A subset of wines at Brad's to celebrate a visitation from the LL

[Jay Miller]

Celebrating Manuel's arrival in NYC and secondarily my upcoming birthday we opened a few wines. Halfway through the night Brad handed me some paper and a pen and said "you're taking notes". This is a small subset of the wines:

1996 Beaufort Ambonnay Demi Sec - quite noticeably sweet, this seemed a bit heavy and simple at first but when consumed alongside some roast or steamed pork buns it suddenly exploded with layers of flavor. Gorgeous. Let's hear it for serendipitous wine/food pairings!

1996 Moncuit Le Mesnil Brut Grand Cru - great stuff, minerally, some nice toasty notes, bit of citrus

1994 La Rioja Alta 904 Rioja - soft, spicy and delcious

1995 Barthod aux Beaux Bruns - one of the good bottles from a notoriously varied auction lot. Some warm spices, a bit fleshy but delightfuly wine some lovely detailed notes on the palate.

1990 Bize Savigny Les Beaunes Marconnets - very nice, though not thrilling, wine.

NV Les Cailloux du Paradis Romarantin - against considerable competition this is probably my WOTN. Beautiful honeyed floral nose, lovely, lovely wine. Apparently this was purchased at Astor on the recommendation of Jeff Connell around 15? years ago.

1982 Tondonia Crianza Rioja - this was narrowly edged out by the Romarantin, but was close runner up for WOTN. Beautiful bouquet, light weight, limpid, soft, spicy, gluggable.

1996 Trimbach Frederic Emile - premoxed. Damn.

There were lots of other good bottles, perhaps someone else remembers what they were.

 

[Peter Creasey]

originally posted by Jay Miller: A subset of wines at Brad's to celebrate a visitation from the LL1990 Bize Savigny Les Beaunes Marconnets - very nice, though not thrilling, wine.

Jay, Good call on this selection. Seems like it should be better but seems to not manage to do so.

. . . . . Pete

 

[Jay Miller]

NV Les Cailloux du Paradis Romarantin - against considerable competition this is probably my WOTN. Beautiful honeyed floral nose, lovely, lovely wine. Apparently this was purchased at Astor on the recommendation of Jeff Connell around 15? years ago.

Looks like this is around in a few places though it's vintage dated now.

 

[Jay Miller]

originally posted by Peter Creasey:

originally posted by Jay Miller: A subset of wines at Brad's to celebrate a visitation from the LL1990 Bize Savigny Les Beaunes Marconnets - very nice, though not thrilling, wine.

Jay, Good call on this selection. Seems like it should be better but seems to not manage to do so.

. . . . . Pete

Much as I like Bize the Marconnets is not one I ever buy.

 

[Brad Kane]

Well, I wasn't convinced that the '90 Bize hadn't seen some heat along the way. I got a little bit of maderization and found the wine utterly charmless. I also wasn't that big a fan of the '82 Tondonia, finding it pleasant, but not much more and the same thing with the Romorantin.

The '94 La Rioja Alta Gran Reserva was easily my wine of the night. Still extremely youthful with the oak showing a lot more coconut than cedar at this point, but good fruit and a classic profile. You seemed to have missed the '02 Leroy- NSG, which was also one of my favorites, showing nice fruit and earthiness with a wonderful mouthfeel and the '11 Donnhoff- Spatlese Norheimer Kirscchek was also sublime.

Here are the pics of the bottles.

Sparklers.

Whites and a sweetie.

The reds.

 

[Salil Benegal]

Nice lineup. Any thoughts on the '03 Prum? I've quite liked a few of the '03 German Rieslings that I've checked into recently.

 

[Brad Kane]

originally posted by Salil Benegal:
Nice lineup. Any thoughts on the '03 Prum? I've quite liked a few of the '03 German Rieslings that I've checked into recently.

Apparently, unbeknownst to Jayson, it had been sitting in his fridge with a hole drilled through the cork for months.

 

[Keith Levenberg]

How was the Heart & Hands?

 

[Ian Fitzsimmons]

Is an oxidized 17-year-old wine really pre-maturely so, even a CFE? Sorry for your pain, though happy I finished my 96s a couple of years ago.

The wine-aging fetish, in Nathan's happy phrase, may find its ultimate destiny in the dustbin of history, at least where white wine is concerned.

 

[Jay Miller]

originally posted by Keith Levenberg:
How was the Heart & Hands?

Eh, okay. Not bad, but I dumped most of my glass. It was served blind originally.

 

[SFJoe]

originally posted by Ian Fitzsimmons:
Is an oxidized 17-year-old wine really pre-maturely so, even a CFE?

Sure, when you compare to good vintages from the '70s and '80s now.

 

[Brad Kane]

originally posted by SFJoe:

originally posted by Ian Fitzsimmons:
Is an oxidized 17-year-old wine really pre-maturely so, even a CFE?

Sure, when you compare to good vintages from the '70s and '80s now.

Exactly. A '79 and '83 FE tried at Joe's during the past two vigneron fetes have been fresh and stellar.

 

[Ian Fitzsimmons]

Ah, then doubly regretful for you.

It's not strictly comparable, but my halves of 2001 have been going fast. Drank the final two last weekend (of a dozen or so) and they were hanging on by their fingernails.

 

[Jay Miller]

originally posted by SFJoe:

originally posted by Ian Fitzsimmons:
Is an oxidized 17-year-old wine really pre-maturely so, even a CFE?

Sure, when you compare to good vintages from the '70s and '80s now.

Or even early '90s.

 

[Brad Kane]

originally posted by Ian Fitzsimmons:
Ah, then doubly regretful for you.

It's not strictly comparable, but my halves of 2001 have been going fast. Drank the final two last weekend (of a dozen or so) and they were hanging on by their fingernails.

There were a lot of oxidative '01s from the get go. Some have blamed the importer/distributor. All I know is I've had a number of '01s that have shown advanced and plenty that have shown brilliantly. For awhile they were available for $20 as they were being blown out by Chateau & Estates, I believe.

 

[Salil Benegal]

I've found quite a few 2000s to be problematic as well. Have had some remarkably good bottles of the '00 Pinot Gris Hommage a Jeanne, and some that were horribly oxidized.

 

[Larry Stein]

originally posted by Salil Benegal:
I've found quite a few 2000s to be problematic as well. Have had some remarkably good bottles of the '00 Pinot Gris Hommage a Jeanne, and some that were horribly oxidized.

The first bottle out of the 4 I bought just recently from the K&L blow-out sale was stellar. I also purchased my 750s of '01 CFE from them at release, but haven't opened one yet.

 

[Sharon Bowman]

originally posted by Ian Fitzsimmons:
Ah, then doubly regretful for you.

Regrettable.

I doubt the wine regrets it, unless you know something insider....

 

[VLM]

How was the Beausejour-Duffau?

Not every vintage of CFE is destined for the long haul, and how many really improve more than 17 years? I don't have interest in aging every vintage of Briords either.

 

[Ian Fitzsimmons]

originally posted by Sharon Bowman:

originally posted by Ian Fitzsimmons:
Ah, then doubly regretful for you.

Regrettable.

I doubt the wine regrets it, unless you know something insider....

I'm expressing empathy, as I am full of regret on behalf of Jay and his Kumpels, considering the disappointment they must have experienced. Perhaps there's a better word, but it's not regrettable, regrettably.