TN: The Lights Shine Bright on Manuel (Sept 22, 2019)

Jeff Grossman

Jeff Grossman
attendees: Manuel, Jay, Jayson, Jeff, Brad, Marc

The Latin Liquidator is in town to be dazzled: our glorious city, the fabulous shows, the dazzling prices, and the irresistable charms of Bite of Hong Kong.

Perhaps not entirely his own doing but that's how the wonderful institution works.

And there's us, of course. He loves us and we are all triumphant... I am hot off a plane from Reykjavik, Marc has returned to the Big Apple, Jay cheated Death, and I'm sure Brad and Jayson have victories they are simply too modest to share.

And there's also a lot of alcohol:

Pol Roger 2004 Champagne Brut "Cuvee Sir Winston Churchill" - I like pinot-based champagnes and this one is open for business, full and rich, slightly toasty but not overtly biscuity, everyone is happy with it

Dom. de la Pepiere 2002 Muscadet "Clos de Briords" Cuvee VV - corked

Cazin 2002 Cour-Cheverny "Cuvee Renaissance" - zing! it's the regular apricot-and-grapefruit show yet a bit of RS shows in the finish, excellent with Squid with Leeks

Dom. de la Bongran (Jean Thevenet) 1997 Macon-Clesse Quintaine "Cuvee Tradition" - it's 14%, it's kinda buttery, it's kinda OTH, everybody says to let it breathe but I think the train has left the station

Lafarge 1998 Beaune-Greves Rouge 1er - delicate and pretty with hints of lavender among the red berries, a point in a slightly rustic style that suits the place (though it is easy to lose track of it with boisterous food)

Eric Texier 2014 Cotes-du-Rhone "Brezeme" "Dom. de Pergaud" - bramble-berry with a loose floating acidity to brighten it, a bit of tannic grip still, dark and delicious (but it does not much remind me of previous Brezemes so I wonder whether it's me, the bottle, or Brother Eric did something different)

Eric Texier 2014 Cotes-du-Rhone "Saint-Julien-en-Saint-Alban" - definitely the Brezeme's sibling, the tannins here are a bit finer and the fruit is redder, today I like the extra snap and minerality of this wine better

Dom. Beaucastel 2000 Chateauneuf-du-Pape - a bottle in excellent shape, acidity sound and balanced, it's grenache from a warm year so it's naturally boring but it works well at the table with the meaty dishes

Ch. Rauzan-Segla 1994 Margaux - in the decanter, this is beautiful: a whisper of tannins, tobacco for days, blackberry and currants at the bottom... and it only took 25 years to come around!

Bod. Montecillo 1964 Rioja Crianza "Vina Monty" - musty, good red fruit though and a pleasant shellac whiff, if only we had a few hours for it to come around

F. Puffeney 2016 Arbois Trousseau - wow wine, vividly red, bright red berries and crisp acids with a distinct taste of talc, yum

Boxler 2002 Gewurztraminer Alsace GC "Brand" - skeptical we are but this is great wine with well-mannered lychee flavors supporting and nudging the texture of the wine

Dom. Huet 1996 Vouvray Moelleux "Le Mont" - sweet, of course, though not quite all the way to apricot, the acidity surges through it, too, and it's just fabulous, great bottle
 
Thanks for being the scribe. Always great to see Chico and it really was a Grand Cru jeebus as we had a lot of great wine.

The Rioja did need more time, but I thought it showed pretty well from the get go. What you found musty, I found to be typical worn wood that one gets from old Rioja.

Who was skeptical about the Boxler? My favorite Alsatian producer and Jayson was even saying one needn't worry if Brand is on the label. Beautiful wine.
 
Puffeney 2016 Arbois Trousseau - wow wine, vividly red, bright red berries and crisp acids with a distinct taste of talc, yum

In the interest of full description, producer was Frederic Puffeney.
 
And re the Brezeme, I just read this comment from Chambers St: "Decant well in advance if drinking now, best to hold ten years or more."

Yeah, well.
 
Brezeme was not theCdR Brezeme. It was the Dom. de Pergaud. And I thought it was singing after a couple hours. (I did a double decant about an hour before arriving.)

A lot of excellent wines. But 97 Bongran was very tired and it did not get better with air.
 
originally posted by Jayson Cohen:
Brezeme was not theCdR Brezeme. It was the Dom. de Pergaud. And I thought it was singing after a couple hours. (I did a double decant about an hour before arriving.)
Updated.
 
2014 Pergaud is one of these high yield vintages (very similar to 2006 for me) that will show a lot of different faces before showing its real personality...
I did nothing special or made any change in the making here.
I have the highest expectations for this wine. Not before a while though.
2006 has been in a wonderful place for the past 3-4 years now, FWIW.
Cheers
 
"Cazin 2002 Cour-Cheverny "Cuvee Renaissance" - zing! it's the regular apricot-and-grapefruit show yet a bit of RS shows in the finish..."

Doesn't this always have RS?
 
originally posted by scottreiner:
"Cazin 2002 Cour-Cheverny "Cuvee Renaissance" - zing! it's the regular apricot-and-grapefruit show yet a bit of RS shows in the finish..."

Doesn't this always have RS?

That’s my understanding too. And the level of perceptibility varies from year to year.
 
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