Last week I met up with Ignacio for dinner in Madrid.
I've been to Madrid many times, and I've certainly had no lack of good food. But it's only since getting to know Ignacio that I've realized how incredible of a food and wine destination this city truly is. Thanks to you brother, for opening my eyes, and my stomach.
Over time the plans evolved into a more serious affair as there was an important birthday that the community wanted to celebrate. Suffice it to say, in the end everyone at this dinner was sufficiently wine-crazy, either by profession or by practice. To quote an old story, your friend and humble narrator was made to feel more than welcome and suffered to bring you this account in spite of his unworthiness. The group was uniformly warm, friendly and welcoming.
The participants:
The wine lover - Ignacio.
The Priorat winery owner.
The Madrid foothill winery owners.
The wine writer.
The American wine importer.
The photographer.
That guy at the far end of the table I never connected with - sorry...
The guest - yours truly.
The venue on this particular occasion was Restaurante Vinoteca García de la Navarra, and the food was quite good.
My personal highlight was a dish that is a bit hard to describe. It featured two ~18cm sections of braised swiss chard stem, layered one atop the other and separated by a layer of jamon. Each layer, and also the entirety was coated in a paper-thin layer of egg, and the dish was served with a generous coating of savory broth. My pescetarian version lacked the jamon yet seemed to lack for nothing in excitement.
Starters:
2014 Roulot Meursault Les Meix Chavaux
Yum - this was everything I hoped it would be based on producer and vintage. I recall seeing Roulot lieux-dits sitting upon the shelf at Lavinia at a reasonable price just a couple of years ago, wish it were still so.
2007 Jacquesson Dizy Corne Bautray
Corne Bautray is a 100% chardonnay parcel in Dize, and 2007 was the sixth time Jacquesson has bottled as a separate parcel. I have often found the single parcel wines from Jacquesson: more interesting than delicious, a bit austere, and overpriced. Well this completely exceeded my expectations, it was a beautiful and unique Champagne with lovely fruit, perfect precision and pinpoint balance. It was a brut nature, yet you'd never even have a discussion about this due to the balance - my favorite kind. Drinking young but well now with time in hand.
2013 Etienne Calsac Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs "Clos des Maladries"
Single-vineyard Avize chardonnay with about a third raised in foudres de chêne. Not as perfectly proportioned as the Jacquesson that preceded it, but this had loads of beautiful full-bodied Avize fruit without edifice, I barely noticed any oak influence. Found this quite interesting and would buy again. This producer's NV l'Echappee btg at Lavinia was also quite delicious at little more than a third the cost.
Whites:
1997 Grippat St Joseph Blanc
I was excited for this... but then it was clearly corked. And then an hour later, it was not... hate it when that happens... much debate ensued, but clearly it was muted, a bit petrolly, and unfortunately not really delivering as much pleasure as it should.
2010 Ganevat Cotes du Jura Les Chalasses Marnes Bleues
This is usually my favorite Ganevat bottling and this was no exception. Just a delicious bottle of Marnes Bleues. Intensely mineral with good balance, rich but not fat like this can sometimes show. Years to go here.
1988 Domaine Berthet Bondet Chateau-Chalon
This was lovely - saline, brothy, savory and rich but still clearly young with another 20-50 years of evolution in front of it. I held it in my glass as long as possible hoping for evolution but alas saw little.
1978 birthday flight:
1978 Chateau Musar rouge
Unfortunately this was corked. Argh
1978 Muga Rioja Gran Reserva Prado Enea
Just staggering. A kaleidoscopic display of sweet dark fruit, scented pipe tobacco, capsicum, spices, with fully resolved tannins. For my palate, right at the peak. Wine of the night for me, with stiff competition from the Jacquesson, Roulot, and Chateau-Chalon (albeit in 20-30 years).
1978 Janasse Chateauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réserve
It's grenache, and it's very ripe in a raspberry ganache vein. But given the additional nuance from age and development, I had no trouble finding a way to enjoy and appreciate this. Quite a bit later, Eric suggested it was corked, but I didn't get that.
Everything else:
2001 Michel Gaunoux Corton-Renardes
Frankly I thought this was kind of a mess. Corton can be utterly unforgiving when opened at the wrong time, perhaps that's what happened here. But this producer isn't one that has generally moved me.
1997 Giacomo Borgogno Barolo Riserva
This was very developed for a '97 (I'd have guessed much older) and seemed rather emaciated. I just didn't find much pleasure here, unfortunately. It didn't receive much aeration, so that might have helped.
1995 Josmeyer Riesling Hengst Vendanges Tardives
Perhaps a touch simple, but a very pleasant end to the evening. Went well with the dessert.
I've been to Madrid many times, and I've certainly had no lack of good food. But it's only since getting to know Ignacio that I've realized how incredible of a food and wine destination this city truly is. Thanks to you brother, for opening my eyes, and my stomach.
Over time the plans evolved into a more serious affair as there was an important birthday that the community wanted to celebrate. Suffice it to say, in the end everyone at this dinner was sufficiently wine-crazy, either by profession or by practice. To quote an old story, your friend and humble narrator was made to feel more than welcome and suffered to bring you this account in spite of his unworthiness. The group was uniformly warm, friendly and welcoming.
The participants:
The wine lover - Ignacio.
The Priorat winery owner.
The Madrid foothill winery owners.
The wine writer.
The American wine importer.
The photographer.
That guy at the far end of the table I never connected with - sorry...
The guest - yours truly.
The venue on this particular occasion was Restaurante Vinoteca García de la Navarra, and the food was quite good.
My personal highlight was a dish that is a bit hard to describe. It featured two ~18cm sections of braised swiss chard stem, layered one atop the other and separated by a layer of jamon. Each layer, and also the entirety was coated in a paper-thin layer of egg, and the dish was served with a generous coating of savory broth. My pescetarian version lacked the jamon yet seemed to lack for nothing in excitement.
Starters:
2014 Roulot Meursault Les Meix Chavaux
Yum - this was everything I hoped it would be based on producer and vintage. I recall seeing Roulot lieux-dits sitting upon the shelf at Lavinia at a reasonable price just a couple of years ago, wish it were still so.
2007 Jacquesson Dizy Corne Bautray
Corne Bautray is a 100% chardonnay parcel in Dize, and 2007 was the sixth time Jacquesson has bottled as a separate parcel. I have often found the single parcel wines from Jacquesson: more interesting than delicious, a bit austere, and overpriced. Well this completely exceeded my expectations, it was a beautiful and unique Champagne with lovely fruit, perfect precision and pinpoint balance. It was a brut nature, yet you'd never even have a discussion about this due to the balance - my favorite kind. Drinking young but well now with time in hand.
2013 Etienne Calsac Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs "Clos des Maladries"
Single-vineyard Avize chardonnay with about a third raised in foudres de chêne. Not as perfectly proportioned as the Jacquesson that preceded it, but this had loads of beautiful full-bodied Avize fruit without edifice, I barely noticed any oak influence. Found this quite interesting and would buy again. This producer's NV l'Echappee btg at Lavinia was also quite delicious at little more than a third the cost.
Whites:
1997 Grippat St Joseph Blanc
I was excited for this... but then it was clearly corked. And then an hour later, it was not... hate it when that happens... much debate ensued, but clearly it was muted, a bit petrolly, and unfortunately not really delivering as much pleasure as it should.
2010 Ganevat Cotes du Jura Les Chalasses Marnes Bleues
This is usually my favorite Ganevat bottling and this was no exception. Just a delicious bottle of Marnes Bleues. Intensely mineral with good balance, rich but not fat like this can sometimes show. Years to go here.
1988 Domaine Berthet Bondet Chateau-Chalon
This was lovely - saline, brothy, savory and rich but still clearly young with another 20-50 years of evolution in front of it. I held it in my glass as long as possible hoping for evolution but alas saw little.
1978 birthday flight:
1978 Chateau Musar rouge
Unfortunately this was corked. Argh
1978 Muga Rioja Gran Reserva Prado Enea
Just staggering. A kaleidoscopic display of sweet dark fruit, scented pipe tobacco, capsicum, spices, with fully resolved tannins. For my palate, right at the peak. Wine of the night for me, with stiff competition from the Jacquesson, Roulot, and Chateau-Chalon (albeit in 20-30 years).
1978 Janasse Chateauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réserve
It's grenache, and it's very ripe in a raspberry ganache vein. But given the additional nuance from age and development, I had no trouble finding a way to enjoy and appreciate this. Quite a bit later, Eric suggested it was corked, but I didn't get that.
Everything else:
2001 Michel Gaunoux Corton-Renardes
Frankly I thought this was kind of a mess. Corton can be utterly unforgiving when opened at the wrong time, perhaps that's what happened here. But this producer isn't one that has generally moved me.
1997 Giacomo Borgogno Barolo Riserva
This was very developed for a '97 (I'd have guessed much older) and seemed rather emaciated. I just didn't find much pleasure here, unfortunately. It didn't receive much aeration, so that might have helped.
1995 Josmeyer Riesling Hengst Vendanges Tardives
Perhaps a touch simple, but a very pleasant end to the evening. Went well with the dessert.