May 2006 - Recent Notes and Postings - Pt. 2

My most recent NYC wine bargain find might be the 2001 Chateau Bourgneuf from Bordeaux’s Pomerol region. Sherry Lehmann has apparently purchased a huge lot of the wine directly from the chateau and is passing the savings on to its customers by offering it for $20 a bottle. It typically retails for $35. It’s very good and I’ve already chosen it for our New Year’s dinner in 2007!

As the summer heats up, you might also want to check out the 2005 Commanderie de Peyrassol from Provence and the 2004 Dr. L from Dr. Loosen in the Mosel Saar Ruwer region of Germany. Both are extremely refreshing and affordable. Perfect for any weekend picnic in Central Park.

Two other solid finds I’ve come across in May include Warre’s Otima, a 10 Year Old Tawny Port that reminds me of Christmas. There also a solid sparkling wine from Gruet in New Mexico, a refreshing crisp blanc de noir.

Also noted is a recent experience I had with WineBid.com, an e-bay like auction site for wine that lead me to a very affordable 1982 Bordeaux.

Gruet NV Blanc de Noirs (New Mexico)

The Gruet Winery in Albuquerque, NM specializes in sparkling wines. Among them are four value offering which include NV Brut, a NV Rose, a NV Demi-Sec, and a NV Blanc de Noir. All sell for around $15 a bottle. By far the most widely available is the NV Brut.

However, I was able to bring back bottles of the Rose and Blanc de Noir from our last trip to New Mexico.

The NV Blanc de Noir is peach in color with that rising yeast characteristic on the nose and small concentratged bubbles. It’s also peach in flavor with light hints of cherry. Zingy and very crisp. This would pair wonderfully with Asian food and at approximately $15 a bottle, you could even have this with take-out Chinese.

This was purchased in Albuquerque, NM at Jubilation Wine & Spirits for $13. It’s a little harder to find in New York as all I’ve seen in stores in the NV Brut. However, Wine.com sells it for $16 a bottle and will deliver to New York.

Warre's Otima - 10 Year Old Tawny Port (Portugal)

Warre’s Otima 10 Year Old Tawny Port is brick red in color with notes of chocolate, cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove on the nose. It’s smooth and lush on the palate with a long finish.

I thought this was a fantastic port and a good value at approximately $20 to $25 for a 500ml bottle. It really reminded me of a Christmas spice and because of that, I’ll definitely keep it in mind for this year’s holiday season.

This wine was given to us as a gift but it can also be found for $20 at Sherry Lehmann and Union Square Wine.

2004 Dr. L - Dr. Loosen (Mosel Saar Ruwer – Germany)

This Riesling is the entry level wine from Germany’s Dr. Loosen Winery. It’s typically good in quality regardless of vintage, available nearly everywhere as they typically produce 40,000 to 50,000 cases, and it’s always at a bargain price of approximately $10. The 2004 is no different.

Pale yellow in color with tropical fruit on the nose. Mostly melon with a hint of lemon. Slightly sweet with a little less zing/acidity that is typical of most Rieslings. This is a tasty and affordable easy drinker that is just begging to be taken to Central Park on a sunny weekend afternoon.

This was $9 at Garnet on 68th and Lexington and $10 at Sherry Lehmann but as mentioned earlier, you’ll find this at most good NYC Wine shops.

WineBid.com and 1982 Bordeaux - Chateau Coufran

WineBid.com is an online wine auction site based out of Northern California that offers thousands of wines on a weekly basis in a format similar to e-bay and other online auction sites. It’s a resource especially worth checking out if you like to try hard to find wines or older vintages that are no longer being offered in most wine stores. On the extreme end, a recent search unearthed a 1905 Chateaux Margaux for a cool $400 to $500 if you’re interested in trying a 100 year old bottle. Overall, prices run the gamut from affordable to stratospheric. Current examples include a a 1999 Cote de Baleau from St. Emilion for a $5 bid all the way up to a 1985 Domaine De La Romanee-Conti-Romanee Conti for a clean $9000. With the thousands of wines on the site though, there are plenty of bargains if you’re willing to troll the site.

This is how I came across a 1982 Chateau Coufran from the Haut Medoc region in Bordeaux for $30 (not including auction and shipping costs.)

If you’re a fan of Bordeaux you probably know that 1982 was one of the best vintages of the 20th century and the better bottles are selling for at least a couple hundred dollars to upwards of $1000+ for the likes of Lafite Rothschild and other first growth chateaux. I can’t afford that but I wanted to at least taste a wine from the legendary vintage.

Now $30 is a pretty cheap price to pay for a 1982 Bordeaux so I wasn’t expecting much. I was basically hoping it hadn’t already turned to vinegar. It was in fact over the hill but my overall impression was “not bad.”

It was red clay in color (a sign of a fading wine) with smoky wood on the nose alongside fading notes of chocolate and cherry. Chewy texture with a medium long finish but overall a bit out of balance. Still, aged Bordeaux wine is a taste unto itself and I basically thought I got my money’s worth.

2001 Chateau Bourgneuf (Pomerol-Bordeaux)

Sherry Lehmann has a great wine sale going on right now where they’re selling the 2001 Château Bourgneuf from the Pomerol region of Bordeaux for $20 a bottle where it typically retails for approximately $35.

Deep dark red in color. The first whiff on the nose is mint and chocolate followed by notes of cedar, tobacco, coffee, and blueberry. Mint and chocolate on the palate as well. There is also a very slight herbal element which might be my only knock on this wine. Full bodied with a long chewy finish

As mentioned, Sherry Lehman has this wine on sale for $20. For comparison purposed, you can also find this at Martin Brothers Wine and Spirits on the Upper West Side for $35 and it retails on the internet for approximately $35 to $45.

2005 Commanderie de Peyrassol (Provence)

This is the second wine of Provence’s Peyressol Chateau and is a blend of Grenache, cinsault, and syrah mouvedre. It is light pink in color with floral notes, carnation maybe? In taste, it’s minerally accompanied by stone fruit and strawberries. It’s wonderfully refreshing and a perfect wine for a warm summer afternoon or evening. I would recommend it.

As for food pairing, I’d drink this with anything you’d pack in a picnic basket. It would also pair nicely with spicy Asian food.

This was $11 at Garnet on 68th and Lexington or at Martin Brothers Wine on the Upper West Side at 107th St. and Broadway.

1997 Pichon Lalande (Bordeaux)

From one of the most stunning estates in all of Bordeaux! The 1997 vintage was relatively uneven but in my opinion, many good chateaux produced wonderful early drinking wines and now is the time to enjoy them.

The 1997 Pichon Lalande is one of those wines. Saddle leather and tobacco on the nose with cassis and black cherry. It’s ruby red in color and medium bodied. Soft and velvety in texture with a medium long finish. This is a great wine in my opinion and a good way to enjoy this fantastic estate at a price lower than what other vintages sell for.

This wine was purchased at D. Sokolin Wine in Long Island for $50 a bottle. You can order it from there. An internet search through Wine Zap shows that you can order this from various other places across the country for between $50 and $70.

Vinovino - Another Visit (Tribeca)

We sampled a couple wines on our most recent visit to Vinovino. One was the 2003 Mt. Jefferson Curve Pinot Noir from Cristom and the other was a “Gill’s Farm” Viognier from Pikes Winery in South Australia.

The Mt. Jefferson Pinot Noir was brick red in color with a cedar/woodsy nose and notes of clove and black licorice. Its medium bodied with a medium long finish and a silky texture. It’s a nice wine which sells for $14 a glass or $46 a bottle in the bar or for $28 in the store. However, it’s tasted better to me in the past and I’m looking forward to trying the 2004 to compare.

The 2003 can still be had for $28 at Columbus Circle Wines. The 2004 vintage is out and listed for $30 at K&D Wines but I’ve also seen it a Union Square Wines. In addition, Garnet is selling half-bottles of the 2004 for $14 if you literally just want a taste.

The 2004 “Gill’s Farm” Viognier from Pikes Winery in South Australia has hints of grapefruit and leeche on the nose but it looses its fruit on the palette. It’s medium bodied and light yellow in color. It sells for $9 by the glass and $34 by the bottle in the bar. I wasn’t able to check the store price and the only other place I’ve seen it is for $25 from Wine.com. Honestly though, I’m planning on skipping this wine next time I visit.

2001 Palazzo Della Torre-Allegrini (Verona - Italy)

Allegrini’s 2001 Palazzo Della Torre is from Verona, Italy and contains a blend of 70% Corvina, 25% Rondinella, and 5% Sangiovese. It’s a meaty wine. It’s garnet in color and there’s a woody earthiness to it on the nose along with hints of tobacco with underlying dark fruit. Full bodied with a lot of structure and a chewy finish. You could probably lay this down in a cellar (or the back of a closet) for a couple years to soften it up a little but its still good right now. It all depends on your taste. Recommended food pairing would be with some sort of game or grilled meat.

This is selling for $15 at PJ Wines and for $17 at both Garnet Wines and at Sherry Lehmann. I think it’s a great value at that price. You can also get it for $19 at K&D Wines and for $20 at either Columbus Circle Liquors or Union Square Wines. It appears to be in stock at most good NYC wine stores so there might be other deals out there too.

2001 Limerick Lane 1023 (Sonoma County)

The 2001 Limerick Lane 1023 is a blend of 50% Zinfandel and 50% Syrah. It’s a big wine. Garnet in color. Its nose has a lot of smoked wood on top and blackberry and other dark fruit underneath. It’s full bodied with a medium long finish and a soft texture. Very good but it needs the right food to go a long with it and I’d recommend grilled meats.

We were treated to this wine at our friends Julanne and Julie’s house who purchased it at the winery in the Russian River Valley region of Sonoma County in California. There were only 150 cases of this produced and it appears that you have to order it through the winery to get a bottle. The cost is $35 and at that price, I’d probably wouldn’t recommend going that far but would say to check out the winery if you’re in the area and maybe pick up a bottle or two there. Julanne insists it’s one of her favorite places to visit in the area and I’m planning on making it there myself one day.

May 2006 - Recent Notes and Postings - Pt. 1

Welcome to NYC Wine Notes, a blog that you should think of as a mini online guide to wine in New York City based on my own experiences. On these web-pages, you will see tasting notes along with links to the stores in New York City that currently carry them along with the price I paid at the time. You’ll also find links to wine bars, restaurants, and wine shops, along with a narrative of my impressions and experiences.

This web site will be continually updated with this main page serving somewhat as a table of contents for my recent experiences but please check out the archives and expecially the Wine Index page for an alphabetical list of tasting notes, restaurants, and wine bars.

Recent Notes

The wine bargain of the month might be the 2005 Dashwood Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. At $12 from Sherry Lehmann, think of it as a nice summer white to take to Central Park as the days get warmer.

Not as much of a bargain at $40 but still fantastic in my opinion is the 2001 Montiano from the Lazio region of Italy and made by Falesco. It’s a 100% Merlot and a solid choice as a special occasion red in that price range.

2004 Standing Stone Vidal Ice for $27 at Vintage NY is a tremendous bargain for anyone who likes dessert wines. It’s from the Finger Lakes region of New York and would be a good choice for the fruit based desserts (a nice peach tart for example) that seem to be more popular in the summer.

On the restaurant and wine bar front, it might be worth checking out Landmarc in Tribeca for its wine program which basically offers wines at retail price. Since they don’t take reservations, think about heading down to the Vinovino wine bar down the block while waiting for your table. They have fantastic selections by the glass. If you either on the Upper East Side or just in the mood for a French Bistro experience, check out Le Bateau Ivre where they excel in French comfort food and also offer great wines by the glass in a cozy setting.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

I like to view wine as a journey and this blog as my travel memoirs in a way. I fully recognize that this is just one persons opinion and that it may widely doffer from others experiences. I think the diversity in wine including personal tastes, its wide range of prices, and the various ways it accompanies life from backyard picnics to 4 star restaurants, is one of the drinks greatest attributes. That said I’d like to hear your experiences, especially when they differ from my own.

Le Bateau Ivre - East 51st St. (East Side

Landmarc, located at 179 West Broadway in Tribeca has one of the more progressive wine lists in the city and in my opinion, has some of the best grilled meats around.

First the wine. One of Landmarc’s virtues is what they call their “wine program” which is really just a fancy way of saying that the vast majority of their wines are priced at retail or just slightly above. In addition, they do not serve wine by the glass in order to avoid serving anyone a wine that’s sat on the shelf for too long. To make up for this, they have an extensive list of ½ bottles. Personally, I wish all restaurants followed this philosophy.

Second is the food where I believe they really excel at grilled meats and especially lamb and steak. However, their selections of salads and seafood are also strong.

The décor is heavy on the exposed brink with modern touches to the bar area and seating. The back of the restaurant has an open grill where you can watch the hanger steak sizzling away. The biggest complaint is the bar area is on the small side which can be somewhat of an issue as the wait can typically be an hour plus on busy nights. They do not take reservations.

The wait staff is young and are fine when it comes to helping with food. However, don’t expect high quality assistance with the wine unless you talk specifically with the sommelier/beverage director.

I’ve been to the restaurant twice and have had positive experiences both times. This last trip was highlighted by a perfectly cooked hanger steak ($27) preceded by an excellent shrimp salad ($16) that was just large enough to share with my wife. The highlight though wa the $75 bottle of 2000 Poggio Antico Brunello di Montalcino which was a perfect pairing with our meats and at $75 was priced at retail. This wine would have been at least $100 or more elsewhere and I would have passed on it at that price. Here, you can get it and feel like it’s a splurge.

2005 Dashwood Sauvignon Blanc (New Zealand)

This minerally white Sauvignon Blanc is very crisp with floral notes and lemon citrus. This wine doesn’t have the “zing” that I’ve seen in other Sauvignon Blancs but it goes down smooth and easy. A great everyday wine, especially for the price.

The 2004 Dashwood was one of my favorite New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs. I don’t think the 2005 is quite as good. It does lack that zing that I liked in the first, but I still think this is a fantastic value that I’d keep on hand.

It can be found around the city, including Sherry Lehmann where they sell it for $12 and that might be the high end price.

Blind Tasting of 2004 Rieslings and various Merlots with Brian & Lisa

Blind wine tasting can yield some unexpected surprises. This was the lesson learned recently when my wife Tahirih and I got together with our friends Brian and Lisa to compare three bottles of 2004 Riesling and three bottles of Merlot across a couple vintages. I was in charge of bringing two bottles each of the Riesling and merlot while Brian and Lisa took care of one bottle each and the food. Tahirih was charged with hiding the identity of the wines by placing them in paper bags and labeling then by number. She was the only one from the group who knew the identity of the wines.

My first mistake going into this was thinking that I could clearly guess the wines before their true identities were revealed and I basically succeeded with the Rieslings.

In the end we tasted the 2004 Martha Clara Riesling from the Northfork of Long Island, the 2004 Ravines Riesling from the Finger Lakes, and the 2004 Piesporter Goldtropfchen Riesling Kabinett from Weingut Reuscher Haart in Mosel Valley Germany.

The 2004 Martha Clara was almost clear in color with notes of honeydew, melon, citrus, and pear. It was very minerally and acidic with a touch of tartness. It’s a complex wine with a few different things going on and thus not a great balance in my opinion. However, it’s acidity would make it great for Chinese food. Overall, not my favorite of the bunch. It was purchased by Brian and Lisa at the winery for $xx.

The 2004 Ravines Riesling was more golden in color with a slightly flinty and minerally nose mixed in with cantaloupe. There was a good balance between the acidity and the flavor. Smooth and crisp. It was a little more of a one-note wine as compared to the Santa Clara but I liked it a little more.

The 2004 Piesporter Goldtropfchen Riesling Kabinett was fantastic. Light gold in color with notes of leeche, pineapple, and a little bit of honey. There’s a little bit of zing at the beginning and then moves to a smooth, nicely balanced wine with a medium-light body. It was a classic Riesling.

I was able to guess which wine was which during the blind tasting but partially only because I had glimpsed the gold aluminum around the Ravines and deduced the German wine because it was just too distinctive compared to the rest.

As for the wines, I preferred the Piesporter Goldtropfchen followed by the Ravines and then the Martha Clare. More importantly, I learned the differenced between most domestic Rieslings and the German variety. German Rieslings tend to be less acidic, smoother, and with more body while the New York wines were more crisp and had a certain “zippiness” to them. Tahirih and Lisa also preferred the German wine while Brian like the cleanness of the Ravines.

The Merlots were a revelation to me. I provided a 2003 Pesano Merlot made by Falesco from Umbria, Italy along with a 2001 Chateau Mayne-Vieil from the Fronsac region of Bordeaux, a 90% Merlot-10% Cabernet Franc blend. Brian and Lisa contributed a non-vintage Collina 48 from Macari Vineyards in Long Island.

The 2003 Pesano was dark red/inky in color with lots of oak and secondary layers of strawberry and dark cheery. It was slightly acidic and just a little out of balance but still nice overall. Just not smooth.

The 2001 Mayne-Vieil was more brick red in color with notes of menthe, crème de cassis, and hints of cedar along with a peppery element. This was also more tannic but better balanced than the Pesano. Overall very good.

However, the NV Collina from Macari was a revelation in a way. It was dark cherry in color with notes of tobacco, cedar, and blackberry with a certain earthiness to it all. There was a very nice balance of tannin and acidity. Medium bodied with a nice long finish.

The revelation was this. I thought immediately it was the Bordeaux and I was convinced of this and I LOVE Bordeaux. In addition, I’ve never fallen for any Long Island wine and I think it’s one of the most over hyped regions from my New York City perspective.

I thought the Collina 48 was by far the best of the Merlots and was shocked when Tahirih revealed its identity. That’s the beauty of the blind tasting!

We all thought the Collina was the best of the bunch. Brian and I like the Mayne-Vieil 2nd best while Tahirih and Lisa liked the Pesano.

My lesson learned here is to maybe give Long Island another shot.

All in all they were good wines with no real duds but the bottom line is that we all had a great time and can’t wait to do this again. Thanks to Brian and Lisa for providing the wonderful food too!

Where to buy: Sherry Lehmann carries the Pesano ($14), Mayne Vieil ($12), and Piesporter Goldtropfchen ($16). The Ravines was bought at GCP Liqours in Elmire, NY for $14 but it’s Vintage New York may carry it in the future. Both the Martha Clara ($15) and the Collina 48 ($10) can be bought at their respective wineries.

2003 Belle Glos Pinot Noir “Clark & Telephone Vineyard” (Santa Barbara)

The 2003 Belle Glos Pinot Noir “Clark & Telephone Vineyard” is from the Santa Maria Valley in Santa Barbara.

The wine is light red in color with a cedar and tobacco aroma. As for the fruit, it’s a jammy wine with strawberry and red cherry. It’s a bit hollow on the palate with a medium finish.

Wine Spectator gave this wine a somewhat harsh score of 77 out of 100. While I don’t know if I would have given it a 77 were I a professional wine taster, I do agree that overall this wine is a lacking when compared to some of the other Central Coast Pinots I’ve tasted.

Sherry Lehmann carries this for $40 and at that price, I’d look elsewhere. There are too many other good Pinots competing for our dollars to make me want to give this one another try although it may improve with some bottle age.

2000 Poggio Antico (Brunello di Montalcino - Tuscany)

Poggio Antico is one of my personal favorites when it comes to my somewhat limited experience with Brunellos. However, from what I have tasted from this producer, I’ve yet to be disappointed.

The 2000 Poggio Antico is very dark red in color. There’s a smoky characteristic on the nose with notes of cedar and tobacco. Dark fruit is prevalent with what I thought were notes of blackberry but there are also hints of chocolate. It’s a big wine with a long, lingering finish. However, even for its size, it still shows some finesse. I would recommend decanting for at least an hour before serving. I think this is an excellent wine although I’ve liked other vintages a little bit better including the 1999.

I was able to taste this wine at Landmarc, a restaurant in Tribeca which has an excellent wine program where they offer most of their wines at very close to retain price. This cost $75 which is very close to the wine’s suggested retail price. In fact, Zachy’s sells this for $75 while Morrell’s has it for $65.

Landmarc (Tribeca)

Landmarc, located at 179 West Broadway in Tribeca has one of the more progressive wine lists in the city and in my opinion, has some of the best grilled meats around.

First the wine. One of Landmarc’s virtues is what they call their “wine program” which is really just a fancy way of saying that the vast majority of their wines are priced at retail or just slightly above. In addition, they do not serve wine by the glass in order to avoid serving anyone a wine that’s sat on the shelf for too long. To make up for this, they have an extensive list of ½ bottles. Personally, I wish all restaurants followed this philosophy.

Second is the food where I believe they really excel at grilled meats and especially lamb and steak. However, their selections of salads and seafood are also strong.

The décor is heavy on the exposed brink with modern touches to the bar area and seating. The back of the restaurant has an open grill where you can watch the hanger steak sizzling away. The biggest complaint is the bar area is on the small side which can be somewhat of an issue as the wait can typically be an hour plus on busy nights. They do not take reservations.

The wait staff is young and are fine when it comes to helping with food. However, don’t expect high quality assistance with the wine unless you talk specifically with the sommelier/beverage director.

I’ve been to the restaurant twice and have had positive experiences both times. This last trip was highlighted by a perfectly cooked hanger steak ($27) preceded by an excellent shrimp salad ($16) that was just large enough to share with my wife. The highlight though wa the $75 bottle of 2000 Poggio Antico Brunello di Montalcino which was a perfect pairing with our meats and at $75 was priced at retail. This wine would have been at least $100 or more elsewhere and I would have passed on it at that price. Here, you can get it and feel like it’s a splurge.

Vinovino (Tribeca)

Vinovino is a relatively wine venture in Tribeca which combines an attractive and sleak wine bar with a trendy wine store which has a small, by most standards, but select selection of wines not found in your typical wine store. They best part, you can sample a wine at the bar and then walk right into the store and purchase a bottle to take home.

What they’ve done with the approximately 20 by 30 foot space is divide it down the middle for the first 3/4th of the store with a glass wall from floor to ceiling. On the left side as you walk in, there are banquettes and small coffee tables along the side wall and on the right hand side is the store. The store is very orderly and neatly kept up. Afterall, its wide open for all to see. The back of the space opens up to allow space for the bar itself and a few more tables. It’s a very relaxing place for an after work drink and I’ve never seen it too crowded.

The wine list has plenty to choose from with about 20 whites and reds by the glass to choose from including a small selection of dessert wines and even sake. In addition, you can choose a selection of cheeses, cured meats, and even pate to nibble on.

During our visit, we had a red Châteauneuf du Pape and a white German Riesling.

The Châteauneuf du Pape was the 2001 Chante Cigale which was an earthy wine with deep red color and a spicy nose. There were notes of dark fruit, smoke, tobacco, and even truffles. The texture was soft and lush with a long finish. The wine sells for $12 a glass or $40 a bottle in the wine bar. However, you can have it for $32 from the store if you want to take it home.

The white was a 2004 Grunhauser Riesling Spatlese Maximin from Mousel Saar Ruwar. It was off dry and slightly sweet with floral notes along with honey, apricots and a touch of lemon. Nice zing of acidity. An overall lovely wine that sells for $11 a glass or $40 a bottle in the bar but a much less $25 from the store.

Overall, a very enjoyable place to go and worth a visit if you’re in the area.

Food Network Party at Bar Americain (Midtown)

One of the perks of my job working in media is the corporate party and one of the best corporate parties I’ve attended was Food Network’s Revealing of The Next Food Network Star hosted by Bobby Flay at his restaurant Bar Americain in mid-town Manhattan.

The restaurant was closed to the public for the party and the place was packed with about two hundred people including Food Network chefs, contestants from the show, advertisers, and executives from the network.

However, the real focus was on the food. Hors d'oeuvres included an amazing array of fresh raw oysters, lobster and avocado in a citrus vinaigrette, shrimp in pesto sauce, sautéed wild mushrooms on toast, mini crabcakes, pulled pork in BBQ sauce of toast, and rotisserie chicken. The buffet included cauliflower in gratin, yellow corn in cream sauce, halibut with avocado salsa, beef tenderloin, and spicy BBQ chicken. Desserts included an incredible array of chocolate goodies including dark chocolate brownies with hazelnuts and cherry and almond cookies with raspberry.

While the wines at events like these are pretty innocuous, the liquor was top shelf and I was able to finagle two glasses of fantastic port that I probably would have not otherwise ordered on my own.

The Ports

The first was a full bodied 1980 Warre that tasted like pure blueberries to me with a nice long finish.

The second was a 1997 Churchill which was pure crème de cassis, more medium bodied with a medium long finish,

Both were excellent in my opinion but I thought the 1980 Warre was more unique to my experience of ports.

Overall, the party was a fantastic experience and the food presented at Bar Americain was so good that I would definitely return for a “real” visit for dinner.

2000 Bordeaux Dinner at the Biltmore Room (Chelsea)

It’s not often that I get a chance to taste wines that I would never ever be able to afford under my current financial state.

That’s why when I found out about a 2000 Bordeaux dinner at the Biltmore Room in Chelsea , I jumped at the chance. Reason number one was the price. It was $165 per person which is significantly less that the typical $300+ dinners I’ve seen elsewhere. Reason number two was this list of wines they were pouring, They included Latour, Haut Brion, Ausone, Valandraud, Lafite, and Mouton. The Ausone along is selling for around $700 a bottle and the rest aren’t that far behind.

However, some things are too good to be true.

We were also looking forward to having dinner at the Biltmore Room which received three stars from the New York Times when it was reviewed in 2003 by
William Grimes. The meal did not disappoint. The décor of the restaurant was amazing as they incorporated gilded arches, marble, and the revolving door from the original Biltmore Hotel which was demolished in 1981. The space itself is worth the visit alone.

Our 5 course dinner did not disappoint. The first course was Sashimi of Fluke and Green Almonds followed by Holland White Asperagas. These as appetizers were fantastic. The Asperagas along was so fresh that I was amazed they were able to find vegetables of that quality in March. Our “pre-entre” was a Marjoram Scented Grilled Quail which which was good enough that for me the dinner could have ended there. However, ending the meal was Algerian Spiced Roast of Rack Lamb which aside from being on the the best cuts of meat I’ve had, was also cooked to perfection. It was rare but the meat itself was so tender, I probably could have eated it raw. Finishing off everything was a soft cheese, Brillat Savarin which was paired with the last two wines of the evening.

The wines…. Well…. They were fantiastic overall but not the ones advertised. For one, missing where the Haut Brion, Latour, AND Ausone! The very wines I was probably looking forward to the most. Because of that, it certainly felt like false advertising.

However, the wines we did have were nothing to sneeze at. They included the white Laville Haut Brion, Valandraud, Angelus and the promised Lafite and Mouton Rothschild.

The Wines

The 2000 Laville Haut Brion was fantastic. This Sémillon is very stylish and full bodied with an oaky nose, minerality, and melon. This was really different from any other Bordeaux based white that I’ve ever had. Fantastic.

The 2000 Valandraud was the one wine during the dinner I was just a little disappointed in. However, it’s all a matter of context. Had I drank this wine on its own, I probably would have loved it but up against the likes of Lafite and Mouton, its flaws where exposed. The wine was tannic and you could tell it needed a little bit of bottle age. However, this wine was so tannic with a very oaky nose that it was hard to tell if the black fruit underneath would emerge with time. It definitely needs more time to develop as all these reds did.

The 2000 Angelus was fantastic and the most accessible of all the wines tasted. It was very dark garnet in color with notes of crème de casis. Very full bosied and rich with an incredibly long finish. This is the bottle I would feel ok about opening now.

The big boys of the tasting were the 2000 Lafite Rothschild and Mouton Rothschild.

The 2000 Lafite was pure elegance and austerity. It was dark garnet in color with notes of minterality/graphite on the nose all intermingles with black fruit, currant, and tobacco. An amazingly long finish. Very flavorful right now but there’s a big tannic quality to this wine right now. It’ll last forever.

The 2000 Mouton Rothshild….. I would step out on a limb and say this is one of the best wines I’ve ever tasted. This wine was surprisingly soft, velvety and elegant for a still young wine with loads of black currant and coffee notes. It’s dense and is another wine that will probably last forever. For example, some suggest that it needs at least 24 hours of decanting and even that might not be enough. Very very long finish.

Overall, these wines were great and I relished the opportunity to taste them. Still, I feel a bit jipped that the Latour, Ausone, and Haut Brion were not represented and if I do this again, I would call ahead of time to confirm the wines.

2004 Standing Store Vidal Ice (Finger Lakes)

Standing Stone, a winery in the Finger Lakes region of New York offers one of the best values in dessert wines with their Vidal Ice. The wine is made from vidal blanc grapes and rather than letting the grapes freeze on the vine as would be required with a true “ice wine”, they pick the grapes after the leaves have dropped from the vines and then they commercially freeze them just before the crush. The resulting wine is full of sweet nectar fruit such as apricots and nectarines with a honey nose and zing. This is a really mouthwatering wine that doesn’t have the cloying finish of many other dessert wines. It consistently earns a 90 score from Wine Spectator. Alcohol level is approximately 12% with 21% of residual sugar.

Vintage New York in the city carries the wine for $27 at both their Soho and Upper West side stores. It can also be bought directly from the Standing Store website for $25 or at the winery. One nice thing about the Standing Stone website is that they list where in New York State you can wine their wines at either retail stores or in restaurants.
Finally, while researching this wine, I came across a podcast from The Wine Scout where Patricia, the woman behind the site, interviews Marti Macinski, the owner of Standing Store. It’s worth a listen and the site itself is worth checking out.

2000 Hochar (Lebanon)

The 2000 Hochar is from the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon. It is the second wine of Chateau Musar which has often been compared as being in the same category as a 3rd-5th growth Bordeaux.

The wine has strong notes of cedar and spice with a nice lingering cherry taste. It’s brick red in color with a soft texture and medium finish.

It is currently available for $20 from the Chelsea Wine Vault in the Chelsea Market but that is the only shop I’ve seen it in.

2004 Domaine Sauvion "Les Ombelles" (Loire Valley)

The 2004 ''Les Ombelles'' Pouilly-Fume from Domaine Sauvion is a crisp clean wine with some minerality and notes of light citrus. It’s pale yellow in color with a round texture. Overall, good but not a great wine. I’ve had fantastic New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs lately that I like more, the 2004 Dashwood and 2005 Babich are two that come to mind.

However, it’s getting harder and harder to find Pulley Fume’s for less than $20 and I do think this is a decent expression of the region and might not be a bad starting point for someone just learning about these Loire Valley wines.

This was $16 at Sherry Lehmann (http://www.sherry-lehmann.com/) which is the only store I’ve seen it for sale at.

2004 Ravines House White (Finger Lakes)

Ravines Wine Cellars (www.ravineswinecellars.com) a Finger Lakes Winery in Hammondsport, NY where it sits along the Eastern Shore of Keuka Lake. They make a total of seven wines, the best of which is their Riesling. The owner and wine maker used to work at Dr. Konstantin Frank (www.drfrankwines.com) and then moved on to open this venture just a couple years ago.

In addition to the Riesling and a Chardonnay on the white end, they also make a House White. The 2004 version is pale yellow in color with citrus notes with lighter notes of apricots and peach. It’s a crisp wine with just a tad of sweetness. It would make a great companion to Chinese take-out.