Jeff Grossman
Jeff Grossman
1/28/10 La Sirene
Manuel Camblor & Josie, Marty Lebwohl, Josh Raynolds, Tony Fletcher, Brad Kane, Jay Miller, Jeff Grossman  http://public.fotki.com/jeffg165/wine/cassoulet/2010-01-28-winos.html
It's winter, and about a year later, so we re-invade La Sirene for a warming cocotte of cassoulet.
The restaurant is still there but the waitresses have changed. We explain again that we brought our own glasses, and we'll open the bottles, and we'd like one bucket with ice and another empty one ("for unused wine"). We set some bottles in the ice and the rest in the covered entryway... it's cold enough out there.
We are fortunate to have many old hands gathered: Manuel and Josie are up from the island, Tony is down from the mountain, and Marty has a rare stag night (his wife is due in 3 weeks so the liberty is short-lived indeed).
Table talk is the usual happy mix of wine and life: recent trips abroad, the latest from the doctors, prized bottles and, even, other hobbies. (The ritual pinot/grenache bickering, too.)
Despite the imminent arrival of cassoulet, many of us plunk for the rich and gigantic duck liver appetizer. It's too mustardy and too livery for me but others get through it. The cassoulet itself was good though I think I enjoyed it more last year. (I may have spoiled it for myself because I recently went through the 3-day-long exercise of making one myself.)
And we drank a few wines:
Pierre Peters 2003 Champagne Brut, Blanc de Blancs - Here it is, the first of three Cedric Bouchard fizzies scheduled for tonight! (But, Jay, it says... oh. Ahem.) Yeast, yeast, there is yeast in this wine! And baked apple. And essence of tangerine. Very doughy on the finish.
Roses de Jeanne (Cedric Bouchard) 2005 Champagne Brut, Blanc de Blancs, La Haute-Lamblee - What a contrast! High acid, very chalky, like a delicate Sancerre with fizz. Still not something I'd run to often.
Cedric Bouchard 2007 Champagne Brut, Blanc de Noirs "Inflorescence" - Between the first two in acidity, much fuller palate, still quite chalky but a hint of apricot, too. My preferred of the three.
Chidaine 2005 Montlouis "Clos Habert" - A bit acid-deficient but pretty, with complex flavors of soil and green grapes
Bentalda 2008 Bizkaiko Txakolina "Gorrondona" - Another shocking contrast: vivid green pepper nose, but, after that, kinda suave and (black) peppery
Lapierre MMVII Morgon - hand-carried from France so, presumably, sans soufre; just splendid: sappy, rich, black raspberry, wow
Leroy 2004 Bourgogne - No rest for the weary: "The green element is there in spades" -Jay; "Smells like cinnamon, like a Dujac wine, like stems" -Josh; yeah, there's a bit of geranium in there but it's not overwhelming to me; tastes like a basic bourgogne
Thomas 2002 Pinot Noir - I think this is gorgeous but there is lots of dissension at the table
Ch. Montus 1989 Madiran - just a little soft but still raspy and plummy enough to help the duck go down
Drouhin 1993 Clos de la Roche, GC - decanted only 1 hour, this stayed tight and ungiving all night
Forjas del Salnes 2007 Loureiro "Goliardo" - inky ((that's the whole note... guess it didn't do enough for me to make me raise the pen again))
Dom. Bourillon d'Orleans 1989 Vouvray "La Coulee d'Or" "Tris de Nobles Grains" - beautiful, fragrant, so good, perfect match with the Iles Flotant as it picks up flavors in the meringue / almonds / anglaise
Manuel Camblor & Josie, Marty Lebwohl, Josh Raynolds, Tony Fletcher, Brad Kane, Jay Miller, Jeff Grossman  http://public.fotki.com/jeffg165/wine/cassoulet/2010-01-28-winos.html
It's winter, and about a year later, so we re-invade La Sirene for a warming cocotte of cassoulet.
The restaurant is still there but the waitresses have changed. We explain again that we brought our own glasses, and we'll open the bottles, and we'd like one bucket with ice and another empty one ("for unused wine"). We set some bottles in the ice and the rest in the covered entryway... it's cold enough out there.
We are fortunate to have many old hands gathered: Manuel and Josie are up from the island, Tony is down from the mountain, and Marty has a rare stag night (his wife is due in 3 weeks so the liberty is short-lived indeed).
Table talk is the usual happy mix of wine and life: recent trips abroad, the latest from the doctors, prized bottles and, even, other hobbies. (The ritual pinot/grenache bickering, too.)
Despite the imminent arrival of cassoulet, many of us plunk for the rich and gigantic duck liver appetizer. It's too mustardy and too livery for me but others get through it. The cassoulet itself was good though I think I enjoyed it more last year. (I may have spoiled it for myself because I recently went through the 3-day-long exercise of making one myself.)
And we drank a few wines:
Pierre Peters 2003 Champagne Brut, Blanc de Blancs - Here it is, the first of three Cedric Bouchard fizzies scheduled for tonight! (But, Jay, it says... oh. Ahem.) Yeast, yeast, there is yeast in this wine! And baked apple. And essence of tangerine. Very doughy on the finish.
Roses de Jeanne (Cedric Bouchard) 2005 Champagne Brut, Blanc de Blancs, La Haute-Lamblee - What a contrast! High acid, very chalky, like a delicate Sancerre with fizz. Still not something I'd run to often.
Cedric Bouchard 2007 Champagne Brut, Blanc de Noirs "Inflorescence" - Between the first two in acidity, much fuller palate, still quite chalky but a hint of apricot, too. My preferred of the three.
Chidaine 2005 Montlouis "Clos Habert" - A bit acid-deficient but pretty, with complex flavors of soil and green grapes
Bentalda 2008 Bizkaiko Txakolina "Gorrondona" - Another shocking contrast: vivid green pepper nose, but, after that, kinda suave and (black) peppery
Lapierre MMVII Morgon - hand-carried from France so, presumably, sans soufre; just splendid: sappy, rich, black raspberry, wow
Leroy 2004 Bourgogne - No rest for the weary: "The green element is there in spades" -Jay; "Smells like cinnamon, like a Dujac wine, like stems" -Josh; yeah, there's a bit of geranium in there but it's not overwhelming to me; tastes like a basic bourgogne
Thomas 2002 Pinot Noir - I think this is gorgeous but there is lots of dissension at the table
Ch. Montus 1989 Madiran - just a little soft but still raspy and plummy enough to help the duck go down
Drouhin 1993 Clos de la Roche, GC - decanted only 1 hour, this stayed tight and ungiving all night
Forjas del Salnes 2007 Loureiro "Goliardo" - inky ((that's the whole note... guess it didn't do enough for me to make me raise the pen again))
Dom. Bourillon d'Orleans 1989 Vouvray "La Coulee d'Or" "Tris de Nobles Grains" - beautiful, fragrant, so good, perfect match with the Iles Flotant as it picks up flavors in the meringue / almonds / anglaise