In the words of the great lyricist Mase, WELCOME BACK WELCOME BACK THAT THUG’S BACK.
The Maharajah of the last line of defense for Orange County had a birthday get together at my favorite restaurant in Los Angeles, N/Naka. I meekly asked my wife if I could go as the Maharajah has always been a good friend. She saw the 500 diapers I’ve changed in the last 60 days and let me out for my first night out since little Maddie was born.
It’s been about 3 years since I last went to N/Naka, before the big pop of popularity from the Chef’s Table special on Netflix (highly recommend). Chef Niki Nakayama is so driven to perfection and balance and it shows in how perfect every ingredient is on the plate. The food is even more balanced than before, no more heavy ponzu usage. Only one dish (a piece of white fish sushi) had ponzu and it was deftly applied.
Look at this gorgeous Chawanmushi (steamed egg) layered with a ring of fresh snow crab and a touch of uni. I could have just poured that over a vat of rice and destroyed it.
(Picture credit Fred C)
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We had a murderers row of delectable wines with the headline being the 1972 Dujac Echezeaux. Leading up to the week I was fearful it wasn’t going to show well but ah… no fear, just a marvelous bottle of grand cru aged burgundy from one of the best producers in burgundy.
I was disappointed by the two white wines tonight, 08 roulot perrieres and 11 raveneau clos. The roulot was a bit too sweet and ripe lacking acid and the 11 raveneau was hollowed out. Both need time to reintegrate.
The three stars of the show were the 88 Clape, which had just the perfect aged Cornas nose, the previously discussed 72 Dujac Echezeaux and another glorious bottling of 95 Krug Clos Du Mesnil.
An incredible dinner and great wines with good friends, not much more I can ask for on my first dinner back. Now time to huddle back into the house and not be let out for another 3 months 
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1972 Domaine Dujac Echezeaux - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Echezeaux Grand Cru (8/13/2016)
as the rhyme (kinda) goes, brown sugar and spice and everything nice that’s what this wine’s nose is made of. Also toss in some sweet cherries in that pot of rhymes.
The palate is perfectly resolved at this point, textured cool soft red fruit with that shot of acidity running in the background. Mixed in with some rotting earthy undertones but in a good way 
. Held up marvelously for hours.
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1988 Domaine Auguste Clape Cornas - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas (8/13/2016)
Nose is pretty epic on this wine, just an intense pop of black ripe fruit wrapped in smokey bacon and dusted with fresh soil. It had this almost aggressive chilling aspect on the nose that kept you going back for more.
The wine was decanted for about 4 hours then traveled for 2, upon reopen it had shut down and gotten clipped but after about 30 minutes it really opened up, that savoury sweet fruit layered in with such concentration at its core. The finish carried especially long as that meatiness just lingered.
Fantastic bottle of syrah, one of the best I’ve had.
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1995 Krug Champagne Clos du Mesnil - France, Champagne (8/13/2016)
This bottle was much brighter on the initial pop and pour, full of searing acid and soaring stone fruit. As it opened it started to develop that rich caramel and oxidative yeast that you get from the 95 Brut, but enhanced with huge dose of acid and the stone fruit that made it where it straddled the line between too big and too unwieldy. A great champagne, brimming with potential. Not quite as focused as the 90/88 CDM but like the brut, the CDM is seriously underrated in 95 -
2000 Domaine G. Roumier / Christophe Roumier Bonnes Mares - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru (8/13/2016)
Really bright crisp red fruit that pierces on the palate but there is this oak presence that is so powerful that it deters from that pretty fruit. It has a bitter wood edge on it that really walls up on the finish. Surprisingly un open for a 2000, not particularly complex and even a bit drying due to the oak. Was really looking forward to this. -
2008 Domaine Roulot Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault 1er Cru (8/13/2016)
Not quite as precise as the one we opened in 11/2015. That was just this dense powerful chardonnay brimming with energy. This one was a touch round and sweet, showing that 08 botrytis and overly sweet character, didn’t have the acid pick up that the prior bottle had to go past all that sweet fruit. -
2011 François Raveneau Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru (8/13/2016)
Has density and mass but the palate doesn’t fill out in the middle, so it drops off kinda empty. Just big dollops of oak on the nose. It seems as the wine is half retreating on itself. Still have half a bottle will try the next day.
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