Jeff Grossman
Jeff Grossman
attendees: Scott + Anne-Marie, Eden + Scott, Victor + Elaine, Jim + Jeff, Jay, Jayson, Don, Lisa
Scott and Anne-Marie have been renovating their home for the past couple of years; deadlines extended by the pandemic, of course. One of the significant improvements is an amazing kitchen and backyard - inside... gleaming new cabinets, copious fridge space, a wall of glass French doors to let in an ocean of light; and outside... two levels, separated by walls of bamboo and liberally planted with herbs and flowers.
So, the Fully-Vaccinated Zooming Wine Geeks took themselves to the PATH train and walked a few blocks to end up at their urban paradise. You are greeted by lavender thrusting its way through the front fence, as if to ward you away from the tomatoes and eggplants staked right behind them. Enter under the stoop, through the door on the right, past the 85" television mounted over the fireplace, and...
The photo is the barest representation of the precise, harmonious space.
Alas, it is blazingly hot so we spend the first hour cooling off, discussing cool geek foods and cool geek wines. Jay has been here a little while already, baking gougeres, but the oven is shut off the moment they are done. They are delightful. And moreish.
If you ask nicely, he'll tell you why there's so much tarentaise in these otherwise challerhocker-heavy baked goods.
Scott has been fussing over a Tuscan Pork Stew and mountains of polenta. Yes, it's an autumn dish but we like it. Does polenta come in any quantity other than mountains? I don't think I've ever seen "just a little" polenta.
The rest of us brought cold provender: two huge salads (Chopped, Greek with avocado), porchetta, violino di capra (lamb, despite the name), jamon iberico, a board of several cheeses and breads and nuts. Anne-Marie also laid out fresh mozz and sauteed garlic scapes.
Eden brought a dessert: olive oil gelato with balsamic strawberries and homemade almond-ginger biscotti. The gelato shared space in the freezer with various fruit-flavor liquored popsicles that I brought, plus the household's inexhaustible supply of pesto and other savory garden purees. (A container of frozen pesto was a parting gift to every guest.)
I did not take any pictures on the 25-cent tour of the house and yard. Outside, I was afraid my phone would melt; inside, I was listening to the choices of colors and materials and of plans fulfilled and yet to be. I did get a picture of the wine cellar:
The original plan was to eat outside but we were all quite happy to reset the two tables inside and start pouring vino:
Rollin 2010 Pernand-Vergelesses Blanc 1er "Sous Fretille" - served blind; light-medium weight, crystalline beauty, age shows only in a bit of orange pith among the pale yellow fruit, hints of quince and mint, great bottle
Birichino 2020 Bechthold Cinsault Blanc de Noir - they were afraid that smoke had gotten into the skins so just a quick press!; great presence, sappy and resinous rather than fruity; Day 4: a little more assertive but still a white wine with some red wine flavor elements
Bruno Paillard 2002 Champagne Brut, Blanc de Blancs - magnum; very rich, excellent cut over mellow-yellow fruit, practically perfect
Godme NV Champagne Brut GC, Blanc de Noirs - we guess it's mostly 2013 fruit then held back for 5 years; this is a much brighter, sharper wine than the Paillard, rather lemony by comparison
F. Cotat 2010 Sancerre Rose - earth and gravel and resin, cherry fruit with a dash of hinbeergeist, always fascinates me; Day 3: both the earth and the alcoholic spirits have receded but the fruit is still good (even my partner likes it)
Pinon NV Vouvray Brut Non-Dose - L090203 which Don reads as 2009 fruit (which also gibes with his ownership timeline); a little fizz left but not much, this has aged very nicely, hinting that the grapes might have been sweeter another time but still very satisfying; we wonder a bit how Francois made a dry wine in a hot year?
Brigatti, Luciano 1971 Colline Novaresi "Mot Ziflon" - from Chambers from the Veronelli Collection; the DOC did not exist in 1971 but I assume the cepage is "the usual" for Alto Piemonte: approx. 85% nebbiolo and the rest vespaolina and uva rara; when the cork is pulled there is a blast of camphor and the wine is powerfully nutmeggy... and I am worried... but the wine breathes a bit and shrugs that all off; it becomes very pretty, lots of old nebbiolo roses and pinky-red fruit, still a whiff of nutmeg but that works with the sky-high florals and medium-weight texture
Minuto 1964 Barolo Riserva Speciale - the nose is pretty, some dark fruit and a suggestion of earth and even sweetness, Jayson describes the palate as strongly suggesting saddle leather while I find the 'sour mash' notes of just-OTH barolo; alleles and all that
Ch. La Dominique 1982 St-Emilion Grand Cru Classe - served blind; Jay has opened this several times for me (thank you, Jay!) and this bottle is an attempt to make up for the awfully corked one just a few weeks ago; more than makes up for it... this bottle is remarkable: firstly, half the room pegs it for a suave Italian sangiovese (including me), it is seamless and weightless, the fruit is ripe and full but not OTT fruit cup nor the jam/paste thing that came in the following years; plausibly the red WOTN
Baudry 2010 Chinon - yes, the domaine bottling; reduced and incredibly stinky nose but the palate is nice: pretty red fruit and underbrush, a great showing by a non-cru bottling, "David Lillie told me it would" -Don
Halcon 2019 Syrah "Alturas" - served blind; strongly lactic nose that just won't quit, somewhere under the milky sheen there is a blackberry-scented wine, fruity and viscous; I guess zin, Jayson guesses syrah, and Jay reveals the bottle: he had double-decanted it three days ago, in another effort to make amends for a recent crappy underperforming wine; to judge by these two bottles it's a lost cause
Brovia 2011 Barolo - tingly, slightly scratchy, gorgeous red fruit; Day 4: woodsy raspberry, gentle tannins, texture is thicker perhaps, long and even finish, still a great bottle
Coudert (Clos de la Roilette) 2002 Fleurie "Cuvee Tardive" - corked (and something else wrong with it, too)
Clos Roche Blanche 2002 Touraine Gamay - perfect, airy, bright and light, filigreed with a delicate minerality
Le Ragnaie 2004 Brunello di Montalcino - no note?
Felsina Berardenga 2006 Chianti Classico Riserva "Rancia" - Castelnuovo Berardenga is a region, Rancia is a vineyard; excellent chianti, rather richer and fuller than most, hints of brown earth and apricots among the expected red fruit, the acidity is a touch diminished but that adds to its luscious-ness
Huet 2008 Vouvray Demi-Sec "Le Mont" - honey and bitter orange and a bit more marmaladey than usual, everybody knows this wine, a good bottle but not a great bottle
Donnhoff 2004 Schlossbockelheimer Felsenberg Riesling Auslese - 375ml; 77530101505; no longer made as it's now a GG vineyard; a great ending to the day: green grapes and lime (but not lime leaf), smoky and spicy, sweetness and acidity are harmonious
Piu grazie di quanto possa contare to Anne-Marie and Scott for hosting us at their beautiful home. It was a grand time and so good to see everyone again.
Scott and Anne-Marie have been renovating their home for the past couple of years; deadlines extended by the pandemic, of course. One of the significant improvements is an amazing kitchen and backyard - inside... gleaming new cabinets, copious fridge space, a wall of glass French doors to let in an ocean of light; and outside... two levels, separated by walls of bamboo and liberally planted with herbs and flowers.
So, the Fully-Vaccinated Zooming Wine Geeks took themselves to the PATH train and walked a few blocks to end up at their urban paradise. You are greeted by lavender thrusting its way through the front fence, as if to ward you away from the tomatoes and eggplants staked right behind them. Enter under the stoop, through the door on the right, past the 85" television mounted over the fireplace, and...
The photo is the barest representation of the precise, harmonious space.
Alas, it is blazingly hot so we spend the first hour cooling off, discussing cool geek foods and cool geek wines. Jay has been here a little while already, baking gougeres, but the oven is shut off the moment they are done. They are delightful. And moreish.
If you ask nicely, he'll tell you why there's so much tarentaise in these otherwise challerhocker-heavy baked goods.
Scott has been fussing over a Tuscan Pork Stew and mountains of polenta. Yes, it's an autumn dish but we like it. Does polenta come in any quantity other than mountains? I don't think I've ever seen "just a little" polenta.
The rest of us brought cold provender: two huge salads (Chopped, Greek with avocado), porchetta, violino di capra (lamb, despite the name), jamon iberico, a board of several cheeses and breads and nuts. Anne-Marie also laid out fresh mozz and sauteed garlic scapes.
Eden brought a dessert: olive oil gelato with balsamic strawberries and homemade almond-ginger biscotti. The gelato shared space in the freezer with various fruit-flavor liquored popsicles that I brought, plus the household's inexhaustible supply of pesto and other savory garden purees. (A container of frozen pesto was a parting gift to every guest.)
I did not take any pictures on the 25-cent tour of the house and yard. Outside, I was afraid my phone would melt; inside, I was listening to the choices of colors and materials and of plans fulfilled and yet to be. I did get a picture of the wine cellar:
The original plan was to eat outside but we were all quite happy to reset the two tables inside and start pouring vino:
Rollin 2010 Pernand-Vergelesses Blanc 1er "Sous Fretille" - served blind; light-medium weight, crystalline beauty, age shows only in a bit of orange pith among the pale yellow fruit, hints of quince and mint, great bottle
Birichino 2020 Bechthold Cinsault Blanc de Noir - they were afraid that smoke had gotten into the skins so just a quick press!; great presence, sappy and resinous rather than fruity; Day 4: a little more assertive but still a white wine with some red wine flavor elements
Bruno Paillard 2002 Champagne Brut, Blanc de Blancs - magnum; very rich, excellent cut over mellow-yellow fruit, practically perfect
Godme NV Champagne Brut GC, Blanc de Noirs - we guess it's mostly 2013 fruit then held back for 5 years; this is a much brighter, sharper wine than the Paillard, rather lemony by comparison
F. Cotat 2010 Sancerre Rose - earth and gravel and resin, cherry fruit with a dash of hinbeergeist, always fascinates me; Day 3: both the earth and the alcoholic spirits have receded but the fruit is still good (even my partner likes it)
Pinon NV Vouvray Brut Non-Dose - L090203 which Don reads as 2009 fruit (which also gibes with his ownership timeline); a little fizz left but not much, this has aged very nicely, hinting that the grapes might have been sweeter another time but still very satisfying; we wonder a bit how Francois made a dry wine in a hot year?
Brigatti, Luciano 1971 Colline Novaresi "Mot Ziflon" - from Chambers from the Veronelli Collection; the DOC did not exist in 1971 but I assume the cepage is "the usual" for Alto Piemonte: approx. 85% nebbiolo and the rest vespaolina and uva rara; when the cork is pulled there is a blast of camphor and the wine is powerfully nutmeggy... and I am worried... but the wine breathes a bit and shrugs that all off; it becomes very pretty, lots of old nebbiolo roses and pinky-red fruit, still a whiff of nutmeg but that works with the sky-high florals and medium-weight texture
Minuto 1964 Barolo Riserva Speciale - the nose is pretty, some dark fruit and a suggestion of earth and even sweetness, Jayson describes the palate as strongly suggesting saddle leather while I find the 'sour mash' notes of just-OTH barolo; alleles and all that
Ch. La Dominique 1982 St-Emilion Grand Cru Classe - served blind; Jay has opened this several times for me (thank you, Jay!) and this bottle is an attempt to make up for the awfully corked one just a few weeks ago; more than makes up for it... this bottle is remarkable: firstly, half the room pegs it for a suave Italian sangiovese (including me), it is seamless and weightless, the fruit is ripe and full but not OTT fruit cup nor the jam/paste thing that came in the following years; plausibly the red WOTN
Baudry 2010 Chinon - yes, the domaine bottling; reduced and incredibly stinky nose but the palate is nice: pretty red fruit and underbrush, a great showing by a non-cru bottling, "David Lillie told me it would" -Don
Halcon 2019 Syrah "Alturas" - served blind; strongly lactic nose that just won't quit, somewhere under the milky sheen there is a blackberry-scented wine, fruity and viscous; I guess zin, Jayson guesses syrah, and Jay reveals the bottle: he had double-decanted it three days ago, in another effort to make amends for a recent crappy underperforming wine; to judge by these two bottles it's a lost cause
Brovia 2011 Barolo - tingly, slightly scratchy, gorgeous red fruit; Day 4: woodsy raspberry, gentle tannins, texture is thicker perhaps, long and even finish, still a great bottle
Coudert (Clos de la Roilette) 2002 Fleurie "Cuvee Tardive" - corked (and something else wrong with it, too)
Clos Roche Blanche 2002 Touraine Gamay - perfect, airy, bright and light, filigreed with a delicate minerality
Le Ragnaie 2004 Brunello di Montalcino - no note?
Felsina Berardenga 2006 Chianti Classico Riserva "Rancia" - Castelnuovo Berardenga is a region, Rancia is a vineyard; excellent chianti, rather richer and fuller than most, hints of brown earth and apricots among the expected red fruit, the acidity is a touch diminished but that adds to its luscious-ness
Huet 2008 Vouvray Demi-Sec "Le Mont" - honey and bitter orange and a bit more marmaladey than usual, everybody knows this wine, a good bottle but not a great bottle
Donnhoff 2004 Schlossbockelheimer Felsenberg Riesling Auslese - 375ml; 77530101505; no longer made as it's now a GG vineyard; a great ending to the day: green grapes and lime (but not lime leaf), smoky and spicy, sweetness and acidity are harmonious
Piu grazie di quanto possa contare to Anne-Marie and Scott for hosting us at their beautiful home. It was a grand time and so good to see everyone again.
