Jeff Grossman
Jeff Grossman
attendees: Don & Melissa, Jay, Jayson, Jeff, Lisa, Scott & Anne-Marie, Victor
It's fall here. Jayson (dad of a teenager) and Melissa (teacher) are pinned to school schedules. Work is steady for some, patchy for others. Scott & Anne-Marie have finally moved downstairs, after many months of preparations. The gardens and green markets have nearly exhausted their tomatoes and beans and basil in favor of squashes and apples and roots.
Victor and Lisa provided the wines this time. Distribution was done courtesy of Fred's two feet on foot. And when we are all digitally assembled, the pours begin:
Lisa's #1: "Undiluted Bubotuber Pus: Dragon-hide gloves strongly recommended."
The only white so force of habit suggests it goes first. I immediately call chenin as it offers the is-it-corked? whiff. Very rich, glyceral, sec, orange blossom, "tree pollen-y nose" -Melissa, and very dry. We ask about the dryness and Lisa says neither sec nor demi-sec (nor any sweetness level) is listed on the label. Hm, that's problematic... Vouvray pretty much always says something about it. We try to focus: "Savennieres?" No. "Anjou?" No. "Loire?" No. "Chenin?" No. Oh. OK. Well. It's great but we're stumped. And the reveal... Franck Peillot 1999 Altesse, Roussette de Bugey, Montagnieu "Cuvee Buster"
Lisa's #2: "Draught of Living Death: ingredients: wormwood, asphodel, valerian roots, Sloth brain, and the juice of a sopophorus bean."
For those without the Classical background, asphodels are said to carpet Hades and are a favorite food of the dead. Well, this wine is definitely not dead: tannic, full-flavored, cabernet sauvignon or a cab-heavy blend. Noticeable smoky oak, some licorice root. "Mushroom farm" -Melissa. "California," Jay suggests, then, "Napa," then "Monte Bello". Yes, yes, no. We guess the year but, after the reveal, it turns out that none of us drink this cab... Cakebread Cellars 1995 Cabernet Sauvignon
Victor's #1:
Similar profile to the Draught but more black cherry and a subtle sandalwood replaces the smoky oak. "Structured in the finish... lacks tobacco but still gravelly... Graves?" -Jayson. Yes. Soon enough, Jayson all but nails it: Chateau Haut-Bailly 1986 Graves ...60% cs, 30% m, 10% cf
Victor's #2:
Another Bordeaux but rather different. This one is very red-fruited and Lisa mentions the tobacco, there's more fruit in the finish. "High-toned" -Don. "Really saturates the palate" -Victor. We locate it in Graves, again, and Jayson guesses the house but none of us even get close to the year. Victor says to ignore the pundits, that 1979 is drinking beautifully now, esp. GPL. The reveal: La Mission Haut Brion 1979 Graves
Another excellent evening and wines that are luxurious and thought-provoking. And reminders that we don't know a half of what we think we do.
PS. I managed to hold onto a small pour of Lisa's wines to try in a day or two. They were unchanged.
It's fall here. Jayson (dad of a teenager) and Melissa (teacher) are pinned to school schedules. Work is steady for some, patchy for others. Scott & Anne-Marie have finally moved downstairs, after many months of preparations. The gardens and green markets have nearly exhausted their tomatoes and beans and basil in favor of squashes and apples and roots.
Victor and Lisa provided the wines this time. Distribution was done courtesy of Fred's two feet on foot. And when we are all digitally assembled, the pours begin:
Lisa's #1: "Undiluted Bubotuber Pus: Dragon-hide gloves strongly recommended."
The only white so force of habit suggests it goes first. I immediately call chenin as it offers the is-it-corked? whiff. Very rich, glyceral, sec, orange blossom, "tree pollen-y nose" -Melissa, and very dry. We ask about the dryness and Lisa says neither sec nor demi-sec (nor any sweetness level) is listed on the label. Hm, that's problematic... Vouvray pretty much always says something about it. We try to focus: "Savennieres?" No. "Anjou?" No. "Loire?" No. "Chenin?" No. Oh. OK. Well. It's great but we're stumped. And the reveal... Franck Peillot 1999 Altesse, Roussette de Bugey, Montagnieu "Cuvee Buster"
Lisa's #2: "Draught of Living Death: ingredients: wormwood, asphodel, valerian roots, Sloth brain, and the juice of a sopophorus bean."
For those without the Classical background, asphodels are said to carpet Hades and are a favorite food of the dead. Well, this wine is definitely not dead: tannic, full-flavored, cabernet sauvignon or a cab-heavy blend. Noticeable smoky oak, some licorice root. "Mushroom farm" -Melissa. "California," Jay suggests, then, "Napa," then "Monte Bello". Yes, yes, no. We guess the year but, after the reveal, it turns out that none of us drink this cab... Cakebread Cellars 1995 Cabernet Sauvignon
Victor's #1:
Similar profile to the Draught but more black cherry and a subtle sandalwood replaces the smoky oak. "Structured in the finish... lacks tobacco but still gravelly... Graves?" -Jayson. Yes. Soon enough, Jayson all but nails it: Chateau Haut-Bailly 1986 Graves ...60% cs, 30% m, 10% cf
Victor's #2:
Another Bordeaux but rather different. This one is very red-fruited and Lisa mentions the tobacco, there's more fruit in the finish. "High-toned" -Don. "Really saturates the palate" -Victor. We locate it in Graves, again, and Jayson guesses the house but none of us even get close to the year. Victor says to ignore the pundits, that 1979 is drinking beautifully now, esp. GPL. The reveal: La Mission Haut Brion 1979 Graves
Another excellent evening and wines that are luxurious and thought-provoking. And reminders that we don't know a half of what we think we do.
PS. I managed to hold onto a small pour of Lisa's wines to try in a day or two. They were unchanged.
