Ian Fitzsimmons
Ian Fitzsimmons
At peril of his mortal soul, Mark Svereika boldly ventured this week into the fearsome, planned city of Washington, D.C., overcoming the dire grid street layout to raise some Cain with National Capital disorderlies, accompanied by his muy simpatico wife Ha (sp?) and lovely daughter Nina. Also present were (in no particular order) Maureen, Cole, Mary, Bob, Jonathan, Gail, Yule and your humble reporter. I’m probably the least qualified to write notes, but Yule hasn’t posted yet, and no one else was scribbling, so here’s the line-up.
Whites:
2002 Baumard Savennieres Clos du Papillon
Lanolin, super dry, but with a sense of richness from the plump texture. Precise acidity that becomes ever more so, and more intense, with air time. Strikingly good.
2000 Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Montmains
Out of the bottle, faintest yellow, limpid and pure, piercing acidity, fairly broad, solid Chablis tangy profile. With time in the glass, increasingly streamlined, sleek, refined. Still developing at the end of dinner. My first Raveneau, thank you Yule.
1997 Clos Ste. Hune
15 years young. Freshening breeze; from the bottle, very light, mild, still closed. Very refined, increasingly intense and vibrant through the course of the evening, still unfolding as we wrapped up. Lovely and full of potential still. Thanks Cole.
Vin Gris:
2008 Anthill Pinot Gris
On the nose, bit of heather and peach, with time, hint of coffee (?). Pleasingly smooth texture, clean, possibly modest residual sugar foiling the wine’s acidity, but not sweet or flabby. With time, relaxes, so that the texture becomes more open-knit. A nice American rose.
Reds:
2010 Octavin Trouseau
Fruity-vegetal nose. Sharp, biting acidity; very dry and rather flat. Some dismay among the diners and questions of corked-ness.
2002 Belliviere le Rouge Gorge
Pinot d’Aunis (Chenin Noir?). Fruity, some bubble gum. Biting acidity and chalky texture. Interesting wine with food, but suffered from the direct comparison with its more generous brethren at the table. Gail thought this bottle may have been flawed.
2001 Paolo Bea Rosso de Montefalco
Deep, balanced, dark fruits. Pleasantly round in the mouth and undergirded by good acidity. Brilliant with lamb brouchette. With time a bit of mocha, substantial increase in volume, and a kind of firework effect in the mouth. Impressive, delicious.
2002 Hubert Lamy St. Aubin 1er Cru Dernier Chez Edouard
Cherry nose, balanced, plenty of structure, tannins, acidity keeping the ample fruit in check. Taut. Not bad. Decent throw-weight.
1997 Sandro Fay Sassella Il Glicine
I failed to get the whole name for this bottle. Refreshing acidity, some plummy fruit. Most interesting with food: clean, nuanced, refreshing.
1990 Janasse Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvée Chaupin
High-toned nose, spicy, prominent acidity, ample tannins, some rustic mouth friction, spicy. Did I already say spicy? A bit short on the finish. Good wine, but, personally, I haven’t found, somehow, that Burgundy and Chateuneuf du Pape go well together in sequence.
2001 Arlaud Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Aux Combottes
Corked.
1994 Bachelet Charmes Chambertin
Soft and underwhelming out of the bottle, with passing time, increasingly cherry and floral, and a line of precise acidity emerged, stringing the various flavors like pearls on a necklace. Within an hour of opening, lovely and persuasive. Thank you Bob.
Stickies:
Pieropan Recioto di Soave le Colombare
Dark yellow-amber. Caramel with bread dough; sweet and luscious, with balancing acidity
2010 Maculan Dindarnello
Pleasant, light, airy, sweet, balancing acidity.
1995 Von Schubert Maximin Grünhauser Auslese Fuder 56
Freshening breeze on the nose, hint of sugar, soupçon of petrol. Residual sugar well-integrated, cleansing acidity, light, smidgen of caramel and apple pie. Showing well; opened but not decanted about five hours before drinking.
Though there were 11 of us (10, not counting Nina), we showed surprising good sense and perverse restraint, leaving several enticing bottles unopened on the staging table: 2002 Huet Vouvray Le Mont demi-sec; 1985 (!) Breton Bourgueil Perrieres; 1999 Bachelet Gevrey-Chambertin1er Cru Corbeaux; 2001 Domaine de Marcoux Chateauneuf du Pape; and a gorgeous magnum of 2006 Brezeme Pergault, brought to the alter, Isaac-like, by the guest of honor himself, but spared at the last moment.
We enjoyed a nice dinner at Lavandou in Cleveland Park, and, as usual, it was the gracious, engaging company that made the evening really worthwhile.
I’ll leave it to Yule and others attending to provide accompanying narrative.
[Edited to incorporate corrections.]
Whites:
2002 Baumard Savennieres Clos du Papillon
Lanolin, super dry, but with a sense of richness from the plump texture. Precise acidity that becomes ever more so, and more intense, with air time. Strikingly good.
2000 Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Montmains
Out of the bottle, faintest yellow, limpid and pure, piercing acidity, fairly broad, solid Chablis tangy profile. With time in the glass, increasingly streamlined, sleek, refined. Still developing at the end of dinner. My first Raveneau, thank you Yule.
1997 Clos Ste. Hune
15 years young. Freshening breeze; from the bottle, very light, mild, still closed. Very refined, increasingly intense and vibrant through the course of the evening, still unfolding as we wrapped up. Lovely and full of potential still. Thanks Cole.
Vin Gris:
2008 Anthill Pinot Gris
On the nose, bit of heather and peach, with time, hint of coffee (?). Pleasingly smooth texture, clean, possibly modest residual sugar foiling the wine’s acidity, but not sweet or flabby. With time, relaxes, so that the texture becomes more open-knit. A nice American rose.
Reds:
2010 Octavin Trouseau
Fruity-vegetal nose. Sharp, biting acidity; very dry and rather flat. Some dismay among the diners and questions of corked-ness.
2002 Belliviere le Rouge Gorge
Pinot d’Aunis (Chenin Noir?). Fruity, some bubble gum. Biting acidity and chalky texture. Interesting wine with food, but suffered from the direct comparison with its more generous brethren at the table. Gail thought this bottle may have been flawed.
2001 Paolo Bea Rosso de Montefalco
Deep, balanced, dark fruits. Pleasantly round in the mouth and undergirded by good acidity. Brilliant with lamb brouchette. With time a bit of mocha, substantial increase in volume, and a kind of firework effect in the mouth. Impressive, delicious.
2002 Hubert Lamy St. Aubin 1er Cru Dernier Chez Edouard
Cherry nose, balanced, plenty of structure, tannins, acidity keeping the ample fruit in check. Taut. Not bad. Decent throw-weight.
1997 Sandro Fay Sassella Il Glicine
I failed to get the whole name for this bottle. Refreshing acidity, some plummy fruit. Most interesting with food: clean, nuanced, refreshing.
1990 Janasse Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvée Chaupin
High-toned nose, spicy, prominent acidity, ample tannins, some rustic mouth friction, spicy. Did I already say spicy? A bit short on the finish. Good wine, but, personally, I haven’t found, somehow, that Burgundy and Chateuneuf du Pape go well together in sequence.
2001 Arlaud Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Aux Combottes
Corked.
1994 Bachelet Charmes Chambertin
Soft and underwhelming out of the bottle, with passing time, increasingly cherry and floral, and a line of precise acidity emerged, stringing the various flavors like pearls on a necklace. Within an hour of opening, lovely and persuasive. Thank you Bob.
Stickies:
Pieropan Recioto di Soave le Colombare
Dark yellow-amber. Caramel with bread dough; sweet and luscious, with balancing acidity
2010 Maculan Dindarnello
Pleasant, light, airy, sweet, balancing acidity.
1995 Von Schubert Maximin Grünhauser Auslese Fuder 56
Freshening breeze on the nose, hint of sugar, soupçon of petrol. Residual sugar well-integrated, cleansing acidity, light, smidgen of caramel and apple pie. Showing well; opened but not decanted about five hours before drinking.
Though there were 11 of us (10, not counting Nina), we showed surprising good sense and perverse restraint, leaving several enticing bottles unopened on the staging table: 2002 Huet Vouvray Le Mont demi-sec; 1985 (!) Breton Bourgueil Perrieres; 1999 Bachelet Gevrey-Chambertin1er Cru Corbeaux; 2001 Domaine de Marcoux Chateauneuf du Pape; and a gorgeous magnum of 2006 Brezeme Pergault, brought to the alter, Isaac-like, by the guest of honor himself, but spared at the last moment.
We enjoyed a nice dinner at Lavandou in Cleveland Park, and, as usual, it was the gracious, engaging company that made the evening really worthwhile.
I’ll leave it to Yule and others attending to provide accompanying narrative.
[Edited to incorporate corrections.]
