the new what did u drink tonite thread

B

BJ

BJ
'15 l'Oratoire de St Martin Cairanne Haut Coustias blanc

I'm increasingly a sucker for Rhone blancs of various forms. This, from John's cellar (of Orcas Roses fame) and it's a damn fine wine. The Mme doesn't go in for these, so I opened something for her (a '23 Malandes St. Bris), so that just means it's all MINE.

Back in '03 (yes the Canicule), the Mme, one of her gal pals, and I hiked up and over the Cairanne hill to Rasteau on a very hot day indeed. Memorable, in fact remembering it right now. For all I know, we hiked right past the Haut Coustias vineyard.

Back to the wine. Glyceral, baked goods, marzipan, anise, not far off a solid Hermitage blanc. Read somewhere on the webs 70-90 year old vines. You know those terrific '00s books by James Turnbull - highlighting solid traditional wines from around France? This should be in it, but it's not - its red sib however is.
 
"This, from John's cellar (of Orcas Roses fame) "
Is this Johnie & John? A best friend of ours is quite good friends with Johnie & John. Once this trio visited our residence and J&J offered a Northern Rhone Syrah for imbibing.
Fancy the intersection of lives.....

2005 Huet Bourg demi-sec : power substituting for minerality. a very good wine that asks for a slightly different food match than usual for a "classic" wine from this vineyard. 2
 
Hi Mark, no this is from the old John...the founder/original owner. Roses always had insane older stuff on their shelves and whenever we were there we would regularly imbibe/buy. He has been selling his cellar out through Doe Bay Wine Co.... which now has an outpost on Phinney Ridge not far from our house...
 
Hi BJ,
I still think we are talking about the same person.
"John and Joni Trumbull were the original owners of Roses Bakery Cafe and the adjoining gourmet market on Orcas Island, Washington. John and Joni Trumbull owned the business for many years before eventually selling it to Erin Gainey and Philip Kramer of Deer Harbor in late 2021"
Joni & John Trumbull are the people I know through a mutual good friend...
Your turn, MSA
 
Oh, I think it was the "Johnie" that threw me off...I was unsure of the new owners' names...

Sadly, I see on Google that Roses is now closed...it was a place for the ages...
 
Last night we drank a bottle of 2010 Motali Renato Valtellina Superiore Valgella with a rack of lamb. My experience with Valtellina has mostly been limited to Ar Pe Pe hithertofore, but this bottle was an eye opener: medium bodied, richly fruited, velvety texture, fresh acidity and no trace of oak. Not overly complex but possibly competing for my affections with the Extradimensional Right Left Brain Mourvèdre, to which it bears some resemblance.

Mark Lipton
 
Some nice Easter wines with the Mme's overeducated family (that sounds bad, they are great fun to hang out with).

Another bottle of that Muzard Santenay VV was perfect with the misc Easter grub.

An '18 Tardive woke up after a couple days open and offered a pretty typical if non-spectacular rendering of the classic flavors, including a nice manganese cameo.

The '23 O Raffault Chinon rose was wonderful and by far the fastest to go.

The (missed vintage) Division Wines Chenin l'Isle Verte was our last of several...not my favorite Division Wine and I shall leave it at that (not bad, just so many better Loire Chenins)...a bit funny advertised on their website as "Best Chenin Blanc in the US" hahaha...
 
Had this last night with Easter dinner, which was take out Italian because life is busy these days. This was one of the bottles I ordered direct from a shop in Tuscany.

Maybe 2-5 years ahead of true maturity, but still gloriously aromatic and satisfying. Though both acidity and tannins were still in perky adolescent form, the vibrant floral and berry bouquet forgave a bit of youth. Accordingly, it opened up with time on the table. On the palate, blackberry and Morello cherry, oak evident but in no way overpowering. Full bodied, seemingly perfectly ripe. Labeled at 14%, native yeasts, large Slavonian oak.

Spent a lot of time with my nose in this glass. I would do this again in a heartbeat.

Le_Potazzine.jpg
 
Henriet-Bazin “Sélection de Parcelles” NV. 2020 Base with 30% 1968-2019 reserve. 50% Chardonnay from Premier Cru plots of Villers-Marmery and 50% Grand Cru Pinot Noir from Verzenay and Verzy. About 7.5 g per liter. A bright delicious complex Champagne. Loved it.
 
tonight's santenay beaurepaire 1993 from françoise & denis clair is such a perfect chamber wine that i feel impelled to work teh chubby fingers on a mention, since it strikes me as a version of an ideal that works for many of teh inmates. a well balanced but not flashy nose of smoke, spice and fruit presages a medium bodied, sturdy yet simultaneously delicate pinot with the correct mix of soft, spicy / sour and a hint of tannin as it goes down.

totally delightful.

yes, i know it's not at all fancy, but i also know i'll be lucky if i encounter a burgundy so exactly in the right place again this year.

fb.

ps. teh santenay was popped to handle teh kottleten that were wheeled out to accompany teh weißer spargel at teh fatsteinhaus in bavaria this weekend. i had forgotten to bring any silvaner for teh spargel, and more in desperation than hope, popped some lena singer-fischer blanc de noirs 2021 for teh shits and giggles and to have something to stop teh santenay getting sucked down all too sharpish. fuck me if it didn't actually work remarkably well. you read it first here kids. bone dry bdn sekt with a bit of silky richness is one answer to the white asparagus challenge.
 
originally posted by fatboy:
answer to the white asparagus challenge.
Click to expand...

the answer to the *green* asparagus challenge across the pond was shockingly a flight of huet le mont: 2008 demi-sec, 2005 demi-sec, and 1996 sec. The dish at @chambers described as "asparagus|roomano|pecans" was an eleventh hour substitute due to a failed delivery, and managed to have each of the wines awaken a different flavour component in its constituency, with the 2008 somehow reaching out to the alpine herbal field greens side of asparagus (normally calling for a wurttemberg silvaner or grau at the fatschloss) through its fancy richer additives neutralizing the sweeter/exotic side of the demi-sec in the DMZ, and allowing the bitter side of chenincheninchenin play with the vegetable. the whole flight with the food show was nothing short of brilliant.
 
originally posted by Pavel Tchichikov:
originally posted by fatboy:
answer to the white asparagus challenge.
Click to expand...

the alpine herbal field greens side of asparagus (normally calling for a wurttemberg silvaner or grau at the fatschloss)
Click to expand...
I have found that the answer to most questions is German silvaner these days, particularly with green garlic playing a role this month in most meals. I look forward to it (the vegetable) every year - and if you aren't using it you might look beyond the supermarket for your greens.
 
Last night was 2013 Louis Boillot Volnay Brouillards, which was in a pretty good zone for my tastes. Fresh and elegant rather than deep, perhaps as integrated as its going to get. A delicious light touch Volnay.

Of course I have no idea how it will evolve further, but I have been drinking several vintages of the Boillot Brouillards recently. 08 remains cranky and I'm not optimistic, 09 was also more fierce/linear Brouillards than juicy 09, and 14 was mixed from one bottle to the next. 12 was gorgeous and renewed my faith, which is why I'm thinking I should just grab these '13 pleasures while available.
 
originally posted by mark e:
originally posted by Pavel Tchichikov:


the alpine herbal field greens side of asparagus (normally calling for a wurttemberg silvaner or grau at the fatschloss)
Click to expand...
I have found that the answer to most questions is German silvaner these days.
Click to expand...

in re which, it is perhaps worth noting that 24 is the last vintage for helmut dole's silvaner alte reben, which for me has always been a pinnacle of this genre.

fb.
 
originally posted by fatboy:
originally posted by mark e:
originally posted by Pavel Tchichikov:


the alpine herbal field greens side of asparagus (normally calling for a wurttemberg silvaner or grau at the fatschloss)
Click to expand...
I have found that the answer to most questions is German silvaner these days.
Click to expand...

in re which, it is perhaps worth noting that 24 is the last vintage for helmut dole's silvaner alte reben, which for me has always been a pinnacle of this genre.

fb.
Click to expand...
Is he ripping out the vines to replant?
 
originally posted by mark e:
I have found that the answer to most questions is German silvaner these days, particularly with green garlic playing a role this month in most meals. I look forward to it (the vegetable) every year - and if you aren't using it you might look beyond the supermarket for your greens.
Click to expand...

definitely beyond the supermarket, and thanks for the reminder.
spring onions a frequent item here (it's an ethnic thing), but not green garlic.
technically not allowed to eat the white parts, but can cheat just enough to appreciate the flavour combo.
 
originally posted by mark e:

Is he ripping out the vines to replant?
Click to expand...

nope -- the owners of the vineyards are selling, and it doesn't make sense for helmut to buy them at this stage of his career.

for now, at least, there wlil still be teh other silvaners from other vineyards. and his best weissburgunders to date, including a new cuvee thereof. which reminds me, i should ask him about when he is going to bottle it.

fb.
 
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