Oswaldo Costa
Oswaldo Costa
Lunch organized around mostly northern Rhône wines, containing a blind flight to test prejudices against Chapoutier, Jaboulet, and Guigal.
With canapés of Pata Negra, manchego cheese w/flambéed banana jelly, tuna, foie gras paté and salmon tartare:
NV Brut Rosé Egly-Ouriet Grand Cru 12.5%
Disgorged July 2000. 48 months on yeasts. Perfect kickoff, mixing freshness and depth without either sticking out.
NV Selosse Substance NV Brut Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs 12.5%
Disgorged 12 October 2006. Impressive depth and complexity. No longer a spring chicken, but has reached middle age with an exemplary blend of physical fitness, academic achievement, and career success.
With cod flakes on a bed of mashed potatoes with a light sauce and a touch of sweet paprika:
1998 Chapoutier Ermitage Blanc "L'Orée" 14.0%
100% Marsanne. Golden yellow. Intriguing aroma of “paglia e fieno” and interesting tertiaries. Opulent, with a touch of wood. As expected, it lacked acidity, thus meeting the same fate as the Greek courier who ran from Marathon to Athens.
2000 Chave Hermitage Blanc 13.0%
80% Marsanne, Roussanne 20%. Straw yellow, the clarity contrasting with the Chapoutier gold. Aroma, however, was similar, except with more minerality and freshness. Less opulent, but also a touch of wood, and lacking acidity. During the first fifteen minutes I liked the Chapoutier better; it started the race like a fat hare. Evolution in the glass or interaction with food made the Chave end the race like a fat turtle.
2005 Georges Vernay Condrieu Les Chaillées de l'Enfer 14.0%
Intense floral and apricot scent, quite attractive. But too much oak and too little acidity; the only pour I could not finish.
With roast lamb accompanied by couscous and ratatouille:
2007 Allemand Cornas Chaillot 13.5%
My wotn. Delicate aroma, ethereal, subtle, mixing leather, herbs, and violets. Great balance and acidity. Perfect blend of seriousness and fun, generating pleasure.
2007 Marcel Juge Cornas 13.0%
Lard and meat, delicate herbs, black pepper. Delicious consistency, good balance and body. Did not seem carbonic, but perhaps whole cluster. Very good. Needs an extra decade.
2007 Anglore Pierre Chaude 14.0%
Mostly vieilles vignes Grenache from Tavel, with 10-15% Clairette. Lighter color. Attractive mineral and floral aromas. Went well with food, but a little more acid than sweet, generating certain aggressiveness. Perhaps the fruit is becoming tired. Others disagreed.
With roast beef tenderloin filet with herb crust, accompanied by potatoes and sautéed mushrooms:
Wine No. 1 (1989 Paul Jaboulet Ainé Hermitage La Chapelle 13.0%)
Blood and plums. Balanced, with resolved tannins, excellent acidity. My favorite of the four, but no one else’s.
Wine No. 2 (1989 Chave Hermitage 13.0%)
Completely reduced; greatly improved with aeration, but remained compromised. I must be more sensitive to this, because it seemed not to disturb the others. Quite acidic.
Wine No. 3 (1995 Jamet Côte-Rotie 12.5%)
Complex savory aromas of blood and meat. Quite dense, so lost points (me) for generating the assumption that it must be one of the two moderns. Voted second favorite of the four.
Wine No. 4 (1995 Guigal Côte-Rotie La Landonne 13.0%)
Lard and oak. Seemed more opulent and modern. I was in doubt whether this or #3 was the Guigal. Considered the best of flight by the majority of those present, causing a modicum of embarrassment when unveiled.
With tarte tatin, and vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup:
2008 Didier Dagueneau Les Jardins de Babylone Jurançon 10.5%
Peach compote and mango. Sensational electric acidity, creating perfect balance. The last few bottles of this I’ve tasted (from other vintages as well) are setting a new bar for dessert wines.
1990 Trimbach Cuvée Frédéric Émile Sélection de Grains Nobles 12.5%
Crumpled pillow (yummy) and peach. Unfortunately more sweet than acid. Venerable and stately, but flaccid compared to the Jurançon.
David Lillie once remarked that he thought that time makes terroir prevail more and more over cellar work. The blind flight seemed to lend some support for this notion. The majority of winemakers may continue to have industrial mindsets and hunt after scores, in some cases adding unfortunate statements about natural wines, but there is some comfort in thinking that nature may have the last laugh.
With canapés of Pata Negra, manchego cheese w/flambéed banana jelly, tuna, foie gras paté and salmon tartare:
NV Brut Rosé Egly-Ouriet Grand Cru 12.5%
Disgorged July 2000. 48 months on yeasts. Perfect kickoff, mixing freshness and depth without either sticking out.
NV Selosse Substance NV Brut Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs 12.5%
Disgorged 12 October 2006. Impressive depth and complexity. No longer a spring chicken, but has reached middle age with an exemplary blend of physical fitness, academic achievement, and career success.
With cod flakes on a bed of mashed potatoes with a light sauce and a touch of sweet paprika:
1998 Chapoutier Ermitage Blanc "L'Orée" 14.0%
100% Marsanne. Golden yellow. Intriguing aroma of “paglia e fieno” and interesting tertiaries. Opulent, with a touch of wood. As expected, it lacked acidity, thus meeting the same fate as the Greek courier who ran from Marathon to Athens.
2000 Chave Hermitage Blanc 13.0%
80% Marsanne, Roussanne 20%. Straw yellow, the clarity contrasting with the Chapoutier gold. Aroma, however, was similar, except with more minerality and freshness. Less opulent, but also a touch of wood, and lacking acidity. During the first fifteen minutes I liked the Chapoutier better; it started the race like a fat hare. Evolution in the glass or interaction with food made the Chave end the race like a fat turtle.
2005 Georges Vernay Condrieu Les Chaillées de l'Enfer 14.0%
Intense floral and apricot scent, quite attractive. But too much oak and too little acidity; the only pour I could not finish.
With roast lamb accompanied by couscous and ratatouille:
2007 Allemand Cornas Chaillot 13.5%
My wotn. Delicate aroma, ethereal, subtle, mixing leather, herbs, and violets. Great balance and acidity. Perfect blend of seriousness and fun, generating pleasure.
2007 Marcel Juge Cornas 13.0%
Lard and meat, delicate herbs, black pepper. Delicious consistency, good balance and body. Did not seem carbonic, but perhaps whole cluster. Very good. Needs an extra decade.
2007 Anglore Pierre Chaude 14.0%
Mostly vieilles vignes Grenache from Tavel, with 10-15% Clairette. Lighter color. Attractive mineral and floral aromas. Went well with food, but a little more acid than sweet, generating certain aggressiveness. Perhaps the fruit is becoming tired. Others disagreed.
With roast beef tenderloin filet with herb crust, accompanied by potatoes and sautéed mushrooms:
Wine No. 1 (1989 Paul Jaboulet Ainé Hermitage La Chapelle 13.0%)
Blood and plums. Balanced, with resolved tannins, excellent acidity. My favorite of the four, but no one else’s.
Wine No. 2 (1989 Chave Hermitage 13.0%)
Completely reduced; greatly improved with aeration, but remained compromised. I must be more sensitive to this, because it seemed not to disturb the others. Quite acidic.
Wine No. 3 (1995 Jamet Côte-Rotie 12.5%)
Complex savory aromas of blood and meat. Quite dense, so lost points (me) for generating the assumption that it must be one of the two moderns. Voted second favorite of the four.
Wine No. 4 (1995 Guigal Côte-Rotie La Landonne 13.0%)
Lard and oak. Seemed more opulent and modern. I was in doubt whether this or #3 was the Guigal. Considered the best of flight by the majority of those present, causing a modicum of embarrassment when unveiled.
With tarte tatin, and vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup:
2008 Didier Dagueneau Les Jardins de Babylone Jurançon 10.5%
Peach compote and mango. Sensational electric acidity, creating perfect balance. The last few bottles of this I’ve tasted (from other vintages as well) are setting a new bar for dessert wines.
1990 Trimbach Cuvée Frédéric Émile Sélection de Grains Nobles 12.5%
Crumpled pillow (yummy) and peach. Unfortunately more sweet than acid. Venerable and stately, but flaccid compared to the Jurançon.
David Lillie once remarked that he thought that time makes terroir prevail more and more over cellar work. The blind flight seemed to lend some support for this notion. The majority of winemakers may continue to have industrial mindsets and hunt after scores, in some cases adding unfortunate statements about natural wines, but there is some comfort in thinking that nature may have the last laugh.