Jeff Grossman
Jeff Grossman
attendees: Jay+Arnold, Corey+Linda, Wilson+Sandra, Dale, Leo, Jeff
Corey and Linda have blown-in from the Windy City so we jeeb. We go to Ping's, one of Jay's favorite Chinatown haunts. They have a good kitchen and pull the seafood live from tanks that occupy the first floor of the restaurant.
We start with crispy little fish and razor clams in black bean sauce, then move on to a whole black sea bass, beautifully cooked two ways and laid out on a dressed platter, and finally Peking Duck, duck in red wine (smoky-crispy), and short ribs. Later, Wilson orders a plate of the fancy prawns and they are, indeed, delicate and fresh and delicious. (Alas, Corey keeps 'faux'sher so did not indulge.)
Champagne and the small plates:
Benoit Lahaye NV Champagne GC Brut Nature - disg 11/2016, bright and minerally and dry, enjoyable middle-of-the-road bubbles
Marie-Courtin 2013 Champagne Extra-Brut Blanc de Blancs "Eloquence" - disg 4/2017, too delicate for me, Jay says it opens up later
Benoit Dehu "V13" Champagne "La Rue des Noyers" - disg 8/2016, 100% pinot meunier but I would never guess it (where da funk?); still very intense, full, structured
.
The fish:
Dauvissat 2005 Chablis 1er "La Forest" - I was worried about this bottle but all is well: not quite peak yet but all is in balance, chalk and shells, the fruit might come in a little more golden soon
Brundlmayr 1997 Gruner Veltliner "Alte Reben" - gorgeous, syrupy texture but not sweet, great wine
Dom. de la Pepiere 2005 Muscadet "Granite de Clisson" - a bottle not too grumpy to be opened: lots of lanolin, full, balanced fruit and minerality, long finish
Michel Redde 2014 Sancerre "Les Tuilieres" - young wine, clean and crisp, very typique, a bit more grassy than usual for Sancerre
.
The poultry:
Ch. La Pointe 1998 Pomerol - mixed berries, rather light, but all is like it should be, yum
Mystery Red - I can place it to Morey-Saint-Denis but no further, Ponsot 1995 Morey-St-Denis GC VV "Clos de la Roche" which is really nice but Dale thinks it is a little restrained by the modest vintage
Ch. Grand-Puy-Lacoste 2000 Pauillac - dirt and tobacco in spades, maybe a little too robust, hold
.
And on and on (but my note-taking is deteriorating):
Schloss Schoenborn 1997 Erbacher "Marcobrunn" Riesling Auslese - 31 052 014 98, gorgeous, apricots and green grapes, a wow wine
Fritz Haag 2001 Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese - fuder 10, only modest sweetness is apparent, good body and good cut
Prinz von Hessen 2014 Riesling "dachsfilet" - note just says, "good"
Geheimer Rat Dr. von Bassermann-Jordan 2005 Forster Jesuitengarten Riesling Spatlese - 5 106 064 44 06, "Privy Council"?, no note
Ch. Rieussec 2001 Sauternes - a bit of vinyl bucket seat but that blows off, very rich, very sweet, I grab the bottle so I'll follow up
.
At the end of the evening, the NY crowd scampered back to their respective homes while the visitors know a good cocktail lounge nearby...
Wonderful to meet everyone.
Corey and Linda have blown-in from the Windy City so we jeeb. We go to Ping's, one of Jay's favorite Chinatown haunts. They have a good kitchen and pull the seafood live from tanks that occupy the first floor of the restaurant.
We start with crispy little fish and razor clams in black bean sauce, then move on to a whole black sea bass, beautifully cooked two ways and laid out on a dressed platter, and finally Peking Duck, duck in red wine (smoky-crispy), and short ribs. Later, Wilson orders a plate of the fancy prawns and they are, indeed, delicate and fresh and delicious. (Alas, Corey keeps 'faux'sher so did not indulge.)
Champagne and the small plates:
Benoit Lahaye NV Champagne GC Brut Nature - disg 11/2016, bright and minerally and dry, enjoyable middle-of-the-road bubbles
Marie-Courtin 2013 Champagne Extra-Brut Blanc de Blancs "Eloquence" - disg 4/2017, too delicate for me, Jay says it opens up later
Benoit Dehu "V13" Champagne "La Rue des Noyers" - disg 8/2016, 100% pinot meunier but I would never guess it (where da funk?); still very intense, full, structured
.
The fish:
Dauvissat 2005 Chablis 1er "La Forest" - I was worried about this bottle but all is well: not quite peak yet but all is in balance, chalk and shells, the fruit might come in a little more golden soon
Brundlmayr 1997 Gruner Veltliner "Alte Reben" - gorgeous, syrupy texture but not sweet, great wine
Dom. de la Pepiere 2005 Muscadet "Granite de Clisson" - a bottle not too grumpy to be opened: lots of lanolin, full, balanced fruit and minerality, long finish
Michel Redde 2014 Sancerre "Les Tuilieres" - young wine, clean and crisp, very typique, a bit more grassy than usual for Sancerre
.
The poultry:
Ch. La Pointe 1998 Pomerol - mixed berries, rather light, but all is like it should be, yum
Mystery Red - I can place it to Morey-Saint-Denis but no further, Ponsot 1995 Morey-St-Denis GC VV "Clos de la Roche" which is really nice but Dale thinks it is a little restrained by the modest vintage
Ch. Grand-Puy-Lacoste 2000 Pauillac - dirt and tobacco in spades, maybe a little too robust, hold
.
And on and on (but my note-taking is deteriorating):
Schloss Schoenborn 1997 Erbacher "Marcobrunn" Riesling Auslese - 31 052 014 98, gorgeous, apricots and green grapes, a wow wine
Fritz Haag 2001 Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese - fuder 10, only modest sweetness is apparent, good body and good cut
Prinz von Hessen 2014 Riesling "dachsfilet" - note just says, "good"
Geheimer Rat Dr. von Bassermann-Jordan 2005 Forster Jesuitengarten Riesling Spatlese - 5 106 064 44 06, "Privy Council"?, no note
Ch. Rieussec 2001 Sauternes - a bit of vinyl bucket seat but that blows off, very rich, very sweet, I grab the bottle so I'll follow up
.
At the end of the evening, the NY crowd scampered back to their respective homes while the visitors know a good cocktail lounge nearby...
Wonderful to meet everyone.