It was my turn to host the Tuesday Supper Club and one of the best things about doing so in the cold weather months is being able to braise, which is one of my favorite cooking methods. Aside from having savory cuts of meat that need slow cooking, it's also a chance to empty the freezer of tasty stocks, in this case my 14-16 hour veal stock that I used for lamb shanks and lobster stock, that I had made when I took advantage of a lobster sale around Labor Day and used for the lobster risotto.
Not everyone from our six person crew was able to make it on December 13th, but Christine Huang, Bill Lawrence and Wilfred Van Gorp were there and Gregory Dal Piaz filled in ably for Sarah Kirschbaum and Marty Ellington, who couldn't make it. As I was busy cooking and serving, I didn't take as many pictures as I normally would if someone else was cooking, but I did manage to snap a few that I think captured what a fun evening it was.
2008 François Cazin (Le Petit Chambord)- Cour-Cheverny Vendanges Manuelles Cuvée Renaissance - France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Cour-Cheverny
Showing a bit tighter than previous bottles and more quince dominated with little of its usual raspberry character to be seen. There's a pleasant herbaciousness to go along with the mineral notes and white flowers. Sweetness is balanced by vivacious acidity, as usual. Lovely stuff. A-.
2002 Bonneau du Martray- Corton-Charlemagne - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
This is showing a bit tired with hints of pre-mox. There are oak flavors and aromas with stone fruit and yellow delicious apples with a prominent nut character. The fruit did pick up with air and the oak, while noticeable, wasn't too overdone in the overall scheme of things and had a sweetness about it, but the wine is a bit lifeless and is showing more mature than it should. B+/B.
2000 Hubert Lignier- Clos de la Roche Cuvée Lucie - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru
I'm not sure if this is a slightly off bottle, or if we're catching it in a grumpy mood, but this didn't live up to expectations. My first sip showed beautiful cherry fruit and a silky personality, but that persona disappeared in a hurry and an unbalanced acidic profile emerged and essentially took over the wine. The red fruit receded and a stinging nettles character took over. Even food didn't help it much and the bottle remained half poured and there was no improvement the next day. Low B.
1989 Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
A gorgeous showing tonight, indeed, the best bottle of it that I've tried and takes top honors for wine of the night, just beating out the '95 Vieux Télégraphe. This is just what you want out of a Bordeaux, especially with some age on it. It has beautiful cherry fruit, loads of lead pencil, a nice mineral streak and herb and tobacco notes. Perfectly balanced with acid levels that are getting scarcer to find in Bordeaux these days and nice secondary development. While drinking beautifully right now and seemingly at peak, there's really no hurry here, but if you're sitting on some, you really ought to give one a go now. It's just in a wonderful spot. A.
2001 Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
This bottle was completely monolithic, revealing little other than hints of its traditional profile of black fruit and gravel. Couldn't get much of a sense of this wine as it was all about structure. Lesson to the wise, at age ten, top traditional Bordeaux should be left to sleep. NR.
1970 Azienda Ceretto s.r.l.- Barolo Grignore - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Nothing pleasant here. The taste of brown with austere, drying tannins and high acidity. D as in dead.
1985 Daniel Estate Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, California, Napa Valley
Corked. NR (flawed)
1995 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe- Ch“teauneuf-du-Pape La Crau - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Ch“teauneuf-du-Pape
In a gorgeous place right now. The wine has softened giving it a silky feel by CDP standards, but the fruit remains vibrant and sweet and cherry/raspberry in profile. There's nice warmth to the spices and there's some animal/game notes, though not as heavy as in some other bottles. Touch of iodine on the long finish. Just delicious and perfect with the braised lamb shank. Low A.
2009 Elio Perrone- Moscato d'Asti Sourgal - Italy, Piedmont, Asti, Moscato d'Asti
A pleasant, if uncomplicated, bottle to end the dinner. Plenty of peach, honey and orange citrus flavors and aromas. It could use a little bit more acidity to help balance out the sweetness, but all in all it's a fun and tasty drink that you don't really need to ponder too much. B+.
Some pics from the evening.
The group.
The wine.
Getting the lamb shanks ready to braise.
Lobster risotto.
Braised lamb shank with rutabaga purée and broccoli rabe.
Double chocolate cheesecake.
Double chocolate cheesecake topped with raspberry coulis.
Not everyone from our six person crew was able to make it on December 13th, but Christine Huang, Bill Lawrence and Wilfred Van Gorp were there and Gregory Dal Piaz filled in ably for Sarah Kirschbaum and Marty Ellington, who couldn't make it. As I was busy cooking and serving, I didn't take as many pictures as I normally would if someone else was cooking, but I did manage to snap a few that I think captured what a fun evening it was.
2008 François Cazin (Le Petit Chambord)- Cour-Cheverny Vendanges Manuelles Cuvée Renaissance - France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Cour-Cheverny
Showing a bit tighter than previous bottles and more quince dominated with little of its usual raspberry character to be seen. There's a pleasant herbaciousness to go along with the mineral notes and white flowers. Sweetness is balanced by vivacious acidity, as usual. Lovely stuff. A-.
2002 Bonneau du Martray- Corton-Charlemagne - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
This is showing a bit tired with hints of pre-mox. There are oak flavors and aromas with stone fruit and yellow delicious apples with a prominent nut character. The fruit did pick up with air and the oak, while noticeable, wasn't too overdone in the overall scheme of things and had a sweetness about it, but the wine is a bit lifeless and is showing more mature than it should. B+/B.
2000 Hubert Lignier- Clos de la Roche Cuvée Lucie - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru
I'm not sure if this is a slightly off bottle, or if we're catching it in a grumpy mood, but this didn't live up to expectations. My first sip showed beautiful cherry fruit and a silky personality, but that persona disappeared in a hurry and an unbalanced acidic profile emerged and essentially took over the wine. The red fruit receded and a stinging nettles character took over. Even food didn't help it much and the bottle remained half poured and there was no improvement the next day. Low B.
1989 Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
A gorgeous showing tonight, indeed, the best bottle of it that I've tried and takes top honors for wine of the night, just beating out the '95 Vieux Télégraphe. This is just what you want out of a Bordeaux, especially with some age on it. It has beautiful cherry fruit, loads of lead pencil, a nice mineral streak and herb and tobacco notes. Perfectly balanced with acid levels that are getting scarcer to find in Bordeaux these days and nice secondary development. While drinking beautifully right now and seemingly at peak, there's really no hurry here, but if you're sitting on some, you really ought to give one a go now. It's just in a wonderful spot. A.
2001 Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
This bottle was completely monolithic, revealing little other than hints of its traditional profile of black fruit and gravel. Couldn't get much of a sense of this wine as it was all about structure. Lesson to the wise, at age ten, top traditional Bordeaux should be left to sleep. NR.
1970 Azienda Ceretto s.r.l.- Barolo Grignore - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Nothing pleasant here. The taste of brown with austere, drying tannins and high acidity. D as in dead.
1985 Daniel Estate Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, California, Napa Valley
Corked. NR (flawed)
1995 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe- Ch“teauneuf-du-Pape La Crau - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Ch“teauneuf-du-Pape
In a gorgeous place right now. The wine has softened giving it a silky feel by CDP standards, but the fruit remains vibrant and sweet and cherry/raspberry in profile. There's nice warmth to the spices and there's some animal/game notes, though not as heavy as in some other bottles. Touch of iodine on the long finish. Just delicious and perfect with the braised lamb shank. Low A.
2009 Elio Perrone- Moscato d'Asti Sourgal - Italy, Piedmont, Asti, Moscato d'Asti
A pleasant, if uncomplicated, bottle to end the dinner. Plenty of peach, honey and orange citrus flavors and aromas. It could use a little bit more acidity to help balance out the sweetness, but all in all it's a fun and tasty drink that you don't really need to ponder too much. B+.
Some pics from the evening.
The group.