I rarely make plans to connect with others when I travel to Amsterdam, but prior to my trip this November, I reached out to some in advance to be sure to set up some dates.
One of those was with a new found friend who I met on WineBerserker, my favorite wine related website of all, who had read some of my previous musings while visiting Amsterdam and suggested we meet and share an evening of nice food and wine together when I next visit.
Most recent previous musings:
2023: Musings from Amsterdam May/June 2023 Edition
2024 Part 1: Musings from Amsterdam 2024 Edition part 1 of 2
2024 Part 2: coming soon
That happened at a unique restaurant, Avalon Wijn en Spijs Amsterdam, See the 2023 musings for details} and it was a wonderful night and the initiation of a good friendship and now, he has set up another superb evening with another local wine lover/ importer who we met at that dinner. Here’s the link for those wine notes: An exceptional one of a kind dinner in Amsterdam with wines from Croatia, Germany and Champagne
Our venue this time was Rijsel, the Flemish name for the industrial city that the French refer to as “Lille”. One of the 3 co-owners, Pieter Smits, was a good friend of Maurice, the husband of Martine van Seventer, who was the one person show for Avalon as she magnificently handled the reservations, purchased and prepared the food, served the wine and did the cleanup. Maurice suddenly passed away earlier this year.
As a result of the connection between the 2 restaurants, our wine theme was for each of us to bring a bottle to celebrate him and also purchase something off their wine list. Having an additional option to select a wine from their list, I chose in advance to do so as it was quite expansive with lots for quality options at very reasonably prices for selections that I could not otherwise have been able to acquire in local wine shops.
The restaurant was an easy 25 minute walk from my apartment and I was the first to arrive receiving a warm greeting by who I learned later was the owner. Our table for 3 was sort of in the middle of a very large L shaped open dining room space with their open kitchen at one end of it and one of the other co-owners masterfully heading it up.
Open kitchen in the background
My 2 table mates in the foreground
I was immediately poured a glass of champagne and provided with 2 menus, one in English and one in Dutch. I only took a photo of the Dutch version.
Additionally, the table already had been set up with quality bread and butter, a liter of still water and exotic salt and pepper condiments.
My two colleagues each arrived later and we settled in after greeting hugs and began critiquing the champagne after toasting:
NV GOSSET EXTRA BRUT- i immediately thought of one of my blind tasting group members in Santa Barbara who loves acidity in wines as this was very acidic while sporting a yellow gold color and a fruit profile of primarily pear and bruised green apple from the nose on through; it had a quite noticeable amount of weight and body and was very yeasty; when I looked this release up, I discovered it was made especially for the restaurant trade and is a blend of 45% Pinot Noir, 32% Chardonnay and 23% Pinot Meunier, sees no ML, spends 36 months on the lees and is dosed at 5 gpl.
Next, the 3 of us opted for a champagne off their wine list that was highly recommended by the Somm, Eelke Leeuwerink, who knew and coordinated this in advance with our 3rd member, frequented out table, was very knowledgeable and performed superb wine service.
Our illustrious Somm
He informed us, the producer is one of those under the radar, up and coming houses that has been crafting some consistently fabulous champagnes of late, is now becoming much more recognized and like most others, the prices will be going up. Here is some info from the Domaine’s website:
“Founded by Aurélien Suenen, representing the 4th generation of a line of winemakers, Domaine is renowned for its Champagnes of exceptional quality, reflecting the unique terroir of Côte des blancs.
The family history dates back to Edmond, who began cultivating vines at Cramant in the early 20th century. His son, Georges, consolidated the family wine business, and it was under the guidance of his grandson, Aurélien, that Domaine underwent a significant transformation.
Aurélien, a passionate and visionary winemaker, took the reins of Domaine at the beginning of the 21st century. Driven by the desire to produce Champagnes of exceptional elegance, he has combined the traditional know-how inherited from his family with modern, environmentally-friendly viticultural practices.
The Domaine covers around 8 hectares, mainly located in the prestigious CĂ´te des blancs, renowned for its chalky soils and climate conducive to white grape varieties. The vines, mainly planted with Chardonnay, benefit from ideal exposure, favoring optimal ripening of the grapes.
The philosophy is rooted in the principle of terroir purity. Yields are kept low to ensure optimum concentration of aromas, and vinification is carried out by plot to capture the subtle nuances of each lieu-dit.
Aurélien Suenen favors non-interventionist winemaking methods, allowing the terroir to express itself fully in the wines. Fermentations are often carried out with indigenous yeasts, adding an extra dimension to the aromatic complexity.”
Our bottle was indeed superlative:
NV SUENEN CHAMPAGNE BLANC de BLANC GRAND CRU ORY- this was aged on the lees from 24-36 months and dosed at 4 gpl with a base from 2019; following its light yellow color came aromas of fresh citrus fruit with a hint of honey which continued on once tasted to be more specifically lemon and grapefruit; it was clean, crisp and wonderful and seemed to gain richness while rounding out; I loved the bright acidity and the palate cleansing effect it had as well; we kept returning to it over the course of the evening and it just got better and better and I left with this being the last taste to enjoy on the walk back.
Our wine importer friend brought 3 wines, 2 as a backup to a bottle that suggested it was prudent to do so and we started with that one:
1934 REICHSRAT von BUHL FORSTER PECHSTEIN RIESLING AUSLESE- wrapped in cellophane to protect the disintegrating label, this had a translucent light brown/ maple color and a nose that confirmed it was a granddaddy if not a great-granddaddy with some mature dried fruit with blueberry my first impression and then some sweet plum and raisiny taste came in; it was sort of ok, especially when I made more blueberry out of it, but our provider moved on to his first backup choice.
1966 L’HERITER-GUYOT CLOS BLANC de VOUGEOT MONOPOLE VOUGEOT 1er Cru- the color was surprisingly yellow and the nose offered aromas of musty, dusty mushroom pate that carried over into the taste profile; it was medium bodied with an oily mouthfeel and finished with more of the same as it seem to dissipate and fade a bit after some time in the glass. We moved on to the 2nd backup and 3rd wine from our friend.
2019 BENOIT ENTE BOURGOGNE BLANC COTE DE BEAUNE- this was a lovely, elegant, well made wine that was good out of the gate and got better over time; the nose offered citrus, mineral, petrol and mild flint notes that complimented the more dominant grapefruit tasted on the palate; the lanolin like texture served to lengthen the finish; as it expanded over time, there was clear evidence of oak integration and an already attained nice balance.
Here’s some personalized history from the Domaine:
Accueil - Benoit Ente
2017 DOMAINE ALAIN HUDELOT-NOELLAT LES BAS de COMBES NUITS-ST. GEORGES- I’ve long been a fan of both, this domaine and commune and when it came time to make a selection from the wine list, this jumped out even though I had not had this wine, but also knew the vintage was good; it did not disappoint; the Somm had opened the bottle early on, but not decanted which I think would have been prudent as it kept changing over the course of the evening and was still evolving after about 2+ hours at the end of our 5 hour evening; the color suggested youthfulness with a dark, vibrant, grainy red purple; the nose was replete with leather and earth accented black raspberry and red cherry/ berry while being delivered in a soft and smooth textured medium all the way to the back end; it was fruity good, but not dominant and it had enough subtleness to provide charm and elegance.
About the Producer: Domaine Alain Hudelot-Noëllat - Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, France Wines - Pearl of Burgundy
2015 COMM. G.B. BURLOTTO BAROLO MONVIGELIERO- this was another great bring, this time by my new dear friend; once again, we talked about decanting or not and if I have it correct, it was opened early on and then decanted prior to serving; regardless, it was the perfect culmination to an evening of fine wines; sporting a dark, red purple color, the nose suggested something really good was forthcoming with aromas of violets and cedar accented dark fruit which on the palate translated into dark chocolate laden red and black cherry and blackberry; its hallmark for me was its velvety tannins that led to an amazing super soft mouthfeel that kept getting my attention with each sip; one just knows this was well made and top cream with each and every sip.
Here’s some more info:
Over the 24 year period of time I’ve been coming to Amsterdam, few days of any stay included wine on any level as I tend to go with Belgium beers and hang out at my stam cafe {neighborhood bar/ restaurant}
But as we all know, likes attract likes, and I’m now connecting with folks who share the passion and as I’ve found with most of my other wine savvy, passionate friends, it usually involves righteously good people and long lasting friendships.
For that and this wonderful evening, I am very grateful.
Proost/ Cheers,
Blake
@Andrew_Kotowski @Mikael_OB @Chris_Seiber @Frank_Murray_III @Nick_Christie @Barry_L_i_p_t_o_n
