Jeff Grossman
Jeff Grossman
attendees: Don+Melissa, Jay, Jayson, Jeff+Jim, Lisa, Marc+Sara
"Never follow guava souffle with baby eels."
Truer words have ne'er been spoken.
But before there was guava souffle - certainly made with guava puree and there was likely some milk in it so really guava purée soufflé au lait - there were other foods laid out on the tables on the patio of Jay's condo building:
- gougeres (always)
- cheeses, pate, saucisson
- several loaves
- several fishes: baby eels in garlic sauce, anchovies, mackerel, sardines
- two bries en croutes (one stuffed with chanterelles, one stuffed with pine nuts, basil, and tomato bruschetta spread)
- Zucchini Parmigiana di Roosevelt Island (almost all locally-grown ingredients)
- Filipino roast pork shoulder with 5 dipping sauces
- three beautiful salads: Farro, Greek, Caesar
...and, of course, guava souffle, with and without chocolate.
A few raindrops tested our resolve but they were few and we were voracious, and so we snatched a lovely afternoon and evening from the very jaws of, um, er, desultory sprinkles.
And there was wine:
Thomas-Labaille 2019 Sancerre "Les Monts Damnes" Chavignol "Cuvee Buster" - 14.5% (eek) but does not show it, in fact it's kinda light, recognizably Sancerre, I can keep drinking this
Lopez de Heredia 1981 Rioja Blanco GR "Vina Tondonia" - wow, resinous, powerfully fragrant, umami for days, amazing
Duplessis, G 2017 Chablis 1er "Montmains" - 13%, offers a late jolt of minerals but kinda blah otherwise
Mystery #1 - Bod. Chivite 2001 Navarra "Coleccion 125" Riserva - a Liquidator selection, lo these many years ago; well, it's red enough but it has not endured particularly well
Mystery #2 - Ch. Magdelaine 1978 St-Emilion GC - heat damage (pruny, raspy)
Clos Roche Blanche 2004 Touraine Cot - kinda horsey (unicorny?) on the nose but really nice on the palate
Lopez de Heredia 2008 Rioja Tinto Reserva "Vina Bosconia" - fresh, lively, long, minerally snap in the midpalate, terrific bottle
Edmund St-John 1994 Syrah "Durrell Vineyard" - library bottle; even more vigorous! tingly on the tongue, blue fruit with a hit of camphor, wow
Palari 2004 Faro - 13.5%, an old Sicilian beverage (Nerello Mascalese, Nerello Cappuccio and Nocera), dark fruits, maybe even a bit stewed or overripe, but still stylish, good acidity, whiff of rosemary, it's not ineffably wonderful but it is really interesting
Ch. Musar 2005 Rouge - the usual witches' brew, another dark-fruited wine, the VA demonstrates a bit of menthol, sui generis but very happy to drink it
Clos Roche Blanche 2004 Touraine Cabernet - always nice to visit with cabernet that isn't Bordeauxver the top: mild by Garonne standards but pretty full by Loire standards, just-so ripe, some complexity coming from earth/soil flavors and a wee bit of other things
Dom. Filliatreau 2012 Saumur-Champigny "La Grande Vignolle" - practically perfect, the acidity is just a tad grating/gurgly, but really pretty wine, nicely judged, nicely aged
La Vizcaina (Raul Perez) 2018 Lomas de Valtuille "La Vitoriana" - good but what the hell is it? (Google sez: Mencia with dabs of Bastardo)
Ch. Margaux 1993 Pavillon Blanc - so classy... and so corked.
Foreau (Dom. du Clos Naudin) 1996 Vouvray Moelleux - not as sweet as it used to be (still way above the domain reserve), excellent texture and supportive acids, slowly sweetly subsiding
Luneau-Papin 2012 "Terres de Pierre" - La butte de la roche, the label sayeth, excellent and very minerally, 2012 was a really good year for Muscadet
Thank you to everyone for providing great food and wine, and for being there.
"Never follow guava souffle with baby eels."
Truer words have ne'er been spoken.
But before there was guava souffle - certainly made with guava puree and there was likely some milk in it so really guava purée soufflé au lait - there were other foods laid out on the tables on the patio of Jay's condo building:
- gougeres (always)
- cheeses, pate, saucisson
- several loaves
- several fishes: baby eels in garlic sauce, anchovies, mackerel, sardines
- two bries en croutes (one stuffed with chanterelles, one stuffed with pine nuts, basil, and tomato bruschetta spread)
- Zucchini Parmigiana di Roosevelt Island (almost all locally-grown ingredients)
- Filipino roast pork shoulder with 5 dipping sauces
- three beautiful salads: Farro, Greek, Caesar
...and, of course, guava souffle, with and without chocolate.
A few raindrops tested our resolve but they were few and we were voracious, and so we snatched a lovely afternoon and evening from the very jaws of, um, er, desultory sprinkles.
And there was wine:
Thomas-Labaille 2019 Sancerre "Les Monts Damnes" Chavignol "Cuvee Buster" - 14.5% (eek) but does not show it, in fact it's kinda light, recognizably Sancerre, I can keep drinking this
Lopez de Heredia 1981 Rioja Blanco GR "Vina Tondonia" - wow, resinous, powerfully fragrant, umami for days, amazing
Duplessis, G 2017 Chablis 1er "Montmains" - 13%, offers a late jolt of minerals but kinda blah otherwise
Mystery #1 - Bod. Chivite 2001 Navarra "Coleccion 125" Riserva - a Liquidator selection, lo these many years ago; well, it's red enough but it has not endured particularly well
Mystery #2 - Ch. Magdelaine 1978 St-Emilion GC - heat damage (pruny, raspy)
Clos Roche Blanche 2004 Touraine Cot - kinda horsey (unicorny?) on the nose but really nice on the palate
Lopez de Heredia 2008 Rioja Tinto Reserva "Vina Bosconia" - fresh, lively, long, minerally snap in the midpalate, terrific bottle
Edmund St-John 1994 Syrah "Durrell Vineyard" - library bottle; even more vigorous! tingly on the tongue, blue fruit with a hit of camphor, wow
Palari 2004 Faro - 13.5%, an old Sicilian beverage (Nerello Mascalese, Nerello Cappuccio and Nocera), dark fruits, maybe even a bit stewed or overripe, but still stylish, good acidity, whiff of rosemary, it's not ineffably wonderful but it is really interesting
Ch. Musar 2005 Rouge - the usual witches' brew, another dark-fruited wine, the VA demonstrates a bit of menthol, sui generis but very happy to drink it
Clos Roche Blanche 2004 Touraine Cabernet - always nice to visit with cabernet that isn't Bordeauxver the top: mild by Garonne standards but pretty full by Loire standards, just-so ripe, some complexity coming from earth/soil flavors and a wee bit of other things
Dom. Filliatreau 2012 Saumur-Champigny "La Grande Vignolle" - practically perfect, the acidity is just a tad grating/gurgly, but really pretty wine, nicely judged, nicely aged
La Vizcaina (Raul Perez) 2018 Lomas de Valtuille "La Vitoriana" - good but what the hell is it? (Google sez: Mencia with dabs of Bastardo)
Ch. Margaux 1993 Pavillon Blanc - so classy... and so corked.
Foreau (Dom. du Clos Naudin) 1996 Vouvray Moelleux - not as sweet as it used to be (still way above the domain reserve), excellent texture and supportive acids, slowly sweetly subsiding
Luneau-Papin 2012 "Terres de Pierre" - La butte de la roche, the label sayeth, excellent and very minerally, 2012 was a really good year for Muscadet
Thank you to everyone for providing great food and wine, and for being there.