Another year, another OTT, but this was a much more laid back version than previous ones. It wasn’t intended to be; although originally I had limited the number to twelve, but when four people backed out on the same day, eight seemed to be a righteous number and we stuck with that. Back to one of our old haunts, MP Taverna, in Irvington NY, where Michael Psilakis, made one of his signature meals, around lamb, and as usual put together a superb meal, highlighted by an extraordinary Lamb risotto. The wines also proved to be incredible, although not unexpectedly, there were a couple of duds.
Oysters with Bouchard Boloree
The Bouchard had intense applesauce and brioche flavors, a great center palate lift, and a medium to long finish. A-
Raveneau Valmur 1998. This was glorious, the powerful fruit melded with mineral and white flowers. Concentrated and balanced with a long layered finish, it went beautifully with the salinity of the oysters. My first Raveneau in ten years; and sadly concluded, there is nothing like them, and worse, it was coupled with the fact that my cellar does not contain a single bottle. A/A+
Scallops with a beurre blanc sauce.
After Michael complained last year that I was asking him to do all French dishes, I was shocked that he offered to put this back on the menu, but he knew how much we loved the dish. And this year it was every bit as good as last.
Nicholas Jolie Coulee de Serrant 1996
Jolie’s wines may come from biodynamic grapes, and they are certainly babied in the vineyard, but something seems to happen in the cellar, because as wonderful as some of his wines are, there are far too many failures. (Last time I talked to him he cut the conversation short because he had to find a prehistoric stone called a menhir, to focus the magnetic energy in the soil).
Although it’s hit and miss in bottle, we have had great luck with his 1996, so I thought it was safe, but alas it proved not to be. It wasn’t undrinkable; the fruit was intense, but for me, it also seemed a tiny bit filthy. I went back to my glass a couple of times, and the wine had softened without losing those nasty elements.
N/S
Clos Saint Hune 2013
This was in prime form, perhaps a little young, but thankfully Clos Saint Hune at its best. A welcome return after problems with Premox from around 1998. It matched the scallops perfectly with its flavors of white peach and apricot and the fine but pronounced acidity that melded with a rich butter sauce, and the sweetness of the scallop. A lovely wine. A
The first of the two lamb courses centered around a trio of really fine Bordeaux, taken from some of the finest vintages ever produced.
Montrose 1928
This had a top shoulder fill, with the color barely browning on the edge. Once decanted, it showed wonderful fruit, leather, ferrous, forest floor and five spice. Equally intriguing on the palate, with a long finish, I think we were all bowled over by how well this 95 year old wine showed. Towards the end, it did begin to develop a slight volatility, not at all surprising given the age. Glorious stuff, and again proof that Montrose should be a first growth. A for the wine, but A plus for the survival.
Chateau Cheval Blanc 1982
Lately, a 1982 Cheval has been fulfilling its early promise. For a time, it seemed a little lackluster, but in the last five years it has changed gears, and come into its own, and now, apart from château Latour, it is my favorite of the “eight first growths” in 1982.
This nose on this bottle had dark gentle raspberry fruit, a spice cabinet full of aromatics, and licorice. Tannins were beautifully resolved but with plenty of impetus to take it to a long, deceptive long, finish. A
Chateau Haut Brion 2000
The Haut Brion finally woke up after an hour plus in the decanter, and twenty minutes in the glass. It is archetypal Haut Brion with the Graves palate of harness leather, brick dust overlaid by dark fruit. I am not convinced it is quite as good as the 2000 La Mission, which we had last month. Nevertheless, it was an extremely fine wine among some pretty stiff competition. A-
Now we moved onto the flight we had all been looking forward to, the Burgundies. Accompanied by another lamb dish, a rack of lamb with a delicious orzo with lamb, we tucked into three wines that kept changing in the glass.
Drouhin Musigny 2009
This was the most muted of the three, and took a good deal of coaxing to show itself. It ended up as a quite beautiful wine, and although it never emerged from third place, that says far more about the competition than the wine. A perfume of cherries, which then expanded to include woodsmoke, roses and beef, it stayed fine and elegant on the palate with a medium to long finish. A-/A
Rousseau Chambertin 2009
I think everybody’s wine of the night, although I did toy with the Tremblay for a while. But the Rousseau began slightly slowly out of the blocks, but kept accelerating, as the afternoon wore on. Dark cherries, lavender, minerality, smoke and spice held together by a beautiful but very laid back structure, which gave it a precision which separated it from the other two wines. A massive but against really satisfying finish. A+
Tremblay Chapelle Chambertin 2008
Of all her wines, I have cherished Cecile Tremblay’s Chapelle ‘08 the most. It’s a palate thing; you are thinking this is a lovely wine and suddenly, two thirds in, you are hit by this shard of pure, intense bright fruit that resets the wine and brings it to a most satisfying conclusion. It was certainly present here, and for a while along with its melange of spices, serious cherry fruit , and violets, I thought I preferred it to the other two, but then, nothing is going to stop a Rousseau in mid flight. This was the most evolved, but still needs another ten to fifteen years. A/A+
Cheeses with two Champagnes
Taittinger 2007
I thought I was getting a Rose, and wanted to experiment with rose and cheese. Still worked quite well, as Taittinger always does. Delicious and easygoing, more apple than brioche. B+/A-
Bollinger PN VZ 2015
Blanc de Noir. In this case far more brioche. Tight, angular, it was too young and simple for the cheeses. B
Climens 1971
Maderized. Sad this, as a good bottle is at least as good as the Yquem 1971.
