Bdx Rouges & New World Whites (Ramon Cabrera Joins In).

Monday, the 28th December 2009, was dinner with the Usual Suspects at Masseto - organized by the Stockbroker. All we had to do was show up, eat, drink, enjoy and pay for our dinners - the Stockbroker, generous fellow that he is, provided all the the evening's wines. We were joined by fellow WLDG member, Ramon Cabrera, so we were 11 in all.

This evening was really more for light-hearted fun and enjoyment, so my tasting notes will be relatively brief. I was too busy enjoying the wine, food and company to write down much.



2000 Champagne Jacquesson Avize Grand Cru - I believe this is the first time I've tried the '00 vintage of this bubbly (at any rate, I only remember the '96). At first sip, it was readily moderately more lushly fruited, more complex and rounder and moderately heftier on the palate than the non-vintage Brut Cuvée No. 732. The middle exhibited good, creamier froth, but one can still detect the cleanly focused lemon, citrus and white minerally notes that I've found in every single Jacquesson I've had. Very nice indeed. I believe this is available in Premium Wine Exchange, but I may be mistaken.


Aaron, Keiichi, J-Lab, Johnny and Ramon.

The Menu



The Evening's Wine Host & Sommelier



Though I continued the champagne with the tapas, we were served 2 reds blind - all the Stockbroker would say was they were from the same producer and from different vintages. At the first sniff and sip, Greg immediately pronounced them as Bordeaux.



Mystery Red # 1 - Ripe, concentrated, extracted, fuller, riper and much younger (seen in the color which was still youthfully dark shade of ruby red) than Mystery Wine # 2. Right bank. Round, soft plum, cherry, kirsch, chocolate with notable push/power on the palate. This turned out to be a 1998 Château Le Bon Pasteur, a wine I bought many bottles of sometime in early 2005 and finished off quickly by 2007.

Mystery Wine # 2 - Comparatively lighter red with a red-orange tinge lightening towards the rim showed its age. Initially, there was an obtrusive saline aroma that masked the bouquet. Some called it "metallic", a couple called it "fishy". This blew off around 30 minutes later and showed a somewhat reticent bouquet. In the mouth: medium-bodied, mature, plum, cherry, cedar, bottle-age sweetness funneling to tartish cherry and violets in the finish.

This turned out to be a 1982 Château Le Bon Pasteur. I and J-Lab noted that the Stockbroker's previous/recent '82 Le Bon Pasteur (21 December 2009 at The Goose Station) was in much better shape than this one.



The tapas increased their pace: Chorizo Scrambled Eggs (sorry, no photo), Mini Crab Cakes and, with the Shrimps with Garlic Chips...



2004 Maison Leroy Bourgogne - Had this a few times before and liked most of them well enough. This was, however, by far the best bottle of this particular wine I've had. Still relatively light, it was a delicately spun Thai silk of pure, cleanly-focused cherry, raspberry, underlying dark plum and violets with an intriguing/charming sous bois nuance. Very nice. To the best of my memory, this is the best basic bourgogne I've had (not that I have very much experience in basic bourgogne, but this was, indeed, very nice).



I note that the Shrimp with Garlic Chips was excellently done - fresh, precisely cooked (I detest over-cooked seafood of any sort) and flavored (I don't like overly garlicy and spicy gambas). Though a common dish, one rarely finds it done as well as Tippi did hers last night. With the rest of the tapas...



...once my champagne was gone, I switched to the 3 New World chardonnays served (not blind).



2000 Château Montelena Napa Chardonnay - A blast from the past as I bought a few bottles of this from Premium Wine Exchange ("PWX") several years ago. I vividly recal that I served a couple of bottles of this with PWX's 2002 Darioush Chardonnay both to pair with the Miguel brothers' Lobster & Irish Scallop Risotto course during my birthday dinner at home in May 2005 - thus, it was great to be able to try this again (no more stock in PWX).

Though it does display a good deal of leesy vanilla/oak/butterscotch on the nose, in the mouth, those notes were much, much more subdued and exquisitely integrated - blending nicely with apple, pear, bit of butteriness, fine white minerality. Refined in texture, big, but very pure and focused flavors. Johnny noted that, with additional airing, notes of anise emerged in the nose.

2003 Ridge California Chardonnay Montebello - A whole lot of vanilla/oak, buttered popcorn and baked apple/pear pastry. I couldn't get into this at all, though I did give it a chance. J-Lab and Johnny suggested I try it with the Halibut & Clams w/ Clam Jus course,...



...but, to my taste, the wine was no better with it. Too over-the-top, but that's just me.

2006 Leewin Art Series Chardonnay - Still obvious, but comparatively subdued oak notes in nicely pure somewhat minerally and well-focused fruit with lemon/citrus at the fore. Alcohol is relatively high, but I felt it more than I tasted it. Good, solid Aussie chard. I believe this is the new vintage of the Leewin Chard Art Series that PWX now has in stock.


I think Greg liked this one.

The whites were done. It was red all the way from then on in with the Fideo of Squid & Prawns and the Prime Rib-Eye Steaks.



I loved the Fideo - done en su punto - not mushy at all, and the seafood was, again, very fresh, tender and precisely cooked. Top-notch, Tippi, I must say.


J-Lab and Johnny

The Stockbroker was a pouring machine, just grabbing quick bites on his feet between bottles.



Rolly was obviously enjoying himself a lot, so I jokingly advised him to look busy for Dapper D to see - to which the former obliged with a serious shot.


Rolly analyzes as an amused Ramon looks on.

The Stockbroker served blind a magnum of notably open, forward, warm, very concentrated/extracted red that showed lushly dark plum, cherry, kirsch, coffee, dark chocolate, some violets and a hefty dose of creamy oak. I and some others guessed it to be a New World. We were wrong. Johnny nailed it as a Château d'Aiguilhe from the Côtes de Castillon - one of his favored wines. It was, in fact, a 2000 Château d'Aiguilhe (in magnum; sorry, no photo again).


Keiichi-san says Kampai!


¡Salud! from Rene & Miguel

Yet another pair of reds were served blind:

Mystery Red # 3 - Initially, its somewhat dense, concentrated modern, creamy oaken red fruit over black made me think it was a right bank. After a bit of aeration in glass, underlying crème de cassis, gravel and dried herbs emerged so I decided it was from the left bank. It was, in fact, a 1998 Château Pape Clément. Yet another wine by Michel Rolland that shows nicely. Very readily pleasing. I actually was surprised how much I preferred this over the next wine.

Mystery Red # 4 - Definitely right bank. Smoldering/darkly brooding black fruit, dark plum, black cherry, violets, dark minerality, licorice, underlying black coffee. A couple of shades over medium-bodied. Nowhere near as open and ready-to-please as the previous wine. Right bank for sure. Comes off as a more serious character, if a little surly now. It was a 2000 Chapelle d'Ausone, St-Emilion.



These were had with the Cheese Platter with Grapes and Toasted Walnuts. Aaron, Miguel and I took a cigarette break outside and chatted a bit. Consequently, I missed out on the 2003 La Chapelle de la Mission Haut Brion that was opened next. No matter, I was very happy with a double espresso and dessert of...


Chocolate Hazelnut Tart

Several more bottles were opened as the night wore on, but I no longer took note of them. Too much laughing and chatting going on.



Near the evening's end, we thanked our generous wine host/sommelier with no less than a standing ovation - more than deserved to be sure.



Advanced Happy New Year to all!

Amazing night, looks like your humble guest survived!
The Stockbroker will need a night off Noel.

Amazing night, looks like your humble guest survived!

He did at that!

The Stockbroker will need a night off Noel.

He's in HK now for the New Year!

Best,

N

Amazing night, looks like your humble guest survived!
The Stockbroker will need a night off Noel.

A good respite from fighting a severe case of jetlag and a slight cold. A most fun night. I few notes to follow.

TNs: Mostly Bordeaux at Masseto

Masseto Wine Bar
December 28., 2009

Flying more than halfway around the world to visit with siblings, parents and childhood friends over the holidays, more-often-than–not and admittedly, results in some of the most hectic and stressful vacation that we have to take. As a counterbalance, whenever in Manila, I have come to look forward to hooking-up with the wine enthusiast groups that Jay and Noel have written about here in the forum board. My past experiences with various configurations of this group, over the years that I’ve been invited to join them, is that these guys have turned the oftentimes serious and almost predictable wine-dinners into fun, jovial and lively affairs without relinquishing the seriousness of the great wines being poured and the dishes being devoured. There’s always something about the latest tasting being more fun than the last one.

Masseto is a low-key, yet sleek, polished and very new wine bar that is owned by one of the regulars in the group and he is often referred to as the Stockbroker in many of Noel’s posts. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to join the group for a sort of post-Christmas wine-dinner that the Stockbroker hosted. We were a group of 11 and we were set up to occupy the rectangular bar area near the middle of the establishment and from where our host, not because of any lack of efficient help, decided to personalize our experience by nicely handling most, if not all, the wine service needs of the group.

Arriving late (one thing that haven’t changed much over the years in Manila is the vaunted congested traffic condition at any given time anywhere that I should have gotten used to by now), I was greeted with a refreshing glass from Jacquesson which I completely missed writing notes on. With the exception of about 2 wines, the rest were poured from decanters. Accompanied by good Spanish-themed tapas and raciones, we were served the following wines, all provided for by the host:

1998 Ch. Le Bon Pasteur, Pomerol
Served to us double blind, this had an expressive nose of cigar, meat, fruit and some leather. Ripe, tannic and nice level of acidity. I have had good experiences with this wine a few times before, and even have a few stashed away, but still failed in making a close guess. B+

1982 Ch. Le Bon Pasteur, Pomerol
A good bottle, sweet and fine tannin, started tighter on the nose than the 1998, but with time in glass showed secondary notes of earth and leather. Waves of black and red fruit. A better bottle than the only previous one that I’ve had. A-

2004 Maison Leroy Bourgogne Rouge
Lean, ripe, earthy notes, cherries, raspberries, tea, nice tasty finish. A pleasant surprise. I wish I have some.
JR, one of the participant, noted “ … like a young woman in her prime.”. B+

2000 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay, Napa Valley
Wood, big wine, butter, I found I quite cloying. Not a style that I prefer. B-

2003 Ridge Monte Bello Chardonnay, Central Coast (?)
More minerally than the Montelena, oaky, butter, subdued acidity. B

2006 Leeuwin Art Series Chardonnay, Margaret River
Light straw color with just the slight gold tint. Ripe, but showed nice crispness, clean, slightly candied. I like the freshness. B+

2000 Ch, D’Aiguilhe, Cotes de Castillon
Jojo said that this was from a magnum. Very ripe, big, and sweet. High tannin level, but quite modern in overall structure. B

1998 Ch. Pape-Clement, Pessac-Leognan
Leafy notes that I’ve come to associate with most reds from Graves that I’ve had. Nice bursts of acidity, full layers of fruit in the middle, lot’s of power. B+

2000 Ch. Ausone La Chapelle d’Ausone, Saint-Emilion
Floral, earth, some vanilla. Well balanced, sleek but packed with lean but ripe black fruit. Well crafted. My WOTN. A-

2000 La Chapelle de La Mission Haut Brion, Pessac-Leognan
Another nice-drinking Graves with layers of ripe blue and black berries. Finesse and silkiness. A-

In spite of fighting a slight cold and a severe case of jet-lag, it was a great evening, of fine drinks and food, impeccable service by the staff at Masseto, punctuated with occasional bursts of contagious howling laughter, one-liners and a sense of celebration. My thanks goes to Jojo for the wines, and to everybody else for the fun company.

Ramon

edited to correct for the number of attendees, as the jetlag had taken it's toll on my ability to count. 2nd edit to correct for the appropriate producer.

2004 Maison Leroy Bourgogne - To the best of my memory, this is the best basic bourgogne I've had (not that I have very much experience in basic bourgogne, but this was, indeed, very nice).

2004 Dom. Leroy Bourgogne Rouge
Lean, ripe, earthy notes, cherries, raspberries, tea, nice tasty finish. A pleasant surprise. I wish I have some.
JR, one of the participant, noted “ … like a young woman in her prime.”. B+

I see there are conflicting reports about whether this was Domaine or Maison? As I am sure you know, the Domaine 2004 BR was the one with all the declassified fruit, which would make it the best (and perhaps the most expensive) basic bourgogne many people have had.

I see there are conflicting reports about whether this was Domaine or Maison? As I am sure you know, the Domaine 2004 BR was the one with all the declassified fruit, which would make it the best (and perhaps the most expensive) basic bourgogne many people have had.

Yes, I know this very well. Without a doubt, it was Maison Leroy. Believe me, I know the differences in labels and seals between Leroy's Maison and Domaine. If one looks at the picture (though small) of the bottle in my post, one familiar with the label difference will note that the script on the bottom says: "Mis en bouteille par Négociants á Auxey-Meursault/Côte d'Or" - showing this is the 2004 Maison Leroy Bourgogne and not the 2004 Domaine Leroy Bourgogne.

Yes, I know this very well. Without a doubt, it was Maison Leroy. Believe me, I know the differences in labels and seals between Leroy's Maison and Domaine. If one looks at the picture (though small) of the bottle in my post, one familiar with the label difference will note that the script on the bottom says: "Mis en bouteille par Négociants á Auxey-Meursault/Côte d'Or" - showing this is the 2004 Maison Leroy Bourgogne and not the 2004 Domaine Leroy Bourgogne.

Ok. So does that mean you've had the 2004 Domaine BR and prefer this one?

I see there are conflicting reports about whether this was Domaine or Maison? As I am sure you know, the Domaine 2004 BR was the one with all the declassified fruit, which would make it the best (and perhaps the most expensive) basic bourgogne many people have had.

Yes, I know this very well. Without a doubt, it was Maison Leroy. Believe me, I know the differences in labels and seals between Leroy's Maison and Domaine. If one looks at the picture (though small) of the bottle in my post, one familiar with the label difference will note that the script on the bottom says: "Mis en bouteille par Négociants á Auxey-Meursault/Côte d'Or" - showing this is the 2004 Maison Leroy Bourgogne and not the 2004 Domaine Leroy Bourgogne.

I didn't mean to confuse the issue. As I was only able to type in the words "Leroy Bourgogne" into my iPhone that night, I'll admit that I have no recollection of whether it was a Domaine or a Maison, and went with the Domaine on mt TN. I'm going with Noel with this one (thanks for clarifying Noel) and will edit my TN post accordingly.

Yes, I know this very well. Without a doubt, it was Maison Leroy. Believe me, I know the differences in labels and seals between Leroy's Maison and Domaine. If one looks at the picture (though small) of the bottle in my post, one familiar with the label difference will note that the script on the bottom says: "Mis en bouteille par Négociants á Auxey-Meursault/Côte d'Or" - showing this is the 2004 Maison Leroy Bourgogne and not the 2004 Domaine Leroy Bourgogne.

Ok. So does that mean you've had the 2004 Domaine BR and prefer this one?

No. I've not had the Domaine version, nor do I see any reason to. Honestly, at the risk of sounding stand-offish, basic bourgogne is not a sea I swim in. Honestly, I've never, ever purchased any basic bourgogne; the sole exception being a few 2003s of Anne Gros (when my wife and I stayed at her place in October 2007) for an afternoon picnic. All the 2004 Maison Leroy Bourgognes I've had were from friends (nb: the Stockbroker's shop sells the stuff here); I've never bought any.

I didn't mean to confuse the issue. As I was only able to type in the words "Leroy Bourgogne" into my iPhone that night, I'll admit that I have no recollection of whether it was a Domaine or a Maison, and went with the Domaine on mt TN. I'm going with Noel with this one (thanks for clarifying Noel) and will edit my TN post accordingly.

Hi, Mon. It certainly doesn't help things any that the 2 subject Leroy labels look confusingly similar. Have a happy new year's celebration!

N

Thanks for notes, Ramon is a fun guy to drink with.
I've found the '82 Bon Pasteur ok, but not great, and it doesn't encourage me to age the modern RBers for long periods, I like more young.
Personally, I get an immense amount of satisfaction from some basic Bourgognes from producers like Chevillon and Lafarge- sometimes they hit a spot that a LSG or Les Chenes can't. But that's just me.