Jeff Grossman
Jeff Grossman
attendees: Marc, Dan+JoAnna, Jay, Jayson, Hart, Daniel, Julie
It's getting to be like Old Times here.
I cleared my calendar so I could stay all day. Jayson was obliged to come late and leave early. Ira tested positive for Covid so stayed home. Hart arrived a couple hours in.
Marc brought two fabulous breads, one rye and caraway, the other fennel and herb (or something). Jay brought dishes from Salt + Ginger. I brought cheese and pate; lots of people brought cheese and pate. And some good salume. And Julie ordered Pizza Margherita!
And, we stand the whole time... there are no chairs. But 7 hours go fast when there's food and conversation and wine:
Thomas-Labaille 2001 Sancerre "Chavignol" "Les Monts Damnes" "Cuvee Buster" - the only Cuvee Buster still made (they were typically barrel selections) due to the misnomer on the label; this has settled into its warmth... apricots and lichee, rich and full of flavor, perhaps the WOTN
Dom. de Roally 2002 Macon-Montbellet "Tradition" - so, I'm not a White Burgundy guy and so other people feel more nostalgic about this bottle; it is a little rough on entry so not especially appealing; others liked it more after it had a while to open up
Dom. de la Pepiere 2019 Muscadet "Clos des Briords", Cuvee VV - great, green grapes and zing, a bit riper than usual so also some yellow fruit; good the next day too
Bod. Galmes 2022 Son Llebre Blanc - from Mallorca; there are more unexplained words on this label: "Ve d'Avior" (means "from the past" and is apparently a reference to a low-sulfur regimen) and "Cati Ribot" (the winemaker's name!), 80% Giro ros (wtf?) and 20% malvasia de banyalbufar (wtf); pours cloudy, natty nose, tangy when opened this turns more towards sweet grapefruit as it airs out; next day, the malvasia is really starting to show
Puffeney 2013 Arbois Poulsard - wow, lurid hot pink, scratchy cherry fruit, dry and tannic yet perfectly balanced, did I say wow yet?
BLIND #1: The Language of Yes 2022 Pink Wine "Le Cerisier" - 2/3 tibouren, the rest cinsault and grenache; Randall Grahm has decided that California's destiny is to be hot and dry so he is now growing/breeding grapes that like that kind of weather; this is a pale pink wine from his new mix (he has a few other grapes he's working on, too); anyway, this is pretty good: fruit forward, great purity, not exactly dry but well-managed, good flavor all the way through from attack to finish, pretty yum
Lapierre 2007 Morgon - the sticker on the side says "$18.99"; cherry jam and good acidity, maybe not too much road ahead of it but very nice now
Baudry 2012 Chinon "La Croix Boissee" - citrus, a hit of brett, beautiful nose, velvety texture, open and lovely
Louis Boillot 2011 Volnay 1er "Les Angles" - slightly astringent, mothballs?, rather lightweight but with some pretty red fruit
Les Anes Ailes (Francesco Pesci) 2022 "Tricche" - "winged donkeys?", essentially this is a dry Banyuls, it has a rustic palate of dark berries, yum if a bit anonymous
Ch. Cantemerle 1983 Haut-Medoc - "Swirl, swirl, Cantemerle! Jump about like a flying squirrel!" (never mind), old funky nose but the palate is fresh, with black fruits that show themselves but don't linger; probably time to drink up
BLIND #2: Levet 2019 Cote-Rotie "Amethyste" - pure, young syrah, primary and grippy, typique still and all (which was my point in opening it... to see whether the recent vintage tastes like it should)
Vilmart NV Champagne Brut 1er "Grand Cellier" - L224, Jayson thinks this is approximately a 2003 disgorgement, indeed it has very little fizz and an old chardonnay nose, but the palate is fresh, autolytic, very long and juicy, and gets better and better with air, a pleasure
Gaec-Gallet 2001 Cote-Rotie - bright red(!), beautiful, red fruits and earth, like it used to be (love that old label), it might even be perfect
Egon Muller 2021 Wiltinger Braune Kupp Kabinett Riesling - 3 567 142 2 22, excellent acids but kinda sweet for kabi... is it declassified spat?, in any case, lovely
von Othegraven 2021 Kanzemmer Altenberg Riesling Spatlese Auction - 3 518 034 08 22, incredibly fragrant!, slightly softer than the Muller, hints of sweet lemons over the usual riesling white flowers and green grapes, wow
Dom. de la Pousse d'Or 1986 Bourgogne - corked
Raquillet 2013 Mercurey 1er "Les Vasees" - rather nicer than I expected, raspberries and talcum, medium-weight at best, nice cup
Harrington 2015 Pinot Noir - the ripeness is well-judged but the acidity is low so the whole thing comes off stodgy, meh
Now an interlude of six Piedmont wines leftover from an event on Thursday:
Cogno 2019 Barolo Ravera - strict, tannic, bright, impenetrably young, nothing to see here
Negri 2019 Barolo "La Tartufaia" - this has a bit more flesh, some citrus, better
Pod. Colla 2019 Barolo Bussia "Dardi le Rose" - richer yet, leesy?, a little riper than the Negri (which it resembles)
Brezza 2019 Barolo Cannubi - cherries and stinging tannins, as you'd expect
Brezza 2019 Barolo - a little more yielding than the Cannubi
Chionetti 2015 Dolcetto Dogliani "San Luigi" - very dark, rather rich for dolcetto, I'd like this at my dinner table
And the last few:
Hirtzberger 2007 Singerriedl Riesling Smaragd - OMG, this is excellent: bergamot, green grapes, pale earth, very dry
Doyard 2008 Champagne Extra-Brut "Les Lumieres" - OTH or simply much too oxidized for me
Rhys 2012 Pinot Noir, Skyline Vyd - nose is attractive but the mouth is piney and assertive, meh
Bod. Toro Albale 1972 PX Gran Reserva - inky, sweet on entry but finishes rather dry, more a curiosity than a drink
Dom. Filliatreau 2001 Saumur-Champigny VV - corked (that's the second time I bought an old Filliatreau and it's been corked)
Bravo, everyone.
It's getting to be like Old Times here.
I cleared my calendar so I could stay all day. Jayson was obliged to come late and leave early. Ira tested positive for Covid so stayed home. Hart arrived a couple hours in.
Marc brought two fabulous breads, one rye and caraway, the other fennel and herb (or something). Jay brought dishes from Salt + Ginger. I brought cheese and pate; lots of people brought cheese and pate. And some good salume. And Julie ordered Pizza Margherita!
And, we stand the whole time... there are no chairs. But 7 hours go fast when there's food and conversation and wine:
Thomas-Labaille 2001 Sancerre "Chavignol" "Les Monts Damnes" "Cuvee Buster" - the only Cuvee Buster still made (they were typically barrel selections) due to the misnomer on the label; this has settled into its warmth... apricots and lichee, rich and full of flavor, perhaps the WOTN
Dom. de Roally 2002 Macon-Montbellet "Tradition" - so, I'm not a White Burgundy guy and so other people feel more nostalgic about this bottle; it is a little rough on entry so not especially appealing; others liked it more after it had a while to open up
Dom. de la Pepiere 2019 Muscadet "Clos des Briords", Cuvee VV - great, green grapes and zing, a bit riper than usual so also some yellow fruit; good the next day too
Bod. Galmes 2022 Son Llebre Blanc - from Mallorca; there are more unexplained words on this label: "Ve d'Avior" (means "from the past" and is apparently a reference to a low-sulfur regimen) and "Cati Ribot" (the winemaker's name!), 80% Giro ros (wtf?) and 20% malvasia de banyalbufar (wtf); pours cloudy, natty nose, tangy when opened this turns more towards sweet grapefruit as it airs out; next day, the malvasia is really starting to show
Puffeney 2013 Arbois Poulsard - wow, lurid hot pink, scratchy cherry fruit, dry and tannic yet perfectly balanced, did I say wow yet?
BLIND #1: The Language of Yes 2022 Pink Wine "Le Cerisier" - 2/3 tibouren, the rest cinsault and grenache; Randall Grahm has decided that California's destiny is to be hot and dry so he is now growing/breeding grapes that like that kind of weather; this is a pale pink wine from his new mix (he has a few other grapes he's working on, too); anyway, this is pretty good: fruit forward, great purity, not exactly dry but well-managed, good flavor all the way through from attack to finish, pretty yum
Lapierre 2007 Morgon - the sticker on the side says "$18.99"; cherry jam and good acidity, maybe not too much road ahead of it but very nice now
Baudry 2012 Chinon "La Croix Boissee" - citrus, a hit of brett, beautiful nose, velvety texture, open and lovely
Louis Boillot 2011 Volnay 1er "Les Angles" - slightly astringent, mothballs?, rather lightweight but with some pretty red fruit
Les Anes Ailes (Francesco Pesci) 2022 "Tricche" - "winged donkeys?", essentially this is a dry Banyuls, it has a rustic palate of dark berries, yum if a bit anonymous
Ch. Cantemerle 1983 Haut-Medoc - "Swirl, swirl, Cantemerle! Jump about like a flying squirrel!" (never mind), old funky nose but the palate is fresh, with black fruits that show themselves but don't linger; probably time to drink up
BLIND #2: Levet 2019 Cote-Rotie "Amethyste" - pure, young syrah, primary and grippy, typique still and all (which was my point in opening it... to see whether the recent vintage tastes like it should)
Vilmart NV Champagne Brut 1er "Grand Cellier" - L224, Jayson thinks this is approximately a 2003 disgorgement, indeed it has very little fizz and an old chardonnay nose, but the palate is fresh, autolytic, very long and juicy, and gets better and better with air, a pleasure
Gaec-Gallet 2001 Cote-Rotie - bright red(!), beautiful, red fruits and earth, like it used to be (love that old label), it might even be perfect
Egon Muller 2021 Wiltinger Braune Kupp Kabinett Riesling - 3 567 142 2 22, excellent acids but kinda sweet for kabi... is it declassified spat?, in any case, lovely
von Othegraven 2021 Kanzemmer Altenberg Riesling Spatlese Auction - 3 518 034 08 22, incredibly fragrant!, slightly softer than the Muller, hints of sweet lemons over the usual riesling white flowers and green grapes, wow
Dom. de la Pousse d'Or 1986 Bourgogne - corked
Raquillet 2013 Mercurey 1er "Les Vasees" - rather nicer than I expected, raspberries and talcum, medium-weight at best, nice cup
Harrington 2015 Pinot Noir - the ripeness is well-judged but the acidity is low so the whole thing comes off stodgy, meh
Now an interlude of six Piedmont wines leftover from an event on Thursday:
Cogno 2019 Barolo Ravera - strict, tannic, bright, impenetrably young, nothing to see here
Negri 2019 Barolo "La Tartufaia" - this has a bit more flesh, some citrus, better
Pod. Colla 2019 Barolo Bussia "Dardi le Rose" - richer yet, leesy?, a little riper than the Negri (which it resembles)
Brezza 2019 Barolo Cannubi - cherries and stinging tannins, as you'd expect
Brezza 2019 Barolo - a little more yielding than the Cannubi
Chionetti 2015 Dolcetto Dogliani "San Luigi" - very dark, rather rich for dolcetto, I'd like this at my dinner table
And the last few:
Hirtzberger 2007 Singerriedl Riesling Smaragd - OMG, this is excellent: bergamot, green grapes, pale earth, very dry
Doyard 2008 Champagne Extra-Brut "Les Lumieres" - OTH or simply much too oxidized for me
Rhys 2012 Pinot Noir, Skyline Vyd - nose is attractive but the mouth is piney and assertive, meh
Bod. Toro Albale 1972 PX Gran Reserva - inky, sweet on entry but finishes rather dry, more a curiosity than a drink
Dom. Filliatreau 2001 Saumur-Champigny VV - corked (that's the second time I bought an old Filliatreau and it's been corked)
Bravo, everyone.
