TN: The Latin Liquidates Again (March 11, 2023)

[Jeff Grossman]

attendees: Brad, Don, Jay, Jayson, Jeff, Manuel+Josie, Michel, .sasha

Manuel is back in town and there is much merriment in NYC wine circles. Several jeebi are convened; here is the one at Brad Kane's East Side flat:

Vincent Careme 2017 Vouvray Petillant "Cuvee T" - traditional fermentation; this is a great aperitif: a wine of good varietal character uplifted by a gentle fizz and plenty of zip

Baudry 2021 Chinon Rose - and, as we are already in Camp Zip, this is another young, charming, racy wine; seems like a modest vintage, not too much alcohol, lightweight, dry, floral

F. Cotat 2006 Chavignol Rose - this bottle shows all the hallmarks of 10+ year Cotat rose: saffron, gravel, a small scoop of little red berries fruit; but this one is more interesting than exciting, not quite sure why

Phelan Farm 2021 Trousseau, San Luis Obispo - Raj Parr wine; this has excellent grip and a really nice typique nose; it's a little rich on the palate compared to trousseau from the home turf, though

Fumey-Chatelain 2018 Arbois Trousseau "Le Bastard" - corked

Dom. Marc Delienne 2019 Fleurie "Avalanche de Printemps" - teh interwebz believe this to be a profoundly forward and perfumey wine but, well, I didn't find it that way... nice enough Cru Beaujolais; at one point, Jayson gives it the Mollydooker Shake so maybe I was distracted by dissolved CO2 ?

O. Raffault 1978 Chinon - "I did an inventory today and I have four bottles of this." -Don; no vineyard on the label so maybe just the regular cuvee... who knows?, anyway, OMG wine: savory green peppers and steak, there's a very slight roastedness in the palate, the acidity is "bangin'", and just amazing with the pork meatballs, red WOTN for me

M. Bourg 2019 Cornas "Les P'tits Bouts" - 14%, very rich, kinda Pezzy/sweet with "a weird vanilla facade" -Jayson, I've liked other bottles of this better

Clos Roche Blanche 2011 Touraine "Cuvee Gamay" - chalk! distinctive gamay, OMG wine again, light and bright and yet substantial, "pure magic" -Jayson, OK maybe this is my red WOTN

Falkenstein 2018 Niedermenniger Herrenberg Riesling Spatlese Feinherb - 0419, peaches and limes, mid-weight texture, yummy (but I did not know that wine could be both Spatlese and Feinherb at the same time)

Adega Damm 2019 Ribeira Sacra Cazoga "Cepas Centenarias" - dilly oak is front and center, good freshness and great palate presence, if the wood would just recede a little... an hour later, it is more fruity and less woody so there's hope

Lena Filliatreau 1989 Saumur-Champigny - corked

Dirty & Rowdy 2019 Mourvedre, Shake Ridge Ranch - served blind, redfruity with considerable closing grip, Jayson said it had a lot more strawberry when it was first opened

Rollin 2010 Pernand-Vergelesses 1er "Sous Fretilles" - a lot of flavor, both sweet and savory, not bad for chardonnay

R. Lopez de Heredia 2011 Rioja Reserva "Vina Bosconia" - 80% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacha, the remaining 5% Mazuelo and Graciano; per Eben Lillie, double-decanted last night (it was very dilly); today, fiercely tannic, stilly dilly, nice wine but wait 20 years before trying again; I'm really disappointed because I thought they held these things back until ready to drink and this is nowhere near ready

Totally by coincidence we have a little vertical!

Huet 2002 Vouvray Demi-Sec Non-Greffe "Le Haut Lieu" - corked (so much for that vertical)

Huet 2003 Vouvray Demi-Sec Non-Greffe "Le Haut Lieu" - "amazing" (is all that I wrote, sorry)

Huet 1952 Vouvray Demi-Sec "Clos du Bourg" - named "the cheese wine" by .sasha and served blind, we pin it down as 1950s Huet but miss the particulars; this is also amazing: excellent acids, lanolin, sweet but no longer sweet, saffron, lanolin, toast, roast white meats, it's really more than just wine

Pinon 1995 Vouvray "Cuvee Botrytis" - 9.5%, honeyed, tannic maybe, but pleasant, "a little heavy" -Jayson, "shows not awakeness" -Don

And a couple of pictures, courtesy of Brad (whites, reds):

Good to see you again, Manuel.

 

[Ken Schramm]

Damn, you live well, Grossman (et al.).

 

[Rahsaan]

Great lineup!

originally posted by Jeff Grossman:

Falkenstein 2018 Niedermenniger Herrenberg Riesling Spatlese Feinherb ...but I did not know that wine could be both Spatlese and Feinherb at the same time

What would be the conflict? Spätlese refers to the oecshle at harvest, whereas trocken/feinherb refers to the sugar remaining in the finished wine.

 

[Florida Jim]

“Pinon 1995 Vouvray "Cuvee Botrytis" - 9.5%, honeyed, tannic maybe, but pleasant, "a little heavy" -Jayson, "shows not awakeness" -Don “
Wokeness lacking?
How can that be?

 

[Pavel Tchichikov]

originally posted by Jeff Grossman:

Manuel is back in town and there is much merriment in NYC wine circles. Several jeebi are convened; here is the one at Brad Kane's East Side flat:

These visits, tightly controlled by the politburo, are just frequent enough to keep the disorderlies from rioting, by way of proverbial panem et circenses.

Outstanding roasted chicken and shrimp/bacon risotto by Brad, making way for some nice pairings.

Baudry 2021 Chinon Rose - and, as we are already in Camp Zip, this is another young, charming, racy wine; seems like a modest vintage, not too much alcohol, lightweight, dry, floral

sneaky profound

F. Cotat 2006 Chavignol Rose - this bottle shows all the hallmarks of 10+ year Cotat rose: saffron, gravel, a small scoop of little red berries fruit; but this one is more interesting than exciting, not quite sure why

because a lightly seasons pork loin with marjoram and a reduction with just a hint of RS to respond to the wine was not to be found on this otherwise marvelous occasion

Dom. Marc Delienne 2019 Fleurie "Avalanche de Printemps" - teh interwebz believe this to be a profoundly forward and perfumey wine but, well, I didn't find it that way... nice enough Cru Beaujolais; at one point, Jayson gives it the Mollydooker Shake so maybe I was distracted by dissolved CO2 ?

Nice Cru Beaujolais indeed, but I could not figure what makes it a Fleurie.

M. Bourg 2019 Cornas "Les P'tits Bouts" - 14%, very rich, kinda Pezzy/sweet with "a weird vanilla facade" -Jayson, I've liked other bottles of this better

quite enjoyed this, in a "welcome to the new climate in which you can enjoy nicely balanced young wines on release" way. Should be great with lamb chops on the grill this summer. Coal essential.

Clos Roche Blanche 2011 Touraine "Cuvee Gamay" - chalk! distinctive gamay, OMG wine again, light and bright and yet substantial, "pure magic" -Jayson, OK maybe this is my red WOTN

when the Liquidator starts narrating the wine in a 3-act libretto, you know it's good.

Falkenstein 2018 Niedermenniger Herrenberg Riesling Spatlese Feinherb - 0419, peaches and limes, mid-weight texture, yummy (but I did not know that wine could be both Spatlese and Feinherb at the same time)

Crazy impressive. I thought the citrus did not hit until minute 3 or 4 in the finish.

Adega Damm 2019 Ribeira Sacra Cazoga "Cepas Centenarias" - dilly oak is front and center, good freshness and great palate presence, if the wood would just recede a little... an hour later, it is more fruity and less woody so there's hope

I think I got to this much later, and I did not get any wood out of balance. Superb old-vine sap.

Dirty & Rowdy 2019 Mourvedre, Shake Ridge Ranch - served blind, redfruity with considerable closing grip, Jayson said it had a lot more strawberry when it was first opened

Wonderful wonderful wonderful. A simplicity that does not lack complexity.

Rollin 2010 Pernand-Vergelesses 1er "Sous Fretilles" - a lot of flavor, both sweet and savory, not bad for chardonnay

Was opening at the rate of John Belushi's completing his Bachelor degree in Animal House, so no surprise that this was even better the next day.

 

[Jeff Grossman]

originally posted by Pavel Tchichikov:
Outstanding roasted chicken and shrimp/bacon risotto by Brad, making way for some nice pairings.

Ah, thank you for mentioning this. Brad is a terrific host and cook. He'll tell you how he missed this and didn't do that but the food coming out of the kitchen is terrific.

The rest of the disorderlies filled in with bread, cheeses, tinned or smoked fishes, salted porky goods, marcona almonds, and some additional victuals.

 

[Marc D]

Hey Brad
Did you fry the bacon and then use the bacon fat to toast the rice, and then add add the bacon back after the rice was finished cooking, for the risotto dish? That sounds delish.

M. Bourg 2019 Cornas "Les P'tits Bouts" - 14%, very rich, kinda Pezzy/sweet with "a weird vanilla facade" -Jayson, I've liked other bottles of this better

quite enjoyed this, in a "welcome to the new climate in which you can enjoy nicely balanced young wines on release" way. Should be great with lamb chops on the grill this summer. Coal essential.

I had similar thoughts recently when drinking a ‘19 Brezeme. Easily the friendliest for early drinking Brezeme I’ve tried to date.

I have a bottle of the ‘04 Cotat Rose and will give the pork loin with marjoram recipe a go with it, thanks for the idea.

 

[Pavel Tchichikov]

originally posted by Marc D:
Hey Brad
Did you fry the bacon and then use the bacon fat to toast the rice, and then add add the bacon back after the rice was finished cooking, for the risotto dish? That sounds delish.

My understanding is that he avoided this technique in order to stick to the kosher version of the shrimp/bacon risotto recipe.

I have a bottle of the ‘04 Cotat Rose and will give the pork loin with marjoram recipe a go with it, thanks for the idea.

should be great but a delicate touch may be called for: the 04 was always drier than the 06, and with age consequently more racy/floral than creamy/textured.

If you do have a bottle of Francois 04, let me and Jayson know if you are within a 600 mile radius. Pretty sure we each finished our last bottle, but that's as far as we are willing to walk for a taste.

 

[Jonathan Loesberg]

Surely, shrimp.and bacon cannot be kosher, even if it is traditional.

 

[Tristan Welles]

originally posted by Jonathan Loesberg:
Surely, shrimp.and bacon cannot be kosher, even if it is traditional.

I had to assume that at least one Russian had finally discovered irony.

 

[Brad Kane]

originally posted by Marc D:
Hey Brad
Did you fry the bacon and then use the bacon fat to toast the rice, and then add add the bacon back after the rice was finished cooking, for the risotto dish? That sounds delish.

I actually forgot the bacon and lamented that fact after I put it out. .sasha probably just heard the bacon part. Normally, I'll render it first and start sautéing the vegetables (onion, carrot and garlic) and rice in it and then add the bacon back at the end. I also sauté the asparagus and shrimp seperately and add it to the risotto at the end, with the bacon, butter and cheese.

 

[Brad Kane]

originally posted by Florida Jim:
“Pinon 1995 Vouvray "Cuvee Botrytis" - 9.5%, honeyed, tannic maybe, but pleasant, "a little heavy" -Jayson, "shows not awakeness" -Don “
Wokeness lacking?
How can that be?

It wasn't. It was absolutely brilliant with exquisite balance. Jayson just compares everything to the acidity and lack of botrytis in Huet's '96s, which is really unfair to do.

A really fun night and super to see much of the old NY group together again. Fwiw, I didn't get any oakiness out of the Cornas, or the Ribeira Sacra, though I had the latter at the end of the night, so maybe it had integrated by then. I also disagree with Jeff on the '03 Huet Non-Greffe, which I found unbalanced and showing a bit of heat. Really loved how the '11 Clos Roche Blanche showed, as well as the '78 Olga Raffault, '95 Pinon Cuvee Botrytis and the '52 Huet CDB Demi-Sec, though if I may sound like Doghead, the '52 Le Mont Demi is better. For those that don't know the history, we were at a dinner at Dougherty's for a visiting Victor de la Serna around '98 or '99 and we were all oohing and ahhing over a fabulous showing of '47 Huet LHL Moelleux that had been opened and Callahan says, "I've had better bottles."

 

[Keith Levenberg]

How many of you guys hold your Lopez reservas 20 years? I have not had many held so long, but the ones I've had have not made it so well. I look at them as wines to drink while holding the GRs. A couple years on them can help ('08 Tondonia is perfect right now) but they shouldn't need more. I don't think Heredia would release them if they didn't think they were ready. I haven't had the 2011 yet but maybe this one just would have been better without the overnight double decant.

I am super-jelly of anyone who still has '11 CRB left.

 

[Pavel Tchichikov]

originally posted by Keith Levenberg:
How many of you guys hold your Lopez reservas 20 years? I have not had many held so long, but the ones I've had have not made it so well. I look at them as wines to drink while holding the GRs. A couple years on them can help ('08 Tondonia is perfect right now) but they shouldn't need more. I don't think Heredia would release them if they didn't think they were ready. I haven't had the 2011 yet but maybe this one just would have been better without the overnight double decant.

I am super-jelly of anyone who still has '11 CRB left.

not as super-jelly as you should be of those who still have vintages of LdH in which reservas have aged as well as the gran reservas.

seriously, is this a new development? I've not given this much thought, and have not dissected the recent bosconias/tondonias that I've liked (06,07,08) in that context. To be continued...

 

[Jayson Cohen]

Whites Reservas definitely need lots of age. Reds still need age for my palate. I can’t say I’ve systematically studied this issue empirically for the reds though. Anecdotally a half bottle of ‘64 6° Años was very good in 2019 at the Bodega but could have been drunk 5 years earlier and might have been better.