Jeff Grossman
Jeff Grossman
Brad Kane's place
Hordes of jeebusites: Brad Kane, Don Rice, Eden Blum & Scott, Sharon Bowman, Josh Raynolds, Jay Miller, Manuel Camblor & Josie, Michel Abood & Veronica, Joe Dressner & Denyse, Chris Coad & Lisa, Jeff Grossman
It was a meaty gathering... pulled pork (in the NC style), smoky pork ribs, four kinds of sausage (lamb, venison, Berkshire sweet Italian, Spanish chorizo), gumbo with andouille; alas, the tea-smoked duck went to Newark
It was a veggie gathering... mushroom cigars with ginger remoulade, birthday baklava, innumerable cheese from Murray's (fleur de vert, Mrs. Quicke's cheddar, a triple-creme, a goat pyramid, and more), breads from Amy's, a beautiful green salad with colorful peppers, hummus and pitas, a pretty bowl of couscous
It was a wine gathering...
Wolffer 2007 Rose, The Hamptons - very pale, very dry, seems passable to me but others wrinkle their noses
Meliasto 2007 Spiropolous Rose - "Regional Wine of the Pelopennese", this is made from moshofilero grapes, sticky, sweet, raspberry-scented, bleh
P. Luneau 1997 Muscadet "L d'Or" - minerally and fruity, pretty good for a hot year
F. Pinon 2009 Miel d'Ete - pale, cloudy, lingering sweetness, the scent of mixed flowers, great with goat cheese and a cracker (some wiseacre spread it on their baklava, too)
F. Pinon 1997 Vouvray "Cuvee Tradition" - yup, that's chenin blanc
Dom. du Clos Naudin 1989 Vouvray - corked
Huet 2002 Vouvray "Le Mont" demi-sec - wowsa, very expressive nose of orange and lanolin, only gently sweet, great wine
Dom. Closel 1996 Savenniere "Cuvee Speciale" - hey, there's a drop of swimming pool water in my sherry!
L. Tribut 2000 Chablis 1er "Beauroy" - atypical: no stones, no lemon, very soft, flavor like candy (but not sweet candy), Sharon likes it (but she doesn't like Chablis)
Ratzenberger 2004 Bacharacher Kloster Furstental Sekt Riesling Brut - 1 698 179 10 08, yup, that's dryish sparkling riesling
Sake2me NV Junmai blend "Yuzu Citrus" - licked by too many other people, no note
Roumier 2000 Chambolle-Musigny - austere, pretty, minerally, there are plenty of tannins but they are so fine as to give a drying impression without scraping, first empty bottle of the night
Foillard 2007 Morgon - yup, that's gamay
C. Joguet 2005 Chinon "Cuvee Terroir" - very gentle cab franc, Chris thinks it is extremely bell peppery
P. Gonon 1989 St-Joseph "Les Oliviers" rouge - "Feels like a white wine"-Josh; so pretty! minerally, apricots, salty-tangy, a point, "Da-amn!"-Manuel; second empty bottle
Ch. La Roque 2001 Coteaux du Languedoc, Pic St Loup "Cupa Numismae" - silky texture, manly blue fruits flavor, has actually soaked up its 15 months in barrique
Dom. Tempier 1985 Bandol "La Tourtine" - corked
Pasanau 1996 Priorat "Finca La Planeta" - "Suntan lotion, anyone?"-Jay, laughing and shrieking accompany this wine wherever it is poured; horribly oaky with the lingering bitter vapors of a bad vodka ...DNPIM (run away, if possible)
Ominous Logic 2007 Syrah "Cuvee Jerome Kerviel" - big, powerful red grapes (couldn't tell you which ones) from CA, lots of sandalwood
Cavalotto 2000 Barolo Riserva "Bricco Boschis" "Vigna San Giuseppe" - the wine gives some cherry-cherry but it's pretty closed; Josh says they make a great freisa
Sanchez-Bas 2004 Priorat "Montgarnatx" - open for 1.5 days, this is a Winebow sample bottle; even now it is too extracted and tough
Dom. Pegau 1996(?) Chateauneuf-du-Pape "Cuvee Reservee(?)" - without its necktie we can't tell what year it is or which cuvee; it was a gift 10 years ago so we can narrow the vintage down to 1995 or 1996; the label says 13.5% so we know it was a cold rainy vintage(!); despite the usual grenache grumblings, I think this is good, lots of red fruit, no bubble-gum or wan strawberriness, a tiny bit of spirity vapors, quite satisfactory
Ch. Rayne-Vigneau 1971 Sauternes - pretty, fully integrated oak, vanilla, and botrytis
Dom. des Baumard 1971 Quarts de Chaume - brighter than the Rayne-Vigneau, less rich, less complex
Ch. Rieussec 1988 Sauternes - wow, the orange-apricot-vanilla thing is really leaping out of the glass
Monarchia 1999 Tokaji Aszu "6 puttonyos" - brighter than the sauternes, more marmalade than peel, a little over-balanced towards the sweet, we all agree it's probably 1 - 3 puttonyos too many
Seghesio-Kane 2007 Ambassador Zinfandel "El Armadillo" - we gave it as long as we could; 88% zin, 12% petite sirah, dense and extracted, a hint of richness that is almost buttery
Zounds, what a happy birthday.
Thanks to everyone, especially to Brad, for a memorable evening.
Hordes of jeebusites: Brad Kane, Don Rice, Eden Blum & Scott, Sharon Bowman, Josh Raynolds, Jay Miller, Manuel Camblor & Josie, Michel Abood & Veronica, Joe Dressner & Denyse, Chris Coad & Lisa, Jeff Grossman
It was a meaty gathering... pulled pork (in the NC style), smoky pork ribs, four kinds of sausage (lamb, venison, Berkshire sweet Italian, Spanish chorizo), gumbo with andouille; alas, the tea-smoked duck went to Newark
It was a veggie gathering... mushroom cigars with ginger remoulade, birthday baklava, innumerable cheese from Murray's (fleur de vert, Mrs. Quicke's cheddar, a triple-creme, a goat pyramid, and more), breads from Amy's, a beautiful green salad with colorful peppers, hummus and pitas, a pretty bowl of couscous
It was a wine gathering...
Wolffer 2007 Rose, The Hamptons - very pale, very dry, seems passable to me but others wrinkle their noses
Meliasto 2007 Spiropolous Rose - "Regional Wine of the Pelopennese", this is made from moshofilero grapes, sticky, sweet, raspberry-scented, bleh
P. Luneau 1997 Muscadet "L d'Or" - minerally and fruity, pretty good for a hot year
F. Pinon 2009 Miel d'Ete - pale, cloudy, lingering sweetness, the scent of mixed flowers, great with goat cheese and a cracker (some wiseacre spread it on their baklava, too)
F. Pinon 1997 Vouvray "Cuvee Tradition" - yup, that's chenin blanc
Dom. du Clos Naudin 1989 Vouvray - corked
Huet 2002 Vouvray "Le Mont" demi-sec - wowsa, very expressive nose of orange and lanolin, only gently sweet, great wine
Dom. Closel 1996 Savenniere "Cuvee Speciale" - hey, there's a drop of swimming pool water in my sherry!
L. Tribut 2000 Chablis 1er "Beauroy" - atypical: no stones, no lemon, very soft, flavor like candy (but not sweet candy), Sharon likes it (but she doesn't like Chablis)
Ratzenberger 2004 Bacharacher Kloster Furstental Sekt Riesling Brut - 1 698 179 10 08, yup, that's dryish sparkling riesling
Sake2me NV Junmai blend "Yuzu Citrus" - licked by too many other people, no note
Roumier 2000 Chambolle-Musigny - austere, pretty, minerally, there are plenty of tannins but they are so fine as to give a drying impression without scraping, first empty bottle of the night
Foillard 2007 Morgon - yup, that's gamay
C. Joguet 2005 Chinon "Cuvee Terroir" - very gentle cab franc, Chris thinks it is extremely bell peppery
P. Gonon 1989 St-Joseph "Les Oliviers" rouge - "Feels like a white wine"-Josh; so pretty! minerally, apricots, salty-tangy, a point, "Da-amn!"-Manuel; second empty bottle
Ch. La Roque 2001 Coteaux du Languedoc, Pic St Loup "Cupa Numismae" - silky texture, manly blue fruits flavor, has actually soaked up its 15 months in barrique
Dom. Tempier 1985 Bandol "La Tourtine" - corked
Pasanau 1996 Priorat "Finca La Planeta" - "Suntan lotion, anyone?"-Jay, laughing and shrieking accompany this wine wherever it is poured; horribly oaky with the lingering bitter vapors of a bad vodka ...DNPIM (run away, if possible)
Ominous Logic 2007 Syrah "Cuvee Jerome Kerviel" - big, powerful red grapes (couldn't tell you which ones) from CA, lots of sandalwood
Cavalotto 2000 Barolo Riserva "Bricco Boschis" "Vigna San Giuseppe" - the wine gives some cherry-cherry but it's pretty closed; Josh says they make a great freisa
Sanchez-Bas 2004 Priorat "Montgarnatx" - open for 1.5 days, this is a Winebow sample bottle; even now it is too extracted and tough
Dom. Pegau 1996(?) Chateauneuf-du-Pape "Cuvee Reservee(?)" - without its necktie we can't tell what year it is or which cuvee; it was a gift 10 years ago so we can narrow the vintage down to 1995 or 1996; the label says 13.5% so we know it was a cold rainy vintage(!); despite the usual grenache grumblings, I think this is good, lots of red fruit, no bubble-gum or wan strawberriness, a tiny bit of spirity vapors, quite satisfactory
Ch. Rayne-Vigneau 1971 Sauternes - pretty, fully integrated oak, vanilla, and botrytis
Dom. des Baumard 1971 Quarts de Chaume - brighter than the Rayne-Vigneau, less rich, less complex
Ch. Rieussec 1988 Sauternes - wow, the orange-apricot-vanilla thing is really leaping out of the glass
Monarchia 1999 Tokaji Aszu "6 puttonyos" - brighter than the sauternes, more marmalade than peel, a little over-balanced towards the sweet, we all agree it's probably 1 - 3 puttonyos too many
Seghesio-Kane 2007 Ambassador Zinfandel "El Armadillo" - we gave it as long as we could; 88% zin, 12% petite sirah, dense and extracted, a hint of richness that is almost buttery
Zounds, what a happy birthday.
Thanks to everyone, especially to Brad, for a memorable evening.