Jeff Grossman
Jeff Grossman
Yet another wine event at Triomphe, the restaurant in the lobby of the Iroquois Hotel.
Yet another winter storm. Sleet this time, but it's still frozen white stuff falling out of the sky.
At least, it's good weather for Revenge of the Cornas.
While the crowd gathers we slurp a bit of Delamotte NV Champagne. Pleasant, neither bready nor stinging, it's just... frog bubbles.
Before I begin my tale, however, let's review a pertinent palate idiosyncrasy. I can stand a bit of brett in my wine, notably, when it acts as "just another flavor" in the wine's profile. When it dominates the wine, then it is too much and becomes a fault. This is relevant because Cornas is a very old place, a very traditional place, a very rustic place. Wine-making in this region was first recorded around 800 A.D., and some of those barrels may still be in use today....
First Course:
Pulled rabbit risotto with English peas and Parmesan - rich and earthy, chew is good on the rice
Verset 1994 Cornas -- persistent cherries, bright, with a whiff of cardamom and sandalwood, lightweight palate presence ...yes, yes
Verset 1996 Cornas -- Brett City; lots of leather, animal fur, tangy, but the finish is long and it goes really well with the food; a fellow drinker says it reminds her of the rock salt that her father used when preparing his favorite banana-lime-rock salt dessert ...yes
Verset 1999 Cornas -- olives and tobacco and hideously tannic, nose is very ungiving, should let this one sleep a while longer ...judgment witheld
Durand 1999 Cornas "Empreintes" -- (a lagniappe); the provider says the maker is in the traditional school; well, um, er, the whiff of butter blows off after a few minutes but the wine still reminds the fellow on my left of "sour cream"; the wine can still be reasonably identified as cornas but it has taken a few steps towards the glossy international style ...maybe
Second Course:
Free-range chicken breast with mustard beurre blanc - a tender chunk of breast, crisp skin, and a simple sauce
Clape 1995 Cornas -- darker than the Verset, meaty, just a textbook 'black wine' and is best with the food; did I mention that I'm a Clape bigot? ...yes
Clape 1996 Cornas -- suaver than the '95 and more open, showing floral notes and blackberries ...yes, yes
Clape 2001 Cornas -- like a barrel sample: harshly acid, vividly fruity; let this one sleep, too ...judgment witheld
Third Course:
Filet Mignon with baby carrots and bearnaise - well-seasoned and aged meat, classic prep
Verset 1989 Cornas -- brett & olives, sweet, but in decline ...yes
Verset 1990 Cornas -- brett and more brett (did Verset never clean anything?); the wine is alive but getting a metallic taste with pruney sickly fruit ...maybe
Clape 1990 Cornas -- a whiff of chlorine, then big, dark, black fruit, chunky, rooty, iron filings, just The Real Deal ...yes, yes, yes
Fourth Course:
Venison Denver red leg with Gruyere potato gratin and red wine reduction - perfectly medium rare chunks of venison and mac 'n' cheese for grown-ups
Barjac 1983 Cornas -- negociant; the only clean nose in this flight!; still fruity, maybe even tutti-frutti, a bit simple, whiff of kirsch and bay leaf ...yes
Jaboulet 1983 Cornas -- school paste, creamy, slightly tangy, odd ...maybe
Clape 1983 Cornas -- so bretty I thought it was the Verset!, plums and blackberries, still grippy tannins ...yes
Verset 1983 Cornas -- very pretty, citrus and roses (and brett) ...yes, yes
Voge 1983 Cornas -- bretty and maybe slightly corked (the one-two punch!), muted nose, dead leaves and other dead things on the palate; improves with air a little ...maybe
Dessert:
Assorted cheeses, apples, walnuts - the walnuts were amazing, the two cheeses (parmesan, gruyere?) were good if ordinary
Jaboulet 1962 Cornas -- citrus, caramel, going metallic (tinny, flat) as it sits in the glass ...maybe
Larive 1978 Cornas -- negociant; warm, soft, gently tangy, youthful color ...yes, yes
Closing thoughts
My WOTN was the 90 Clape, no doubt, but the wines showed very well.
There were 17 bottles for the 19 of us, plus champagne. Who needs thoughts?
Jeff
Yet another winter storm. Sleet this time, but it's still frozen white stuff falling out of the sky.
At least, it's good weather for Revenge of the Cornas.
While the crowd gathers we slurp a bit of Delamotte NV Champagne. Pleasant, neither bready nor stinging, it's just... frog bubbles.
Before I begin my tale, however, let's review a pertinent palate idiosyncrasy. I can stand a bit of brett in my wine, notably, when it acts as "just another flavor" in the wine's profile. When it dominates the wine, then it is too much and becomes a fault. This is relevant because Cornas is a very old place, a very traditional place, a very rustic place. Wine-making in this region was first recorded around 800 A.D., and some of those barrels may still be in use today....
First Course:
Pulled rabbit risotto with English peas and Parmesan - rich and earthy, chew is good on the rice
Verset 1994 Cornas -- persistent cherries, bright, with a whiff of cardamom and sandalwood, lightweight palate presence ...yes, yes
Verset 1996 Cornas -- Brett City; lots of leather, animal fur, tangy, but the finish is long and it goes really well with the food; a fellow drinker says it reminds her of the rock salt that her father used when preparing his favorite banana-lime-rock salt dessert ...yes
Verset 1999 Cornas -- olives and tobacco and hideously tannic, nose is very ungiving, should let this one sleep a while longer ...judgment witheld
Durand 1999 Cornas "Empreintes" -- (a lagniappe); the provider says the maker is in the traditional school; well, um, er, the whiff of butter blows off after a few minutes but the wine still reminds the fellow on my left of "sour cream"; the wine can still be reasonably identified as cornas but it has taken a few steps towards the glossy international style ...maybe
Second Course:
Free-range chicken breast with mustard beurre blanc - a tender chunk of breast, crisp skin, and a simple sauce
Clape 1995 Cornas -- darker than the Verset, meaty, just a textbook 'black wine' and is best with the food; did I mention that I'm a Clape bigot? ...yes
Clape 1996 Cornas -- suaver than the '95 and more open, showing floral notes and blackberries ...yes, yes
Clape 2001 Cornas -- like a barrel sample: harshly acid, vividly fruity; let this one sleep, too ...judgment witheld
Third Course:
Filet Mignon with baby carrots and bearnaise - well-seasoned and aged meat, classic prep
Verset 1989 Cornas -- brett & olives, sweet, but in decline ...yes
Verset 1990 Cornas -- brett and more brett (did Verset never clean anything?); the wine is alive but getting a metallic taste with pruney sickly fruit ...maybe
Clape 1990 Cornas -- a whiff of chlorine, then big, dark, black fruit, chunky, rooty, iron filings, just The Real Deal ...yes, yes, yes
Fourth Course:
Venison Denver red leg with Gruyere potato gratin and red wine reduction - perfectly medium rare chunks of venison and mac 'n' cheese for grown-ups
Barjac 1983 Cornas -- negociant; the only clean nose in this flight!; still fruity, maybe even tutti-frutti, a bit simple, whiff of kirsch and bay leaf ...yes
Jaboulet 1983 Cornas -- school paste, creamy, slightly tangy, odd ...maybe
Clape 1983 Cornas -- so bretty I thought it was the Verset!, plums and blackberries, still grippy tannins ...yes
Verset 1983 Cornas -- very pretty, citrus and roses (and brett) ...yes, yes
Voge 1983 Cornas -- bretty and maybe slightly corked (the one-two punch!), muted nose, dead leaves and other dead things on the palate; improves with air a little ...maybe
Dessert:
Assorted cheeses, apples, walnuts - the walnuts were amazing, the two cheeses (parmesan, gruyere?) were good if ordinary
Jaboulet 1962 Cornas -- citrus, caramel, going metallic (tinny, flat) as it sits in the glass ...maybe
Larive 1978 Cornas -- negociant; warm, soft, gently tangy, youthful color ...yes, yes
Closing thoughts
My WOTN was the 90 Clape, no doubt, but the wines showed very well.
There were 17 bottles for the 19 of us, plus champagne. Who needs thoughts?
Jeff