Jeff Grossman
Jeff Grossman
attendees: Brad, Craig, Franco, Jayson, Jeff, Rahsaan, Sasha, Victor, Yule
Yule Kim is in town and, as many of us have not yet met him, we quick assemble the usual crew and snag a table at Noreetuh. I suspect that Jin simply pencils us in every 3 or 4 weeks, whether we call ahead or not. In any case, he is a grand host, the staff are always pleasant and totally on top of things, so we can just order freely -- two chickens, two ducks, two cabbages, two tartares, etc etc -- and dive right in.
Nine people, twenty-one wines, so you know what you're in for, eh? Yule certainly did and swung past Chambers St to pick up an older nebbiolo.
And away we go:
Bruno Paillard 2012 Champagne BdB - beautiful, what a nice way to start the evening, delicate bubbles, just-barely bready/yeasty, bright crisp-tender acidity, medium-long finish
After the welcome-wine, I jump right into the hotly-discussed sub-flight of Austrian whites. It is not everybody's cuppa, despite long and hard peddling by Thor and SFJoe back in the day. The alcohol can stick out, the textures are oily/heavy, it's not always clear what grape is speaking. But I have found, when they're "on" they are among the most fascinating. I try to purchase very carefully in this category as the wines are also not inexpensive.
Alzinger 2011 Steinertal Riesling Smaragd - fantastic, beautiful, tastes of slightly Pezzy rocks (limestone), but not everyone is impressed: Sasha finds it pretty but static, lacking in dynamism; while Victor simply shrugs, "eh"
Alzinger 2012 Steinertal Riesling Smaragd - this is less vivid, less intense than the '11 but, in a way it is better balanced, with more flesh to go over those acidy rocks
Nikolaihof 2016 Riesling Smaragd "Vom Stein" - 12.5%, pretty but kinda lightweight, white river stones, not my fave tonight, "herbal, leafy stuff" -Sasha
Prager 2016 GV Ried Achleiten Stockkultur Smaragd® - 13.5%, very assertive, tastes more golden than green, rich/full texture, but acidity slightly diminished; I think it was at this point that Brad marvelled aloud that neither the region nor this grape are his favorites but that these have been good wines
Guiborat 2019 Champagne Extra-Brut BdB GC "Prisme" - 11/23 dosage of 2.5 g/l, made no lasting impression, I guess, as there really is no note
Huet 2010 Vouvray Demi-Sec "Clos du Bourg" - pretty, of course, who doesn't like nice ripe chenin with chalk notes and a spliff of acidity; yet this really is a tad sweeter than I'd like it to be
Dom. des Senons 2023 IGP (Yonne) Pinot Noir "Fracta Corda" - 12.5%, a discovery and darling of William Kelley, and it is a great great story; however, the wine is light and anonymous (this is only the second vintage of the domaine)
Lena Filliatreau 1989 Saumur-Champigny - textbook Saumur, well, textbook aged Saumur; some old scribblings suggest this was assertively green peppery back in the day, but now it is mostly the cabernet heritage showing with just a decorative dollop of pyrazinic flavors, yum
Dom. de Montrieux (Ariane Lesne) 2020 Pineau d'Aunis "Grand Gousier" - from vines bought from Emile Heredia when he married his neighbor at Le Briseau; very old vines and I am just in love, this is everything pd'a should be
Monsecco 2013 Gattinara - fruity, earthy, good nebbiolo but starting to fade
Ch. Rausan-Segla 1988 Margaux - seriously black, still incredibly strong, red-fruited, wow
Ch. Gruaud-Larose 1986 Saint-Julien - not quite so dark as the Margaux, also red-fruited but kinda strict, maybe even a little skimpy
Musso Sebastiano 1982 Barbaresco "Bricco Rio Sordo" - lightweight, fruit cup heavy on little berries, clove?, sound, not oxidized but definitely 'lifted'
About now either my palate or my penmanship failed. Or both.
Hudelot-Noellat 2006 Nuits-St-Georges 1er "Les Murgers" - no note
Jos. Drouhin 1999 Chambolle-Musigny 1er - just "beautiful"
Chandon de Briailles 2006 Corton "Les Bressandes" - beautiful and vivid acidity, a few people say it is tart
Knipser 2017 Kirschgarten Spatburgunder - 5 128 029 0045 16, 12.5%, no note
Apollo's Praise 2024 Scheurebe, Lahoma Vineyard - yup tastes like scheurebe
Ch. de Fargues 1990 Sauternes - just "good"
Ch. Climens 1986 Sauternes-Barsac 1er - crisp, pure, stands up to anything on my plate
At this point, the bill was brought, Jayson had the presence of mind to coordinate the dance of the credit cards, and I lurched launched myself towards home. But several attendees continued attending. I am told they swapped pours with neghboring tables, incited a red tide, re-enacted a scene from "Sideways", and other merry sodden shenanigans.
A good time was had by all.
Bottle shots courtesy of Brad, as always.
.
Yule Kim is in town and, as many of us have not yet met him, we quick assemble the usual crew and snag a table at Noreetuh. I suspect that Jin simply pencils us in every 3 or 4 weeks, whether we call ahead or not. In any case, he is a grand host, the staff are always pleasant and totally on top of things, so we can just order freely -- two chickens, two ducks, two cabbages, two tartares, etc etc -- and dive right in.
Nine people, twenty-one wines, so you know what you're in for, eh? Yule certainly did and swung past Chambers St to pick up an older nebbiolo.
And away we go:
Bruno Paillard 2012 Champagne BdB - beautiful, what a nice way to start the evening, delicate bubbles, just-barely bready/yeasty, bright crisp-tender acidity, medium-long finish
After the welcome-wine, I jump right into the hotly-discussed sub-flight of Austrian whites. It is not everybody's cuppa, despite long and hard peddling by Thor and SFJoe back in the day. The alcohol can stick out, the textures are oily/heavy, it's not always clear what grape is speaking. But I have found, when they're "on" they are among the most fascinating. I try to purchase very carefully in this category as the wines are also not inexpensive.
Alzinger 2011 Steinertal Riesling Smaragd - fantastic, beautiful, tastes of slightly Pezzy rocks (limestone), but not everyone is impressed: Sasha finds it pretty but static, lacking in dynamism; while Victor simply shrugs, "eh"
Alzinger 2012 Steinertal Riesling Smaragd - this is less vivid, less intense than the '11 but, in a way it is better balanced, with more flesh to go over those acidy rocks
Nikolaihof 2016 Riesling Smaragd "Vom Stein" - 12.5%, pretty but kinda lightweight, white river stones, not my fave tonight, "herbal, leafy stuff" -Sasha
Prager 2016 GV Ried Achleiten Stockkultur Smaragd® - 13.5%, very assertive, tastes more golden than green, rich/full texture, but acidity slightly diminished; I think it was at this point that Brad marvelled aloud that neither the region nor this grape are his favorites but that these have been good wines
Guiborat 2019 Champagne Extra-Brut BdB GC "Prisme" - 11/23 dosage of 2.5 g/l, made no lasting impression, I guess, as there really is no note
Huet 2010 Vouvray Demi-Sec "Clos du Bourg" - pretty, of course, who doesn't like nice ripe chenin with chalk notes and a spliff of acidity; yet this really is a tad sweeter than I'd like it to be
Dom. des Senons 2023 IGP (Yonne) Pinot Noir "Fracta Corda" - 12.5%, a discovery and darling of William Kelley, and it is a great great story; however, the wine is light and anonymous (this is only the second vintage of the domaine)
Lena Filliatreau 1989 Saumur-Champigny - textbook Saumur, well, textbook aged Saumur; some old scribblings suggest this was assertively green peppery back in the day, but now it is mostly the cabernet heritage showing with just a decorative dollop of pyrazinic flavors, yum
Dom. de Montrieux (Ariane Lesne) 2020 Pineau d'Aunis "Grand Gousier" - from vines bought from Emile Heredia when he married his neighbor at Le Briseau; very old vines and I am just in love, this is everything pd'a should be
Monsecco 2013 Gattinara - fruity, earthy, good nebbiolo but starting to fade
Ch. Rausan-Segla 1988 Margaux - seriously black, still incredibly strong, red-fruited, wow
Ch. Gruaud-Larose 1986 Saint-Julien - not quite so dark as the Margaux, also red-fruited but kinda strict, maybe even a little skimpy
Musso Sebastiano 1982 Barbaresco "Bricco Rio Sordo" - lightweight, fruit cup heavy on little berries, clove?, sound, not oxidized but definitely 'lifted'
About now either my palate or my penmanship failed. Or both.
Hudelot-Noellat 2006 Nuits-St-Georges 1er "Les Murgers" - no note
Jos. Drouhin 1999 Chambolle-Musigny 1er - just "beautiful"
Chandon de Briailles 2006 Corton "Les Bressandes" - beautiful and vivid acidity, a few people say it is tart
Knipser 2017 Kirschgarten Spatburgunder - 5 128 029 0045 16, 12.5%, no note
Apollo's Praise 2024 Scheurebe, Lahoma Vineyard - yup tastes like scheurebe
Ch. de Fargues 1990 Sauternes - just "good"
Ch. Climens 1986 Sauternes-Barsac 1er - crisp, pure, stands up to anything on my plate
At this point, the bill was brought, Jayson had the presence of mind to coordinate the dance of the credit cards, and I lurched launched myself towards home. But several attendees continued attending. I am told they swapped pours with neghboring tables, incited a red tide, re-enacted a scene from "Sideways", and other merry sodden shenanigans.
A good time was had by all.
Bottle shots courtesy of Brad, as always.
.
