Originally posted 9/10/02
Work has me posting rather infrequently these days, but last Wednesday I got together with some co-workers in my continuing exploration of local New Jersey BYO's.
We gathered at The Chef's Table in Franklin Lakes, NJ. I had heard good things about the restaurant and some of my workmates knew the chef/owner as he had been the Chef at the HoHokus Inn and our office is located in Hohokus.
The restaurant is relatively small and has a charming quality about it. I'm not sure it would be the best spot for a large offline, but for up to 8 people, it's just peachy.
The menu is a combination of French and Italian fare and they have daily specials. Wednesday's special is braised lamb shank with pureed yellow turnip and white beans. While a little heavy for the end of summer, it's one of my favorite dishes and one that I often make myself. A passing platter of it to another table while we were all looking at menus triggered the "big hunk of meat with big, protruding bone, must have" male genetic response and so 6 out of seven of us ordered it. It was delicious and tender enough to eat it with a spoon.
Service was a little slow, but that was fine by us as we were in no hurry. The final tally was a very reasonable $45 per person, though not everyone ordered dessert or coffee, so if one does the works, figure closer to $50-$55. I'll certainly be going back.
Below are some of the more notable wines.
Brad
1999 Los Vascos- Les Dix de Los Vascos
This is a special Cabernet Sauvignon bottling celebrating the tenth anniversary of Los Vascos. The wine is a deep purple and upon initial pour, there were open and redolent aromas of ripe black fruit, herbs and a touch of oak. However, after a few minutes in the glass, the wine closed up and revealed little aromatically. On the palate theres some nice fruit and herb flavors. The wine straddles the line a bit between a new world versus old world profile. The fruits ripe, but not as jammy as many California Cabernets and there is a nice herbal element to the wine. But, its not an entirely complex wine, either. Quite enjoyable, though. Solid B+.
As the lamb shanks were served, I had the 90 Beaucastel CDP, 95 Font de Michelle Etienne Gonnet CDP and the 89 Pichon Lalande arrayed before me and all of them were singing that night. Needless to say, I was one happy camper!
1990 Beaucastel- Chteauneuf-du-Pape
Ahhhh, what a nose. Some serious horse ass in the glass with rich, roasted red fruit, leather and spice. On the palate, initially I thought this wine was at peak for how I like my Chteauneufs. The tannins seemed softened, there were plenty of funk-a-delic barnyard flavors, but the red fruit balanced it out wonderfully. The wine was simply on. However, with some time in my glass, the tannins slowly started to firm up to the point where Id say it might be even better in a couple of more years. Simply delicious and with personality, too! A.
1995 Font de Michelle- Chteauneuf-du-Pape, Cuve Etienne Gonnet
This was strikingly different than the Beaucastel. No barnyard to be found here. Rather, this wine is about velvety, sweet raspberry and cherry fruit. Its an elegant wine thats does not have the heft of the Mourvedre-dominated Beaucastel. Well balanced and while the fruit is preeminent, its not over-stated and is complemented nicely by spice and earth flavors. Solid A-.
1989 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse-de-Lalande- Pauillac
Tonight this wine was showing like debutant at her first ball. The wine screamed Look at me! Look at me! I have arrived! Gorgeous aromas of rich fruit, herb mineral and graphite made for an enticing perfume. As ebullient and friendly on the palate as Ive experienced to date, though theres terrific structure and balance. Like flavors as aromas, theres great depth to the wine and it expands across the palate as a ripple glides across the glassy surface of a lake at dawn. Just heavenly with the lamb shank. A.
1999 Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt- Riesling Eiswein, Kaseler Nieschen
Eiswein in 99? Go figure. This wine showed some of the difficulty in producing Eiswein in a vintage that had tremendous botrytis. Mineral with light petrol notes dominate the nose with underlying pineapple, apricot and honey aromas. Rather thick and blowsy on the palate. Theres some distinct botrytis notes that prevents the wine from being properly focused. A touch of petillance with honey/botrytis, apricot, pineapple and mineral flavors. Nice sweetness, but like so many 99s, I find the wine disappears too much in the middle. While enjoyable, its not the best example of an Eiswein. A-/B+.
Work has me posting rather infrequently these days, but last Wednesday I got together with some co-workers in my continuing exploration of local New Jersey BYO's.
We gathered at The Chef's Table in Franklin Lakes, NJ. I had heard good things about the restaurant and some of my workmates knew the chef/owner as he had been the Chef at the HoHokus Inn and our office is located in Hohokus.
The restaurant is relatively small and has a charming quality about it. I'm not sure it would be the best spot for a large offline, but for up to 8 people, it's just peachy.
The menu is a combination of French and Italian fare and they have daily specials. Wednesday's special is braised lamb shank with pureed yellow turnip and white beans. While a little heavy for the end of summer, it's one of my favorite dishes and one that I often make myself. A passing platter of it to another table while we were all looking at menus triggered the "big hunk of meat with big, protruding bone, must have" male genetic response and so 6 out of seven of us ordered it. It was delicious and tender enough to eat it with a spoon.
Service was a little slow, but that was fine by us as we were in no hurry. The final tally was a very reasonable $45 per person, though not everyone ordered dessert or coffee, so if one does the works, figure closer to $50-$55. I'll certainly be going back.
Below are some of the more notable wines.
Brad
1999 Los Vascos- Les Dix de Los Vascos
This is a special Cabernet Sauvignon bottling celebrating the tenth anniversary of Los Vascos. The wine is a deep purple and upon initial pour, there were open and redolent aromas of ripe black fruit, herbs and a touch of oak. However, after a few minutes in the glass, the wine closed up and revealed little aromatically. On the palate theres some nice fruit and herb flavors. The wine straddles the line a bit between a new world versus old world profile. The fruits ripe, but not as jammy as many California Cabernets and there is a nice herbal element to the wine. But, its not an entirely complex wine, either. Quite enjoyable, though. Solid B+.
As the lamb shanks were served, I had the 90 Beaucastel CDP, 95 Font de Michelle Etienne Gonnet CDP and the 89 Pichon Lalande arrayed before me and all of them were singing that night. Needless to say, I was one happy camper!
1990 Beaucastel- Chteauneuf-du-Pape
Ahhhh, what a nose. Some serious horse ass in the glass with rich, roasted red fruit, leather and spice. On the palate, initially I thought this wine was at peak for how I like my Chteauneufs. The tannins seemed softened, there were plenty of funk-a-delic barnyard flavors, but the red fruit balanced it out wonderfully. The wine was simply on. However, with some time in my glass, the tannins slowly started to firm up to the point where Id say it might be even better in a couple of more years. Simply delicious and with personality, too! A.
1995 Font de Michelle- Chteauneuf-du-Pape, Cuve Etienne Gonnet
This was strikingly different than the Beaucastel. No barnyard to be found here. Rather, this wine is about velvety, sweet raspberry and cherry fruit. Its an elegant wine thats does not have the heft of the Mourvedre-dominated Beaucastel. Well balanced and while the fruit is preeminent, its not over-stated and is complemented nicely by spice and earth flavors. Solid A-.
1989 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse-de-Lalande- Pauillac
Tonight this wine was showing like debutant at her first ball. The wine screamed Look at me! Look at me! I have arrived! Gorgeous aromas of rich fruit, herb mineral and graphite made for an enticing perfume. As ebullient and friendly on the palate as Ive experienced to date, though theres terrific structure and balance. Like flavors as aromas, theres great depth to the wine and it expands across the palate as a ripple glides across the glassy surface of a lake at dawn. Just heavenly with the lamb shank. A.
1999 Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt- Riesling Eiswein, Kaseler Nieschen
Eiswein in 99? Go figure. This wine showed some of the difficulty in producing Eiswein in a vintage that had tremendous botrytis. Mineral with light petrol notes dominate the nose with underlying pineapple, apricot and honey aromas. Rather thick and blowsy on the palate. Theres some distinct botrytis notes that prevents the wine from being properly focused. A touch of petillance with honey/botrytis, apricot, pineapple and mineral flavors. Nice sweetness, but like so many 99s, I find the wine disappears too much in the middle. While enjoyable, its not the best example of an Eiswein. A-/B+.