Jeff Grossman
Jeff Grossman
attendees: Brad, Don, Jayson, Jeff, Mike
A no-corkage Szechuan place just two blocks from my office... how did I not know about this sooner?
Brad has a bottle of the new vintage of Cuvee Renaissance and word is that the style has gone back to something like we remember (it had gotten all alcoholic and out of balance as Cazin and/or the vines took time adjusting to global warming). There was some discussion at the table about the exact nature of the wine so here are some excerpts from authoritative websites (e.g., Louis Dressner):
"In very ripe vintages, when the grapes undergo passerillage or noble rot, Cazin vinifies some of his Romorantin off-dry, calling it "Cuvée Renaissance".
"The bunches are hand-harvested and pressed directly; the must is fermented in stainless steel tank with native yeasts; the wine does not go through malolactic fermentation. The wine is aged on its lees in used 300-liter barrels; it is bottled by gravity without filtration a year after the harvest. There is always some residual sugar, varying with the vintage (30 g/l in 2018)."
Brad has gathered up a few of the regulars and one blast-from-the-past guest, Mike Bassman. The twins have left the nest and he's returning to the hobby; and a pleasure to see him again.
We order up tofu and mushroom with black pepper, lamb with scallions and onion, roast chinese broccoli, scallion pancakes with shredded duck, salt and pepper shrimp, an eggplant and pork belly dish, and a couple other things.
The restaurant staff are very gracious to us. They even bring us an extra table so we can stash bottles and buckets out of the way while we serve food.
Speaking of wine:
Hofgut Falkenstein Krettnacher Euchariusberg 2023 Riesling Kabinett Alte Reben "Gisela" (AP 8) - 9%, a great first wine of the night! vivid, powerful, riesling green-grape and lime mixed with hints of melon, wintergreen, clove, and mandarine; excellent
Hofgut Falkenstein Krettnacher Euchariusberg 2018 Riesling Kabinett (AP 12) - 9%, I see why Jayson later suggested tasting this one first but so it goes; much gentler acids, sweet lemon and basil, shows a little earthy characters which is nice
Ludes 2023 Thornicher Ritsch Riesling Kabinett "Terrassen" - 10% (people were agog?), 2 560 027 7 24, sulfuriosity but not too bad, another slugger... rich, viscous, sweet orange, "strawberry note in the finish", and so long!
O. Horiot 2019 Rose des Riceys "En Valingrain" - Jayson and I both love this wine: strawberry, cherry, chalk, and bright friendly acids; this is the latest vintage
Belliviere, Dom de 2022 Coteaux du Loir "Le Rouge-Gorge" - slightly sweeter than usual, a bit more fruit in the pink peppercorns and not so much cement dust, still yummy and a good match with the meat dishes; two days later... about the same, goes really well with a tomato sauce dish, the acidities harmonize, adding some black fruit flavor to the wine
Cazin 2022 Cour-Cheverny "Vendange Manuelle" "Cuvee Renaissance" - the Guest of Honor and alas we are underwhelmed: middling sweet but the mid-palate is empty, later a few romorantin flavors peek out but we are all a little puzzled at this showing
Huet 2020 Vouvray Demi-Sec "Le Haut Lieu" - another not especially vivid bottle: mid-weight, lots of yellow fruit, middling sweetness
Huet 1945 Vouvray Demi-Sec "Le Haut Lieu" - served blind: OK, we quickly get that it is demi-sec; color of tea, very long and vibrant; Don spills the beans at this point; it is rich and glyceral, with air there is a note of creamed corn; but the poise and harmony are amazing; Don said he was in a celebratory mood, "Really delicious. On the sweet side for an old demi sec, but that would be characteristic of the frost-concentrated vintage. Rich, mellow, stone fruit, pollen, evolved but still fresh, tea, a symphony." -Don
Selbach-Oster 2016 Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Spatlese - 8.5%, 2 606 379 02017, a perfect Spat!: a little dose of tension from the acids, a little dose of luxury from the sugar, wrapped around lime leaf and green grapes
Huet 2019 Vouvray Sec "Le Mont" - lightweight, good but not really what I think of as Vouvray (...last wine of the evening so not sure whether I'm just overwhelmed or if the lack of sugar bothers me or something else); two days later... I guess the wine is a little acid-deficient because it's varietally-correct but dull when served too warm; put a little chill on it and it's better
A few pictures, courtesy of Brad:
Don, that was pretty amazing.
A no-corkage Szechuan place just two blocks from my office... how did I not know about this sooner?
Brad has a bottle of the new vintage of Cuvee Renaissance and word is that the style has gone back to something like we remember (it had gotten all alcoholic and out of balance as Cazin and/or the vines took time adjusting to global warming). There was some discussion at the table about the exact nature of the wine so here are some excerpts from authoritative websites (e.g., Louis Dressner):
"In very ripe vintages, when the grapes undergo passerillage or noble rot, Cazin vinifies some of his Romorantin off-dry, calling it "Cuvée Renaissance".
"The bunches are hand-harvested and pressed directly; the must is fermented in stainless steel tank with native yeasts; the wine does not go through malolactic fermentation. The wine is aged on its lees in used 300-liter barrels; it is bottled by gravity without filtration a year after the harvest. There is always some residual sugar, varying with the vintage (30 g/l in 2018)."
Brad has gathered up a few of the regulars and one blast-from-the-past guest, Mike Bassman. The twins have left the nest and he's returning to the hobby; and a pleasure to see him again.
We order up tofu and mushroom with black pepper, lamb with scallions and onion, roast chinese broccoli, scallion pancakes with shredded duck, salt and pepper shrimp, an eggplant and pork belly dish, and a couple other things.
The restaurant staff are very gracious to us. They even bring us an extra table so we can stash bottles and buckets out of the way while we serve food.
Speaking of wine:
Hofgut Falkenstein Krettnacher Euchariusberg 2023 Riesling Kabinett Alte Reben "Gisela" (AP 8) - 9%, a great first wine of the night! vivid, powerful, riesling green-grape and lime mixed with hints of melon, wintergreen, clove, and mandarine; excellent
Hofgut Falkenstein Krettnacher Euchariusberg 2018 Riesling Kabinett (AP 12) - 9%, I see why Jayson later suggested tasting this one first but so it goes; much gentler acids, sweet lemon and basil, shows a little earthy characters which is nice
Ludes 2023 Thornicher Ritsch Riesling Kabinett "Terrassen" - 10% (people were agog?), 2 560 027 7 24, sulfuriosity but not too bad, another slugger... rich, viscous, sweet orange, "strawberry note in the finish", and so long!
O. Horiot 2019 Rose des Riceys "En Valingrain" - Jayson and I both love this wine: strawberry, cherry, chalk, and bright friendly acids; this is the latest vintage
Belliviere, Dom de 2022 Coteaux du Loir "Le Rouge-Gorge" - slightly sweeter than usual, a bit more fruit in the pink peppercorns and not so much cement dust, still yummy and a good match with the meat dishes; two days later... about the same, goes really well with a tomato sauce dish, the acidities harmonize, adding some black fruit flavor to the wine
Cazin 2022 Cour-Cheverny "Vendange Manuelle" "Cuvee Renaissance" - the Guest of Honor and alas we are underwhelmed: middling sweet but the mid-palate is empty, later a few romorantin flavors peek out but we are all a little puzzled at this showing
Huet 2020 Vouvray Demi-Sec "Le Haut Lieu" - another not especially vivid bottle: mid-weight, lots of yellow fruit, middling sweetness
Huet 1945 Vouvray Demi-Sec "Le Haut Lieu" - served blind: OK, we quickly get that it is demi-sec; color of tea, very long and vibrant; Don spills the beans at this point; it is rich and glyceral, with air there is a note of creamed corn; but the poise and harmony are amazing; Don said he was in a celebratory mood, "Really delicious. On the sweet side for an old demi sec, but that would be characteristic of the frost-concentrated vintage. Rich, mellow, stone fruit, pollen, evolved but still fresh, tea, a symphony." -Don
Selbach-Oster 2016 Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Spatlese - 8.5%, 2 606 379 02017, a perfect Spat!: a little dose of tension from the acids, a little dose of luxury from the sugar, wrapped around lime leaf and green grapes
Huet 2019 Vouvray Sec "Le Mont" - lightweight, good but not really what I think of as Vouvray (...last wine of the evening so not sure whether I'm just overwhelmed or if the lack of sugar bothers me or something else); two days later... I guess the wine is a little acid-deficient because it's varietally-correct but dull when served too warm; put a little chill on it and it's better
A few pictures, courtesy of Brad:
Don, that was pretty amazing.
