It was with glee tinged with a whiff of relief that Jay Miller announced that some big top secret project he was working on to save the world was finally over and that it was time to celebrate our survival. Okay. Maybe it wasn’t such an important project, but, Jay had been very busy and suddenly found some free time and wanted to see some friends, do some cooking and drink some wine. So, two Saturday’s ago, a hardy group ventured out to Jersey City to help make Jay’s wish come true.
It was a motley crew comprised mostly of New Jersey and ex-New Jersey denizens. That contingent consisted of Chris and Lisa Coad, formally of Jersey City, now of Roosevelt Isle, Jay’s Jersey City neighbor, Cheryl Mills was there, too. Also from the swamp were Paul and Sandy Jaouen and Eden Blum & Scott Seyffarth. Tony Fletcher is in from the hinterlands of upstate. I forget where, but do know it’s where bears roam and coyotes howl. Suzanne Camhi and Kenny Shusterman have crossed two rivers to represent Brooklyn, leaving SFJoe and myself as the only Manhattan sophisticates.
Many thanks to Jay for his hospitality and his usual bang-up job in the kitchen. There was quite an array of wine. I tasted a bunch of items, but didn’t get to everything. Notes are in the order I tried them.
Cheers,
Brad
2002 Domaine de la Pépière- Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Sur Lie Vieilles Vignes “Clos des Briords”
Just brilliant. So alive and full of energy. Beautifully minerally and citrusy, it’s just starting to take on rounded edges, a creamier texture and a honeyed character from age. Helluva a way to start the afternoon. Where are the damn oysters? Solid A-.
2008 Domaine de la Pépière- Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Sur Lie Vieilles Vignes “Clos des Briords”
First try of the '08 and it’s a must buy. More floral and with more exotic yellow fruits than the '02. As it’s younger, it’s more precise with a big acidic backbone. Yellow fruits with maybe a hint of the tropics to them, a touch of quince with frappéd minerals. A-.
1989 Emmerich Knoll- Riesling Smaragd, Ried Schutt, Wachau
Golden colored and full of rocks and stones and tropical fruit, it has a powerful and weighty presence on the palate with big-boned structure. It’s largely dry, but there’s nice ripeness to the fruit. Very enjoyable and had me thinking it would be a great match for a winter squash risotto with bacon and seared scallop risotto appetizer I’m planning on making this week. A-.
1971 Kirchmayr- Neuburger “Solist,” Neusiedlersee
Not my thing. Bone dry, but almost viscous in texture. Pine Sol and citrus notes with a touch of mushrooms and ginger. Past peak and just not doing it for me. D.
2004 Rhys- Chardonnay, Santa Cruz Mountains
Apples, vanilla and citrus. Decent concentration and acidity, but more oak than I prefer, though I have to admit it wasn’t egregiously oaky. I didn’t make my Chardonnay face and that’s saying something. A bit of alcohol on the finish. B/B-.
1974 Sterling Cellars- Zinfandel, Napa Valley
The brownish/garnet color had me a little worried about the condition. It shows a dusty earth nose with leather and desiccated red fruit. Earth and leather initially dominate on the palate with hints of red fruit and spicy cedar. The wine continued to grow with air with the red fruit taking on pleasant sweetness and nice figgy notes. I heard some folks saying it was like a fine, aged claret, but to me it was more like an old Italian wine due to its more rustic, spicy character and more of a raspberry fruit profile. B.
1995 Chateau-Figeac- St. Émilion
Cedar, cherry and earth with an utterly banal personality. It’s a solid wine, but it’s as exciting as watching paint dry. B.
1996 Catherine et Pierre Breton- Chinon “Les Picasses”
Shows a really pretty nose of black fruit, earth and licorice with herb in the background. Young, but emerging from its shell. The fruit is beautiful and pure and integrated nicely with the earth and herb components. No rush on this one. A-.
1990 Olga Raffault- Chinon “Les Picasses”
Nicely funky on the nose with cherry, herb, earth and leather. It’s a bit truculent on the palate, however. The fruit is nowhere near as forward as a bottle I brought out to San Francisco this past Memorial Day, nor did this bottle show all the other goodies this wine usually has to offer. Tannic and austere with like flavors as aromas, but they’re subservient to the structure in this bottle. It’s a little like being kicked by Klebb. Low B+.
2001 Domaine de la Mordorée- Chateauneuf-du-Pape “Cuvée de la Reine des Bois”
Showing much better than a bottle of the '98 I had earlier in the year. Ripe with sweet black fruit, cocoa and sweet baker’s spices. It’s bit monolithic and showing some wood. Despite that, it tastes good and I’m enjoying it, but it’s spoofy and not really what I look for in CDP. A-.
1989 Casa Ferreirinha- Reserva, Douro Red Wine
I really enjoyed the nose. It was very pretty and old school with tart cherries, dusty earth, old barrels and a touch of leather. On the palate, however, it’s a bit too rustic even for me. It’s astringent and high acid and needs more fruit than it has to support the structure. Bretty with a bunch of cedar, too. C.
2006 Rhys- Pinot Noir, Home Vineyard, San Mateo County
Cherry and cranberry aromas with citrus notes and light funk on the nose. On the palate the cherry fruit shows riper than it does on the nose. Harmonious and delicate. While not particularly complex, its quite enjoyable and easily gulpabale. A-/B+.
2001 Domaine de la Grange des Pères- Vin de Pays de L’Hérault
Simply gorgeous on the nose and palate. Ripe blackberries, black fruit, licorice, spice, a touch of game and violets. The violet aromas were just so enticing and enjoyable. Ripe, but balanced and still showing some youth to the tannins, though the wine is fairly elegant in the mouth. My non-dessert wine of the day. A/A-.
1999 Karl Lawrence- Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, Gary Morisoli Vineyard, Napa Valley
Dominated by delectable chocolate covered cherries with hints of raspberry and cedar. Pretty ripe and not particularly cpmplex, but not overoaked, which is a victory. Easy drinking and it pushes all the hedonistic fun buttons. A-.
1996 Baumard- Savennières “Clos Papillon”
I’ve been worried about this wine as the last few bottles I’ve had over the past few years have shown way too advanced. This one was just as it should be. Certainly nutty, but correctly so and the wine is fresh on the palate. Dry with apricot, quince, hazelnut and mineral flavors with terrific structure and length. I’m wondering if perhaps this area may have gotten some cooked shipments way back when as all my bottles were purchased on release when I worked retail and stored in a Eurocave. A-.
2002 Baumard- Savennières “Clos Papillon”
Younger, fresher and more yellow dominated than the '96. This was pretty tough on release, but is more open now. Some sulfur to start, but it blew off to reveal lots of quince, yellow citrus peels and mineral. A long way to go with this one. Dougherty says he’d be happy to have it on an airplane, but he’s being excessively harsh. He argues that it, like all Baumard wines, are technically correct, but lack personality, but I disagree. It may not be as nervy as some others from the region, but that doesn’t mean it lacks personality. A-.
1989 Huet- Vouvray Moelleux 1ère Trie, Le Haut-Lieu
Always great to have an '89 Huet. This one is a little funkier than other bottles I’ve had recently, with more of a sweaty sock, wet sheep thing going on, but that’s well within normal. Deeply colored, sweet, but perfectly balanced as all '89’s from Huet are. Apriocts, bergamot, mineral and botrytis to go with the funk notes. Showing some maturity, but we all know this has decades of life ahead of it. It would’ve been wine of the night if not for the Dönnhoff. Solid A.
1998 Dönnhoff- Riesling Eiswein, Oberhäuser Brücke
Wowie! What a nose! Penetrating, complex and like cat nip to many of us who remained until the end of the day to try this. Passion fruit, tropical fruit, honeysuckle and mineral aromas. It’s intensely sweet on the palate but with laser-like focus and invigorating acidity. Like flavors as aromas and almost too intense on the palate. A thrilling wine and a great way to end the night. Solid A+.
Some pics from the day:
Jay holding ice after forgetting the gougeres pan was just in the oven.
Joe and Chris practice their sneers.
Kenny, Tony and the rest of the group.
I try to capture Joe in the golden glow and he repays me with the finger.
