Jeff Grossman
Jeff Grossman
A Visit from Tom Reddick at the Peking Duck House
attendees: Tom Reddick, David Rosewater, Paul Jaouen, Diane Elam, Chris Kravitz, Suzanne Camhi, Jay + Arnold, Jeff
Yes, we ordered several plates of ribs as well as the seaweed with dried scallops but the big attraction is the poultry roll-ups: They bring the roasted birds out to tableside (no one ate the heads but Arnold took a neck) and carve them right there. They will just platter the ingredients or make the rolls for you. We had 9 people so we went for 5 ducks, two rolled and three sliced.
And what do you drink with all that duck? Burgundy, mostly:
The Pale Duck Drinks
Piper-Heidsieck 1988 Champagne Brut "Cuvee Rare" - large bubbles, very chalky, razor-sharp acidity, a whiff of oxidation adds to the complexity, the mid-palate is only mid-weight but the finish is very long
Pierre Peters 2002 Champange Brut "Blanc de Blancs" "Cuvee Speciale" "Les Chétillons" - creamy mouthfeel, not so chalky but it has other minerality showing, improves with air, my favorite of the three
Henriot 1996 Champagne Brut "Cuvee des Enchanteleurs" - very fine mousse, also a note of oxidation, this 50-50 blend of chard and pinot doesn't show me a really distinctive character
None of these champagnes thrilled me. Hard to say why they all underperformed.
Willi Schaefer 2011 Graacher Domprobst Riesling Spatlese - erste lage, AP#10, holy moly, so much violets, lychee, and perfume!, my partner is going to love this wine (and I do, too)
Pernot 2004 Batard-Montrachet GC - very, very young; some sulfur showing but there is something in here that I just can't abide
The Dark Duck Drinks
Drouhin 1983 Chambolle-Musigny 1er "Les Amoureuses" - gentle, harmoniously balanced wine with suggestions of red berries, shoe polish, old ladies' handkerchief, and citrus peel; wow
Faiveley 1999 Chambertin-Clos De Beze GC - first whiff smells like the pink slice of a spumoni but that passes into a beautiful, cherry-scented nose, with a sweetness that plays hide-and-seek; good zip, still very tight
Bachelet 1999 Charmes-Chambertin GC VV NF - what a nose! meaty, mulberry and black cherry and also sturdy and primary; this pretty bottle drinks well all night
Leroy 1999 Volnay-Santenots 1er - bright, crisp, very cranberry, very zingy, I think I'm partial to wines from Volnay because they always seem a little better than they ought
...notes start deteriorating...
Mugneret 2001 Ruchottes-Chambertin GC - good, of course, but I'm obliged to split hairs and this seems a bit thin
Dujac 2002 Echezeaux GC - intense, well-rounded, vivid, spice-y
d'Angerville 2002 Volnay 1er "Clos des Ducs" - wow, bright, brut, lots of cherries and a bit of cloves
Meo-Camuzet 2008 Richebourg GC - yum but totally not ready to drink
Rollin 2008 Pernand-Vergelesses 1er "Iles Des Vergelesses" - pretty, also way too young, credit to Rollin that the wine is not too tannic/astringent to drink now
The Drouhin was pretty though getting feeble, while the rest of the wines could all have used 5 (, 10, 15, 20) years more. I preferred the Bachelet and the two Volnays over the others but that could also be palate exhaustion.
A great event and many thanks are owed to Suzanne, who organized, and Tom, who gave us an excuse.
attendees: Tom Reddick, David Rosewater, Paul Jaouen, Diane Elam, Chris Kravitz, Suzanne Camhi, Jay + Arnold, Jeff
Yes, we ordered several plates of ribs as well as the seaweed with dried scallops but the big attraction is the poultry roll-ups: They bring the roasted birds out to tableside (no one ate the heads but Arnold took a neck) and carve them right there. They will just platter the ingredients or make the rolls for you. We had 9 people so we went for 5 ducks, two rolled and three sliced.
And what do you drink with all that duck? Burgundy, mostly:
The Pale Duck Drinks
Piper-Heidsieck 1988 Champagne Brut "Cuvee Rare" - large bubbles, very chalky, razor-sharp acidity, a whiff of oxidation adds to the complexity, the mid-palate is only mid-weight but the finish is very long
Pierre Peters 2002 Champange Brut "Blanc de Blancs" "Cuvee Speciale" "Les Chétillons" - creamy mouthfeel, not so chalky but it has other minerality showing, improves with air, my favorite of the three
Henriot 1996 Champagne Brut "Cuvee des Enchanteleurs" - very fine mousse, also a note of oxidation, this 50-50 blend of chard and pinot doesn't show me a really distinctive character
None of these champagnes thrilled me. Hard to say why they all underperformed.
Willi Schaefer 2011 Graacher Domprobst Riesling Spatlese - erste lage, AP#10, holy moly, so much violets, lychee, and perfume!, my partner is going to love this wine (and I do, too)
Pernot 2004 Batard-Montrachet GC - very, very young; some sulfur showing but there is something in here that I just can't abide
The Dark Duck Drinks
Drouhin 1983 Chambolle-Musigny 1er "Les Amoureuses" - gentle, harmoniously balanced wine with suggestions of red berries, shoe polish, old ladies' handkerchief, and citrus peel; wow
Faiveley 1999 Chambertin-Clos De Beze GC - first whiff smells like the pink slice of a spumoni but that passes into a beautiful, cherry-scented nose, with a sweetness that plays hide-and-seek; good zip, still very tight
Bachelet 1999 Charmes-Chambertin GC VV NF - what a nose! meaty, mulberry and black cherry and also sturdy and primary; this pretty bottle drinks well all night
Leroy 1999 Volnay-Santenots 1er - bright, crisp, very cranberry, very zingy, I think I'm partial to wines from Volnay because they always seem a little better than they ought
...notes start deteriorating...
Mugneret 2001 Ruchottes-Chambertin GC - good, of course, but I'm obliged to split hairs and this seems a bit thin
Dujac 2002 Echezeaux GC - intense, well-rounded, vivid, spice-y
d'Angerville 2002 Volnay 1er "Clos des Ducs" - wow, bright, brut, lots of cherries and a bit of cloves
Meo-Camuzet 2008 Richebourg GC - yum but totally not ready to drink
Rollin 2008 Pernand-Vergelesses 1er "Iles Des Vergelesses" - pretty, also way too young, credit to Rollin that the wine is not too tannic/astringent to drink now
The Drouhin was pretty though getting feeble, while the rest of the wines could all have used 5 (, 10, 15, 20) years more. I preferred the Bachelet and the two Volnays over the others but that could also be palate exhaustion.
A great event and many thanks are owed to Suzanne, who organized, and Tom, who gave us an excuse.
