Jeff Grossman
Jeff Grossman
attendees: Marc, Paul, Jeff, Jay, Don + Melissa, Jayson + Laura, Victor + Elaine
Salt + Ginger has changed since we were here last. Several times Jay asks for something, the waiter shakes his head. But there are still some faves: pork meatballs, pork with tofu, salt and pepper pork hocks (Jay likes them and he's doing the ordering), pork with garlic sauce, pork belly, and as we have some non-Jews at the table we also get wine-soaked chicken, crispy fried chicken fingers, steamed beef with cabbage, mapo tofu, soup dumplings, sticky rice dumplings, and yet some third kind of dumplings.
With so many people coming, the idea to bring magnums is soon brought up and several of us decide to jump in:
MAGNUMS
Piemaggio 2016 Chianti Classico Riserva "Le Fioraie" - oversize Bordeaux-bottle shape, 13.5%, brilliant red, well-made but lacks any excitement today; the winery is located in the far north end of Castellina-in-Chianti and Fioraie is the town name
Day 5- still no fireworks
Ponsot 2009 Corton Rouge "Cuvee du Bourdon" - short and round and squat bottle, 14.5%, an older and darker red, minerally but kinda subdued; this was the first year for the "Cuvee Bumblebee" and is a blend of three parcels on the hill
So far, the magnums are not pulling their weight.
Falkenstein 2019 Nidermenniger Herrenberg Riesling Spatlese Feinherb - tall and thin bottle in the "baseball bat" shape, 8.5%, 3 525 672 11 20, electric, wow, kinda sweet actually
Huet 1988 Vouvray Moelleux "Clos de Bourg" - kinda like a growler bottle, 12.8%, the bottle is etched "7eme Paulee des vins des Pays de Loire 13 Mars 1989", Don says this was bottled specifically for a wine-maker-only event held in the Spring after the harvest; on opening this is somewhat caramelly and sulfury, with air the sweet yellow fruit comes forward and the acidity is better; good but not great
REGULAR BOTTLES
J.J. Prum 2001 Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Spatlese - 8%, 2 576 511 13 02, beautiful, tangy, not at all sweet, maybe weakening a bit so drink now while it's grand
F. Cotat 2014 Sancerre Rose - 13%, a bit of resin but not so much as other bottles nor so saffron-y, nor waxy though I do have to scoop wax bits out of the bottom of my glass, some kind of tangy berry-ness here but it's not distinct, "almost flinty" -Marc;
Day 2- still savory but not as charismatic as other bottles
Potel 2002 Volnay 1er "Clos des Chenes" - 13%, quiet when opened, corked after it sits a bit, sigh
Clos Roches Blanches 2011 Touraine "Cuvee Gamay" - minerally nose, no fruit, a touch of horse, more interesting than exciting
Rollin 2005 Pernand-Vergelesses Rouge - 13%, vivid and vigorous, nothing subtle here, lots of everything going on
Billaud-Simon 2010 Chablis 1er "Montee de Tonnerre" - 13%, very yum, not a life-changing bottle but it offers just exactly what it says it is: premier cru chablis and Jayson and I are both very happy
Drouhin 2005 Nuits-St-Georges "Les Proces" - 13%, Les Proces is adjacent to Les Pruliers; kinda sturdy/stiff when opened but after a half-hour the roses bloom and the iron? licorice? also starts to show, I like;
Day 2- smooth and delicious
Eric Chevalier 2021 Muscadet Cotes de Grand Lieu "Clos de la Butte" - 11.5%, new to all of us, totally typique, lightweight, lemony, a little chalk or talc
Ch. Cantemerle 1996 Haut-Medoc - 12.5%, absolutely on: clean, crisp, currants and dark little fruits decorated with wisps of citrus, yum; Day 2: fading a bit
THE DESSERT BRIGADE
Huet 1996 Vouvray Moelleux 1er Trie "Le Mont" - 12%, the compare for the magnum, much more savory, almost herby, apparently less sweet, Jayson thinks this is unusually heavy so has maybe seen heat damage?
Dom. Baumard 2002 Quarts de Chaume - 12.5%, that is a glass of raisin squeezings, a marvel perhaps but uninteresting to me
Gunderloch 1993 Nackenheim Rothenberg Riesling Auslese - 10%, 4 379 043 19 94, wow, this has subsided in a beautiful way, just enough zing to keep the sugar-boat afloat, lots of little green and yellow fruit, what you want an old riesling to be!
Ch. Coutet 2001 Sauternes - 14%, Marc commented that bringing a 750 of sauternes is the sweet wine equivalent of a magnum (and he's right), drinking very well, shapely acids suffuse the marmalade-flavor wine, there is still oak here but it's receded quite a bit, very pleasant way to end the festivities
There were some very good wines here but the German contingent totally rocked.
Good to see everyone and catch up on your life and times.
Salt + Ginger has changed since we were here last. Several times Jay asks for something, the waiter shakes his head. But there are still some faves: pork meatballs, pork with tofu, salt and pepper pork hocks (Jay likes them and he's doing the ordering), pork with garlic sauce, pork belly, and as we have some non-Jews at the table we also get wine-soaked chicken, crispy fried chicken fingers, steamed beef with cabbage, mapo tofu, soup dumplings, sticky rice dumplings, and yet some third kind of dumplings.
With so many people coming, the idea to bring magnums is soon brought up and several of us decide to jump in:
MAGNUMS
Piemaggio 2016 Chianti Classico Riserva "Le Fioraie" - oversize Bordeaux-bottle shape, 13.5%, brilliant red, well-made but lacks any excitement today; the winery is located in the far north end of Castellina-in-Chianti and Fioraie is the town name
Day 5- still no fireworks
Ponsot 2009 Corton Rouge "Cuvee du Bourdon" - short and round and squat bottle, 14.5%, an older and darker red, minerally but kinda subdued; this was the first year for the "Cuvee Bumblebee" and is a blend of three parcels on the hill
So far, the magnums are not pulling their weight.
Falkenstein 2019 Nidermenniger Herrenberg Riesling Spatlese Feinherb - tall and thin bottle in the "baseball bat" shape, 8.5%, 3 525 672 11 20, electric, wow, kinda sweet actually
Huet 1988 Vouvray Moelleux "Clos de Bourg" - kinda like a growler bottle, 12.8%, the bottle is etched "7eme Paulee des vins des Pays de Loire 13 Mars 1989", Don says this was bottled specifically for a wine-maker-only event held in the Spring after the harvest; on opening this is somewhat caramelly and sulfury, with air the sweet yellow fruit comes forward and the acidity is better; good but not great
REGULAR BOTTLES
J.J. Prum 2001 Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Spatlese - 8%, 2 576 511 13 02, beautiful, tangy, not at all sweet, maybe weakening a bit so drink now while it's grand
F. Cotat 2014 Sancerre Rose - 13%, a bit of resin but not so much as other bottles nor so saffron-y, nor waxy though I do have to scoop wax bits out of the bottom of my glass, some kind of tangy berry-ness here but it's not distinct, "almost flinty" -Marc;
Day 2- still savory but not as charismatic as other bottles
Potel 2002 Volnay 1er "Clos des Chenes" - 13%, quiet when opened, corked after it sits a bit, sigh
Clos Roches Blanches 2011 Touraine "Cuvee Gamay" - minerally nose, no fruit, a touch of horse, more interesting than exciting
Rollin 2005 Pernand-Vergelesses Rouge - 13%, vivid and vigorous, nothing subtle here, lots of everything going on
Billaud-Simon 2010 Chablis 1er "Montee de Tonnerre" - 13%, very yum, not a life-changing bottle but it offers just exactly what it says it is: premier cru chablis and Jayson and I are both very happy
Drouhin 2005 Nuits-St-Georges "Les Proces" - 13%, Les Proces is adjacent to Les Pruliers; kinda sturdy/stiff when opened but after a half-hour the roses bloom and the iron? licorice? also starts to show, I like;
Day 2- smooth and delicious
Eric Chevalier 2021 Muscadet Cotes de Grand Lieu "Clos de la Butte" - 11.5%, new to all of us, totally typique, lightweight, lemony, a little chalk or talc
Ch. Cantemerle 1996 Haut-Medoc - 12.5%, absolutely on: clean, crisp, currants and dark little fruits decorated with wisps of citrus, yum; Day 2: fading a bit
THE DESSERT BRIGADE
Huet 1996 Vouvray Moelleux 1er Trie "Le Mont" - 12%, the compare for the magnum, much more savory, almost herby, apparently less sweet, Jayson thinks this is unusually heavy so has maybe seen heat damage?
Dom. Baumard 2002 Quarts de Chaume - 12.5%, that is a glass of raisin squeezings, a marvel perhaps but uninteresting to me
Gunderloch 1993 Nackenheim Rothenberg Riesling Auslese - 10%, 4 379 043 19 94, wow, this has subsided in a beautiful way, just enough zing to keep the sugar-boat afloat, lots of little green and yellow fruit, what you want an old riesling to be!
Ch. Coutet 2001 Sauternes - 14%, Marc commented that bringing a 750 of sauternes is the sweet wine equivalent of a magnum (and he's right), drinking very well, shapely acids suffuse the marmalade-flavor wine, there is still oak here but it's receded quite a bit, very pleasant way to end the festivities
There were some very good wines here but the German contingent totally rocked.
Good to see everyone and catch up on your life and times.