TNs--Mike on Tour--Oct 16 & 17, Dinner with Count, Dinner at Ping, NYC

Did you think we were done? We’re not done!

It is a true joy to be with Mikhail, Sveta and their son Zach. My friend Glenn came into town to join us for dinner

The leftover 2001 Valdicava Brunello was even more memorable than the night before.

2015 Keller Scheurebe had a very accessible bouquet of lilac, peach and marmalade. Quite sweet to taste, it still was balanced by a requisite thread of acidity, with aromatic replays

2014 Pollak Meritage was a chance for me to assess this wine more fully. You can tell it has CF in the blend, there is a muted green component in the sniffer, but on the palate, this has a velvet sweet and slightly rich presentation. Not a lot of depth, but maybe that’s not what this is shooting for. Good quaffing to be had here.

2005 Paumanok Assemblage was a treat for me to get to try an older Paumanok. There is immediately for me a tomatoes and meat sauce element to both the nose and mouth. But in the best way I’ve seen those things, because it melds into fairly robust red plum and berry fruit. That integration just gets more seamless as time in the glass is added, and there might indeed be some Bordeaux qualities of pencil shavings and sliver of tabac by the end. I started thinking it was interesting and wondering if I’d enjoy it, but I didn’t have to wonder by the end of the night—I enjoyed it!

I can always count on my very stalwart friend, Jay Miller, to organize a crack OL. He came through again in flying colours as we descended on Ping Seafood restaurant. They had a nice big round table for us with good service (albeit a couple of quickly-corrected dish glitches) and splendid Peking duck and fried rice dishes.

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

Jay Miller
Thomas Rippe
Benjamin and Lynn Chew
Yon Befuddled Recorder
Dan and Janice Hammer
Marc Hanes
Kaitlyn Kacsuda
Derek Polzien (sorry! my lame brain left you off the initial posted list–glad to have connected with you!)

Christophe Mignon Brut Nature

A NV, from 100% Pinot Meunier. Has some overt red-fruitedness about the overall scents and some apple peel. Very tasty! It has grassy apple but also a delightful streak of lime and pepper. Very individual and authoritative

2006 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne

More heft here, baked bread, hint of limoncello. Smooth, deep, caresses your mouth. If it doesn’t have quite the depth and finish of the 02, it has arguably more in reserve than that wine in terms of palate colour. I have been very spoiled to taste 3 vintages of Comtes already on this trip.

2001 Weingut Knoll Gruner Veltliner Loibner Schutt

Stylish nose with hay, slight smoke and mineral all poking their heads up. Quite fascinatingly atypical (compared, at least, to younger Gruvee) with a very silky, almost creamy, feel and key lime pie notes. Very glad to have the chance to taste.

2010 Antica Azienda Paolo Bea Arboreus

Another fascinating wine. 100% Trebbiano. Bits of sultana raisin, bits of date, but bits of citrusy sunshine too. To taste, bit of oxidative, get the dried pineapple. In an obscure way, it reminds me of a Vina Tondonia Bianco…and that impression (some cream cheese/waxy maybe?) is only reinforced with subsequent sips from the glass. Another one I was very happy to try.

2014 Keller Kirchspiel Ries

Delineated—crisp, unripe melon and Mirabelle plum. Precise in the mouth—young, but vervy with lime, lemon and apple all in play. I liked it, but less presence than some other Kellers.

2011 Thomas Haag Schloss Lieser Juffer Sonnenuhr Ries

My, my! Cinnamon candy apple. Definitely gets there. Kinetic to a degree, but also perhaps on the too-correct side vs. having its own identity as yet. Probably just too young.

2010 A.J. Adam Hofberg Ries

Dan mentioned he had mistaken the identity of this bottle. Oh well, such is life. It was a happy accident in this case. Star fruit and a hint of light herbs accents the bouquet. And when it hits your tongue…WOW. That has zap. So vibrant at the tip of the tongue. And continues with lemon and apple main. You can like a wine that is so full of life. #2 tonight.

2007 Rhys Alpine Pinot Noir

Evocative earth start and then cocoa, coffee, strawberry and sweet rhubarb join the fray. Dans la bouche, this is super stuff. Polished and deep and beautifully secure in its earth-strawberry-cherry presentation. Maybe the best Rhys red I’ve ever had. WOTN

1997 Domaine J. Chamonard le Clos de Lys Morgon

Minty “feel” to it, dried berries and dirt. This is terribly interesting too. Like the memory of Gamay, an artist’s rendering maybe. Almost no fruit left, but still active acid and structure here to hold what this is together. Very interesting indeed.

2010 Sojourn Sangiacomo Pinot Noir

Glad Dan and Janice brought this—I drank through mine years ago. Strawberry and some underlying plum aromatics. Palate finds this settled, with Erich’s signature high level of richness. Complete, this is sure-footed if a little one-dimensional. Very gulpable, though a very little spike in alcohol/heat.

2012 Michel Noellat Vosne Romanee Les Beaux Monts

After some time in the glass, that does smell nice—perfume and raspberry and lots of hidden treasure. In the mouth, definitely Burgundy. Huge lifespan, but this infant does have great balance, carry and core of rhubarb, cranberry and strawberry. Tomorrow would be incredible wine. #3 tonight.

2006 Chateau Clerc Milon

Tobacco, graphite, black cherry and cassis waft up the glass. Still primary, but it has the vintage—soe expressiveness of red and black fruit. Good and I liked how representative it was, but 10 years will only do good for this wine.

2001 Chateau Rieussec

A great surprise from Jay. And I had to gulp this quickly, but popped and open air for only a couple hours. Such a difference from my full a couple months ago, this was chock-full of exuberant honey, citrus, apricot, butterscotch and vanilla bean notes and bordering—but not crossing over into—voluptuousness. It was a heck of a mouthful of Sauternes goodness. #4.

So nice again to see my old friends and meet many new friends on this night.

A bientot, j’espere

Mike

sound like fun tonight. Ping’s is excellent food - i hope you had the eggplant!

i was happy to open my last bottle of the 05 Paumanok for ya - especially since we will be seeing Kareem tomorrow. It was mature - but delightful. To me - it had classic notes of “claret”, and a great food wine at that - complementing the meal without taking over. lovely herbal touches over red fruit. perhaps a touch more acidity would give it a more refreshing quality but i enjoyed every sip.

the Pollak needs time. we shall see how it will taste tomorrow night. the Keller Scheu Kabi was pleasant though not definitively memorable. It had a nice riesling flavor but was missing the catty-ness of a good scheu and its bright acidity.

Great to see you again Mike! And great to both see old friends and meet a bunch of very nice new people.


The Champagnes were very different stylistically but I loved both of them. The Mignon was delightfully light, lithe and minerally. The Comtes rich, complex and expansive.

The 2001 Knoll did nothing to dispell my opinion that they are not my style of gruner. The nose was gorgeous but the palate was too heavy for me. Still, it picked up marvelously as a match with the pea pods.

Bea is always a treat, as is trebbiano. While I’ll still give Valentini the edge so far as my trebbiano preferences go this was a delicious bottle of wine.

The Keller also reinforced my opinion that their lower end vineyards are simply not worth the pricing. I’m still waiting to have a Keller Kirchspiel that impressed me and this rather simple wine was not it. On the other hand I still have a vivid recollection of a beautiful 2006 Morstein GG from about 5 years ago.

This was the first Schloss Lieser GG that I’ve tried. I liked it more than the Keller but still prefer their pradikat wines.

The Alpine vineyard always produces my least favorite Rhys pinot noirs but I had a suspicion that Mike (like most people) would enjoy it quite a bit. Glad to see that I was right! I had it on hand from a Rhys dinner I tried and failed to organize back in the Spring. And I must admit this I liked this much more than I expected. I’m thinking it just needed time and would probably benefit from still more.

Salil tried converting me to AJ Adam for about 2 years before giving up. Dan did not have any better luck with this bottle.

The nose on the Chamonard was gorgeous. It was leaner on the palate than my last bottle of about 4? years ago but still a delicous wine and very nice with the duck.

The Sojourn is not my style but it was nice to have the oppotunity to try the wine.

The Vosne was my first wine from Michel Noellat. A bit dull at first it starting waking up after about 10-15 minutes in the glass and kept expanding and developing nicely. One of my WsOTN.

When I saw a 2006 Clerc Milon my immediate reaction was “this is going to be shut down”. To my surprise,w hile still young, it was very enjoyable in young Bordeaux kind of way.

2001 Rieussec was rich, honeyed and just about everyhing you might want in youngish Sauternes.

I see Mike skipped the Gigondas as well, grenache haters of the world unite!

For those looking for an update Arnold’s mom was diagnosed as having a urinary tract infection and is doing much better after being rehydrated in the ER. However they were there all night and will be there all day as they won’t be able to see a doctor until 7pm tonight and the ER doesn’t want to release her until she does.

Mike didnt skip it. he forgot to post note but he promised to do so

Great news about Arnold’s mom!

and the two of us DO have to find a time to meet…

Thanks for the tasting note write-up Mike, and Jay, thanks for coordinating … it was a fun event!

Grenache haters are insane. You just haven’t had a good Chateauneuf du Pape yet like say an 05 Beaucastel Vielles Vignes.Or a good Maury or Banyuls.

Are you going to Sherryfest this year? I’ll be at the vintage seminar and the brunch on Sunday.

no idea it was even happening sorry between photo and teaching i am totally lost these days - when is that?

I really DID pen a note. Subconsciously left it out.

2009 Domaine Les Goubert Cuvee Florence Gigondas

Not bad–a mix of red fruits, baking spices. It’s still sweet, but composed and balanced for me. Has some lift to the red fruit. Decent.

Wow. That must have been like pulling teeth for you. Or drinking German Riesling. You CAN teach an old dog new tricks.

Oct 27 to 29

Www.sherryfest.com

wont be able to arg

Who you calling a dog?

Indeed, it has 20% Grenache. So there is that.

Yes, Beaucastel is the good Chateauneuf. Mourvedre rocks.

On the other hand I did have some Rayas 2 weeks ago that I really liked.

2006 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne - glad I have 2 in my cellar.

2010 Antica Azienda Paolo Bea Arboreus Nice golden color. I’ve never tasted this, and really enjoyed this very smooth wine.

2014 Keller Kirchspiel Ries A hint of petrol. Dry. This was my first, and I liked it.

2011 Thomas Haag Schloss Lieser Juffer Sonnenuhr Ries A hint of sweetness. I preferred this over the Keller.

2010 A.J. Adam Hofberg Ries This was my first go round with A.J. Adam. A hint of petrol. Some minerals dancing around in my mouth. This was my favorite of the rieslings.

2007 Rhys Alpine Pinot Noir What can I say, a little pinot noir with some age always wins.

2010 Sojourn Sangiacomo Pinot Noir I’ve been drinking Sojourn since the 2006 vintage. I thought this aged pinot noir from Sonoma was smooth, and was singing. Another vote for drinking aged California pinot noir.

I also enjoyed the 2009 Gigondas. I’m a California wine drinker, so why wouldn’t I like it.

2001 Chateau Rieussec I like sweet wines that don’t hit you over the head when you drink them. Not cloying at all.

Notes listed in order from the OP. I really didn’t take notes, but these are my impressions of some of the wines.

I love mourvedre. Older Beaucastel is my exception to CdP dislike.

Everyone knows Rayas isn’t really CdP. It’s just Rayas I’ll drink one of those anytime it shows up on the table.

The Sojourn was such a pleasant surprise.

Thank you all for the wonderful night, it was nice to meet everyone of you! Thanks Jay for organizing the dinner, and Mike, I hope you had a good time in New York along with all the other wine-dinners too!

Didn’t really take any detailed notes of the wines, but it was definitely a great array of wines that everyone brought, in all styles!

Some wines of the night:

NV Christophe Mignon Brut Nature - light and alive with dominant notes of zesty lemon and lime notes, a good starter Champagne for the night

2006 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne - whole different ball game, showcasing strong notes of it’s Chardonnay character - green apples, lemon, some grapefruit at the end. Great texture and length that makes you want to keep going back for more.

2010 A.J. Adam Hofberg Ries - some petrol nose, quite rounded with a touch of balance between tropical fruits and savory herbs. great texture, to me the better Riesling of the night as compared to the Keller and
Schloss Dieser.

2007 Rhys Alpine Pinot Noir - my WOTN, drinking really well now, notes of dried strawberries and raspberry, with a backbone of earthy vegetal notes. good complexity and such a nuanced wine that might even have 5-10 years more in it.

2001 Chateau Rieussec - great end to the meal, thanks for bringing this Jay! not cloying, although young, showed honey, vanilla, and orange blossoms, with bright acidity. deep but singing.

Thank you all again for the evening, I hope to share a glass with each one of you again sometime in the near future! Cheers!

I have had several bottles of the Mignon Nature now. I really dig this bubbly. Thanks for the notes.

See you in February, Sweater Boy.