Lunch at Gabriel Kreutzer: Ch. Canon 1949, Magdelaine 1985, La Fleur Petrus 1947 etc

WINE TALK
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Celebration birthday, and I felt I should pull some of the older wines from the cellar before they or I became past it. We sat in the kitchen watching the chefs at work, and some seriously wonderful food arrived.

We ordered the first wine off the list.

Billaud Simon Chablis Bougros 2015 which took a few minutes to open, but proved to be quite lovely. This is my go to at home as I looked for alternatives to Raveneau and Dauvissat. Certainly on a par with most Dauvissats, but slightly missing the saline minerality of a top Raveneau.

Canon 1949. Purchased from the UK recently. The label was pretty well destroyed, but showed chateau and year.

Color very dark crimson, barely any browning. This wine proved to be quite controversial. My wife was convinced it was corked, a close friend was equally convinced that it was not. Me, being a middle child, vacillated between the two. Another friend and the somm were no help, vacillating also. In the end, I opened another bottle of 1985 Magdalene, which proved to be worthy of in this company.

La Fleur Petrus 1947

This was a Negociant bottle, purchased fifteen years ago from a Danish cellar. This was very pure, with lovely fruit a floral and licorice mid palate, and after an hour a beautiful earthy forest floor. What it lacked (as I have found in other 1947s I have tasted) was any real acidity, so there was a slight blobby quality to the wine.

Magdelaine 1985
1985 Magdelaine has always been a favorite, and.i buy it whenever I find it. After the questionable Canon, it was rudely opened, decanted and poured.
It didn’t matter, it was a beauty, in perfect balance, fully mature, with a long layered finish; this was the best of the reds.

Yquem 2006
I love it when the sommelier is into the wines, and tastes with us. I don’t think he had much Magdelaine before, but I think he may be looking for some now.

A few minutes after we polished off the Magdelaine, he surprised us by coming to the table with the Yquem. In a very good place, brimming with apricots and lychee. A perfect end to a great meal.

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Thnx Mark, nice note. This is hard to find (esp here in NZ!) only 1 bottle in the cellar

cheers Brodie

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Happy milestone birthday, Mark!

Jonathan

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Was this at Gabriel Kreuther?

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he combined an Alsatian Chef with a Beethoven Sonata.

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As I mentioned before, the 1985 Magdelaine is a rare beast, as it was the house wine of a guitarist from Iron Maiden, who took the lion’s share of production.

I have had it on alert for years, so have managed to snag the best part of a case. But my piece de resistance was when I was woken up at 5:30 am by a British merchant who had been offered a couple of magnums, and needed a fast answer.

Brodie, if ever you come to NY, I will happily open a bottle.

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Same here, the one bottle I popped was outstanding, really one of the better ones from the château. I’ve been on the alert for more ever since.

Fantastic night of wines, Mark, glad they also showed so well for you.

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First of all I would like to express my gratitude to you all, especially Robert and Mark for nudging me into interesting me for this extinct Chateau
It has brought so many pleasures to me and my friends
I am drinking the Magdelaine 1985 now and it is magic. The nose is spectacular and og tastes so fresh and young but with tertiary depth
Love it
Thanks again

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Not as pretty as your photo.

The VCC was a back up which we never opened.
You can see in the background the kitchen at Gabriel Kreutzer.

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Happy birthday @Mark_Golodetz! Agree about the '85 Magdelaine - my favourite of the decade along with 89 from what I have tried.

Was lucky to snag a case a couple of years back, happy to share if you are ever in Asia @brodie_thomson

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@Mark_Golodetz this sounds like pure heaven. Happy birthday to you!

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Thank you all. The actual birthday is tomorrow, but this was the only time I could get everyone together.

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How was the food

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24 hours later the 1985 Magdelaine is even much better.
Seems to be as vivid as the 1970

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I came with very high expectations, and I think for the most part, they were met. There were a couple of dishes, most notably the foie gras which was funky rather than luscious, and one of the ameuse gueles, was lacking flavor.

Highlights were the smoked duck breast, which was perfect, the salmon and the desserts. The service was superb, as one would expect from a great restaurant.

Comparing to Le Bernardin, the food was on a par, the service the same, although it was the difference between the complete professionalism at Bernardin as opposed to more personal one at Kreutzer.

Wine wise, I have to mention a small snafu with the wine. I sent a couple of weeks ahead to rest. Instead of standing the bottles up, they rested on their sides, but they decanted them from a cradle on its side. Seemed to work, but not a choice I would have made. They comped us the corkage, which given the wine seemed clear, was very kind and I thought not necessary.

The list at Kreutzer was far better, and far better priced. The mark up was three times wholesale, as opposed to six or seven at Bernardin. We ordered a bottle from the list, to accompany the wines we brought. For the same amount of money as Bernardin, we got a lovely wine as opposed to the ho hum bottle at Bernardin.

We will go back to Kreutzer. It offered a friendly atmosphere, and the food was excellent. In fact, I was scoping it out as a venue for a comprehensive VCC set of dinners, and it will certainly be an included.

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Kreuther, Personally I wouldn’t consider that a snafu, if you are using a cradle you should get a cleaner pour (and less dregs) than standing upright. Plus if you send via RVWC they were probably sent on sides, so even more reason to store that way (and minimize chance someone jostles them to move somewhere).
Happy Birthday (almost)!

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I’m 6 hours ahead here in France and close to bedtime so, even though I’m early, it’s the best I can do…

Happy birthday Mark and thank you for all your contributions and posts on this board.

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okay since the amazing typo / confusion remains… at least enjoy this magnificent piece.

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Happy Birthday!

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ah, thanks for explaining!