Last week a few lucky folks heeded Christine Huang’s siren call of “cassoulet, my place” and headed downtown in the snow for an evening of terrific food, wine and camaraderie. Do I really need to say how fabulous Christine’s cooking is at this point? Really? Ok. Her cassoulet was INSANE! I’m talking the best cassoulet I’ve ever had!
Luckily, we also had a selection of wines that measured up well, too and with Bill Lawrence, Suzanne Camhi, Sarah Kirschbaum and Mary Ann Lin around, a fun time is always guaranteed!
2008 Chidaine- Vouvray “Le Bouchet”
Beautifully and intensely aromatic. I kept my nose in the glass for several minutes before I even gave it a taste, just inhaling the wonderful acacia flower, quince and tropical fruit aromas. On the palate there’s racy acidity that provides terrific focus and lip-smacking juiciness, but there’s also richness to this wine. Waxy with quince, apple, tropical fruit and minerals, according to the stats it has 19 grams residual sugar, but it’s coming off more like a sec tendre. Beautiful wine. A/A-.
2000 Pegau- Ch“teaneuf-du-Pape “Cuvée Réservée”
This bottle is showing surprisingly coy. Not much going on aromatically and on the palate it’s showing youthful structure and not much evolution. I’ve had a bottle or two in the past year that have shown more development than this one. There’s nice rusticity and lovely sweetness to the raspberry fruit, but this could use some more time either in the decanter, or the cellar. Solid A-.
1990 Pegau- Ch“teaneuf-du-Pape “Cuvée Réservée”
This is in a beautiful spot right now. It’s a picture of harmony with wonderful elegance and softness. The red fruit is neither too sweet, nor too evolved, there’s equal parts garrigue, game, spice and earth. Complex, long and with no holes. Absolutely à point right now. Solid A.
1998 Vieux Donjon- Ch“teaneuf-du-Pape
Quite a different animal than the two Pegau. Whereas they were red fruited, this is all about rich and sweet black fruit. Thicker in texture, a little chunkier with plenty of garrigue, iodine and tar, it’s still showing a lot of youth. There’s a touch of alcohol sticking out, but it’s not really a distraction. While a lot of fun to drink now, I think it needs some more time to integrate and take on some secondary characteristics. A.
2001 Le Clos du Caillou- Ch“teaneuf-du-Pape “Les Quartz”
More modern in style than the other CDPs. It’s full of sweet black raspberry and blackberry fruit with a touch of bitter wood, spice and chocolate. The most silky mouthfeel of the bunch with a somewhat polished character to it. It’s a bit spoofy, but not unpleasantly so. A-/B+.
1996 Ch“teau de la Genaiserie- Coteaux du Layon Saint-Aubin La Roche Sélection de Grains Nobles
Raisined and honeyed flavors and aromas. Intensely sweet and viscous with apricot, caramel, nut and earl grey tea notes. This really is nectar-like and has just enough acidity to keep it from being cloying, though I do think a little more zing would be good. A-.
Some pics from the dinner:
The lineup.
Homemade pork rillettes.
Goat cheese and dried tomato amuse. A recipe from Taillevent.
Kale, apple and currant salad.
Killer cassoulet.
A spoonful of goodness.
Scrumptious!
Christine's homemade raspberry pie.
Soooo goood.
Luckily, we also had a selection of wines that measured up well, too and with Bill Lawrence, Suzanne Camhi, Sarah Kirschbaum and Mary Ann Lin around, a fun time is always guaranteed!
2008 Chidaine- Vouvray “Le Bouchet”
Beautifully and intensely aromatic. I kept my nose in the glass for several minutes before I even gave it a taste, just inhaling the wonderful acacia flower, quince and tropical fruit aromas. On the palate there’s racy acidity that provides terrific focus and lip-smacking juiciness, but there’s also richness to this wine. Waxy with quince, apple, tropical fruit and minerals, according to the stats it has 19 grams residual sugar, but it’s coming off more like a sec tendre. Beautiful wine. A/A-.
2000 Pegau- Ch“teaneuf-du-Pape “Cuvée Réservée”
This bottle is showing surprisingly coy. Not much going on aromatically and on the palate it’s showing youthful structure and not much evolution. I’ve had a bottle or two in the past year that have shown more development than this one. There’s nice rusticity and lovely sweetness to the raspberry fruit, but this could use some more time either in the decanter, or the cellar. Solid A-.
1990 Pegau- Ch“teaneuf-du-Pape “Cuvée Réservée”
This is in a beautiful spot right now. It’s a picture of harmony with wonderful elegance and softness. The red fruit is neither too sweet, nor too evolved, there’s equal parts garrigue, game, spice and earth. Complex, long and with no holes. Absolutely à point right now. Solid A.
1998 Vieux Donjon- Ch“teaneuf-du-Pape
Quite a different animal than the two Pegau. Whereas they were red fruited, this is all about rich and sweet black fruit. Thicker in texture, a little chunkier with plenty of garrigue, iodine and tar, it’s still showing a lot of youth. There’s a touch of alcohol sticking out, but it’s not really a distraction. While a lot of fun to drink now, I think it needs some more time to integrate and take on some secondary characteristics. A.
2001 Le Clos du Caillou- Ch“teaneuf-du-Pape “Les Quartz”
More modern in style than the other CDPs. It’s full of sweet black raspberry and blackberry fruit with a touch of bitter wood, spice and chocolate. The most silky mouthfeel of the bunch with a somewhat polished character to it. It’s a bit spoofy, but not unpleasantly so. A-/B+.
1996 Ch“teau de la Genaiserie- Coteaux du Layon Saint-Aubin La Roche Sélection de Grains Nobles
Raisined and honeyed flavors and aromas. Intensely sweet and viscous with apricot, caramel, nut and earl grey tea notes. This really is nectar-like and has just enough acidity to keep it from being cloying, though I do think a little more zing would be good. A-.
Some pics from the dinner:
The lineup.