The cremerie of the crop

O

Oswaldo Costa

Oswaldo Costa
Hitherto lost, I find myself in Paris, a fortune only slightly compromised by the presence of extended family. Last night I took my sister and in-law to La Cremerie, a place that had previously eluded on account of its minuscule tabular supply. It was a splendid experience. Platters of head cheese, milk cheese, charcuterie, and smoked tuna were irrigated by Raisins Gaulois X and 09 Dard & Ribo Hermitage (having fended our waiter's suggestion of Mosse rouge). My intent was to ply my familiars with extremes of range, from frothy and glu glu to extracted and portentous. Imagine my surprise at finding both liquids sitting placidly on the same fruity and friendly curve, like cousins of differing temperaments bearing the same family smile. One more empirical notch for the, at first odd-to-me, idea of natural convergence.
 
You were really expecting the Dard and Ribo to be extracted and portentous?

Otherwise, sounds like fun. I'm sure you won't lack for good wine on your trip.
 
Only because it's a Hermitage, though Eric has already scolded me for having such expectations for Cote Rotie. Also the waiter "warned" us that it was strong and tannic (which I didn't find it to be at all).

The waiter couldn't seem to reconcile the fact that I wanted to drink such supposedly disparate wines, and seemed to find it evidence that I had no idea what I wanted. My sister doesn't like white wine, so the X worked beautifully as a sort of undercover white.
 
that's a great place, receommended by wine girl, of course.
But don't try to speak english in there, they may just have a bottle of thermovinified beaujolais stashed away just for the occasion.
 
originally posted by Oswaldo Costa:
Only because it's a Hermitage, though Eric has already scolded me for having such expectations for Cote Rotie. Also the waiter "warned" us that it was strong and tannic (which I didn't find it to be at all).
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Never found the D&R Hermitage to be extracted in any sense of the word. The St. Joseph is another story.
 
Today we swung by Lavinia to pick up a bottle of Victor's Bobal and had lunch at the upstairs cafe, which I enjoy, despite the spotty service. Had a lovely glass of 09 Chassorney Bigottes chardonnay, luscious yet precise. I recently lamented its absence from yankee shelves, so won't burden you with a repeat performance. But of all the bummers I know, that is certainly one of them.
 
Aren't RG and D&R wines made by essentially the same carbonic process?

Am I missing something?
 
originally posted by SFJoe:
Aren't RG and D&R wines made by essentially the same carbonic process?

Am I missing something?
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On the contrary, you are explaining. Either FLW or Mies said that form follows function. Here, form follows process.
 
Something about 'carbonic' and 'Hermitage' sounds like they shouldn't be used in the same sentence. But what do I know.

I might say the same thing about 'carbonic' and 'Cornas' but then I remember something about Allemand doing a portion of one of his bottlings in carbonic, and I'm not arguing with his results.
 
Fourteen years later, thinking of revisiting La Crèmerie this August. Anyone know of any reason why history should be left in the past?
 
Is it still open? Wow. I guess if Paul Bert has become an empire, no reason this can't keep tickin'. And, since France invented the restaurant, no need to measure business time by human lifespans...
 
originally posted by Rahsaan:

I might say the same thing about 'carbonic' and 'Cornas' but then I remember something about Allemand doing a portion of one of his bottlings in carbonic, and I'm not arguing with his results.
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Yes, he has a stainless tank on the top floor of his winery where he does Carbonic every year (or did up until my visit in 2004/2005). He said he used it as "a spice" in his bottlings when he felt the "normal" wine was missing something. IIRC, it was some seriously grapey, tannic stuff in that tank!
 
originally posted by mlawton:
He said he used it as "a spice" in his bottlings when he felt the "normal" wine was missing something. IIRC, it was some seriously grapey, tannic stuff in that tank!
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I've heard that sort of thing called 'vin de medecin' -- medicine used to doctor other wines. I've also heard it called 'joker wine' because it fits with anything you mix it with.
 
originally posted by Rahsaan:
Is it still open? Wow. I guess if Paul Bert has become an empire, no reason this can't keep tickin'. And, since France invented the restaurant, no need to measure business time by human lifespans...
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Yup, and La Grande Crèmerie is also still around, always making me wonder if they belong to the same people (afaik, they don't).
 
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