Burgundy 2012

Photos from January trip: Burgundy 2012 on Flickr - click for the rest of the photos. Enjoy!

Fantastic dinner at Resto in Madison! 77 Main Street Madison and the only thing I don't understand is why didn't we go there sooner?? Fantastic Bistro cuisine - Fois gras pan seared with baby carrots on the side. pheasant roasted with the umeaty parts pulled and tossed with pappardelle and beautiful sauce, tiny onions, and crispy skin bits sprinkled throughout. Intermezzo of creamy warm Demi-tasse of asparagus soup with hint of truffle. Tender breast of chicken, poached egg, potato gruyere purée. Rack of lamb. Wow. I've found a new home! Classic French for the wines:

Pinson Chablis 1er Cru Mont de Milieu. 2010. Crisp, mineral, focused.

Clos Rougeard 2006 - still young. Tight. Coolish herbal Cabernet Franc notes. Young, primary opened with 30 minutes. A little. Beautiful but young.

Wed Jan 4, 2012, Pluckemin Inn. Chef Juan Jose Cuevas totally rocked it! Wines not bad either. To tired to add the details. Texting direct to blog. Really want to just see if this works!

First bubbly???

Selosse substance

Pillot chassagne montrachet caillerets 2005

Meursault chevalieres bernard bousson verdot 2005

Leflaive puligny montrachet clavoillon 2002

Domaine Leflaive puligny montrachet les combettes 2002

Montille Pomerol Peyzerolles 2001.

Montille Pomerol peyzerolles 90

Maillard Corton renards 2003

Maillard Corton renards 1978

1979 wehlener sonnenuhr

Jerez amontillado 1830 el maestro sierra vinos viejos

Burgundy Rules!

Once again I was happy to be included at an impromptu dinner with JVE and friends, held on short notice due to a visit from afar of one of our esteemed members. JVE suggested Burgundy as the theme, putting up a bottle of DRC La Tache 1993 as incentive - needless to say there were not many no shows! In any case the crew dug deep and we tasted a great assortment of top notch wines that led to the dinner concluding with a call for a trip to Burgundy ASAP - I'm in!! Thanks to all for their generosity and camaraderie and especially to JVE for hosting yet another superb evening! Here are my rough notes, quickly taken and only slightly edited:

Paul Pernot 2007 Batard Montrachet - lovely! just opening and showing some complex tones of acacia, linden and apple. Softer and plusher than expected. Lovely core of solid fruit. Still young and primary but delicious! A few bottles available at 56 Degree wine.

Lamy Pillot 1993 Le Montrachet - Wow! Lush and complex and beautiful. Mouth filling, super-long. This was great out of the gate and just got better and better as it opened - improved significantly throughout the evening. Full, lush yet with great detail and underlying acidity. Acacia, linden, nutty caramel tones with good solid fruit. Outstanding wine!

Aubert Ritchie 09. Black spice. Ripe. New world saturated. Hint of petrol. Sweet. Alchy. Spiced black cherry liqueur. Some vanilla notes. Very saturated and dense. This opened nicely with an hour or so in the glass. Drink now, better in year or two and over 3-4 years thereafter.

Williams Seylem 04 Farrington vineyard. Earth. Mint. Some maturity. Touch rustic even. More mature. Leather and dried fruits. At its peak. Might have guessed it Burgundy if tasted blind. Starkly different from Aubert.

Volnay 2007 Cuvee Blondeau Simon Bize. Hospice de Beaune. Wow. Beautiful elegant red cherry, supple, Very detailed and fine. Drinking beautifully, will improve for 3-4 at least. Silky and pure, sexy Volnay on the lithesome side. Lovely wine.

Corton Bressandes 2005 Vincent Girardin. tight. touch reductive. Closed. Mineral notes, firm. Well proportioned and solid. Tight deep solid core of red cherry fruit. Opened and relaxed with some time in the glass. Great future ahead, 5 -10+ years. vg++

Vosne Romanee 1995 Latour dried leathery, a bit past prime.

Gevrey Chambertin 2004 Claude Dugat - Fresh turned earth. (merde was uttered, with some questioning the exact type) With time deeper cherry dark fruit emerged. Still earthy, a hint of green. Needs more time, 3-5 years minimum, to shed its youthful, compact attributes and whiff of 2004 greenness and for at least that long after.

Trapet Chambertin 2008 - Coolish. Tight. A touch greenish and herbal, with darker tones underneath. Med ruby. good. Young. Still closed and angular and young. Needs time! Drink in 10-15 years. Very Good+, just a bit young and tight right now.

Charmes Chambertin 1996 Perrot Minot. Med deep ruby/purple. A bit angular and high toned at first, closed a bit on the nose and palate, highish acids. Meaty leathery, dark cherry tones - seemed a bit awkward at first, opened with time. Very good+, but needs 4-5 years more at least.

Chambertin Clos de Beze Groffier 2002. Beautiful crushed cherry, spice. Still fresh and youthful but just out of its shell. Supple, harmonious. Balanced long, complex and intriguing. Silky. Beautiful. still young and somewhat primary, lovely mouth feel, ripe tannins, long, lingering persistent finish. Great wine! As good as it is tonight is still a baby, love to revisit this in 10+ years!

La Tache DRC 1993. Dark cool spiced. Intense. Porcini mushroom, black cherry, tight, structured and firm. Dark concentrated with tart black cherry fruit core. Wound tightly and while focused and firm not showing its stuff tonight. Highish acidity, went back to it after being opened for a bit not much change. This should have been rockin' and just couldn't figure it out tonight.

I looked this up when I got home as it was so perplexing, Burghound reports the following:

"Tasting note: (As noted in Issue 4, I have experienced a fair amount of bottle variation with the '93 but both this bottle and a second bottle that I had in early May were outstanding). ("severe, closed and understated but I am convinced it will be a great La Tâche" - AdV). This too evidences a slight floral quality, and a fascinating mix of earth, leather, tea and spice notes plus an interesting green bark component. The slightly austere, tannic, wonderfully rich flavors are dense, in fact extremely dense with excellent depth and terrific complexity and a finish that seems to go on forever. Though there are now hints of secondary aromas, this remains very young, structured and remarkably intense. When you get the right bottle, the '93 can be a real stunner. Note: the inconsistency of this wine continues unabated as a bottle opened at the Domaine recently was almost aggressively vegetal and awkward. In short, when it's good it's very good but I've now had too many disappointing bottles not to be wary." Not encouraging for a wine that trade well over the $1,000 mark!!

Clair Dau Clos de Beze 1962. another "WOW!" Hazy and a hint of brick. Nose mature yet vibrant and still fresh. Incredible! Earth. Sous bois, marmite. Magnificent from first whiff to last, lovely, lingering sip, with a finish lasted til the Jersey side of the Tunnel!

Thanks again JVE and everyone for a great night!

Once more to Mecca - A night at Brooklyn Fare

Part two of the weeks outstanding dining agenda took place at Brooklyn Fare with Chef César Ramirez and his truly amazing, indescribable, mind-blowing cuisine. I wish I could recall it all myself, but with the help of good friend Mark Scudiery and some of the rest of the

clan that was there that night, a decent accounting of the menu exists. (Mark's excellent Blog "Wine Without Numbers recounts the evening well better than my notes - click here to read). They really don't like you taking notes at Brooklyn Fare, and you will be reminded if you stray - but I respect that, and so I put away camera and iPhone after about course 4 and surrendered to the show. Ceasar wants you to be present in the moment, not head down in your device, tweeting bragging rights to your blog buddies. But it is SOOOO good, and there is so much variety, nuance, finesse....so much going on that it is nearly impossible to recall without a little crib sheet. All I can say is that every taste he plates up in front of your eyes is hors category, and every time way more than a few are far beyond that.

And then you have Cesare himself, focused, intense and subdued early on, warming up and relating a bit more as the night goes on. I can well imagine that the tone of the crowd on a particular night plays a role. Every time I am there it's a little like a winery visit where it can start a little cool as they sort of feel you out, sense your interest and passion, and once gauged, the whole mood warms (or not as the case may be). Meanwhile a non-stop, choreographed production goes on - no wonder he's quiet at first, he has a lot to do! We are talking 15-20 dishes prepared in Cesars own words "like your are working with no net, nothing to hide - everything up front, one shot at it, right in front of your eyes". It really is food theater at the very highest level. No pressure!

Why do I love his cooking so much? Why is this simply the best restaurant I have be

en to (twice now) since El Cellar de Can Roca? It's the amazingly creative, simple, perfect composition of every taste I encounter here. It is first and foremost about the ingredients: ingredients, ingredients! (David Bouley espoused the same just a few nights before. Nothing but great, fresh, seasonal, impeccable food. Second is the technique - only those with the very best can be so deft and subtle, and yet complex at the same time, interpreting, expressing - never taking over. Each part in its place, each flavor carefully chosen - nothing more, nothing less -

resulting in compelling,thought provoking flavors and textures. It's precise, measured - almost contrary to the high tech approach - this is simply perfect food, perfectly prepared and presented.

Oh, I almost forgot - did I mention we had seven wines from Domaine Leflaive? Yes, THE Domaine Leflaive! Hard to believe that wines of this caliber were almost an afterthought - but in retrospect it was because they too were in perfect harmony, melding with the cuisine, heightening, complimenting, and contrasting with the wonderfully nuanced food - the mineral, crisp 2007s were perfect with the seafood dominant menu. Many perfect pairings, building from Macon Verze, Bourgogne Blanc, Puligny Village, several 1er Cru Wines and on to the Grand Crus, and finally one lonely but delicious Maillard 1993 Aloxe Corton Corton 1er Cru les Lollieres. An excellent night - as Mark says in his blog "Hail César!"

An Evening at the Bouley Test Kitchen

I didn't think about it ahead of time, but this week turned out to be a 1-2 tasting and dining experience with one of the country's best and well-established Chefs, David Bouley, and one of his proteges, Three-Star Michelin recipient Cesar Ramirez. The first event was a private client event at the Test Kitchen, Bouley's comfortable loft-like space that combines a cozy living room and a high tech studio with state of the art audio/visual equipment with an unbelievable open kitchen and your own team of Chefs for the evening. Our event was set up to be more social, fun and interactive rather than formal "sit down" style, starting with a selection of Canapes each prepared in full view of the guests. The offerings included Yellowtail with Soy Gelee, Micro Celery in a Crispy Cone Mini "taco" with Fresh Tomato and Avocado Salad (vegetarian) Homemade Blinis with Smoked Salmon, White Truffle Honey Parmesan Crisps and a few additional selections, all paired perfectly with the versatile and delicious Cremant de Bourgogne Rose from Parigot.

The balance of the evening was a petite Tour de France, with 2010 Domaine Sylvain Bailly Sancerre Chene Marchand, 2009 Domaine Albert Grivault Bourgogne Blanc, 2006 Chateau La Pointe Pomerol, Sabon Resevere Chateauneuf du Pape 2009. These were paired with a succession of delicious small plates prepared in the open kitchen including Poached Shrimp with Ginger Aromatic Sauce, Black Bass with a light tomato coulis and herbs, Grilled Duck with Pruneaux d'Agen and Beef Cheeks with Black Truffle Gnocchi. We finished up with a selection of decadent desserts and Coume del Mas Banyuls - one of the great chocolate wines of all time!

What really made the night was an extended visit by David Bouley himself who jumped into the kitchen and stayed all the way through dessert, cooking and mingling with the guests (the fact that it was 60 women from a Law Firm might have played a role!), and posing for photos like the rock star he is. His philosophy: technique gives the chef the skill, but it's all about the ingredients. Fresh, seasonal, carefully prepared to capture the essence and flavors with a little personal interpretation.

The Test Kitchen is available for private groups up to about 60 in a reception format, about 40-50 seated for dinner, and I have done a number of events there. Chef Bouley isn't always present, but I have been lucky each time I have been there and he has spent some time with us. Either way it is a great space and a perfect place for events of all kinds. For info or details contact me at chris.cree@56degreewine.com. More about part two at Brooklyn Fare to follow soon!

Cassis - A Mediterranean Gem

The region of Cassis, on the sparking Mediterranean coast on the south of France, is perhaps one of the most beautiful wine regions on earth. It is a popular tourist and vacation spot (about 20 kilometers east of Marseilles), with dramatic views of the sea, the mountainous cliffs (some of the highest maritime bluffs in Europe), and the beautiful rocky coves called Calanques.

It is also known for its delicious, if little known white and rose wines, and supposedly even tinier amount of red which I have never seen. The cliffs along the coast have been maritime landmarks for centuries, and this region has been occupied since the Ligures arrived in 500-600 BC, with the Romans not far behind. Cassis is also known for its stone, its quarries producing masonry for the quays of Alexandria, Algiers, Pireaus and Marseilles, as well as for the base of the statue of Liberty.

It is a tiny wine region, with only 12 Domaines making wine from 196 hectares of grapes. In some ways its beautiful location works against grape growing due to high land values that threaten the vineyards with development, and the stunningly beautiful cliffs and rocky outcrops that offer no room for expansion. There have been efforts to enforce strict zoning to protect existing vineyards however, and it seems that for now the tiny production of the region is safe. Soils are mainly limestone, with about 75% of the production white wine and the balance rose. Grapes for white include Clairette, Marsanne, Ugni Blanc, and Sauvignon Blanc.

At 56 Degree Wine we carry two producers: Domaine du Bagnol and Clos St Magdeleine, when we can get them that is! Not much wine is produced, and with local demand high, not much of that is exported. I look forward every year to the wines' arrivals, both the whites and especially the rose wines, whose arrival seems to herald the arrival of summer. The whites are crisp, clean, unoaked, but good body and character - perfect seafood companions! The Rose wines are dry, clean and aromatic, with slight variations from producer to producer and vintage to vintage, but are always among my favorites we stock. They are perfect with all sorts of appetizers, cured meats, grilled veggies, tapenades, salads of all kinds especially classic nicoise with seared tuna, and grilled fish like snapper or Bronzino.  There is nothing quite so great as taking a small boat along the coast, packing a picnique lunch, a few chilled bottles of Cassis Blanc and Rose, and finding one of the secluded coves with a pebbly sandy beach and spending a lazy afternoon. Another gem is La Villa Madie located at the foot of the cliff just next to Clos St. Magedeleine. To see a list of Cassis wines in stock, Click here.

2008 Clos Ste Magdeleine Cassis Blanc - ORGANIC / BIODYNAMIC - $29 - This is one of the most beautiful locations for a winery in the world, bar none! Perched on a bluff above the sparkling blue Mediterranean, they craft lovely Cassis Blanc and Rose from grapes grown in their own estate vineyards. The region is miniscule, only producing something like 40,000 cases in total, and would probably have disappeared altogether if it weren't for strict zonong that restricts further building.
Region: Cassis (Provence), France
Grapes: Marsanne, Ugni Blanc, Clairette and Bourboulenc
Farming: Certified Organic & Biodynamic
Drink: Now
Cuisine: appetizers, grilled veggies, cured meats, olives, tapenade, grilled fish or a salad nicoise.
ABV: 12.5%

2010 Clos Ste Magdeleine Cassis Rose - ORGANIC / BIODYNAMIC - $33/750 - $76 magnums - the ultimate summer party wine! - This lovely, classic dry rose is from vineyards around the village of Cassis, literally a stones throw from the sparkling Mediteranean Sea.  It is made from 70% Grenache, 15% Cinsault & 15% Mourvedre, all local red grape varieties with the juice and skins pressed and macerated together for just enough time for the wine to pick up its lovely salmon color.  Gathering hints of red fruits and its tinge of structure before the skins are removed, its then fermented dry much like a white wine. Great served chilled with grilled seafood or poultry, all kinds of salads (nicoise - perfect!) seared rare tuna and all on its own on a warm night. Liquid summer!
Region: Cassis (Provence), France
Grapes: 70% Grenache, 15% Cinsault & 15% Mourvedre
Farming: Certified Organic & Biodynamic
Drink: Now
Cuisine: Light appetizers, poultry, seafood, salads
ABV: 12.5%

2009 Domaine du Bagnol Cassis Blanc - $27 - Comprised of 50% Marsanne, 35% Clairette and 15% Ugni Blanc, Domaine du Bagnol has fashioned a wine that is the epitome of fresh white from Provence.  The thing that separates them from the pack is the layers of flavors that unfold in the glass, making this stimulating wine on many levels.  Melons, white peach, honeydew with pears making an appearance as the wine resolves in a long finish.  Lovely cleansing acidity, a wealthy of juicy fruit and nice texture make this a perfect choice for seafood, shellfish, roasted chicken or as a great aperitif.  Ready to enjoy now so no need to wait.
Region: Cassis (Provence), France
Grapes: 50% Marsanne, 35% Clairette & 15% Ugni Blanc
Drink: Now - 2012
Cuisine: Seafood of all sorts -  seared or sushi style scallops, tuna, swordfish, rouget, fresh sardines, or as an aperitif with anti-pasti, olives, cheeses, saucissons, crusty bread.
ABV: 13%
Price: $27