nose: pineapple, pear, banana; hints of cloves, allspice, vanilla. Palate: creamy texture, crisp finish, lush fruit/acid balance; aromas repeated with added nuances of apple and oak. Big bargain!