TN: Soul Flavors (Dec 15, 2011)

J

Jeff Grossman

Jeff Grossman
attendees: Jay, Salil, Jeff, Mike Cohen

One of our favorite spots, Chef Wayne makes a mean platter of fried chicken and also a really good beef short rib. Salil is headed off to Destinations Easterly and wants to introduce his friend Mike to some NY winos before he goes.

Hi, Mike!

And the wines were very meet-and-greeterly, too:

Marie-Noelle Ledru 2006 Champagne GC Blanc de Noirs "Cuvee de Goulte" - brioche, maybe slightly toasted; melons, maybe?; good complexity; with air this got even more vivid and sturdy

Mystery Wine - alas, corked; the wine underneath has a light, cranberry-ish sort of charm; Salil says it is old and fragile; Mike guesses Crozes-Hermitage, Jay guesses Chapoutier (which Salil deems an expression of dislike), and I guess Loire cab franc; we're all a bit surprised that it is Verset 1984 Cornas

Roblet-Monnot 2008 Volnay 1er "Taillepieds" - pretty but a bit intense, even a bit piney; reads like a really well-executed CA pinot

Clos Rougeard 2007 Saumur-Champigny "Les Poyeux" - shoe polish, licorice, juicy dark berry-ish flavors, a little over-wrought now but will improve with time

Allemand 2007 Cornas "Chaillots" - beautiful, pork (not bacon) and cranberry, so good

Cappellano 1995 Barolo Gabutti "Otin Fiorin" - very red-fruited, lots of face-powder and flowers, silky texture

Ch. La Dominique 1982 St-Emilion - corked

Biondi-Santi 1978 Brunello "Il Greppo" - there is something pretty about the wine but it is also thin and quite elderly

Baudry 2009 Chinon "Franc de Pied" - great texture: silky, mid-weight and middling viscosity; there is tobacco-y green pepper but lots of other things: smoke, dark jam, something sandy or minerally; very satisfying
 
he Volnay improved greatly with air as more minerality emerged. The CA comparison may have been just early on but not later.

The Poyeaux was a joyous and energetic wine. I liked it a lot.

The Allemand was unquestionably my favorite.

I've never "gotten" Baudry Franc de Pied. Tonight was no exception. Given my druthers I'd rather drink CB or G any day.

I liked the Biondi Santi much more than Jeff. A lovely older wine which didn't show much on first pour but which eventually unfurled its withered petals with gentleness and grace.

At a recent horizontal of 1982 Bordeaux the La Dominique was my favorite. I was really looking forward to this one.
 
Jay, what was your read on the Ledru?
The '02 Brut Nature and nonvintage Extra Brut have been outstanding recently, and I admit I've been rather curious about this Goulte.
 
Not Jay, but I thought the Ledru was fantastic and kept improving with air. Also had the 02 Brut Nature recently and loved it - she's making some incredible wines that are definitely worth finding.

Really a lovely selection at the table, in spite of the two corked wines.
The Rougeard was superb (but really needed air), the Allemand by the end of the bottle had an incredible, haunting perfume and I'm delighted to have a few more bottles of that. Wasn't too enthralled by the Biondi Santi at first, but it really unravelled with air and was a quite beautiful wine by the end of the evening. And the Cappellano was lovely, certainly rather youthful and tannic, but so compelling and layered.
 
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