Betsy had time to cook on Saturday and we had several couples - old friends- for my belated birthday dinner. We started with assorted canapes- crab, smoked duck, smoked salmon- and a couple bubblies (and one white for the bubble-avoider)
NV Bremont “Cuvee Prestige” Champagne Brut
White fruits, floral, herb, light yeast notes. Full, crisp. Really nice. B+/A-
2011 Raventos i Blanc “de Nit” rosado
So pale I’d hesitate to call if rose if that wasn’t how it’s sold, but it does taste like a pnik- strawberries and cherries, with a little mineral and citrus peel. Good value. B+
1993 Kalin Stealth LD Chardonnay
Taut, young, fresh pear fruit with light overlays of hazelnut and wet rocks. Nice showing. A-
Dinner had an out-of-nowhere Puerto Rican theme- a truly off-the-charts pernil (slow cooked pork shoulder with crispy skin), rice and beans (borlotti, not more traditional), and sauteed greens.
2012 Schafer Frohlich “Kupfergrube” Riesling Grosses Gewaches
Big, powerful, full, but balancing acids. Dry, but the sweetness of the pit and melon fruit makes it a good match with the spices in the pork. I'm a fan. A-
2000 Trimbach “Cuvee Frederic Emile” Vendange Tardive
Just off dry (but still sweeter than most CFE VTs), apricot and honey, blossoms, rich. Drinking well, no oxidation, but not sure this is holding a lot in reserve. B+/B
interesting perspectives on next couple, I think I was only one to prefer the Drouhin
1987 Drouhin Beaune-Greves 1er
Pretty, graceful, elegant. Good acids, black cherry accented by sandalwood and spice, in a great spot. A-
2002 Champy “les Caillerets” Volnay 1er
I thought this good PN without being very Volnayesque. Riper cherry fruit, full-bodied, modest acids, some tannin. Others liked more than I did. B
1988 Ch. Canon
Mature, cassis and plum, leather, a hint of tobacco and of iodine. With about 90 minutes in decanter this was drinking very well. B+
Fun night with some of my favorite people.
Sunday Betsy had a mediation class in city, I took the train in to join her and my niece for dinner at Recette in Greenwich Village. Great food, some dishes included:
bacalhau fritters on lamb sausage ragu
Hamachi with an uni foam
Marrow toasts w onion & trout roe
spot prawn crudo with caviar (and fried heads on side)
snapper crudo with bottarga and citrus sauce
Spaghetti with shrimp & sea urchin in a spicy tomato sauce
langostines and fried tete de veau, with lemon verbena flan
I had carried along the 2004 Pernot “Folatieres” Puligny-Montrachet 1er. Just drinking very well- apples and peach accented by a squirt of lemon, floral, with a bit of chalk. Medium-bodied, excellent length. A-
Nice dinner with nice company and very good service (and good stems and good attitude towards BYO).
Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C drinkable. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a party where it was only choice.Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.