Dinner at Jeff's

Z

Zachary Ross

Zachary Ross
In attendance: Jeff, Jim, Nancy, Suzanne, Jason, Zak

Jeff and Jim generously opened their door to a few of the Brooklyn disorderlies (and upstairs neighbor/cooperator Nancy) last night for a swell dinner party. Master chef Jeff’s food (pan-roasted quail with lentils, Heston Blumenthal's cream of mushroom soup, cassoulet, terrific cheese board) was excellent, the company and conversation genial, and we had some nice drinks, too.

An obligatory white:

2010 Le Clos des Grillons Cotes-du-Rhone blanc “Mille neuf cent un” 100% old-vine Bourboulenc from a vineyard planted in 1901. Subtle and shy, but agreeably delicate, a bit chaste but with nice honeyed richness on the finish. “Like a piece of a white Chateauneuf” sez Jeff. I’m into it.

Jeff requested roses because they usually pair well with the Serrano ham and herb-stuffed quail, and they do:

2010 Nusserhof Lagrein Sudtirol Kretzer Rose fruit and flowers explode from the glass; a beautiful rose.

2011 Domaine Ilarria Irouleguy Rose Tannat and Cab Franc. Just as nice as the Lagrein, maybe even more; rocky and hard (for a rose) with a savory, saline edge.

And the reds:

2011 Domaine Tissot Poulsard “D.D.” fantastic. Delicate and cinnamony, ultra fresh and alive with great energy. Glou-glou.

2010 Chandon de Briailles Pernand-Vergelesses Ile des Vergelesses lovely red fruit besmirched by a pronounced lactic note; it didn’t ruin it for me but it did for others.

2005 Edmunds-St.John Bassetti Syrah ye classic ESJBS. Rich California fruit, very clean, good tannins, lots of life ahead for this.

2006 Thierry Allemand Cornas Reynard exactly as great as you think it is. Young.

2004 Domaine Jamet Cote-Rotie this is nicely on its way to maturity. Decanting softened its initial hard edges. Mulchy and smoky autumn notes, good freshness. It’s what you (I) want from Cote-Rotie.

1999 Domaine des Remizieres Hermitage Cuvee Emilie decanted. A bit tired, it’s not hanging well with the Cornas or Cote-Rotie.

2004 Ar.Pe.Pe Valtellina Grumello Rocca de Piro decanted. Incredible finesse and elegance, well evolved, silky and so delicious. A soft pillow of Nebbiolo.

2010 Dirty and Rowdy Mourvedre (Santa Barbara) smells nice, but it’s flat and uninteresting to drink. You can’t always win.

Thanks much to Jeff and Jim for a great time!
 
Thanks. I have bottles of the 1999 Remizieres I've been trying to hold onto, in observance of the 'rule of 15.' But your note suggests the time to strike is now ... well, assuming you can't turn the clock back.
 
I have little experience with Remizieres; the only other bottle that I've tried is the 2001, back in May of this year. It was very oaky and unpleasant, though it was clear there was a lot of nice, muscular Hermitage wine under all that oak. I wasn't left with the feeling that it was ever going to be something I'd want to drink.
 
originally posted by Zachary Ross:

2005 Edmunds-St.John Bassetti Syrah ye classic ESJBS. Rich California fruit, very clean, good tannins, lots of life ahead for this.

2004 Ar.Pe.Pe Valtellina Grumello Rocca de Piro decanted. Incredible finesse and elegance, well evolved, silky and so delicious. A soft pillow of Nebbiolo.
Click to expand...

That ESJ was really great a week ago or whenever I had it. It seemed to be very Cornas meets California. Was that your impression?

As for the Ar.Pe.Pe, is this something you would buy? We're trying to figure out whether to work with the wines, which we like, but think that they are the type of wine that people talk about, but never actually buy. Are you cool with ~$48 for this wine?

Apologies for schnooking, but we were just talking about this last night.
 
originally posted by VLM:
As for the Ar.Pe.Pe, is this something you would buy? We're trying to figure out whether to work with the wines, which we like, but think that they are the type of wine that people talk about, but never actually buy. Are you cool with ~$48 for this wine?
Click to expand...
That sounds exactly right to me. I'm not a buyer at $48 but I've liked them when I've had them and am happy to talk about them...
 
originally posted by Keith Levenberg:
originally posted by VLM:
As for the Ar.Pe.Pe, is this something you would buy? We're trying to figure out whether to work with the wines, which we like, but think that they are the type of wine that people talk about, but never actually buy. Are you cool with ~$48 for this wine?
Click to expand...
That sounds exactly right to me. I'm not a buyer at $48 but I've liked them when I've had them and am happy to talk about them...
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's what we're worried about...
 
$48 actually sounds pretty good, especially given where things like Ferrando are these days. I thought most of their wines have gone for more. Maybe I'm thinking of the Riservas?
 
Anyone taste the Antoniotti Bramaterra wines yet?
I ordered some to try, and have high hopes.

Sella Lessona and Ferrando white label are now ~$30+ range, and I'm still buying those two.
 
originally posted by Florida Jim:
Glou-glou?
Help, please.
Best, Jim
Click to expand...

You need to get yourself on the Selection Massale email list, Jim. Glou-glou == glug-glug. The sound of wine pouring out of a bottle (or down your throat).

Mark Lipton
 
originally posted by Cliff:
$48 actually sounds pretty good, especially given where things like Ferrando are these days. I thought most of their wines have gone for more. Maybe I'm thinking of the Riservas?
Click to expand...

The cheapest, the Rosso Valtelina 2009 about $37, the most expensive, to us, the Sassella Rocce Riserva 1997 is about $87. If you got them as part of a case, it wouldn't be so bad, I guess.

We'll definitely look into it.

FWIW, Ferrando white label is about $40 these days, probably a bit more in NC.
 
originally posted by MLipton:
originally posted by Florida Jim:
Glou-glou?
Help, please.
Best, Jim
Click to expand...

You need to get yourself on the Selection Massale email list, Jim. Glou-glou == glug-glug. The sound of wine pouring out of a bottle (or down your throat).

Mark Lipton
Click to expand...

I told Jon Cook, who also didn't know what glou-glou meant, that it's wine you'd want to drink through a crazy straw. He understood that analogy. Wine that is thirst-quenching and light on its feet.
 
originally posted by VLM:
originally posted by Cliff:
$48 actually sounds pretty good, especially given where things like Ferrando are these days. I thought most of their wines have gone for more. Maybe I'm thinking of the Riservas?
Click to expand...

The cheapest, the Rosso Valtelina 2009 about $37, the most expensive, to us, the Sassella Rocce Riserva 1997 is about $87. If you got them as part of a case, it wouldn't be so bad, I guess.

We'll definitely look into it.

FWIW, Ferrando white label is about $40 these days, probably a bit more in NC.
Click to expand...

On a completely different note, but thinking about stuff to stock, have you tried the Delaware Phoenix Rye or Bourbon? I don't drink much of either, but they made me sit up and take notice.
 
originally posted by VLM:
originally posted by Zachary Ross:

2005 Edmunds-St.John Bassetti Syrah ye classic ESJBS. Rich California fruit, very clean, good tannins, lots of life ahead for this.

2004 Ar.Pe.Pe Valtellina Grumello Rocca de Piro decanted. Incredible finesse and elegance, well evolved, silky and so delicious. A soft pillow of Nebbiolo.
Click to expand...

That ESJ was really great a week ago or whenever I had it. It seemed to be very Cornas meets California. Was that your impression?

As for the Ar.Pe.Pe, is this something you would buy? We're trying to figure out whether to work with the wines, which we like, but think that they are the type of wine that people talk about, but never actually buy. Are you cool with ~$48 for this wine?

Apologies for schnooking, but we were just talking about this last night.
Click to expand...

While I liked the Ar.Pe.Pe quite a bit, I probably wouldn't buy at $48. Very happy to drink Jeff's, though.

As for the ESJ, that's an apt description.
 
originally posted by Larry Stein:
originally posted by MLipton:
originally posted by Florida Jim:
Glou-glou?
Help, please.
Best, Jim
Click to expand...

You need to get yourself on the Selection Massale email list, Jim. Glou-glou == glug-glug. The sound of wine pouring out of a bottle (or down your throat).

Mark Lipton
Click to expand...

I told Jon Cook, who also didn't know what glou-glou meant, that it's wine you'd want to drink through a crazy straw. He understood that analogy. Wine that is thirst-quenching and light on its feet.
Click to expand...

I thought it was sort of an abbreviated corruption of gouleyant. So much for the art of conjecture.
 
originally posted by Cliff:
originally posted by VLM:
originally posted by Cliff:
$48 actually sounds pretty good, especially given where things like Ferrando are these days. I thought most of their wines have gone for more. Maybe I'm thinking of the Riservas?
Click to expand...

The cheapest, the Rosso Valtelina 2009 about $37, the most expensive, to us, the Sassella Rocce Riserva 1997 is about $87. If you got them as part of a case, it wouldn't be so bad, I guess.

We'll definitely look into it.

FWIW, Ferrando white label is about $40 these days, probably a bit more in NC.
Click to expand...

On a completely different note, but thinking about stuff to stock, have you tried the Delaware Phoenix Rye or Bourbon? I don't drink much of either, but they made me sit up and take notice.
Click to expand...

This being NC, true liquor is off limits. State controlled, much to my chagrin.
 
A couple things:

The Remizieres was lovely when it was new. As Zak said, it is now weary, moping along without its acidity and with tired wood tannins lessening the terroir imprint. Decanted 3 hours ahead of the appointed hour.

This particular bottle of Ar.Pe.Pe was $38 so a no-brainer. It was decanted 6 hours ahead of the appointed hour.

I am very happy to have bought a couple bottles of the ESJ recently; it is drinking so well.

The Allemand performed like a champ: it is quite a trick to be floral and earthy at the same time.

---

On the shnookery: The problem is how to scratch that nebbiolo itch. If $48 is too high then that certainly leaves out most barolo. In barbaresco, the Produttori is great but what else? Hence, True Believers wander out to gattinara, ghemme, lessona, valtellina, carema....
 
originally posted by Jeff Grossman:
On the shnookery: The problem is how to scratch that nebbiolo itch. If $48 is too high then that certainly leaves out most barolo. In barbaresco, the Produttori is great but what else? Hence, True Believers wander out to gattinara, ghemme, lessona, valtellina, carema....
Click to expand...
Nah, wonder out there if you like what they do there, not just to scratch an itch for cheaper nebbiolo. There are options in Barolo and Barbaresco under that range. I've bought Cortese Rabaja the last few vintages in the $35 zone.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top