This day goes to 11

Sharon Bowman

Sharon Bowman
We are in the thick of oyster season, so what better time to meet Kirk Wallace at the bar at Maison Première in Brooklyn for some bivalves and their crustacean friends?

A three-tiered plateau was higher than we, but we ate it down to nothing, and then had some salt cod brandade for good measure.

Oh, and extra lashings of cocktail sauce, because.

And drank heaps of '11 vintage wines.

2011 Ulysse Collin "Les Pierrières" - This wasn't at all "'11-ish" (lean and weedy in Champagne). It was gorgeous.

2011 Emmanuel Brochet "Le Mont Benoît" Extra-Brut - I have to say that Brochet is fast becoming one of my favorites. I first had one of his wines just a couple of months ago, and each subsequent time I have been very impressed. How quickly these wines are leaving their glasses....

2011 Vouette & Sorbée "Blanc d'Argile" Extra-Brut - This, an old favorite, was showing its '11-ness a little bit, though it still had the somewhat garrulous charm of clay-soiled chardonnay.

2011 Thomas Perseval Rosé Extra-Brut - My first taste of this producer's wines. Just realized it could also have been a 2012; not sure we checked on this one. We had tried to order the "Tradition" Extra-Brut (white), but they were fresh out, so we went with this. I found it a little hard, at this stage; maybe it needed more air, maybe it needs more time. My barstool mate and our two neighbors were bigger fans than I was. Not sure about the neighbors (we'd just met), but I know WKW favors a somewhat brawnier profile than I do, at times.

2011 Bruno Debize Beaujolais "Les Cambertiers" - After so much fizz, it was time to settle down, as it were.
 
Lawd, don't tell me the two of you downed five lobotomies all by your lonesome selves, even if with occasional help from the neighbors.
 
All those oysters and nary a Chablis nor a Muscadet? The mind boggles. Great lineup of fizz, tho. I'll have to add Brochet to the shopping list.

Still crazy after all these years,

Mark Lipton
 
Let me say that I did indeed find the Perseval rose enchanting after about 5 minutes. At first the nose was very primary and a bit reduced, but after just a little air, I thought it really blossomed. And on the palate, it was beautiful. Long and well balanced. With nice red fruit weaving in and out with chalky wet stones. And we were on to the lobster, sea urchin and brandade by then,so we didn't miss the muscadet as much by that point.
 
originally posted by Sharon Bowman:
I have to say that Brochet is fast becoming one of my favorites.
Here, hear.
And that 2011 is no slouch, either - unlike my experiences with V+S Blanc d'Argile from that vintage.
 
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