Jeff Grossman
Jeff Grossman
attendees: Brad, Jay, Cliff, Jeff, Lou + Bettylu, Manuel + Josie
Brad is so kind to tourists: He let Jay off the hook for the non-appearance of a promised tiramisu and even let him sleep in the far corner of the couch.
Meanwhile, Cliff has stunned several of us with his home-baked bread. He says he has become addicted to one of the 'no-knead' recipes and has worked it through till it is producing a crackly-chewy crust, a moderate size and amount of holes inside, and with a texture not too elastic and not too cake-like. (Hell's bells, I'm a cook, not a baker, so I'm all impressed.)
Victuals were kept simple. Brad roasted some chicken thighs and made a shrimp risotto. I brought the pork and milk products: rosemary ham, prosciutto di parma, pork pate with pistchios, salame toscana, Leonora (goat/Spain), Grayson (wash-rind/US), Comte (from the fortress), and Fourme d'Ambert (from a milder wheel).
Did we drink, too? I think I recall...
Pepiere 2009 Muscadet "Chateau Thebaud" - magnum; so rich and full and yet it's still Muscadet... how does Marc do this?; fwiw, the acidity is a touch lower than I'd like which is the vintage signature I suppose
Cazin 1996 Cour-Cheverny "Cuvee Renaissance" - Vendanges Camblor, or something like that; it never gets old... wow acidity, grapefruity, clean, just-so ripeness, perhaps more viscous than I recall it
F. Cotat 2005 Chavignol Rose - pungent, curried, savory, but it really isn't clear that this is a pleasurable drink
Laurel Glen 1992 Cabernet Sauvignon - bursting with life, vivid blackcurrant and tobacco flavors, like a young wine, no doubt whether this is a pleasurable drink!
Edmund St John 2005 Syrah "Wylie-Fenaughty" - iron fist in the velvet glove, rather red-fruity, suave, charming
Mastroberardino 1999 Taurasi Riserva "Radici" - dark cherry, hint of oregano, very fine tannins, well-behaved but a tad tame, let's see what happens in a couple days
Algueira 2012 Ribeira Sacra "Brancellao" - Nesquick, gak; this does not resemble other TNs on the net at all so maybe we have a bad bottle here
Algueira 2013 Ribeira Sacra "Merenzao" - that's trousseau to you; kinda slow in its shoes compared to the Jura version, tasty anyway
Barral 2010 Faugeres "Jadis" - kinda lost on the table this is pretty robust and tannic, the website says this is carignan-syrah-grenache, maybe there is a whiff of Ch9 here but no one is paying much attention to this bottle (incl. yours truly)
Huet 1989 Vouvray Moelleux 1ere Trie "Le Haut Lieu" - beautiful balance of sweet and savory, apricot and pale peach, so much material, makes you think you're young again
Climens 1988 Sauternes - clearly woody, though not insultingly so, sweet and clean, but plays second fiddle when there's good chenin acidity around to compare it against
Hirtzberger 2001 Spitzer Riesling "Singerreidel" Smaragd - The Polish Goodbye: we toss our napkins down, push our glasses aside, stand up, reach for coats, and then realize that we did not open a bottle that Lou had special sent ahead... of course, it's been in the cooler all night so now it's too cold... as it warms up, it starts to show wax and honey and then both Brad and Manuel call caramel on the finish (heat damage)
It's no wonder my head hurt the next morning... almost nothing to dump.
Brad is so kind to tourists: He let Jay off the hook for the non-appearance of a promised tiramisu and even let him sleep in the far corner of the couch.
Meanwhile, Cliff has stunned several of us with his home-baked bread. He says he has become addicted to one of the 'no-knead' recipes and has worked it through till it is producing a crackly-chewy crust, a moderate size and amount of holes inside, and with a texture not too elastic and not too cake-like. (Hell's bells, I'm a cook, not a baker, so I'm all impressed.)
Victuals were kept simple. Brad roasted some chicken thighs and made a shrimp risotto. I brought the pork and milk products: rosemary ham, prosciutto di parma, pork pate with pistchios, salame toscana, Leonora (goat/Spain), Grayson (wash-rind/US), Comte (from the fortress), and Fourme d'Ambert (from a milder wheel).
Did we drink, too? I think I recall...
Pepiere 2009 Muscadet "Chateau Thebaud" - magnum; so rich and full and yet it's still Muscadet... how does Marc do this?; fwiw, the acidity is a touch lower than I'd like which is the vintage signature I suppose
Cazin 1996 Cour-Cheverny "Cuvee Renaissance" - Vendanges Camblor, or something like that; it never gets old... wow acidity, grapefruity, clean, just-so ripeness, perhaps more viscous than I recall it
F. Cotat 2005 Chavignol Rose - pungent, curried, savory, but it really isn't clear that this is a pleasurable drink
Laurel Glen 1992 Cabernet Sauvignon - bursting with life, vivid blackcurrant and tobacco flavors, like a young wine, no doubt whether this is a pleasurable drink!
Edmund St John 2005 Syrah "Wylie-Fenaughty" - iron fist in the velvet glove, rather red-fruity, suave, charming
Mastroberardino 1999 Taurasi Riserva "Radici" - dark cherry, hint of oregano, very fine tannins, well-behaved but a tad tame, let's see what happens in a couple days
Algueira 2012 Ribeira Sacra "Brancellao" - Nesquick, gak; this does not resemble other TNs on the net at all so maybe we have a bad bottle here
Algueira 2013 Ribeira Sacra "Merenzao" - that's trousseau to you; kinda slow in its shoes compared to the Jura version, tasty anyway
Barral 2010 Faugeres "Jadis" - kinda lost on the table this is pretty robust and tannic, the website says this is carignan-syrah-grenache, maybe there is a whiff of Ch9 here but no one is paying much attention to this bottle (incl. yours truly)
Huet 1989 Vouvray Moelleux 1ere Trie "Le Haut Lieu" - beautiful balance of sweet and savory, apricot and pale peach, so much material, makes you think you're young again
Climens 1988 Sauternes - clearly woody, though not insultingly so, sweet and clean, but plays second fiddle when there's good chenin acidity around to compare it against
Hirtzberger 2001 Spitzer Riesling "Singerreidel" Smaragd - The Polish Goodbye: we toss our napkins down, push our glasses aside, stand up, reach for coats, and then realize that we did not open a bottle that Lou had special sent ahead... of course, it's been in the cooler all night so now it's too cold... as it warms up, it starts to show wax and honey and then both Brad and Manuel call caramel on the finish (heat damage)
It's no wonder my head hurt the next morning... almost nothing to dump.
