Jeff Grossman
Jeff Grossman
A party at Chateauneuf-du-Joe in honor of the publication of "The Wild Table" by his friends Connie Green and Sarah Scott. The cooking was just superlative:
-- huitlacoche soup, on a mushroom base, flavored with epazote and pasilla peppers
-- four pork shoulders, rolled, tied, braised in milk and chanterelles, carved, sauced with the braising liquid and more sauteed chanterelles than I have ever seen heaped onto one platter
-- a cauldron of polenta, also raised on the mushroom base (notice a theme?)
-- a dozen cheeses, ranging from young and soft to old and blue, served with pickled black walnuts, wild huckleberries, a really dense elderberry membrillo
-- a dessert involving ice cream, bourbon, and toasted black walnuts (...that I missed)
-- numerous nibbles: salted caramels, toasted hazelnuts, glazed pecans, two kinds of citrusy pine needles, teaberries
And guests, there were oh so many and illustrious:
SFJoe, Connie Green, Sarah Scott, Sasha Katsman & The Missus, Victor Lederer, David Lillie, Steve Edmunds & Cornelia St. John, Alice Feiring, Brad Kane, Scott Reiner, Kirk Wallace, Robert Dentice, Fatboy, Jay Miller, Salil Benegal, Jeff Grossman, Ustilago Maydis, A Beautiful Jabot, A Japanese Tour Group,The Spanish and Portuguese Curse, and Numerous Others.
And wines, there were oh so many and illustrious:
Clos Roche Blanche 2006 Sauvignon Blanc #5 - magnum; vinyl car seat and resin, something not quite right here
Thomas-Labaille 2000 Sancerre Chavignol "Les Monts Damnes" "Cuvee Buster" - I got the dregs; not as waxy as I would expect; something of the sweetness of pit fruit though not so much zing anymore; yummy yet
Trimbach 1990 Riesling "Cuvee Frederic Emile" - magnum; pure and clean and suave, white peaches et al., so long on the finish, rich but not too rich, just excellent with the huitlacoche soup
Muller-Catoir 2005 Gimmeldinger Mandelgarten Riesling Spatlese - 51740791406; lovely florals and face-powder, acidity is a bit soft however
Lapierre 2008 Morgon - OK, this is a pretty dame
Lapierre 2009 Morgon - very different from the '08: this is meaty and chewy with dark currants and bitter cranberriness
COS 2005 Cerasuolo di Vittoria - magnum; speaking of currants, here they are again, in an earthy mix, wow
Hirtzberger 1997 Neuberger Smaragd - honeyed, sound acidity, persistent on the finish but a touch hollow in the middle; say the secret word and German wine-makers will hand you new respect
Ambyth 2008 Mourvedre - here is a rara avis: mourvedre from Paso Robles at 11.75%, thank you very much. It does not taste green but it does taste weird. We wonder where we might find a Paso Robles mourvedre expert to consult with and, lo and behold, we saunter over to the couch to consult with such an one, Steve Edmunds. Upon showing him the bottle he says that it's corked. When he hears the alcohol he immediately says, "And it's green, too."
Bart 2008 Marsannay "Les Echezaux" - Jay is all excited about this one: "A $20 wine that drinks like a good 1er cru!" It has lots of Pezzy flavor over fingernail-on-blackboard acidity, so I see what he means but it isn't _that_ good.
Mascarello 1995 Barolo "Monprivato" "Ca d'Morissio" - Stalked and slain by The Spanish and Portuguese Curse:
Oops. Wrong photo.
Nope. That's Maydis.
Brad, get out of the way.
There. That's scary.
Descombes 2005 Brouilly - Too bretty for Joe and kinda near the limit of my tolerance. I suggest drinking these up, if you have them.
Ampeau 1991 Pommard - TSPC
Roty 1993 Marsannay - magnum; faded roses, just splendid
Overnoy 2004 Arbois Pupillon - you mean this isn't beaujolais? light and funky and very easy to drink
F. Cotat 1989 Sancerre Chavignol "La Grande Cote" - a bit sweet and a bit grating but a long, supple finish
Montevertine 1998 "Il Sodaccio" - TSPC
Dom. La Boheme 2006 VdT - yup, that's gamay
Prager 1995 Weissenkirchen Achleiten Riesling Smaragd - beautiful
Gruaud Larose 1986 St-Julien - Victor: "Finish it!" The kinder, gentler side of Bordeaux: simmered green peppers, mild and fresh tobacco, brown gravy. A bit tired.
Ducru-Beaucaillou 1981 St-Julien - A little more robust and, therefore, a bit more to my liking: more earth and less gravy, add raspberries
Emrich-Schonleber 2008 Monzinger Frahlingsplatzchen Riesling Spatlese - 77480661609; OK
Dom. Gramenon 2008 Cotes du Rhone Villages Vinsobres - grenache at last! another "yup" wine though it has a bit more florals than a truly average CdR
Dom. Ganevat 2002 Cotes du Jura, Vin de Paille - lovely sweetie
Huet 1961 Vouvray "Le Haut Lieu" - closed and, alas, not interested in being awakened
O. Raffault 2005 Chinon "Les Picasses" - nice enough but it's been quite a while since an O. Raffault wine excited me
Equipos Navazos 2008 La Bota de Pedro Ximenez #11 - amazingly fresh for a wine that's been open for two weeks (I think that's what Joe said); it is, of course, overwhelmingly sweet
P. Peters NV Champagne - um, er, my note says, "scrambled egg"
Heredad Soliterra 2006 Priorat - OK
Dom. Ganevat 2005 Cotes du Jura "Sous la Roche" "Savagnin Ouille" - no note?
Huet 1996 Vouvay Sec "Le Mont" - this one is open for business, the 'amaze people who have been indulging, over-indulging, and supra-over-induling all night' business
-- huitlacoche soup, on a mushroom base, flavored with epazote and pasilla peppers
-- four pork shoulders, rolled, tied, braised in milk and chanterelles, carved, sauced with the braising liquid and more sauteed chanterelles than I have ever seen heaped onto one platter
-- a cauldron of polenta, also raised on the mushroom base (notice a theme?)
-- a dozen cheeses, ranging from young and soft to old and blue, served with pickled black walnuts, wild huckleberries, a really dense elderberry membrillo
-- a dessert involving ice cream, bourbon, and toasted black walnuts (...that I missed)
-- numerous nibbles: salted caramels, toasted hazelnuts, glazed pecans, two kinds of citrusy pine needles, teaberries
And guests, there were oh so many and illustrious:
SFJoe, Connie Green, Sarah Scott, Sasha Katsman & The Missus, Victor Lederer, David Lillie, Steve Edmunds & Cornelia St. John, Alice Feiring, Brad Kane, Scott Reiner, Kirk Wallace, Robert Dentice, Fatboy, Jay Miller, Salil Benegal, Jeff Grossman, Ustilago Maydis, A Beautiful Jabot, A Japanese Tour Group,The Spanish and Portuguese Curse, and Numerous Others.
And wines, there were oh so many and illustrious:
Clos Roche Blanche 2006 Sauvignon Blanc #5 - magnum; vinyl car seat and resin, something not quite right here
Thomas-Labaille 2000 Sancerre Chavignol "Les Monts Damnes" "Cuvee Buster" - I got the dregs; not as waxy as I would expect; something of the sweetness of pit fruit though not so much zing anymore; yummy yet
Trimbach 1990 Riesling "Cuvee Frederic Emile" - magnum; pure and clean and suave, white peaches et al., so long on the finish, rich but not too rich, just excellent with the huitlacoche soup
Muller-Catoir 2005 Gimmeldinger Mandelgarten Riesling Spatlese - 51740791406; lovely florals and face-powder, acidity is a bit soft however
Lapierre 2008 Morgon - OK, this is a pretty dame
Lapierre 2009 Morgon - very different from the '08: this is meaty and chewy with dark currants and bitter cranberriness
COS 2005 Cerasuolo di Vittoria - magnum; speaking of currants, here they are again, in an earthy mix, wow
Hirtzberger 1997 Neuberger Smaragd - honeyed, sound acidity, persistent on the finish but a touch hollow in the middle; say the secret word and German wine-makers will hand you new respect
Ambyth 2008 Mourvedre - here is a rara avis: mourvedre from Paso Robles at 11.75%, thank you very much. It does not taste green but it does taste weird. We wonder where we might find a Paso Robles mourvedre expert to consult with and, lo and behold, we saunter over to the couch to consult with such an one, Steve Edmunds. Upon showing him the bottle he says that it's corked. When he hears the alcohol he immediately says, "And it's green, too."
Bart 2008 Marsannay "Les Echezaux" - Jay is all excited about this one: "A $20 wine that drinks like a good 1er cru!" It has lots of Pezzy flavor over fingernail-on-blackboard acidity, so I see what he means but it isn't _that_ good.
Mascarello 1995 Barolo "Monprivato" "Ca d'Morissio" - Stalked and slain by The Spanish and Portuguese Curse:
Descombes 2005 Brouilly - Too bretty for Joe and kinda near the limit of my tolerance. I suggest drinking these up, if you have them.
Ampeau 1991 Pommard - TSPC
Roty 1993 Marsannay - magnum; faded roses, just splendid
Overnoy 2004 Arbois Pupillon - you mean this isn't beaujolais? light and funky and very easy to drink
F. Cotat 1989 Sancerre Chavignol "La Grande Cote" - a bit sweet and a bit grating but a long, supple finish
Montevertine 1998 "Il Sodaccio" - TSPC
Dom. La Boheme 2006 VdT - yup, that's gamay
Prager 1995 Weissenkirchen Achleiten Riesling Smaragd - beautiful
Gruaud Larose 1986 St-Julien - Victor: "Finish it!" The kinder, gentler side of Bordeaux: simmered green peppers, mild and fresh tobacco, brown gravy. A bit tired.
Ducru-Beaucaillou 1981 St-Julien - A little more robust and, therefore, a bit more to my liking: more earth and less gravy, add raspberries
Emrich-Schonleber 2008 Monzinger Frahlingsplatzchen Riesling Spatlese - 77480661609; OK
Dom. Gramenon 2008 Cotes du Rhone Villages Vinsobres - grenache at last! another "yup" wine though it has a bit more florals than a truly average CdR
Dom. Ganevat 2002 Cotes du Jura, Vin de Paille - lovely sweetie
Huet 1961 Vouvray "Le Haut Lieu" - closed and, alas, not interested in being awakened
O. Raffault 2005 Chinon "Les Picasses" - nice enough but it's been quite a while since an O. Raffault wine excited me
Equipos Navazos 2008 La Bota de Pedro Ximenez #11 - amazingly fresh for a wine that's been open for two weeks (I think that's what Joe said); it is, of course, overwhelmingly sweet
P. Peters NV Champagne - um, er, my note says, "scrambled egg"
Heredad Soliterra 2006 Priorat - OK
Dom. Ganevat 2005 Cotes du Jura "Sous la Roche" "Savagnin Ouille" - no note?
Huet 1996 Vouvay Sec "Le Mont" - this one is open for business, the 'amaze people who have been indulging, over-indulging, and supra-over-induling all night' business
