Becky Wasserman and her husband, Russell Hone, and many of the growers Le Serbet represent are in the country, going to various cities and conducting tastings. They came to DC this week with Frederic Lafarge and Alain Burguet and their spouses. Becky emailed me that she had a free night and asked if I'd dine with them at Sushi-Ko (chosen because they are friends with the owners, who dined with us). A local wine writer, Lou Marmon, attended too - unfortunately, the Lafarges left that afternoon for France but we still had 8 at the table and it was a very fun evening. I supplied the wines, with an assist from Lou, and the restaurant chose the food, which actually worked better with the wines than I expected - although I still don't think raw fish works as well with red Burgundy as a roasted chicken!
Becky had advised me to not bring very many bottles, claiming they were suffering wine fatigue but if so they made a remarkable recovery! Of course, I just ignored her and said I'd bring backups and take stuff home we didn't want to open. Not much made it home...
I'd never spent any time with russell but he couldn't have been more charming - insisting he get to sit by me (I sat between him and becky at our round table of 8), sharing gossip and opinions all night long, etc. He kept thinking of bottles back home he wants to open for me! My goal is to dine at their home as I understand he's an amazing chef.
Here's what we drank/opened, roughly in order. Wines brought by Lou have an * - otherwise, from my cellar.
2002 Donnhoff kupfergrube spatlese - with about 3 minutes air, in a wonderful place - balanced, deep, fruity but not soft - just yummy and rapidly consumed,
*2002 Thanisch Bernkasteler Docter auslese - actually quite lovely, not sweet, worked well as a Donnhoff-chaser.
1990 Trimbach CFE VT - another outstanding showing for a truly delicious and perfectly balanced wine - big crowd favorite - in fact late in the evening several attendees asked my permission to open the 2d bottle I'd brought as backup and it too was just outstanding and disappeared almost immediately - I probably consumed as much of this wine as of all of the reds together!Daisuke, one of the Sushi-Ko people, took responsibility for opening the red wines in the order he deemed best - at least those I brought. Lou kept things lively by throwing his bottles into the mix as he thought best.
2002 Bertheau Chambolle Charmes - corked, rats!
2002 Truchot MSD Ruchots - started off a bit stinky/reduced and a bit thick and stolid - Russell claimed it was a typical Truchot and I bravely told him that just revealed his lack of experience with Truchot! And he agreed later, when I made him smell and taste the pour I'd saved for an hour (without revealing what it was), that it had transformed into a lovely bottle. That said, I'm prepared to say it's time to leave the 02 MSDs from Truchot alone and let them sleep.
2002 Drouhin Beaune Clos des Mouche - this was my backup for the 2002 flight and I confess that I didn't spend enough time with it to get a good read on it - seemed rather shut down to me but others at the table (especially M. Burguet) really liked it.
2006 Rhys Alpine Hillside - not so sure if this came next but in any event this was my first time trying one of Kevin's pinots and not only was I impressed but so too were the visitors from Burgundy - most especially Becky and Russell. They probably have a Burgundian's natural inclination to dismiss American pinot so this was a very pleasant surprise for both of them - not to me, of course. Kevin had suggested this one when I asked as he thought it had the most Burgundian structure. Very stylish and balanced and although it will benefit from more age I didn't regret that I'd opened it so young.
*Littorai - can't remeber vintage (maybe 2006 too) or vyd - this didn't do much for me although nothing was wrong with it as a CA pinot - Russell was surprised to learn the winemaker had spent time in Burgundy at Domaine Roulot and of course remembered him.
*DuMol Finn 2004 - too big and rich and not attractive to me or my neighbors at the table. Our French-focused palate surely came into play here as I know this wine is much enjoyed by many. Just not us.
*WesMar - not sure which - but it was very stylish and attractive and the burgundians liked it very much, as did I. My understanding is that one of the two owners is a daughter of Selyem of Williams-Selyem fame. Nice wine.
1999 Girardin Amoureuses - stinky and not stylish - this is the second time I've tried this wine, although the first time in years - and both bottles seemed to suffer reduction notes - I like Girardin's 99 reds for the most part - especially the Bonnes Mares and Beze - but this was not as well-delineated or true as them and russell said it didn't seem chambolle-like. Perhaps age will turn it into a wine that resembles the favorable reviews of it I've read.
1999 Arnoux Reignots - never managed to smell or taste this one!
1999 Hudelot-Noellat Clos Vougeot - I chose to take this because the notes I could find on it suggested it would be forward or at least accessible young - not sure that's true although it was late and I didn't spend as much time with it as it needed. Appeared well-balanced and I think others liked it but it was shown up by the next wine.
1995 Mugneret-Gibourg Clos Vougeot - this was the only wine decanted and it really benefitted from the air as after it was in my glass about 15 minutes it became downright delicious! Bags of life, as they say, but very enjoyable now.
I think there may have been a 2001 Pommard brought by Lou opened but I paid no attention to it, I confess.
I couldn't let the group go without opening something sweet so we popped a 375 of Navarro's 1997 select late harvest riesling - totally yumola - Russell couldn't believe how spectacular it was but I wasn't surprised. All of us loved this wine.
A really fun, fun evening - lots of laughs and merriment.
Becky had advised me to not bring very many bottles, claiming they were suffering wine fatigue but if so they made a remarkable recovery! Of course, I just ignored her and said I'd bring backups and take stuff home we didn't want to open. Not much made it home...
I'd never spent any time with russell but he couldn't have been more charming - insisting he get to sit by me (I sat between him and becky at our round table of 8), sharing gossip and opinions all night long, etc. He kept thinking of bottles back home he wants to open for me! My goal is to dine at their home as I understand he's an amazing chef.
Here's what we drank/opened, roughly in order. Wines brought by Lou have an * - otherwise, from my cellar.
2002 Donnhoff kupfergrube spatlese - with about 3 minutes air, in a wonderful place - balanced, deep, fruity but not soft - just yummy and rapidly consumed,
*2002 Thanisch Bernkasteler Docter auslese - actually quite lovely, not sweet, worked well as a Donnhoff-chaser.
1990 Trimbach CFE VT - another outstanding showing for a truly delicious and perfectly balanced wine - big crowd favorite - in fact late in the evening several attendees asked my permission to open the 2d bottle I'd brought as backup and it too was just outstanding and disappeared almost immediately - I probably consumed as much of this wine as of all of the reds together!Daisuke, one of the Sushi-Ko people, took responsibility for opening the red wines in the order he deemed best - at least those I brought. Lou kept things lively by throwing his bottles into the mix as he thought best.
2002 Bertheau Chambolle Charmes - corked, rats!
2002 Truchot MSD Ruchots - started off a bit stinky/reduced and a bit thick and stolid - Russell claimed it was a typical Truchot and I bravely told him that just revealed his lack of experience with Truchot! And he agreed later, when I made him smell and taste the pour I'd saved for an hour (without revealing what it was), that it had transformed into a lovely bottle. That said, I'm prepared to say it's time to leave the 02 MSDs from Truchot alone and let them sleep.
2002 Drouhin Beaune Clos des Mouche - this was my backup for the 2002 flight and I confess that I didn't spend enough time with it to get a good read on it - seemed rather shut down to me but others at the table (especially M. Burguet) really liked it.
2006 Rhys Alpine Hillside - not so sure if this came next but in any event this was my first time trying one of Kevin's pinots and not only was I impressed but so too were the visitors from Burgundy - most especially Becky and Russell. They probably have a Burgundian's natural inclination to dismiss American pinot so this was a very pleasant surprise for both of them - not to me, of course. Kevin had suggested this one when I asked as he thought it had the most Burgundian structure. Very stylish and balanced and although it will benefit from more age I didn't regret that I'd opened it so young.
*Littorai - can't remeber vintage (maybe 2006 too) or vyd - this didn't do much for me although nothing was wrong with it as a CA pinot - Russell was surprised to learn the winemaker had spent time in Burgundy at Domaine Roulot and of course remembered him.
*DuMol Finn 2004 - too big and rich and not attractive to me or my neighbors at the table. Our French-focused palate surely came into play here as I know this wine is much enjoyed by many. Just not us.
*WesMar - not sure which - but it was very stylish and attractive and the burgundians liked it very much, as did I. My understanding is that one of the two owners is a daughter of Selyem of Williams-Selyem fame. Nice wine.
1999 Girardin Amoureuses - stinky and not stylish - this is the second time I've tried this wine, although the first time in years - and both bottles seemed to suffer reduction notes - I like Girardin's 99 reds for the most part - especially the Bonnes Mares and Beze - but this was not as well-delineated or true as them and russell said it didn't seem chambolle-like. Perhaps age will turn it into a wine that resembles the favorable reviews of it I've read.
1999 Arnoux Reignots - never managed to smell or taste this one!
1999 Hudelot-Noellat Clos Vougeot - I chose to take this because the notes I could find on it suggested it would be forward or at least accessible young - not sure that's true although it was late and I didn't spend as much time with it as it needed. Appeared well-balanced and I think others liked it but it was shown up by the next wine.
1995 Mugneret-Gibourg Clos Vougeot - this was the only wine decanted and it really benefitted from the air as after it was in my glass about 15 minutes it became downright delicious! Bags of life, as they say, but very enjoyable now.
I think there may have been a 2001 Pommard brought by Lou opened but I paid no attention to it, I confess.
I couldn't let the group go without opening something sweet so we popped a 375 of Navarro's 1997 select late harvest riesling - totally yumola - Russell couldn't believe how spectacular it was but I wasn't surprised. All of us loved this wine.
A really fun, fun evening - lots of laughs and merriment.
