NYE 2009 and NYD 2010

NYE at home. Chorizo and shrimp, ribeye on the grill w/EVOO poached potato and carrot, fennel and blood orange salad, cheeses (ColoRouge, Bittersweet Dairy Evangeline, Azul Especial) and lomo iberico.
Karen "Coy" Junmai (Niigata)
Ichishima Shuzo
Rice: Gohyakumangoku milled to 65%
10-11%abv
SMV: -23, Acidity: 2.9, amino 0.9
Toji: Takeshi Tanaka
Water: underground from Iide Mountains
Big and round totally filling the mouth with tropical fruit, strawberries, lychee then dissolves into a wispy coconutty melon finish. Very sweet at first but wonderful lift. I've never had a sake this sweet and it really had a very interesting mouth sensation that is hard to describe in words...sort of like a rocketing upward then blasting down a roller coaster over 3 progressively smaller bumps.

NV Jacques Selosse Champagne Rosé (Champagne) Disgorged: Feb09 93% Chardonnay (from Avize, Oger, and Cramant), and 7% Pinot Noir from Ay. Now this is just incredibly complex and amazingly balanced champagne. Beautiful orange tinged salmon coloring. It's yeasty, smokey, filled with red grapefruit, mint, notes of blue cheese, orange zest, lots of minerality, plenty of bitterness, and a spicy citrus finish. As it warms and opens the flavors intensify, it's more aggresive and it comes together even more.

NYD
Dinner at Boa Bistro, Mesa
We started with a couple of cocktails: Brazil (cachaça, riesling, and St. Germaine) and the Merseille (Pernod pastis, Skyy citron, citrus, mint) that were both wonderfully balanced and fully of unique flavors.

2006 Weingut Juris St. Laurent (Burgenland) which has a wonderful old world nose of dried herbs, dark fruit, and a bit of earthiness. The flavors were rich in dark fruit with a solid streak of minerality, and a fairly robust structure. Very good match with the osso buco.

Thanks for the notes Bill - those sound really nice. The St. Laurent in particular sounds like something I need to buy (I've really enjoyed some of the Austrian reds, and want to explore that area more.)

[David M. Bueker]

Bill,

I have to ask the question: is Selosse worth it?

Thanks for the notes Bill - those sound really nice. The St. Laurent in particular sounds like something I need to buy (I've really enjoyed some of the Austrian reds, and want to explore that area more.)

Hi Salil, I don't have alot of experience with Austrian reds either short of a couple of blaufrankisch and a couple of pinot. This was more lush than other Austrian reds I've tried, but it was also my first St. Laurent so I don't have much for comparison.

Bill,

I have to ask the question: is Selosse worth it?

For us, it was, given that it cost me about the same as Krug Grand Cuvee and it did provide some fun twists and turns. And I would like to have at least 1 or 2 more bottles to try it with some age. I doubt I'd spring for more than that though. (And Lill really loved it, which is always key...)

[David M. Bueker]

Well if Lill liked it then perhaps I need to spring for a bottle to try with Laura.

Sounds like a plan. I'm not sure Lill would like it as much if she knew what it costs.