As I've done for the past few years when I've stayed in the city over Labor Day weekend, I had a few folks over for good eats and wine at my place. I clearly erred with the invites as fully one third of my group was named Chris and that made for difficult conversation as the minute anyone said Chris, three heads would turn. The Chris trio included Kravitz, Coad and Wilford and I was informed by Christine Huang that in college, her friends called her Chris. In addition to the Chris contingent, Sarah Kirschbaum, Marty Ellington, Jay Miller and Meredith Wilford joined in the fun.
Stew Leonard's had a big sale on lobsters, so I bought a small colony of them and hit the farmers market and made a summer's bounty meal of pink brandywine tomatoes with bufalo mozzarella and basil, lobster, corn, bacon and summer vegetable hash, broiled kielbasa and lobster sautéed with ancho chili and garlic. Meredith brought along some delicious homemade cookies and brownies and Christine made one of the most moistly delicious cakes I've ever had so we could have a surprise celebration for Meredith, whose birthday was the day before.
I didn't try about half the wines, including all but one of the reds, as I was busy in the kitchen and largely stuck to the whites and sweeties, but the notes are in the order tasted. Perhaps others that were present will fill in the missing blanks?
2008 Pascal Janvier- Jasnières - France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Jasnières
I was a bit wiped out after literally slaving in the kitchen for several hours beforehand and this was a much welcomed revitalizer. Like a jump in a glacial stream, this just picked me up with it's razor sharp acidity and brilliant quince, chalky mineral and floral profile. Just a touch off dry, it's closed up a little since my last bottle, showing more structure and a little less fruit. A-/B+.
1996 François Cazin (Le Petit Chambord)- Cour-Cheverny Vendanges Manuelles Cuvée Renaissance - France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Cour-Cheverny
Chris brought this bottle and I considered myself very fortunate indeed to have had this twice in the past week. This bottle is a bit more closed up than the one tasted on 8/25. Plenty of red fruit and quince character with the acidity a bit more pronounced in this bottle because the fruit was a little less exuberant. Still, brilliant stuff. A-.
1985 Huët- Vouvray Demi-Sec Le Haut-Lieu - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray
Rather reticent all evening. It's not offering much on the nose and is also bit shy on the palate. It's certainly less showy than the '85 Le Mont Demi-Sec usually is. Dry for a Demi-Sec with apple and pear flavors. There's a strong lanolin note and the usual acid spine, but it could use a little more flesh. Night two and it's opened up just a little more while picking up a cheese rind and bitter green almond character, but remains lean. B+.
1976 Reichsrat Von Buhl- Ruppertsberger Reiterpfad Gewürztraminer Auslese - Germany, Pfalz
On its last legs, but still offers some pleasure and things of interest. At age thirty-five, it still has some sweetness left and shows that classic lychee profile, with dessicated stone fruits, but the acidity is a bit soft and it's a bit short on the finish. One foot and a couple of toes of the other in the grave, so hurry up and drink. B-.
1999 Fattoria di Fèlsina Berardenga- Fontalloro - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
Big, big structure here. Aggressively acidic with tart cherry fruit, leather and earth. There's a certain crunchiness to the wine that's pleasant, but more fruit is needed to balance out the acidity. It also really needs hearty food. B+/B.
1982 Rosemount Estate- Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese - Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley
This wins the oddball wine of the year award. A deep mahogany color with a nose that just gives the impression of sweetness. On the palate it's like Coca-Cola syrup with Tokaji like acidity. Just a bizarre combination. I start to pick up a blueberry molasses character, but the cola flavor squashes it. Still plenty sweet, but there's absolutely no Riesling character here. That said, it's not that bad and really is quite interesting. Low B.
1976 Ch“teau Rieussec - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
A deep amber/orange color. Fully mature and offering up pleasant grilled apricot, nut, candied orange peel and raisin flavors and aromas. Still nicely sweet,with balancing acidity and fully integrated oak, though the wine is showing clear signs of that it's on the back end of the bell curve. It'll certainly last for years to come, but it's not getting any better and will continue to shed fruit and sweetness. Drink up, unless you're a necrophiliac. Low A-.
Some pictures for your viewing pleasure.
Fourteen lobsters in the sink.
All cooked up.
Whatever Label.
Lobster and corn hash (Lobster, bacon, corn, zucchini, yellow squash, red bell pepper, shiitake mushrooms, red onion, garlic, sungold tomatoes, thyme and 1970 solera sherry vinegar.)
After picking out all the meat, I used the lobster shells and cavities to make lobster stock.
Tomatoes, bufalo mozzarella and basil. One of the best things about summer.
Meredith’s homemade cookies.
Meredith’s homemade brownies.
Christine’s dark chocolate layer cake with white chocolate mousse.
Layers and layers of deliciousness!
Coad with his usual glower when I pull out my camera and Jay Miller.
Christine Huang, Chris Wilford and Marty Ellington.
The newlyweds, Chris and Meredith Wilford.
Make a wish, Meredith!
The whites.
The reds.
The sweeties.
Stew Leonard's had a big sale on lobsters, so I bought a small colony of them and hit the farmers market and made a summer's bounty meal of pink brandywine tomatoes with bufalo mozzarella and basil, lobster, corn, bacon and summer vegetable hash, broiled kielbasa and lobster sautéed with ancho chili and garlic. Meredith brought along some delicious homemade cookies and brownies and Christine made one of the most moistly delicious cakes I've ever had so we could have a surprise celebration for Meredith, whose birthday was the day before.
I didn't try about half the wines, including all but one of the reds, as I was busy in the kitchen and largely stuck to the whites and sweeties, but the notes are in the order tasted. Perhaps others that were present will fill in the missing blanks?
2008 Pascal Janvier- Jasnières - France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Jasnières
I was a bit wiped out after literally slaving in the kitchen for several hours beforehand and this was a much welcomed revitalizer. Like a jump in a glacial stream, this just picked me up with it's razor sharp acidity and brilliant quince, chalky mineral and floral profile. Just a touch off dry, it's closed up a little since my last bottle, showing more structure and a little less fruit. A-/B+.
1996 François Cazin (Le Petit Chambord)- Cour-Cheverny Vendanges Manuelles Cuvée Renaissance - France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Cour-Cheverny
Chris brought this bottle and I considered myself very fortunate indeed to have had this twice in the past week. This bottle is a bit more closed up than the one tasted on 8/25. Plenty of red fruit and quince character with the acidity a bit more pronounced in this bottle because the fruit was a little less exuberant. Still, brilliant stuff. A-.
1985 Huët- Vouvray Demi-Sec Le Haut-Lieu - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray
Rather reticent all evening. It's not offering much on the nose and is also bit shy on the palate. It's certainly less showy than the '85 Le Mont Demi-Sec usually is. Dry for a Demi-Sec with apple and pear flavors. There's a strong lanolin note and the usual acid spine, but it could use a little more flesh. Night two and it's opened up just a little more while picking up a cheese rind and bitter green almond character, but remains lean. B+.
1976 Reichsrat Von Buhl- Ruppertsberger Reiterpfad Gewürztraminer Auslese - Germany, Pfalz
On its last legs, but still offers some pleasure and things of interest. At age thirty-five, it still has some sweetness left and shows that classic lychee profile, with dessicated stone fruits, but the acidity is a bit soft and it's a bit short on the finish. One foot and a couple of toes of the other in the grave, so hurry up and drink. B-.
1999 Fattoria di Fèlsina Berardenga- Fontalloro - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
Big, big structure here. Aggressively acidic with tart cherry fruit, leather and earth. There's a certain crunchiness to the wine that's pleasant, but more fruit is needed to balance out the acidity. It also really needs hearty food. B+/B.
1982 Rosemount Estate- Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese - Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley
This wins the oddball wine of the year award. A deep mahogany color with a nose that just gives the impression of sweetness. On the palate it's like Coca-Cola syrup with Tokaji like acidity. Just a bizarre combination. I start to pick up a blueberry molasses character, but the cola flavor squashes it. Still plenty sweet, but there's absolutely no Riesling character here. That said, it's not that bad and really is quite interesting. Low B.
1976 Ch“teau Rieussec - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
A deep amber/orange color. Fully mature and offering up pleasant grilled apricot, nut, candied orange peel and raisin flavors and aromas. Still nicely sweet,with balancing acidity and fully integrated oak, though the wine is showing clear signs of that it's on the back end of the bell curve. It'll certainly last for years to come, but it's not getting any better and will continue to shed fruit and sweetness. Drink up, unless you're a necrophiliac. Low A-.
Some pictures for your viewing pleasure.
Fourteen lobsters in the sink.
All cooked up.
Whatever Label.
Lobster and corn hash (Lobster, bacon, corn, zucchini, yellow squash, red bell pepper, shiitake mushrooms, red onion, garlic, sungold tomatoes, thyme and 1970 solera sherry vinegar.)
After picking out all the meat, I used the lobster shells and cavities to make lobster stock.
Tomatoes, bufalo mozzarella and basil. One of the best things about summer.
Meredith’s homemade cookies.
Meredith’s homemade brownies.
Christine’s dark chocolate layer cake with white chocolate mousse.
Layers and layers of deliciousness!
Coad with his usual glower when I pull out my camera and Jay Miller.
Christine Huang, Chris Wilford and Marty Ellington.
The newlyweds, Chris and Meredith Wilford.
Make a wish, Meredith!
The whites.
The reds.
The sweeties.