My sister Tina in her kitchen

On 13 January 2012 she invited me and a few friends over to dinner, which featured a particularly tender and tasty veal roast, flavored just slightly with Madeira-infused cassis that served as a sort of stuffing within the roast.

Veal roasting in the oven

I was initially worried that the Madeira would make the dish sweet, and complicate wine pairings, but that was not at all the case. It was just a feather touch that accentuated the meat’s juices.

Homemade croutons for the salad

With that, she prepared flavorful homemade hand whipped potatoes with celeri root: a simple combination that was flexible enough to go with red or white. Of course her salad was delicious, accentuated with homemade croutons.

Delicious veal and wine

Tina is lucky enough to live near Arrow Wine, which imports some of the best wine in the country. Owner Doug Rosen is an inspired wine buyer and has a particular love for Champagne. Last year, he had organised a wonderful tasting of various Champagnes, many not so well known, and he brought a special bottle from one of those producers to dinner. I must say that it was pretty much the wine of the evening. As much as I enjoyed the wines that followed, I could have just continued with that Champagne over dinner and into dessert: Tina’s delectable homemade pear pie, with cardamom and ginger. I enjoyed it so much that I forgot to snap a photo!

Wine of the evening

Wines

1996 R. & L. Legras Champagne Cuvée St. Vincent Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru from magnum. Doug knows the owner of this estate and had several bottles made personally for him. This was one of them, and it had just recently been disgorged. What emerged was brisk freshness and mineral flavors. It had a citrus and apple as well, but never mind the subjective descriptions. What impressed most was that a wine nearly 16 years old tasted so much like a primary sample. It helps of course to come from a magnum format. And from such an excellent vintage that combined both high acidity and excellent ripeness.  100% Chardonnay from the grand cru soils of Chouilly, the Champagne of course conveyed Chardonnay smoothness. So, here we have a bubbly that surely pleased all five dinner participants.  Wine of the Evening!

Fine premier cru 2002 Puligny

2002 Vincent Girardin Puligny Montrachet 1er Cru Les Perrieres. I recently purchased three of these bottles from an auction for $40 each.  Here we had a wine that was not affected by premature oxidation. In fact, it was very tasty and rather crisp, although some age was beginning to show, but in a good way. Smooth and flavorful, it had enough body to stand up to the veal – and I certainly reached for more (both veal and wine).

Giscours 2000

2000 Chateau Giscours Margaux Haut Medoc Bordeaux. I brought this bottle to dinner: a rather famous Margaux wine from the southern part of the appellation in Labarde. Giscours has been improving in quality, particularly starting with this vintage, which has aged well. The wine’s medium body combined cassis and earthy flavors that also matched the food quite well.

A Sauternes duo

1999 Chateau Raymond Lafon Sauternes. Here we had a more Barsac like lightness coming from a lighter vintage in the 1999, which I have always enjoyed from Raymond Lafon. A lovely wine, still quite youthful in color and expression, that pleased the palate and paired well with the pear pie.

1990 Chateau Rieussec Sauternes. A noticeably darker color, coming from an older vintage and a half bottle, many thanks to Doug for bringing this wine, as well. This wine seemed a bit spicier and had more noticeable botrytis derived flavors, coming from a more famous and warmer vintage as well.

Doug and Tina with the wine of the evening

Many thanks to Tina and to Doug for the food and the wines - and for the great company! I must say that I tend to eat and drink just as well in Washington D.C. as I have been eating and drinking in France. Thanks in part to my dear sister Tina!

Vibrant and vivacious: Pinot Noir freshness at 40 years of age

A tasting that brought home to me a certain nostalgia. A poster on the wine forum wineberserkers.com recently lamented the loss of Old School Bordeaux. He went so far as to give “faint praise” to the 1982 vintage, while extolling the virtues of the 70s and 60s. I found his comments a bit strange but ended up understanding somewhat his point.

Wine was not made as well back in those years. But the wines that are good from that era have sometimes turned out superb today. Many have greater freshness. It is like looking back at movies from that era compared to the super glitzy, digital, very well made films today, that tend to have more action and less interesting dialogue. In the world of wine in many places today, replace the words “action” and “dialogue” with “alcohol” and “complexity”. There are exceptions. The Artist, anyone? A superb, silent and glorious film… But I digress.

As I listen to some average 70s music by Peter Frampton, I am reminded that not everything that is old school is necessarily good. Not to pick on poor Peter. He did pen some nice tunes, and I do enjoy his rendition of Stevie Wonder’s Signed Sealed Delivered and that wonderful live wa-wa jam Do You Feel Like We Do. But he would not be my main reference for older rock music. I would look to The Who, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles of course, as well as tons of others, from David Bowie and The Velvet Underground and Jethro Tull to The Kinks, Pink Floyd and The Yardbirds. 

Same for wine. I suppose. Yes this is a facile comparison but it can hold merit. The thing is, the treasures you find from the older era make you wonder how some of the new, high alcohol wines will age. Can anyone know for certain? I find reviewers going out on a limb when they say that such and such a wine will age 50 years. OK, one can obtain certain clues. It is likely that a high octane wine, with tons of alcohol, tannin, fruit and acidity – all “balancing” out – will age. But will it age well? Will it age to my taste?

Ah, now, that is the interesting question.

As I am discovering more and more, palates like mine – palates that like vivacity in their wine – it is hard to beat the wines from Burgundy. Yes, the Pinot Noir based wines from that famous winemaking region in France that can age very well indeed. As I found out with a group of friends and expert tasters in the Washington D.C. area. Thanks to Ken Brown who organised the event as a “holiday dinner”, which was held in the wake of the holidays, on 5 January 2012. At our favorite BYOW joint, Lavandou on Connecticut Avenue. Being a holiday dinner, participants brought some excellent wines. Special occasion wines. Sadly several participants – including Kevin Shin, Chris Bublitz and David Zimmerman – could not make it, because of illness or work issues. But we had a great time nonetheless.

From left to right: Howard, Chris, Ken Brown, Paul, Randy and Ken Barr

Ken Brown brought perhaps the wine of the night, although that is hard to say… as you will see later. Let’s just say that the Francois Gros Richebourg Grand Cru 1971 (Francois was Anne’s father) provided me with (yet another) Burgundian wine epiphany. As most readers know – and as you can see on this website – I am a huge Bordeaux fan. And I remain so. But the Richebourg dispelled any general notions that Pinot Noir is meant to drink earlier than Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from Bordeaux. At just over 40 years of age, the wine – see photo far above – exuded a kaleidoscope of flavors and aromas, ranging from spice and subtle faded … and beguiling fruit.

When drinking great red wines, nothing beats simplicity, such as this Steak Frites at Lavandou!

What impressed me most was its depth and length and texture. The wine was vibrant and alive, with a very pleasing finish. Yes, there was a bit of rusticity on the initial palate, a hint of beef blood/iron. But that was to be expected, given its age. What impressed most was its overall sumptuous nature. Richebourg counts as one of the greatest grand cru vineyards in Burgundy. I understand why. No points here, just an overall excited reaction. Bravo to Ken for bringing this wine.

Domaine des Chezeaux Griotte Chambertin 1996

Domaine des Chezeaux Griotte Chambertin Granc Cru 1996. Chris Sipes brought this wine, which was paired with Randy McFarlane’s  G Figlio Monprivato Mascarello Barolo 1996. Two very different wines, both superb. But if I had to choose, if I was given a dire choice between the two, I would have chosen the Burgundy. The Barolo was very rich, exuding ripe cherry like flavors, and tasting far more youthful than its years. There was a pigment like concentration about this wine, which also had much grip and freshness. So, it was almost perfect in one sense.

I was, like everyone else at the table, singing its praises. But what made the Griotte Chambertin more appealing to me was its greater freshness. The wine tasted – as its moniker indicates – like fresh and ripe red cherries. Cerise griotte! It also seemed to possess a more pleasing sap, a juiciness that appealed to me more than the Barolo. Participant and Burgundy fan Howard Cooper dubbed 1996 a German Pinot lovers vintage. Because of the acidity in that vintage. All I can say was that this also achieved fine balance, with very well integrated acidity. A clean acidity. The fruit was bright and vibrant, and the overall feeling was “give me more of this, please.”

The Richebourg described above was also paired with another Burgundy, which may be a candidate for number two wine of the evening. Thanks to Ken Barr for bringing a profoundly lovely Bruno Claire Chambertin Clos de Beze 1988. Another vintage with highish acidity, no? At 13.3% alcohol, there is also fine glycerine and ripeness. And some unresolved tannin on the finish, more than suggesting that this wine will only improve in a few years.

Bruno Claire Chambertin Clos de Beze 1988

And yet, time in glass resulted in the wine opening up more and more. Expanding on the palate, with a mix of toffee and mineral without ever being heavy. There is a real elegance to this substantial wine that also dances on the palate.

Not quite 100 points tonight...

Ken and I insisted on serving the Bordeaux and California Napa Valley Cabernet after the Burgundians… This proved to cast the Bordeaux somewhat poorly. And we are talking about a 100-point Robert Parker wine, the Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 1982, which Paul Marquardt had brought.

At first I thought it was not quite as fresh as the two bottles I had tried in New York City two years ago, brought from the chateau by then winemaking director Thomas Do Chi Nam (who has since joined the team at Chateau Margaux). But I am now rather convinced that it showed badly only mainly because it followed the one-two punch of the 1971 and 1988 Burgundies that had more freshness overall.

Still, the Comtesse displayed amazing concentration and youth for a wine that is almost 30 years old. I loved its olive and cassis and graphite flavors. A superb Bordeaux.

The Comtesse was paired with Howard Cooper’s lovely Joseph Phelps Eisele Vineyard 1987, which exuded eucalyptus and mint aromas, showing a more open profile than that of the Comtesse, certainly more openly fragrant and on the palate more expressive. I would say that it was drinking better than the Bordeaux, but the Comtesse seemed to have more concentration.

Very minty fresh Eisele Vineyard Joseph Phelps 1987

My tasting acumen was not in top form that night, as I took a whiff of the Vega Sicilia Unico Ribera Del Duero 1986 that Paul had also brought and proclaimed “great!”… The palate was fine, too, methought. Well, it did have a peppery aspect, and lots of concentration and unresolved tannin. The palate impressed me, but there was a hint of TCA that my TCA detector such as it was that night did not catch. Ken caught it, and it only revealed itself more as the wine stayed in glass. But I have to say that it was not too obvious at first. Oh well! I am sure that this wine would have been superb, if it had been unhindered by the faulty cork.

Stickies

This was perhaps the best series of stickies I have had in a while. And I must pat meself on the back for bringing another contender to wine of the night: Chateau d’Yquem 1990. It was my only bottle, purchased in the French Auchan hypermarket back in 1998 for about $200. A tobacco and white pepper coolness intrigued me most, matched to ripe orange cake and blood red orange flavors. The texture was Sauternes but never thick or cloying. This is the top wine of the appellation, and readers should be reminded that it had been given the unique category of Premier Cru Supérieur back in the 1855 Classification of the Medoc and Sauternes. Yes, there were four premiers crus from the Medoc and even more premiers crus from Sauternes, but Yquem was alone, rated as a “superior premier”.

The only "superior" premier cru, Yquem stands alone

Tasting this 1990 reminded us all why. It was paired with what would have been a downright honorable Chateau Climens 1986 that Ken brought. But the Climens – with fine light orange and lemon flavors, and bright acidity and energy – could not compare, try as it might. It seemed to be a touch abrupt on the finish and two-dimensional to the Yquem’s multi-dimensions. Well, now, in all fairness to Climens, I have to digress and relate an opposite comparison at Chateau d’Yquem a few years ago over dinner, where a Chateau Climens 1976 outgunned a Chateau d’Yquem 1983… Still, on 5 January 2012, Yquem 1990 ruled.

Ken Brown holds up the two Bordeaux based dessert wines

Two Germans, two different vintages indeed

Possibly the best ice wine I have ever tasted

I always learn things when I taste with the esteemed palates of the Washington Winos! Sitting next to me, Ken Barr explained why 1990 was such a great vintage for German late harvest wines, because of their acidity and ripeness. A vintage like 1994, he further explained by contrast, had ”ridiculously high” acidity but lacked ripeness. Here by the way, a decent link to recent German vintages. Ken brought the Weingut Selbach Oster Zeltinger Schlossberg Riesling Eiswein 1990 which was nothing short of superb, conveying mineral and cool tobacco with vibrant grapefruit in a very bright and youthful expression. A wine that pleased, again, my penchant for vivacity. Another contender for top wine honors of the evening? Perhaps third place?

Dönnhoff Beerenauslese 1989

As much as I adore the wines of Dönnhoff, I could not bring myself to love the Dönnhoff Oberhäuser Brücke Beerenauslese 1989 that Howard brought. It was almost too rich for my taste and compared poorly to the ice wine, which seemed more alive to me. Yes, there were pleasing notes of clove and orange rind and it was very tasty, but there was also stiff sweet wine competition tonight…

And the lovely Loire

Each year I get a mailer from Domaine Huet with a listing of prices, including older vintages. This evening reminded me why I must buy more Huet. Thanks to Chris Sipes we enjoyed also the Domaine Huet Clos de Bourg Le Haut Lieu Moelleux 1er Trie 1997, a delectable Chenin Blanc with ripe peach and cinnamon flavors and a palate displaying excellent grip and energy. The color was dark and I was initially worried that this would be oxidized, but that was not the case. A very enjoyable late harvest wine from Huet!

WHITE DESSERT WINES

The beautiful Château featured in Germany

Achtung Weinliebhaber, Attention Wine lovers!

Chateau Palmer development director Bernard de Laage de Meux at Château Palmer

I will be co-hosting along with Bernard de Laage de Meux, Development Director at Château Palmer, two fabulous wine dinners with Château Palmer.

In Berlin on 16 November and in Frankfurt on 17 November.

From a previous tasting I had organised in Baden Baden in 2008

In Berlin:

Alter Ego 2004 and four Château Palmer vintages 2004-2000-1998-1995 mit einem fünf-Gang Menü.

Eintritt alles inklusiv mit Champagner Empfang €169.

Reservierung: Hundekehlestraße 33 / 14199 Berlin / Fon: 030 83224151

Tasting the 2010 vintage earlier this year

In Frankfurt, beim Michelin-Stern Restaurant Le Français:

Alter Ego 2006 and five Château Palmer vintages 2007-2005-2000-1998-1995.
Eintritt alles inklusiv mit Champagner Empfang €229.

Reservierung durch Nils Bluemke oder Franck Mouzon, Sommelier – Weinbeauftragter

Am Kaiserplatz / 60311 Frankfurt / Fon: +0 69 / 215 138

Looking forward to drinking some great wines with you in Berlin or in Frankfurt

Looking forward to seeing you!

Freue mich darauf!

Maurice Barthelmé: master vintner, master chef

Dinner on 16 July with Maurice and Marie-Christine Barthelmé in Wettolsheim at their home. They are co-owners  of the famous Alsatian domaine Albert Mann. Lovers of great food and wine – and good times – the Barthelmés do not preach or instruct, they just communicate a healthy passion for making one of the best wines of Alsace. There is precision and richness in their wines. I have been lucky enough to have gotten to know them and was invited to dinner this month where we enjoyed some great wines and foods.

What I liked most about the dinner was the blind tasting. Just for fun, Maurice would pour a wine and ask guests what they thought. He said that the point was not to get the right answer but to honestly explain one’s thoughts. Blind tasting is often very difficult. So it was interesting to see our expectations and then results along with each serving.

After Marie-Claire prepared a fresh salad with shrimp, Maurice concocted the main course. He had worked as a butcher in the past, so he expertly cut the lamb, which was tender and delicious, flavored with rosemary, garlic and mushrooms. Marie-Claire also baked two delicious Alsatian tarts, one with plum and the other with blueberries. We also had a cheese course, before sampling some very well made eau de vies by the distillerie Jean Paul Metté, brought over to the dinner by the company director Philippe Traber, an enthusiastic lover of spirits.

Marie-Claire and her delicious homemade Alsatian tarts

I will have to write an article about Alsatian spirits, which have a long and celebrated tradition. Although there is only so much spirit I could take, some were downright exciting and unique, including the ginger flavored eau de vie.

Wines in bold I liked in particular, in red and bold even more and when underlined, the most.

Dinner started off with hors d’oeuvres which included a fine concasse de tomate and olive tapenade. And while the Jacques Selosse Substance Champagne was delicious, what stole the show for me was the Didier Dagenau Pouilly Blanc 2005. It looked almost like a primary wine, such a light straw color, and tasted so, too – very dry and fresh. With intriguing stone like aromas and flavors matching the Sauvignon Blanc citrus. Very ripe but never too rich or overripe. Fantastic wine. Fans of rich styled Pinot Gris can also find their nirvana in the Domaine Albert Mann Pinot Gris 1998 which we also enjoyed outside on the veranda before heading to dinner.

Superb Riesling from 1999

Dinner began with the aforementioned salad, very fresh and imaginative including a mix of melon and banana (!) with shrimps. The first wine served for the salad was among my favorites of the entire evening, an incredibly youthful Albert Mann Grand Cru Furstentum Riesling 1999.

A more fruit driven Riesling from 2002

The second wine, the Albert Mann Rosenberg Riesling 2002  was also very good but richer and somewhat thicker in aspect, but certainly very Riesling: precise along with a tropical fruit and blood orange aspect. I just like the style of the first one more, although all depends on what food you eat. 

A very fine Chablis from a difficult vintage

Then came a stone dry and very delicious and pure, albeit with just a hint of wet sock, Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos Dauvissat 2001, a challenging vintage for Chablis and here we see a producer who met that challenge. The more I drank it, the better it got, close to getting a red bold but not quite.

Saint Chinian and delectable lamb

As the lamb was being cut and prepared with sauces – see photos of master Chef Maurice Barthelmé – we sipped on the Grand P 2005, one of the Pinot Noirs made at the property. Very youthful in aspect, it seemed younger than its vintage, the wine exuded purity and finesse. Then came two reds for the lamb, both of which I had never heard of … The first seemed to be Grenache-based southern Rhone but turned out to be a thick but tasty mix of Syrah and Mourvedre from St Chinian Borie La Vitarèle Saint Chinian 2008 and it wore its 14.5% alcohol rather well. No one thought it was that high in alcohol. One person said ‘clearly New World’ but its smoothness won most everyone over.

Excellent Chateauneuf du Pape

The second was a bit less interesting, Domaine de la Marfée Les Champs Murmurés Coteau de Languedoc 2004, which may have had too much brett for its own good, but I thought it was more Old World in style and liked it enough. More jagged, but I liked its chutzpah!

Both of the above were mightily overshadowed by one of the finest wines of the evening, a Chateauneuf du Pape I had never before tried – and now I want to buy some: Le Charvin 2000, which was elegant. I thought it was a Cabernet from some other region because it had some tobacco notes, very elegant. Someone else thought Pinot Noir because there was cherry – certainly the transparent aspect seemed akin to Pinot Noir. But it proved to be Grenache. And 14.5% alcohol, but one did not feel the warmth at all. Wow, a lovely and balanced southern Rhone that was elegant above all else.

We then went to a Bordeaux, and I correctly guessed 2000 vintage but incorrectly thought Pauillac because all we talked about was how Pauillac would go best with the lamb. Most people indeed agree that it was a Left banker, perhaps a St Julien one person said. No way, José! It was none other than Chateau Pavie Macquin St Emilion 2000, and what a great wine. I had had it last month at the Premiers Grands Crus Classes dinner at Chateau Clos Fourtet for Pete’s Sake. You would have thought that I would have recognized it… Oh well. Very fine and not nearly ready to enjoy just yet. Noticeable tannins on the finish, a bit of a tightening aspect, but rich and full on the mid palate.

A superb SGN from 1994

By the time we got to the cheeses, there came a nutty and oxidized Jean Macle Cotes du Jura Chateau Chalon 2000, which, although appreciated by connoisseurs, I still cannot get too enthusiatic about… But I did get very enthusiastic about Albert Mann Furstentum Gewurztraminer Sélection de Grains Nobles 1994, a beautifully balanced very late harvest wine from a fine vintage with fine floral aromas and an excellent way to end the meal – or so we thought!

My preferred spirit...

Then came a series of eau de vies, ranging from pear and ginger to coffee (!) and gingerbread! All very well made but I still think that my favorite remains the classic Poire Williams…

Wines tasted at the dinners:

Highlights included a stupendous performance from Leoville Poyferre 1996, balanced and fresh, very smooth and clean. The 2000 was also good but I wonder if the 1996 is better! In Frankfurt, most guests – and I – liked the 2000 best. But in Berlin the next evening (25 March 2011), the 1996 outshined the 2000.

Clos Fourtet 2001 is a sexy and smooth wine, and has aged rather gracefully and slowly since I last enjoyed it some five years ago on Nantucket Island. There is a mineral freshness with some modern richness, but both in moderation. A rather understated yet delicious wine. The 1998 is stronger, packs more punch, but is perhaps not quite as elegant as the 2001. The 1998 performed better in Berlin, it seemed fresher and more complex.

Nice showing from Le Crock 2003, which did very well as a St Estephe should, showing seductive dark chocolate notes. And Poujeaux 2004 is quite rich today, a fun yet solid wine from Moulis.

Special thanks to Harry H Hochheimer for opening a 1976 Poujeaux, which was darn good – and proves that this estate can age well. 1976 was a dry and hot vintage and the tannins were probably ferocious in 1981 or so… But by 2011, the wine is very drinkable. Perhaps a tad rustic, because of the vintage, but certainly enjoyable.

And many thanks to Maingau Restaurant in Frankfurt for opening a Leoville Poyferre 1995: delicious wine, a bit edgier than the 1996 but with much substance.

Château Clos Fourtet, Premier Grand Cru Classé: we will enjoy the 2001, 1998 and 1990

UPDATE! Dinners to include tastings of Bordeaux 2010 barrel samples from both the Left and Right Banks: Léoville Poyferré and Clos Fourtet!

I will be co-hosting two wine dinners in Germany – at the Maingau Hotel in Frankfurt on 24 March and at the Sankt Moritz Restaurant in Berlin on 25 March – with Matthieu Cuvelier of Château Clos Fourtet (Premier Grand Cru Classé St Emilion) and Château Poujeaux (Moulis) and with Didier Cuvelier of Château Léoville Poyferré (2nd cru classé St Julien) and Château Le Crock (Cru Bourgeois, St Estephe).

We shall enjoy the 1989, 1990 and 2000 vintages of Léoville Poyferré

Over full five course dinners, we will enjoy 2007 and 2004 Poujeaux, 2005 and 2003 Le Crock, 1989, 1990 and 2000 Léoville Poyferré and 1990, 1998 and 2001 Clos Fourtet. Should be lots of fun! And the price will be just right: in Frankfurt, for all service, food and wine, you pay just 89 euros per person! In Berlin, 124 euros. We shall also enjoy barrel samples from the just born 2010 vintage…

Here is more information about the Thursday evening 24 March Frankfurt tasting – auf deutsch:

Restaurant Döpfner`s
präsentiert
im Hotel Maingau
Schifferstr. 38 – 40
60594 Frankfurt

Donnerstag 24. März 2011

7:30 PM

10 Weine aus Bordeaux

mit einem

fünf Gang Menu

Folgende Weine stehen zu Verkostung an :

Château Poujeaux: an excellent Moulis, of which we will enjoy the 2007 and 2004 vintages

Poujeaux 2007 und Poujeaux 2004 mit
Seeteufelmedaillon auf Pestorisotto

Clos Fourtet 2001 und 1998 mit
Crepinette vom Stubenküken auf Linsen

Léoville Poyferré 1989, und Léoville Poyferré und Clos Fourtet 1990
Rinderfilet Rossini mit Selleriepürre und Rotweinschalotten

Léoville Poyferré 2000
Parmesan

Le Crock 2005 und 2003
Schokoladensouffle mit Feigen

Die Herren Matthieu Cuvelier von Château Clos Fourtet und Château Poujeaux (rechts) und Didier Cuvelier von Château Léoville Poyferré und Château Le Crock (links) werden an diesem Abend anwesend sein und Panos Kakaviatos, internationaler Wein Journalist, wird diesen Abend moderieren.

Matthieu Cuvelier of Clos Fourtet and Poujeaux

Wir bitten um frühzeitige Reservierung, da nur wenige Plätze zur Verfügung stehen.

Der Preis beträgt p. P 89,00 €

In diesem Preis sind Aperitif, Weine, Menu, Wasser und Kaffee enthalten.

Das Team von „Döpfner´s freut auf Ihren Besuch

Reservierungen bitte unter
Tel: 069-60914293 Fax: 069-60914115
oder verkauf@maingau.de an Frau Geist

Didier Cuvelier of Léoville Poyferré and Le Crock

In Berlin:

Am Freitag, 25. März um 19 Uhr in Berlin bei
Sankt Moritz
Regensburger Straße 7
10777 Berlin
Tel. 030 / 23 62 44 70
Reservierungen und Info: Anton Stefanov
124 €  p. P.

Menü
(inklusive Aperitif, Weinbegleitung, Wasser & Kaffee)

Amuse bouche
Aperitif
~
Makrele
Kürbiskernöl & Buchenholz
2007 Chateau Poujeaux, Moulis
2004 Chateau Poujeaux, Moulis
~
Fasan
Grüne Paprika & Pied de mouton
2001 Chateau Clos Fourtet, St. Emilion
1998 Chateau Clos Fourtet, St. Emilion
~
Lamm
Zucchini & Staudensellerie
2000 Chateau Léoville Poyferré, St. Julien
1989 Chateau Léoville Poyferré, St. Julien
~
Rinderfilet
Foie gras & Trüffel
1990 Chateau Clos Fourtet, St. Emilion
1990 Chateau Léoville Poyferré, St. Julien
~
Käse von Maitre Philippe
2005 Chateau Le Crock, St. Estephe
2003 Chateau Le Crock, St. Estephe

Plus barrel samples of 2010 from Léoville Poyferré and Clos Fourtet !

The tasting took place at a discrete yet well known location for Frankfurt-based wine and food lovers, Das Restaurant Maingau and was accompanied by a delicious 10- course dinner. Incidentally, later this month, I will be moderating a massive Bordeaux dinner with Chateau Leoville Poyferre, Clos Fourtet, Poujeaux and Le Crock at the same location on 24 March - more information HERE.

A few words about the owners of the establishment: Since 1950 Elke Doepfner and her family has owned the hotel and restaurant, which since about 15 years has gained a reputation for its very good wine list (from South African to Bordeaux) and attractive cellar space.

Tasting notes: wines in bold I liked, in red and bold I really liked, and when underlined, something to seek out for certain!

After enjoying a glass of Pichon Baron’s 2004 rose wine, which tasted accordingly fresh and strawberry-like, we tasted the only dry white of the evening — and a surprising performance from Chateau de Fieuzal Pessac Leognan 1998 from a magnum bottle: Intense citrus aromas between grapefruit and lemon grass, with some oak-derived toasty notes as well. Pleasing. In past tastings of this wine, I have been disappointed, but last night, it sang. Perhaps not as full-bodied as it should be, but quite nice with structure and some grace.

These two wines were served in the restaurant cellar space, where Harry gave an introduction to all concerned, including chef Jörg Döpfner, son of the owners. His food was fabulous, particularly a roast beef finger food starter on a bed of a carrot and ginger purree.

The main event happened two floors up, where we were seated in a special dining room, with wine corks decorating the candle-lit table. On our way to the tasting, 20 magnum bottles greeted us…

Chateau Liversan Haut Medoc 2000 and Chateau Pichon Longueville Baron Pauillac 1999

Interesting pair to serve together. While the Liversan proved more drinkable today by itself, it certainly could not match the stuffing of the Pichon. What I liked about the first wine was its fine structure and balance between acidity and fat. It was nice to drink, a pleasure and very Bordeaux if you will. The Pichon on the other hand was far richer, oozing dark cherry flavors with an almost too much rich texture for me on the palate. The nose was dominated by toasty-oak derived notes and almost tasted modern in comparison to the Liversan. But that is the only slight critique I could level against the Pichon which will outlast the Liversan and only improve in bottle. The Pichon went better with the first entree: a BRILLIANT large seared scallop on a bed of squid-ink risotto, which I practically lapped up it was so good — the richness of the Pichon matched this better. Who says you cannot match red wine with seafood? An interesting note: Washington DC-based blogger Ian Lipner graciously invited me to dinner at Ris Restaurant (late February 2011) where we enjoyed a… Pichon Baron 1999, from a regular format bottle, 6 years later. Would you believe that it had a still very youthful profile? This is a great Bordeaux estate whose wines evolve at glacial paces, even this more flattering vintage.

Chateau Sociando Mallet Haut Medoc 1998 and Chateau Palmer Margaux 1997

Call it a king and queen matchup, with the Palmer playing the feminine role… The Sociando Mallet had more structure than the Pichon 1999 but was also — in comparison — rather tight. Showed strength and finesse, but thought it was rather a shame to open it now especially in a magnum format. As for the Palmer, this was one of my wines of the evening (though not THE wine of the evening): velvety, sensual texture and aromatic though slightly short (sign of the vintage). A pleasure to drink however and it went very well with the goose liver terrine.

Chateau Chasse-Spleen Moulis 1996 and Chateau Lynch Bages Pauillac 1995

Okay, the Lynch Bages managed to blend the suave quality of the Palmer with the structure and power of the Sociando Mallet — not to mention a length superior to both — and thus earn its WOTN status. Bravo! In comparison, the Chasse Spleen was downright thin and somewhat forgettable. Perhaps it was an off bottle? Oh, and this course was also one of my favorites of the dinner: a huge shrimp on a bed of mushroom risotto. I have tasted the Lynch Bages 1995 on subsequent occasions and it is indeed a lovely wine. The Chinese market has unfortunately driven up prices on Lynch Bages.

Chateau Canon-La-Gaffeliere Saint Emilion 1994 and Chateau Haut Bailly Leognan 1993

Yes here we have reached two wines ready to drink, and the Haut Bailly won hands down. Likely due to a problematic bottle with the CLG, which smelled slightly metallic… So I reserve judgement. The Haut Bailly on the other hand was showing soft and silky. I remember trying this bottle back in 1997 and being disappointed (wet dog), but this time it was very nice, its softness and smooth tannins a perfect match for the monkfish filet and tarragon-flavored noodles. It reminded me somewhat of a La Mission Haut Brion 1993 tasted in Bordeaux in 2002, which was also soft and fine.

Chateau La Mission Haut Brion 1992 and Chateau La Mission Haut Brion (75cl) 1988 and Pavillion Rouge of Chateau Margaux 1991
Two weak vintages and one good vintage yielded predictable results with the LMHB 1988 – not from magnum – being one of my favorite wines of the night, close to the Lynch Bages 1995, but not quite as good! I remember smooth tobacco aromas and flavors coming from the LMHB but it did not have quite the body of the Lynch Bages. As for the LMHB 1992, quite nice… for a 1992! I had lost my notes from this tasting so my remarks came from memory… I do remember that the Pavillion Rouge 1991 was rather thin. A coq au vin with corn pudding went best with the 1988 LMHB, as its still present tannins were a good foil to the sweetness of  the corn pudding and relative zest of the chicken

Chateau Duhart Milon Rothschild Pauillac 1990,  Chateau Haut Marbuzet Saint Estephe 1989 and Chateau L’Arrossé Saint Emilion 1988

The best of the three was the first wine, showing good structure, finesse and decent length, but again not among the top wines of the evening. Good, perhaps very good, but not great. The Haut Marbuzet disappointed me a bit: Yes, it was rather full-bodied with bits of chocolate and some spice, but it seemed to lack flavor precision and especially structure. Liked it, but not overwhelmed. I liked the Arrossé more than the Haut Marbuzet as it showed more structure, like its elements came together better. A pleasant wine to drink, but the Duhart Milon’s medium tannins and acidity went best with the lean game filet!

Chateau Les Ormes de Pez Saint Estephe 1986, Chateau Calon Segur Saint Estephe 1983 and Chateau Nenin Pomerol 1982

I was looking very much forward to this lineup and was not disappointed but suprised! First off, the best wine BY FAR was the Les Ormes de Pez, and very likely among the top three of the night for me: power, flavor intensity and structure with a good length. Bravo! Another fine 86 that I have had from Bordeaux, and it went VERY well with the lamb and ratatouille. Now the Calon Segur was good, but seemed to be on the verge of decline. It had an edgy feel to it, though the flavors were good. I was surprised by the Nenin. It was smooth and not lacking in good taste. No, not the most intense wine of the evening, but not bad at all! A nice trio.

Chateau Giscours Margaux 1975 and Les Forts de Latour (second wine of Chateau Latour) Pauillac 1971

Both of these wines proved surprising. I know that Harry has a great private cellar, at 10 degrees Celsius year round. So I was surprised with the Giscours not impressing me that much, after all I have read about how good this wine should be… It was good but if I had to give out a point score, only a solid 88 and not an inch more. A bit hard and tannic, though flavorful, it was totally outshined by — SURPRISE — a top three wine this evening for me, easily, the Les Forts de Latour 1971, which had character and flavor. Very smooth and agreeable to drink. And then I thought: GEES, if this is how Latour’s second wine tastes in … 1971, imagine how the first wine tastes!

Chateau Suduiraut Sauternes 1996

Fresh, sweet and rich is how I enjoyed this Sauternes. I like the 96s I have tried thus far from Sauternes and this one was not an exception. Even coming from a magnum, this wine can be enjoyed today. No tightness at all. Of course, coming after all the red wines, it was a pleasure to drink a cool white sticky…

For his preparation and pouring, HATS OFF to sommelier Oliver Weiss, also a Frankfurt-based wine consultant. And to Jörg Döpfner, the chef and son of restaurant owners Elke and Werner Döpfner. His food was really something special. If ever in Frankfurt, do check out the Restaurant Maingau. How about on 24 March?

Oh yes, and I thought Harry was joking, but he said that we would all enjoy a PILS beer at the end… zum Schluss.

TOP THREE WINES

Chateau Lynch Bages 1995, First place

Chateau La Mission Haut Brion 1988, Second place

Chateau Les Ormes de Pez 1986, Tie for Third place Les Forts de Latour 1971, Tie for Third place Chateau Palmer 1997, Tie for Third place

Text and photos by Panos Kakaviatos – Copyrighted

A dream with red mullet and coulis de tomate and red pepper...

Each week, a new wine. This week (11 October 2010), I tip my hat to Domaine Leflaive Batard Montrachet 1997. Not a great vintage, but my goodness what richness and body and length! Thank you to Micheal Lux for serving the wine – among others – and preparing a fantastic dinner to go with it. No signs of premox, just a healthy golden color that makes sense for a 13-year-old great white Burgundy from a decent but not great vintage. If you have this wine, drink up! And purr with pleasure…

The restaurant was a fine setting: Ruth’s Chris Steak House in the lively Dupont Circle area of Washington D.C. If driving, it is important to set the start at 6.30 pm, when parking spaces open up! Sommelier and general manager Maria Denton is a gracious and very knowledgeable sommelier, who regularly holds tastings for area sommeliers preparing their certification exams. I have taken part in two such morning tastings – and it is not easy! One only has about four minutes to describe the visual, aromatic and gustatory aspects of a wine, served blind. A healthy challenge.

Anyway, it was great to get together with fellow DC winos Chris Bublitz, Ken Brown, Kevin Shin, Ben Giliberti, Matt Latuchie, Darryl Priest and Faryan Amir-Ghassemi for a great night. For some super tasting notes from some of the participants, please read Matt’s thread on the excellent wine bulletin board wineberserkers.com. No less than four vintages of La Mission Haut Brion, two from Latour, two from Mouton and one Haut Brion. Plus some fantastic Krug 1988 and an endearing non premoxed Meursault from the fine 2002 vintage, among others. We had some duds, some bottles that were not up to par, but that happens… Let’s focus on the highlights! Wines in bold I liked, in red even more, and when underlined, I loved absolutely.

The Krug 1988 exuded subtle and complex aromatics including ginger and biscuit, cherry, iodine and chalk and lime. It was perhaps not quite as youthful – or as sprightly – a bottle I had so much enjoyed with Chris Bublitz a few years back, who again generously shared this great wine. So I would agree with both Kevin and Ken that it was perhaps not quite up to its game, at least this particular bottle. But I liked it a lot in any case, particularly its varied aromatic profile. I could have easily nursed an entire bottle.

The Darviot Perrin Meursault Premier Cru Les Charmes 2002 is a wine that I had served often at the Chanticleer on Nantucket Island a few years back, supplied thankfully by the Boston Wine Company. Customers loved it as do I. For me, quite herbal initially on the palate, some hints of butterscotch but just hints – not oxidized! – with red apple. This is not crackling with acidity, however, showing a somewhat thick texture but at the same time, not heavy. This was a bottle I would have liked to spend more time with. It was enjoyable and subtle.

Krug 1988

Two from La Mish

La Mission Haut Brion 1981. A bloody nose. Iron. The texture was edgy, somewhat rustic. But over time, this changed, and I was getting more tobacco combined with dark chocolate and a good – even youthful – tannic edge and substance on the mid palate. Although compared to the next flight, it proved almost dilute; it showed a fine briskness with time in glass. Do not underestimate your 1981 if you have it. Drink it confidently with a rich steak, like the ones we enjoyed at the restaurant. Its edginess – which mellows with time in glass – balances the rich meat. I liked this wine increasingly as it sat in glass, even though it never approached the better comparative warmth and “comfort” of the next wine…

La Mission Haut Brion 1976. A visibly older color, reflecting more than just the 6-year difference. Methinks the 1976 will not last as long as the 1981, but the 1976 is drinking better today. Especially in the initial comparison. There is a warm fruit aspect still today, not marmalade mind you… The alcohol levels back then were about 12 or so. (the 1981 label indicated 11.5).

LMHB 1976 and 1981

Flight of the night? With this pair of 78s,  I felt as if on a wine heaven cloud…

Chateau Haut Brion 1978. From the very first sniff, I was hooked. I wish I had the money to support an addiction to Haut Brion. But seriously, could we talk about eau de parfum de tabac? Layered elegance. Perhaps it lacked the substance and/or concentration one would get from a vintage like 1998, 20 years later, or 2000 or 1982. But let’s not quibble. Its sneaky persistence, its enveloping aromas make me care less about such comparisons. I was fully charmed and hooked to the layers of subtle flavor in this 1978, which was clearly a WOTN candidate.

Chateau La Mission Haut Brion 1978. Here we have initially a meatier profile, without being thick. There is rusticity in comparison to the Haut Brion. But with time in glass, the wine calms down a bit and one feels more substance on the palate when compared to the Haut Brion, but there is less finesse, less silkiness. As Ken wrote in his tasting notes, both do exude that smoky Graves character, and I would agree that the LMHB will probably outlast the Haut Brion 1978, as it does show a more youthful palate. But at this stage, it does not match the refinement of the Haut Brion’s aromatics. But if you have LMHB 1978, consider yourself very lucky. This will be a wine to taste even better in five years, said Chris Bublitz, an authority on older Bordeaux!

Haut Brion 1978 and a perfect steak: wine heaven

From 1976 to 1966

Chateau Latour 1976. Here we have a wine that, when compared to LMHB 1976, is less elegant, less poised, and almost caramel like, certainly exhibiting a more roasted in aspect, seeming to recall – almost – the 2003. Not quite reaching the 2003’s baked aspects (I am not talking about Latour 2003, but 2003 in general). Still, one feels the heat of the 1976 vintage in Latour more so than with LMHB. Just before I left the restaurant, however, the wine seemed to have tightened up, improved. Good news for owners of Latour 1976… I feel like changing to red script, but this is borderline.

Mouton Rothschild 1966

Chateau Mouton Rothschild 1966

Wow. We were all so impressed with the Haut Brion 1978, but this bottle gives it a very good run… Another style to be sure. There is something just so balanced. In a more flamboyant, theatrical, “Moutonesque” manner, with mocha notes preluding a palate with much verve and chocolate-like richness and cigar box. The Mouton does not have the finesse of the Haut Brion 1978, but it has more concentration and matiere on the palate.

Problematic threesome

As has been noted, some sadness with the next wines, including a totally shot La Mission Haut Brion 1970, which looked more like watery Beaujolais than Bordeaux. The Chateau Latour 1970 I had brought was a bit funky, if not really at fault. I got some black olive, but there was much tannic austerity, too much for its own good, on the end palate. Ben Giliberti noted excess mushroom. Not an ideal bottle to be sure. The Mouton Rothschild 1970 was readily oxidized; not nearly as much as the LMHB, but enough to notice and basically discard… C’est la vie.

Modern marvel and Super Second

We came back full throttle however with a Chateau Pavie 2002. Look, it is no secret that I have issues with Pavie as being a bit too over the top, but in a cooler vintage like the 2002, it wore its 14% alcohol (perhaps more?) well enough, even though I got those annoying oak derived notes, and this almost 10 years later. If they could just try less new oak, and perhaps less concentration, the terroir might be more discernable. For the sake of Pavie lovers, I hope it sees the light in 10-20 years and has the last laugh at all the Pavie detractors… Anyway, it was pretty good in the end.
There followed an overall decent showing methinks of Leoville Las Cases 1979. Slight TCA, but it seemed to improve in glass and showed some freshness and cedar. I think Ben and I liked it enough.

Chateau Coutet Barsac 1975

Super Sweets

The Chateau Coutet 1975 was very crisp and pure, and as Kevin noted, it was less evidently sweet and perhaps not the most complex. But I did like its flavors of white apricot and mild spice, and a good precision.

Finally, I really liked the Romano Dal Forno Nettare Veneto 1995, a prestigious white dessert wine, made in Veneto, Italy, from the Garganega grape, which was rich and viscous without being cloying. I certainly got a crème brulee aspect, and I kept drinking more.  Thanks to Kevin Shin for this discovery!

As for the wine in bottle, could it punch higher than its current weight class? Given its fine terroir and potential - almost 80 hectares of vines on deep gravel in proximity to the river, the wine can sometimes seem underperforming. But there is no denying that recent investments in viticulture and in the vat room, by the two - until very recently - majority owners (Grands Millésimes de France – GMF,  the French Civil Servants’ Pension Fund and the Japanese group Suntory) have marked some improvement in terms of consistency, especially in the last three or four vintages. [Newsflash! Just this month, the French group Castel has made a bid on 50% of the estate... Things are moving at Beychevelle!]  The 2008, tasted from bottle in New York in January 2011, was lovely, for example. And winemaking director Philippe Blanc is very talented.

The sprawling estate of Beychevelle just as you enter St Julien from the south

To be sure, Beychevelle does very well in excellent vintages, and thus constitutes (perhaps until the “Chinese” factor) a bargain.  Such was the experience I had with the Beychevelle 2000. I bought six bottles en primeur for about $35 per bottle, and had opened one immediately upon arrival and liked it very much for its fine primary cassis fruit and excellent structure. I then opened another one in Berlin a few years later, but it had closed down to something more inexpressive, an experience to which fellow wine geek and poster extraordinaire Martin Zwick could attest. But now – and Martin, if you are reading – I can safely say that Beychevelle 2000 is the real deal. A fine wine from St Julien. When I first opened it ahead of a dinner with two wine merchants in Washington D.C., it altered between some earthy minerality and excellent cassis/cherry fruit. With time in glass over dinner (my duck, though delicious, was too sweet for the wine, and I should have ordered the more simple steak), it exuded fine complexity with more red fruit, licorice and a certain dominating creosote aspect that somewhat minimized the wine’s potential, which is clearly in need of being fully realised in 10 years. I only have three more bottles, and will not touch the next one – if all goes well – before 2020. If I want Beychevelle in the interim, better to procure a few 2002s, especially since the price of the 2000 has now approached $140 per bottle! The Chinese dragon-label effect?

Far better, today, and more complex was the Beychevelle 1982. Wow, now that was special, enjoyed in its prime, almost 30 years later. The aromatics combined leather, cedar, tobacco and a sweet damson like aspect on the mid palate preceding a structured, somewhat acidic but very floral finish. A wine that is drinking beautifully today. Its texture was at once fluid yet full, the tannins melted just right so that you felt the character of the wine, but it was very polished, very smooth. It does not match the concentration of, say, a Mouton Rothschild 1982, which I have had on several occasions over the last few years, or perhaps the complexity of the Figeac 1982, which I just recently enjoyed, but it was just a wondrous wine to enjoy now, without too much thought, and it would be most interesting to compare it to its neighbor accross the street, the Branaire Ducru 1982, which I have only enjoyed once, back in 2006.

The dinner and service at Siroc Restaurant in Washington D.C. was superb. I was joined by Paul Chaconas, Bordeaux wine buyer for Total Wine, that enormous wine chain mainly along the East Coast of the US, and Rod Haden, a representative of Tarras Vineyards in New Zealand. I had met Paul last year in Bordeaux at La Conseillante and interviewed him for an article that was published in Meiningers Wine Business International.

Paul generously brought the Beychevelle 1982. But he also brought a bottle of Jean Noel Gagnard  Chassagne Montrachet Clos de Maltroie 1999 that was not prematurely oxidized. It exuded a certain candied orange rind flavor, some butterscotch but not overwhelming, with refined mineral notes on the palate and - most important perhaps – excellent grip and acidity on the palate, with lemon-lime notes refreshing the palate. I loved that white Burgundy, thank you Paul!

We ended things with a half bottle of Trimbach Clos St Hune VT 1989, thanks to Rod for bring this superb wine from Alsace.  At first, I got mahoganey wood, but then a marzipan like aroma and flavor, and it just got more complex in glass: orange, toffee, tobacco, smoke, a hint of wet sock – just a hint – but complimented by “wet rock” and hints of Riesling like petrol, but just subtle hints. This was not an oily monster. In fact, any sock-like aromas gave way to freshness with time in glass, and even a certain iodine aspect, ending with a fine, slightly bitter lemon tonic finish. Overall, I think this wine is a bit young, and will reveal itself even better in a few years. For a recent video of co-owner Jean Trimbach, click HERE.

Stay tuned, as I will post more tasting notes on Beychevelle, as tasted over the last 5-7 years.