TN: Impromptu Year End Dinner

WINE TALK
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IMPROMPTU YEAR END DINNER - L’Apicio (12/21/2014)

A few of us gathered for an impromptu last-minute year end dinner the other night. It turned into one of the best wine dinners I’ve had in a while. Every bottle showed great, and we laughed all night long and had a great time. Great wines + great friends= great night!

Bubblies & Others

  • 2002 Bollinger Champagne - France, Champagne
    This was gorgeous, expansive, with lovely brioche, cafe au lait and darkly sweet lemon notes on a rich frame that ended with a long grippy finish. Super young but super yummy. It kept getting richer and richer as it breathed, quite lovely.
  • 2004 Franck Pascal Champagne Harmonie Extra Brut Blanc de Noirs - France, Champagne, Vallée de la Marne, Champagne
    Night and day difference to the 2002 Bollinger, this was sharp, crisp, with bright lemon/yuzu and a tad harsh back end. I usually like/prefer Extra-Bruts, but I wasn’t a huge fan of this. I found it relatively simple, and it never got better to my palate as the night wore on.
  • NV Franck Pascal Coteaux Champenois Confiance Rouge - France, Champagne, Coteaux Champenois
    OK, not a bubbly, but from the Holy Land of Bubbles. And WOW was this awesome. Gorgeously bright crisp, tart red fruits with a backbone of intense minerality and acidity, leading to a long mouthwatering finish. I’d drink these any day, but most folks would probably need food to enjoy this.
  • 1996 Domaine Henri Gouges Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Les Perrières - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru
    Always love opening these, especially blind. Guesses were all over the place, from a young Chenin to an Italian white. Nope, it’s a white made from mutated Pinot Noir grapes that have lost their pigmentation. Waxy, flowery, with pretty lemon and lemon curd notes that, with air, eventually reveal some light red fruit hints (and which always drive people nuts). The finish is medium length. This is still holding up quite nicely, I have to say.

Italia!

  • 2001 Bartolo Mascarello Barolo - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
    WAY young and tight despite being opened and decanted 3-5 hours before drinking, but showing gorgeous dark but bright red fruit notes, tar, rose petals, and tons and tons of minerality. Open in another 10 years?
  • 1995 Fattoria di Fèlsina Berardenga Chianti Classico - Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG
    Absolutely lovely, with dusty soft red/blue fruit notes mingled with bright minerality and acidity. Ended with a long, crisp finish.
  • 1988 Gaja Barolo Sperss - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
    Sigh… my last 1988 Gaja Sperss. This was the 1st vintage from this vineyard, and the previous bottle I opened was in 1999. My notes from then said open in 15 years, so here we were. FREAKIN’ GORGEOUS. Right out the gate, but gets better as it breathes for 2-3 hours, with lovely delicate rose petals, light red fruits, earth and mineral notes, and a long, elegantly haunting finish. I can still taste it the next day, like a ghost of a wonderful memory.

Espana!

What a great way to end a great year!
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Cheers! [cheers.gif]

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Sounds like you had a great time! Some of those wines sound terrific.

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Nice!

Merry Christmas, Michel.

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Love this wine. As you note, the red fruit hints drive any blind taster crazy. It’s good to know these age - my only experiences are with young ones.

Next time we cross paths (may it be in 2015!) I want to bring a Tempranillo Bianco that reminds me a lot of Pinot Gouges.

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Nice Michel! Sounds like fun. I love that '01 B. Mascarello.

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Hey amigo - you’re still drinking that old crap. What’s the matter with some young, juicy wines.

Anyhow, before I leave NYC for good, maybe we can get together for dinner. That way I won’t have to wait to run into you somewhere in France again.

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Marvelous, Michel. So glad you had a night like this to end off the year. 01 Mascarello—sounds about right, your note. I’ve never had the 88 Sperss but would have had to think you waited exactly the right time----one of your WOTYs? (shameless plug to post on the WOTY thread :slight_smile: )

I’m still in the midst of conversion to liking Champagne, but the 2002 vintage seems to be leading the way.

At any rate, lifting a glass to you for a great 2015

Mike

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Anytime, I’ll be sure to bring young juicy wines like you like 'em! [wink.gif] I’m here until the end of January, then back to France.

Thanks all, it was a great evening, every wine shown brightly, but best of all was how much we laughed. As good as wines can be (and that 88 Gaja is definitely candidate for WOTY), it’s the people that make these dinners worthwhile.

Merry Christmas/Joyeux Noel/Feliz Navidad/Buon Natale! champagne.gif