Jeff Grossman
Jeff Grossman
2/27/11 Mark Lipton, Alex + Hilary, Dale + Betsy, Jeff
Mark is in town for a deposition. For his one evening in NYC Dale & Betsy (and Lucy, the basset hound) throw a small dinner party.
Mark and I meet Alex and Hilary in mid-town -- they've just seen a show at City Center -- and they drive us up to Dobbs Ferry. Fortunately for all concerned, conversation is lively and covers more topics than just wine: old houses, maternal instinct, cooking, the impetus for the deposition, and much more.
Dale made the starter courses while Betsy worked her considerable kitchen magicks on a red-wine-friendly menu:
Starters: Gabrielle Hamilton's pickled shrimp, and apple/smoked trout/horseradish bites
The shrimp were particularly delightful. It is similar to a ceviche with rings of red onion, black peppercorns, and whole coriander seed steeped in citrus.
Chidaine 1996 Montlouis Brut "Almendra" - gorgeous: almonds, apple, bread, a bit of wool; maybe it doesn't scream chenin but I could drink this all night
First Course: white bean puree with smoked oysters, oil-cured olives, radishes, croutons
Courier 2006 Sauvignon Blanc "Ryan's Vineyard - there was some extended skin contact in the making of the wine but it doesn't show particularly 'orange'; it's dense and clean enough but does not show typique at all: not aromatic, not grassy or gripping
F. Cotat 2004 Chavignol "Les Culs de Beaujeu" - pretty wine, maybe as ripe as apricots but rather more like fruit salad, it has the essential streak of chalk in it and under it
Trimbach 1989 Riesling "Cuvee Frederic Emile" Vendange Tardive - geez, so intense, so full, so long; Dale's WOTN and I might agree
Main course: bouef en croute, vegetable tian a la Alain Ducasse, green beans w/fromage blanc
The beef was beautifully, perfectly rare. Heavenly. Betsy later said she forgot to toss the toasted hazelnuts on the green beans. Whoops!
Montevertine 1988 IGT Riserva - red-fruited with very fine tannins, showing really well
Dom. De Chevalier 1979 Graves - mild tobacco, tarragon, smooth as velvet, I think it's the winner among the reds
Clape 1999 Cornas - stern, clenched tight, there's beautiful wine here but it's highly annoyed to have been woken up; I won't touch the rest of this for several more years
Joseph Swan 2002 Syrah "Trenton Estate" - compared to the Clape this shows its origin in a sunny place: warm, ripe, fruity; also very pretty
Fourrier 1995 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er "Clos St. Jacques" - Dale said it best, "When opened this seemed cranky, mid-bodied, dominated by unripe tannins. Mark thought it got better, and indeed it improved, but never seemed that giving to me."
Jadot 1988 Nuits-St-Georges 1er "Clos des Corvees" - elegant but watery, not sure that I would have picked it out as NSG (is this from the north or the south of the district?)
Morot 1983 Beaune 1er "Teurons" - ethereal, light, bright red cherry fruit, no sign of rot, what a pleasure
After: selection of cheeses (Ossau Iraty, Stilton, Camembert, Muenster), and Betsy's Meyer lemon tart
The cheeses were all quite good except for the ailing Muenster. The lemon tart was delightful due to the not-so-tart-as-all-that Meyer lemons.
Trimbach 1997 Gewurztraminer Vendanges Tardives - seems a bit faint and I later figure out why: when I got it home it was clearly corked
Pfeffingen 2004 Riesling Beerenauslese Ungesteiner Herrenberg - 5 141 045 19 05, this was a great wine to end the evening: shapely acids, plenty botrytis, stands firm with the lemon tart
---
Many, many thanks to our fellow guests and our hosts.
Mark is in town for a deposition. For his one evening in NYC Dale & Betsy (and Lucy, the basset hound) throw a small dinner party.
Mark and I meet Alex and Hilary in mid-town -- they've just seen a show at City Center -- and they drive us up to Dobbs Ferry. Fortunately for all concerned, conversation is lively and covers more topics than just wine: old houses, maternal instinct, cooking, the impetus for the deposition, and much more.
Dale made the starter courses while Betsy worked her considerable kitchen magicks on a red-wine-friendly menu:
Starters: Gabrielle Hamilton's pickled shrimp, and apple/smoked trout/horseradish bites
The shrimp were particularly delightful. It is similar to a ceviche with rings of red onion, black peppercorns, and whole coriander seed steeped in citrus.
Chidaine 1996 Montlouis Brut "Almendra" - gorgeous: almonds, apple, bread, a bit of wool; maybe it doesn't scream chenin but I could drink this all night
First Course: white bean puree with smoked oysters, oil-cured olives, radishes, croutons
Courier 2006 Sauvignon Blanc "Ryan's Vineyard - there was some extended skin contact in the making of the wine but it doesn't show particularly 'orange'; it's dense and clean enough but does not show typique at all: not aromatic, not grassy or gripping
F. Cotat 2004 Chavignol "Les Culs de Beaujeu" - pretty wine, maybe as ripe as apricots but rather more like fruit salad, it has the essential streak of chalk in it and under it
Trimbach 1989 Riesling "Cuvee Frederic Emile" Vendange Tardive - geez, so intense, so full, so long; Dale's WOTN and I might agree
Main course: bouef en croute, vegetable tian a la Alain Ducasse, green beans w/fromage blanc
The beef was beautifully, perfectly rare. Heavenly. Betsy later said she forgot to toss the toasted hazelnuts on the green beans. Whoops!
Montevertine 1988 IGT Riserva - red-fruited with very fine tannins, showing really well
Dom. De Chevalier 1979 Graves - mild tobacco, tarragon, smooth as velvet, I think it's the winner among the reds
Clape 1999 Cornas - stern, clenched tight, there's beautiful wine here but it's highly annoyed to have been woken up; I won't touch the rest of this for several more years
Joseph Swan 2002 Syrah "Trenton Estate" - compared to the Clape this shows its origin in a sunny place: warm, ripe, fruity; also very pretty
Fourrier 1995 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er "Clos St. Jacques" - Dale said it best, "When opened this seemed cranky, mid-bodied, dominated by unripe tannins. Mark thought it got better, and indeed it improved, but never seemed that giving to me."
Jadot 1988 Nuits-St-Georges 1er "Clos des Corvees" - elegant but watery, not sure that I would have picked it out as NSG (is this from the north or the south of the district?)
Morot 1983 Beaune 1er "Teurons" - ethereal, light, bright red cherry fruit, no sign of rot, what a pleasure
After: selection of cheeses (Ossau Iraty, Stilton, Camembert, Muenster), and Betsy's Meyer lemon tart
The cheeses were all quite good except for the ailing Muenster. The lemon tart was delightful due to the not-so-tart-as-all-that Meyer lemons.
Trimbach 1997 Gewurztraminer Vendanges Tardives - seems a bit faint and I later figure out why: when I got it home it was clearly corked
Pfeffingen 2004 Riesling Beerenauslese Ungesteiner Herrenberg - 5 141 045 19 05, this was a great wine to end the evening: shapely acids, plenty botrytis, stands firm with the lemon tart
---
Many, many thanks to our fellow guests and our hosts.