Jeff Grossman
Jeff Grossman
attendees: Gil, Jay, JayH+Rebecca, Jeff, Mark
The group has been idle for some time. The assembled die-hards, however, still had an open chair or two, and I was invited to sit in.
We went to Ping's and ordered many of the same dishes as we always do. Tonight, the quail is way better than the squab, and the crispy fish with snap peas was even better than usual.
Table talk was mostly wine and health reports (we're old) with occasional digressions about work or travel.
The jeebus call said to bring anything you feel like drinking but most of the pre-dinner chatter is champagne and pinot noir.
Flight 1
Calsac NV Champagne 1er Extra Brut BdB "l'Echappee Belle" - base wine 2019, 3 g/l dosage, 12%, at first: minerally palate but slightly soft acids, "Much more yeast in the nose than in the palate" -Rebecca; later: the wine is fuller and fruitier but still shows stylish, I like this one
Veuve Clicquot 2008 Champagne Brut "La Grande Dame" - 90% pinot noir, "10/2018" (disgorge date?), dried fruit, sweet perfume, a lot weightier than the Calsac, much more palate presence but also kinda limp and heavy
Flight 2
Ulli Stein 2021 Palmberg Riesling Kabinett Trocken "Alte Reben" - 1636128-8-22, 10.5%, despite being given an hour of air in a decanter last night this is still tight today when first poured, saline, more lemon than lime, white stones, unrelievedly dry; an hour later, the nose is filling out, much more fragrant and floral but the palate is still taut; maybe give it a few years to find itself; Day 3: about the same... nice in the nose, shy in the mouth (as a pradikat-loving guy I think it's that trocken-ness that's holding it back but was weiß ich?)
Prum J J 2011 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese - AP# 06-13, late cellar release, a lot of fruit cup and a little petrol (which bothers some tasters), this is rather sweet and full for a spatlese, with a long even finish; Day 3: goes from strength to strength!
Flight 3 - not quite sure why we did the whites before the reds but I'm just a visitor in these parts
Rhys 2007 Pinot Noir "Horseshoe Vineyard" - 12.3%, most youthful of the pinots, elegant (some said diminished flavor), very redfruit, lots of fine tannins; an hour later, this has grown bigger but the overall package remains elegant
Rhys 2011 Pinot Noir "Bearwallow Vineyard" - 13.5%, more interesting right out of the gate (and more assertive out of the glass) than the Horseshoe, more open-knit texture but a broader palate including some savory (brothy) notes, changes very little with more air
Loring 2006 Pinot Noir "Graham Family Vineyard" - 14.2%, a little spirity, a little zinny, long and grippy, a whiff of pine or balsam?, not the horror-show of days gone by but still clunky
Dom. Pavelot 2002 Savigny-les-Beaunes 1er "La Dominode" - 13%, rustic Burgundy, a lot of tannins but they're very fine tannins, I'm sure I'm supposed to be more impressed but let's wait and see; an hour later, the wine has arrived: beautiful balance, intoxicating bouquet, medium weight, I'm convinced
Flight 4 - "the Rhones needed different cuisine to shine" -Mark, "they took no star turns" -Jeff
Eric Texier 2010 St-Joseph "La Croix" - 12.5%, just a touch of horse, "Most tannic thing on the table" -Gil, it is rugged and brooding and deepest blue-fruited syrah, clearly grumpy to be opened now so wait a while on opening any more
Cedric Parpette 2012 Cote-Rotie "Montmain" - 13%, from the Montmain cru of the Cote Brune, obviously syrah, of a slightly darker 'shade' than the Burgaud but pretty much the same wine: typique and a bit foursquare
Burgaud 2010 Cote-Rotie - 12.5%, Burgaud makes one cuvee from various crus, this is a more elegant package than either of the other two, also obviously syrah but not quite so intense, slightly high-toned on the finish which lends interest without actually offering the taste of volatile acids
A lovely evening, great fun to gather in person and see everyone again.
The group has been idle for some time. The assembled die-hards, however, still had an open chair or two, and I was invited to sit in.
We went to Ping's and ordered many of the same dishes as we always do. Tonight, the quail is way better than the squab, and the crispy fish with snap peas was even better than usual.
Table talk was mostly wine and health reports (we're old) with occasional digressions about work or travel.
The jeebus call said to bring anything you feel like drinking but most of the pre-dinner chatter is champagne and pinot noir.
Flight 1
Calsac NV Champagne 1er Extra Brut BdB "l'Echappee Belle" - base wine 2019, 3 g/l dosage, 12%, at first: minerally palate but slightly soft acids, "Much more yeast in the nose than in the palate" -Rebecca; later: the wine is fuller and fruitier but still shows stylish, I like this one
Veuve Clicquot 2008 Champagne Brut "La Grande Dame" - 90% pinot noir, "10/2018" (disgorge date?), dried fruit, sweet perfume, a lot weightier than the Calsac, much more palate presence but also kinda limp and heavy
Flight 2
Ulli Stein 2021 Palmberg Riesling Kabinett Trocken "Alte Reben" - 1636128-8-22, 10.5%, despite being given an hour of air in a decanter last night this is still tight today when first poured, saline, more lemon than lime, white stones, unrelievedly dry; an hour later, the nose is filling out, much more fragrant and floral but the palate is still taut; maybe give it a few years to find itself; Day 3: about the same... nice in the nose, shy in the mouth (as a pradikat-loving guy I think it's that trocken-ness that's holding it back but was weiß ich?)
Prum J J 2011 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese - AP# 06-13, late cellar release, a lot of fruit cup and a little petrol (which bothers some tasters), this is rather sweet and full for a spatlese, with a long even finish; Day 3: goes from strength to strength!
Flight 3 - not quite sure why we did the whites before the reds but I'm just a visitor in these parts
Rhys 2007 Pinot Noir "Horseshoe Vineyard" - 12.3%, most youthful of the pinots, elegant (some said diminished flavor), very redfruit, lots of fine tannins; an hour later, this has grown bigger but the overall package remains elegant
Rhys 2011 Pinot Noir "Bearwallow Vineyard" - 13.5%, more interesting right out of the gate (and more assertive out of the glass) than the Horseshoe, more open-knit texture but a broader palate including some savory (brothy) notes, changes very little with more air
Loring 2006 Pinot Noir "Graham Family Vineyard" - 14.2%, a little spirity, a little zinny, long and grippy, a whiff of pine or balsam?, not the horror-show of days gone by but still clunky
Dom. Pavelot 2002 Savigny-les-Beaunes 1er "La Dominode" - 13%, rustic Burgundy, a lot of tannins but they're very fine tannins, I'm sure I'm supposed to be more impressed but let's wait and see; an hour later, the wine has arrived: beautiful balance, intoxicating bouquet, medium weight, I'm convinced
Flight 4 - "the Rhones needed different cuisine to shine" -Mark, "they took no star turns" -Jeff
Eric Texier 2010 St-Joseph "La Croix" - 12.5%, just a touch of horse, "Most tannic thing on the table" -Gil, it is rugged and brooding and deepest blue-fruited syrah, clearly grumpy to be opened now so wait a while on opening any more
Cedric Parpette 2012 Cote-Rotie "Montmain" - 13%, from the Montmain cru of the Cote Brune, obviously syrah, of a slightly darker 'shade' than the Burgaud but pretty much the same wine: typique and a bit foursquare
Burgaud 2010 Cote-Rotie - 12.5%, Burgaud makes one cuvee from various crus, this is a more elegant package than either of the other two, also obviously syrah but not quite so intense, slightly high-toned on the finish which lends interest without actually offering the taste of volatile acids
A lovely evening, great fun to gather in person and see everyone again.