Jeff Grossman
Jeff Grossman
The event: A jeebus at Brad Kane's UES apartment in honor of the June/July birthday babies.
The attendees: Brad, Jeff, Jay, Scott + Eden + Pierce (14 weeks old), Don + Melissa, Michel + Veronica, Christy, Christine, Chris (stag, alas), Joe + Denyse + Zaggy (part chihuahua, part terrier, all yip).
The food: sous-vide duck breast and duck-fat potatoes, mushroom tart, spice-rubbed pork loin, the stickiest sticky rice anyone had ever seen, luscious grilled mixed vegetables, lamb stew with olives, fresh green salad, sundry platters (salami, cheeses, breads)
The Early Going
Jose Dhondt NV Brut, Blancs de Blancs - Given to Brad by Alice F as a thank-you for the loan of an old Huet for a photo shoot. Alas, she did not choose her audience well but the rest of us are very happy: brut, indeed; mildly leesy, crisp acidity, cool and not real ripe at all
Clerget 1989 Volnay-Caillerets 1er - The cork crumbles into a zillion pieces as Jay tries to remove it. Decant the liquid through an unbleached coffee filter (yes, we know this isn't optimal but there we are). Tasted immediately the wine is excellent: lots of cherry fruit, a whiff of cheese, ethereal, excellent. A bit later Michel thinks it's dusty and the texture is a bit grainy. Later yet, Brad and Christy think the wine shows the caramel note of heat damage. (Fortunately, I got to it early.)
Weingut Knoll 1987 Gruner Veltliner, Loibner 'Schutt' - ungodly corked, more a munition than a beverage
J-F Ganevat NV Cremant de Jura, "La Combe" Rotalier - 11.5%, all chard; "It's got a nice rainwater thing going on" (Jay), lots of white flowers and tiny fizz, shows a hint of chardonnay pear and papaya but still pretty crisp and not very ripe; I could imagine Don Rice branding this with the name of phantom firms supposed to be located at Reims and Epernay (and I'd drink it!)
The Austrian Couple
Rudi Pichler 2007 Weissenkirchner Achleiten Riesling Smaragd - grassy, green, white pepper, laid back but yum
Prager 2007 Kaiserberg Riesling Smaragd - the same but more: more vivid (Jeff), more precise (Chris)
Cinderella and Her Ugly Step-Sisters
Ch. d'Epire 1996 Savennieres "Cuvee Speciale" - resiny (Don says wine from this vineyard always smells of pine/turpentine to him), minerally, virtually fruitless, delightful
Closel 1996 Savennieres "Clos du Papillon" - slightly too oxidized for me, the pong masks any fruit that might still be present
Baumard 1996 Savenneres "Clos du Papillon" - even more oxidized though a bit of walnutty rancio shows in the finish, Chris finds this wine too lactic to drink
The Reds
Chante-Cigale 2007 Chateauneuf-du-Pape - warm, ripe, goopy, bleh
Allemand 1999 Cornas "Chaillot" - volatile, refermenting slightly, what a shame
Allemand 2005 Cornas "Chaillot" - violets and other flowers, blackberries, just wow
Rocche dei Manzoni 1998 Barolo "Vigna Cappella di Santo Stefano" - oaky, tannic, gritty, with a bitter minty flavor "like sugarless gum" (Michel); DNPIM
Pira e Figli 1968 Barolo - maderized, at death's door and not gracious about being there, "People will say it tastes like old Burgundy" (Joe)
Abadia Retuerta 1999 Sardon de Duero, Pago de Valdebellon - purple, strong lactic note ("blueberry milkshake"), low acid, bleh; Chris thinks it's just goofy and fun
Two More Rieslings
Zind-Humbrecht 2005 Riesling, Clos Saint Urbain, Rangen de Thann - dirty riesling with a bitter finish, "unripe pineapple" (Denyse), Denyse also picks up a lot of petrol
Selbach-Oster 2007 Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese "Rotlay" - 2 606 319 028 08, sweet tangerine, acidity a little soft but rebounds in the finish
The Home Stretch
Stag's Leap 1984 Cabernet Sauvignon, Stag's Leap Vineyard - not a thrilling bottle but a nice old drop
Huet 1985 Vouvray Moelleux "Le Mont" - just barely sweet, clean, ripe, very pretty though not very long
Huet 2005 Vouvray Moelleux "Le Mont" 1er Trie - more of everything (except maturity, 'natch)
The attendees: Brad, Jeff, Jay, Scott + Eden + Pierce (14 weeks old), Don + Melissa, Michel + Veronica, Christy, Christine, Chris (stag, alas), Joe + Denyse + Zaggy (part chihuahua, part terrier, all yip).
The food: sous-vide duck breast and duck-fat potatoes, mushroom tart, spice-rubbed pork loin, the stickiest sticky rice anyone had ever seen, luscious grilled mixed vegetables, lamb stew with olives, fresh green salad, sundry platters (salami, cheeses, breads)
The Early Going
Jose Dhondt NV Brut, Blancs de Blancs - Given to Brad by Alice F as a thank-you for the loan of an old Huet for a photo shoot. Alas, she did not choose her audience well but the rest of us are very happy: brut, indeed; mildly leesy, crisp acidity, cool and not real ripe at all
Clerget 1989 Volnay-Caillerets 1er - The cork crumbles into a zillion pieces as Jay tries to remove it. Decant the liquid through an unbleached coffee filter (yes, we know this isn't optimal but there we are). Tasted immediately the wine is excellent: lots of cherry fruit, a whiff of cheese, ethereal, excellent. A bit later Michel thinks it's dusty and the texture is a bit grainy. Later yet, Brad and Christy think the wine shows the caramel note of heat damage. (Fortunately, I got to it early.)
Weingut Knoll 1987 Gruner Veltliner, Loibner 'Schutt' - ungodly corked, more a munition than a beverage
J-F Ganevat NV Cremant de Jura, "La Combe" Rotalier - 11.5%, all chard; "It's got a nice rainwater thing going on" (Jay), lots of white flowers and tiny fizz, shows a hint of chardonnay pear and papaya but still pretty crisp and not very ripe; I could imagine Don Rice branding this with the name of phantom firms supposed to be located at Reims and Epernay (and I'd drink it!)
The Austrian Couple
Rudi Pichler 2007 Weissenkirchner Achleiten Riesling Smaragd - grassy, green, white pepper, laid back but yum
Prager 2007 Kaiserberg Riesling Smaragd - the same but more: more vivid (Jeff), more precise (Chris)
Cinderella and Her Ugly Step-Sisters
Ch. d'Epire 1996 Savennieres "Cuvee Speciale" - resiny (Don says wine from this vineyard always smells of pine/turpentine to him), minerally, virtually fruitless, delightful
Closel 1996 Savennieres "Clos du Papillon" - slightly too oxidized for me, the pong masks any fruit that might still be present
Baumard 1996 Savenneres "Clos du Papillon" - even more oxidized though a bit of walnutty rancio shows in the finish, Chris finds this wine too lactic to drink
The Reds
Chante-Cigale 2007 Chateauneuf-du-Pape - warm, ripe, goopy, bleh
Allemand 1999 Cornas "Chaillot" - volatile, refermenting slightly, what a shame
Allemand 2005 Cornas "Chaillot" - violets and other flowers, blackberries, just wow
Rocche dei Manzoni 1998 Barolo "Vigna Cappella di Santo Stefano" - oaky, tannic, gritty, with a bitter minty flavor "like sugarless gum" (Michel); DNPIM
Pira e Figli 1968 Barolo - maderized, at death's door and not gracious about being there, "People will say it tastes like old Burgundy" (Joe)
Abadia Retuerta 1999 Sardon de Duero, Pago de Valdebellon - purple, strong lactic note ("blueberry milkshake"), low acid, bleh; Chris thinks it's just goofy and fun
Two More Rieslings
Zind-Humbrecht 2005 Riesling, Clos Saint Urbain, Rangen de Thann - dirty riesling with a bitter finish, "unripe pineapple" (Denyse), Denyse also picks up a lot of petrol
Selbach-Oster 2007 Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese "Rotlay" - 2 606 319 028 08, sweet tangerine, acidity a little soft but rebounds in the finish
The Home Stretch
Stag's Leap 1984 Cabernet Sauvignon, Stag's Leap Vineyard - not a thrilling bottle but a nice old drop
Huet 1985 Vouvray Moelleux "Le Mont" - just barely sweet, clean, ripe, very pretty though not very long
Huet 2005 Vouvray Moelleux "Le Mont" 1er Trie - more of everything (except maturity, 'natch)
