Jeff Grossman
Jeff Grossman
attendees: Don+Melissa, Jayson, Chris+Lisa, Brad, Cliff, Randy, Suzanne, Victor, Jay+Arnold, Chris+Merry+Addison, Michel, Asher, Jeff
It's the 2016 edition of the Birthday Jeebus. Initially intended for the two or three people whose birthdays fall in early July it has become more open in recent years. We now accept birthday celebrations covering the period of July 1 - June 30.
Randy McCluer happens to be in town, happens to have had a birthday recently, happens to be free this afternoon... jeebus, what a coincidence.
Addison is about 2 years old and just cute as a button. And it's nice to see Chris and Merry again; it's been a while for me.
This year we have the most spectacular venue ever: Melissa's mom just happens to own a penthouse on 101 Street and Central Park West with a wrap-around terrace and unfettered sight lines. This is a panorama photo from the terrace (click to embiggen (and it's big (but worth it if you like NYC skyline (mostly south and east of the park)))):
Once we get our breath back, we start setting up the victuals in the dining room. Food was 'covered dish' so people made lots of comfort food, some easy finger food, Cliff brought excellent home-made bread, and yours truly assigned himself to the Vegetable Watch:
Sloppy Joe sliders, Smoked brisket, BBQ baby back ribs, foie gras, mousse truffe, Almond cake, Home baked bread, Homemade Coleslaw, Buttermilk Duck Fat Cornbread, Chopped salad, Cheese, prosciutto, speck, soppressata, Cheese, bread, pie (I missed what kind), Creamed Morels, Cucumber and Coconut Salad, Korean Cucumber Pickle, Creamy Baked Onions, Creamy Chanterelle Sauce, Carrot Confit, Portobello Mushrooms Stuffed with Tomato and Olive
Due to traffic control concerns we setup the wines in the ***********. There were plenty of those, too:
Pinon 2015 Pet Nat Rose - shocking pink, taste confuses Jayson until we look up the cepage: cot and grolleau; it's pretty to look at and it's got good acidity but the flavors are wan and the whole thing has that pet nat mustiness, eh
Pepiere 14 Muscadet - scalped; eventually a few of us get the corkiness
Faurie 1996 Hermitage - very masculine, very syrah, plums, a hint of black raspberries, still gently tannic, great bottle
O Raffault 1990 Chinon "Les Picasses" - another beautiful bottle, gently green pepper, gently tobacco, Bacchus is smiling if this is the course of the day!
Cruse Wine 2015 Pet Nat - sparkling valdiguie but a lot of that musty, stale biscuit thing, oh well
Thomas Labaille 2005 Sancerre Chavignol "Les Monts Damnes" "Cuvee Buster" - nice, very round in the mouth, a whiff of citrus and then a lingering interesting note of bitterness
CVNE 1981 Rioja Gran Reserva "Vina Real" - a whiff of rubber galoshes and a little stinging acidity but this is red-fruited and well-composed
C. von Schubert "Maximin Grunhauser" 1997 Herrenberg Riesling Spatlese - OMG, this is great: green grapes and grapefruit dancing over just-so ripeness, great stuff Jay
O Raffault 2012 Chinon "Les Picasses" - rather ordinary
Marie-Courtin NV Champagne Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs "Eloquence" - disgorged 3/14, a little bottle funk but bright and chalky and good
Pepiere 2005 Muscadet "Granite de Clisson" - substantial and minerally, acidity is much reduced, but honestly not much fun to drink at this time
Occhipinti 2013 IGT "Il Frappato" - haven't had one in a while; this is all red fruit, resin, and rust; yum!
Thevenet 2009 Morgon VV - divisive: Jayson doesn't care for it ("It doesn't taste like Morgon") while Jay does ("It tastes like Thevenet Morgon"); I think it's pretty typique and good enough
Drouhin 2010 Cotes-de-Nuits Village - a good basic perfumey Bourgogne, at the right price this is a good buy
Beaucastel 2007 Chateauneuf-du-Pape - I suppose there had to be something here for Brad to drink; a good bottle: medium acidity balanced with minerality and still primary fruit, I can drink this too
Couly-Dutheil 1989 Chinon "La Baronnie Madeleine" - no matter how hard people applaud for them I just don't see it, and this bottle is much the same: tastes like franc, a little on the green side, eh
Caslot "Dom. de la Chevalerie" 1996 Bourgueil - my note just says, "Yum" so I think my wine intake was starting to surpass my food intake
Clos des Papes 2001 Chateauneuf-du-Pape - heat damage? something not right here
Bart 2012 Marsannay "Les Champs Salomon" - slightly lactic at first but that blows off, easy drinking Burgundy: fruit, earth, middling acidity, attractive nose, yum
Foreau "Clos Naudin" 2008 Vouvray Moelleux - another OMG bottle, sweet but with enough stuffing to keep it from going OTT
Zind-Humbrecht 1995 Riesling Grand Cru "Brand" Vendange Tardive - at first, this is so blindingly sweet but then the acidity rages back to reclaim your tongue, interesting and great wine
Huet 1996 Vouvray Demi-Sec "Clos de Bourg" - earlier in the day this was all structure and you could barely taste the sweetness; the balance is better now but still the texture is off; maybe best not to disturb for a while longer?
Lungarotti 1978 Torgiano Rubesco - this was dead-ish on opening, I meant to return to it but I drink I think too much and never did; by the way, another wretched Winebid bottle
I missed a Pahlmeyer wine and a Vilmart champagne.
Fun day and evening. Infinite thanks to Melissa's mom for providing an infinitely fantastic space. Thanks to all the cooks for plate after tray after bowl after platter of excellent food. Thanks to everyone who brought their smiling selves to the party.
It's the 2016 edition of the Birthday Jeebus. Initially intended for the two or three people whose birthdays fall in early July it has become more open in recent years. We now accept birthday celebrations covering the period of July 1 - June 30.
Randy McCluer happens to be in town, happens to have had a birthday recently, happens to be free this afternoon... jeebus, what a coincidence.
Addison is about 2 years old and just cute as a button. And it's nice to see Chris and Merry again; it's been a while for me.
This year we have the most spectacular venue ever: Melissa's mom just happens to own a penthouse on 101 Street and Central Park West with a wrap-around terrace and unfettered sight lines. This is a panorama photo from the terrace (click to embiggen (and it's big (but worth it if you like NYC skyline (mostly south and east of the park)))):
Once we get our breath back, we start setting up the victuals in the dining room. Food was 'covered dish' so people made lots of comfort food, some easy finger food, Cliff brought excellent home-made bread, and yours truly assigned himself to the Vegetable Watch:
Sloppy Joe sliders, Smoked brisket, BBQ baby back ribs, foie gras, mousse truffe, Almond cake, Home baked bread, Homemade Coleslaw, Buttermilk Duck Fat Cornbread, Chopped salad, Cheese, prosciutto, speck, soppressata, Cheese, bread, pie (I missed what kind), Creamed Morels, Cucumber and Coconut Salad, Korean Cucumber Pickle, Creamy Baked Onions, Creamy Chanterelle Sauce, Carrot Confit, Portobello Mushrooms Stuffed with Tomato and Olive
Due to traffic control concerns we setup the wines in the ***********. There were plenty of those, too:
Pinon 2015 Pet Nat Rose - shocking pink, taste confuses Jayson until we look up the cepage: cot and grolleau; it's pretty to look at and it's got good acidity but the flavors are wan and the whole thing has that pet nat mustiness, eh
Pepiere 14 Muscadet - scalped; eventually a few of us get the corkiness
Faurie 1996 Hermitage - very masculine, very syrah, plums, a hint of black raspberries, still gently tannic, great bottle
O Raffault 1990 Chinon "Les Picasses" - another beautiful bottle, gently green pepper, gently tobacco, Bacchus is smiling if this is the course of the day!
Cruse Wine 2015 Pet Nat - sparkling valdiguie but a lot of that musty, stale biscuit thing, oh well
Thomas Labaille 2005 Sancerre Chavignol "Les Monts Damnes" "Cuvee Buster" - nice, very round in the mouth, a whiff of citrus and then a lingering interesting note of bitterness
CVNE 1981 Rioja Gran Reserva "Vina Real" - a whiff of rubber galoshes and a little stinging acidity but this is red-fruited and well-composed
C. von Schubert "Maximin Grunhauser" 1997 Herrenberg Riesling Spatlese - OMG, this is great: green grapes and grapefruit dancing over just-so ripeness, great stuff Jay
O Raffault 2012 Chinon "Les Picasses" - rather ordinary
Marie-Courtin NV Champagne Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs "Eloquence" - disgorged 3/14, a little bottle funk but bright and chalky and good
Pepiere 2005 Muscadet "Granite de Clisson" - substantial and minerally, acidity is much reduced, but honestly not much fun to drink at this time
Occhipinti 2013 IGT "Il Frappato" - haven't had one in a while; this is all red fruit, resin, and rust; yum!
Thevenet 2009 Morgon VV - divisive: Jayson doesn't care for it ("It doesn't taste like Morgon") while Jay does ("It tastes like Thevenet Morgon"); I think it's pretty typique and good enough
Drouhin 2010 Cotes-de-Nuits Village - a good basic perfumey Bourgogne, at the right price this is a good buy
Beaucastel 2007 Chateauneuf-du-Pape - I suppose there had to be something here for Brad to drink; a good bottle: medium acidity balanced with minerality and still primary fruit, I can drink this too
Couly-Dutheil 1989 Chinon "La Baronnie Madeleine" - no matter how hard people applaud for them I just don't see it, and this bottle is much the same: tastes like franc, a little on the green side, eh
Caslot "Dom. de la Chevalerie" 1996 Bourgueil - my note just says, "Yum" so I think my wine intake was starting to surpass my food intake
Clos des Papes 2001 Chateauneuf-du-Pape - heat damage? something not right here
Bart 2012 Marsannay "Les Champs Salomon" - slightly lactic at first but that blows off, easy drinking Burgundy: fruit, earth, middling acidity, attractive nose, yum
Foreau "Clos Naudin" 2008 Vouvray Moelleux - another OMG bottle, sweet but with enough stuffing to keep it from going OTT
Zind-Humbrecht 1995 Riesling Grand Cru "Brand" Vendange Tardive - at first, this is so blindingly sweet but then the acidity rages back to reclaim your tongue, interesting and great wine
Huet 1996 Vouvray Demi-Sec "Clos de Bourg" - earlier in the day this was all structure and you could barely taste the sweetness; the balance is better now but still the texture is off; maybe best not to disturb for a while longer?
Lungarotti 1978 Torgiano Rubesco - this was dead-ish on opening, I meant to return to it but I drink I think too much and never did; by the way, another wretched Winebid bottle
I missed a Pahlmeyer wine and a Vilmart champagne.
Fun day and evening. Infinite thanks to Melissa's mom for providing an infinitely fantastic space. Thanks to all the cooks for plate after tray after bowl after platter of excellent food. Thanks to everyone who brought their smiling selves to the party.
