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Archive for March 2014

Time for Everything

Mar31

mza_6650942485853558696Title: About Time

Director/Stars: Domhnall Gleeson (Actor), Rachel McAdams (Actor), Richard Curtis (Director)

Genre: Family Drama?

Watched: March 21-22 15, 2014

Summary: Confused, and def not SciFi!

_

About Time represents one of those all to frequent films where the expectations of the studio and the filmmaker have about zero overlap. What the studio seemed to have wanted, and attempted to market (despite the reality of the actual film) was a romantic comedy. What they got, was something a bit confused. Basically, a wish fulfillment fantasy (not Fantasy, but a fantasy) about family and quirky characters. Oh, and it has a time travel gimmick and is from Richard Curtis, of Four Weddings and a Funeral fame.

As a film, About Time is populated by some good acting (particularly by the ever-excellent Bill Nighy), some humor, and some nice sentiments, coupled with a stunning absence of conflict or jeopardy and plot holes the size of the Titanic. Still, it’s not awful to watch or anything.

As Science Fiction, or a time travel movie, well that’s another matter. And it’s this last I feel the need to comment on, or if not need, obligation, given my relationship to the genre (see my own time travel novel). Time travel in this film really is a gimmick, and not one that is particularly well thought out. Sure, at times it’s amusing enough, as when Tim, our protagonist, patches together his relationship with his soul mate out of at least 3 distinct tries. Slightly Groundhog Day, the rules are never really worked or explained. When Tim loses his perfect first date because he needs to fix his landlord’s broken play on the same night, he has to try again with the girl differently — but the audience is left guessing as to why. The rules themselves seems to change at a whim. He (and his dad) spend oodles of time in the past, but never seem to age doing so. We are told he can never go to the future — but clearly he comes back from the past. He travels alone — except exactly twice. Once, with his also time traveling dad (fine) and then truly mysteriously, once bringing along (and returning) his sister?!? This trip in particular makes no sense. Not only does he bring another person (how?), but it allows for a sideways reality of several years, but when he learns (from dad) that this loses him his kid (in the present), he  goes and fixes it back with no explanation or film time. If there is so much jeopardy (losing one’s kid because of the butterfly effect of random sperm) then how can he fix it so easily? And if fixed, where’s the jeopardy?

The gimmick does manage to briefly capture about 5% of the pathos factor of visiting someone dead and lost with his father (during and after) said father’s demise (mostly on the strength of Nighy’s acting) — but again, the pathos is drawn out by the lack of any consistent attention to the rules. Supposedly, Tim can’t visit his dead father in the past anymore because he can’t cross the barrier of his third child’s birth, yet on his last visit, the two of them hop off twenty years into the past (crossing numerous birth barriers) with nary a thought. Plus, he already (as mentioned above) fixed one such barrier goof.

Oh, yeah, then the big kicker is, that despite the fact that his time manipulations have only been used to fix things, and have never previously messed anything up (that hasn’t been then fixed), our protagonist decides at the end of the film to just stop using the powers, because now he “appreciates everyday so much he doesn’t need them.”

I call B.S.

For more Film reviews, click here.

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Related posts:

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By: agavin
Comments (2)
Posted in: Movies
Tagged as: About Time, Bill Nighy, Domhnall Gleeson, Rachel McAdams, Richard Curtis, Time travel

Apocalypse Dhou

Mar28

Restaurant: Ngoc Gia Trang

Location: Mekon Delta

Date: March 23, 2014

Cuisine: Vietnamese

Rating: Crispy Elephant Ear fish!

_

Hundreds of miles of  snaking river was like a circuit cable plugged straight into…


A good meal.

Low and behold, after snaking up the (now) bucolic byways of the Mekon delta, we come across (well, our guide takes us to) this lovely little luncheon (and a low water table, good thing its not mosquito season).


We got the special lunch.


The specialty here is the crispy Elephant Ear Fish. I’ve never quite seen this prep, pinioned up for display.


Like the fish we get at the good Vietnamese place back in LA, and much of Vietnamese cuisine in general, it’s intended to be eatern wrapped in rice paper with various condiments: basil, mint, baby banana, onions, etc.


You take this, roll it up tight, and dip it in fish sauce.


The fish might look like a piranha, but the human piranhas sure got to it.


The soft rice paper rolls are filled with crispy pork skin and the meat is a delicious roast pork. Awesome.


On the left are Vietnamese tater tots, or more specifically, fried sticky rice balls. On the right are fish balls (like gefilte fish) coated in puffed rice.


Special soup, which is a simple broth with fish balls.


And one adds these fresh noodles.


For dessert, a small local breed of banana.

Overall, an unexpected (and delicious find deep in the jungle).

For more Vietnam dining reviews, click here.

Related posts:

  1. Eating Saigon – Hoa Tuc
  2. Taking back Little Saigon
  3. Phong Dinh – Hedonists go Vietnamese
  4. Good Morning Vietnam
  5. Food as Art: Little Saigon
By: agavin
Comments (0)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: eating-vietnam, fish, Fish sauce, Ho Chi Minh City, Mekon Delta, Mekong Delta, Vietnam, Vietnamese cuisine

Eating Saigon – Hoa Tuc

Mar26

Restaurant: Hoa Tuc

Location: 74/7 Hai Ba Trung, Dist. 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Date: March 22, 2014

Cuisine: Vietnamese

Rating: Fresh flavors

_

For our first real dinner in Vietnam a friend of ours sent us down the street to this upscale Vietnamese place (imagine that — in Vietnam no less!). Although, actually, there does appear to be a wide variety of Japanese, Chinese, and other cuisines in Ho Chi Minh City.


The interior is nice and there is a lovely patio outside for those willing to brave the 80 something evening.







The menus here seem to be gigantic.


Shrimp chips take the place of bread on the table.


And in true Vietnamese form every dish comes with its own sauce. Left peanut, top tamarind (with chili), right sweet, fish chili, on the bottom salt and lime.


Fresh spring rolls with pork and white rice noodle. In America, we’d call these Saigon spring rolls. Well, how apropos. Here they are delicious. An immunologist I know told me to stay away from any leafy washed vegetables — but since that would meaning eating only Pho, we throw caution to the wind and enjoy these delicious puppies (with the peanut sauce).


Fresh homemade tofu pan fried in light batter with mint, chili, and lime. Very light and fluffy.


RYO – char grilled beef in betel leaves with white noodles and rice paper. A bit of each of the wild collection of greens, some noodles, and one of the beef rolls are all assembled in a sheet of rice paper, rolled, and dipped in the fish sauce. In that pile are baby banana slices, star anise, mint, basil, cucumber and more. The combo tastes great. Very fresh and bright.


Mini rice and coconut pancakes with shrimp and spring onions. Another pile of greens! Also very soft and interesting flavors.


BBQ sea bass with avocado mango salsa. A nice light fish.


Chicken wings in a sweet chili sauce. Yummy, like Vietnamese fried chicken.


Braised duck leg in mandarin zest and ginger sauce. Tasty, but a little hard to saw the meat off the bone.


Prawns fried in “green rice” with passionfruit dipping sauce. The green rice turned out to be puffed rice, much like rice crispies!


Passion fruit custard. Yum!

Red bean and black sesame rice balls. Very asian, warm and sticky.


Banana fritter with vanilla ice cream.

Overall, a tasty meal full of bright delicious flavors.

For more Vietnam dining reviews, click here.

Related posts:

  1. Food as Art: Little Saigon
  2. Taking back Little Saigon
  3. Good Morning Vietnam
  4. Quick Eats: Chan Dara
  5. Red Medicine is the Cure
By: agavin
Comments (1)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: bbq, eating-vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City, Hoa Tuc, Saigon, spring roll, Vietnam, Vietnamese cuisine

Good Morning Vietnam

Mar23

Restaurant: Hotel Intercontinental Saigon

Location: Saigon

Date: March 22-24, 2014

Cuisine: Vietnamese / International

Rating: First rate buffet

_

Having arrived at 2am, my first meal of the trip was breakfast, in this case at our hotel, the Intercontinental Saigon. Right off the bat the buffet looked impressive.


Fresh squeezed juices.


Cane sugar syrup for sweetener!


The French presence in Vietnam may have been miserable for the country, but it did leave them an excellent baking tradition. The custard stuffed beignets on the left were particularly delicious.


Cereals.

Bread.

A selection of nice meats and cheeses.


Including pate (at least two sorts).


Smoked fish.

Various salads, including kimchi.


And exotic (and not so exotic) fruits.

Stewed fruits.


Enough with that healthy stuff, onto the seared pork products.


And the omelet station.


But it’s really the Asian fare I came for.


Baked beans!


Two kinds!


Then corn and chicken.

And Vietnamese beef stew.


Indian curry.

Stir-fried noodles.


Veggies and Char Sui (fatty BBQ pork). Great pork BTW.


Chicken and veggies.


Special coconut sticky rice.


Glazed ham.


Every Chinese’s favorite breakfast: congee (rice porridge).


With the toppings…


like thousand year old egg.


And this other pickled egg.

Or pork bits. No grubs though (a favorite in China).


Pork meatballs with fish sauce (excellent).

Condiments for this soup station.

And two kinds of noodles for the soup.

And wantons.

Which all combines like this. Really nice.


For the Japanese, some sushi (mostly various pickles).


And chicken teriyaki.

Tamago (Japanese omelet).


Then a build your own miso station. This buffet loves soups!


Tofu with mince pork.

And various trimmings.


The result tasted lovely, Very interesting blend of fresh and savory flavors.


Condiments for beef rolls.

More.


And more.

The actual beef rolls themselves.


And assembled with all the trimmings on the plate. You pour fish sauce over this and eat.


because we haven’t had enough soup (or choices), the Pho station.


Which comes out like this. Fresh noodles, beef, and lots of sweet and sour flavor!


If you’ve any room left, there is always some dessert!

What you can only partially tell from the photos is that this is a buffet managed with meticulous care. Everything tastes great!

For more Vietnam dining reviews, click here.

Related posts:

  1. Taking back Little Saigon
  2. Quick Eats: Chan Dara
  3. Food as Art: Little Saigon
  4. Quick Eats: Tofu Ya
  5. Din Tai Fung Dumpling House
By: agavin
Comments (2)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Asia, eating-vietnam, Ho Chi Minh, Ho Chi Minh City, Hotel Intercontinental Saigon, Travel and Tourism, Vietnam

Chinese at 20,000 feet

Mar21

Restaurant: Air China First Class

Location: somewhere over Alaska

Date: March 20, 2014

Cuisine: Chinese?

Rating: not bad for a plane

_

So to open up the first meal of my 2014 Asia trip what better than some plane food, in this case, Air China First Class (yay miles) on the way over Alaska.


‘nuf said.

Our menu this afternoon.


2011 Hospices de Beaune Volnay 1er Cru Cuvée Blondeau. 88 points. The nose was dominated by oak, which continued to distract on the palate. But to find a 1re cru Burg on a plane? Way too young, but nice pinot notes.


A number of small appetizers.


Shrimp with prosciutto.

A number of cured meats, mayo, cheese, etc things which tasted decent but are a bit odd to the modern American palette. The left might be pastrami!


And a tuna and salmon one.


Then round two, more Chinese style.


Baby octopus. Quite tasty, but not for the squeamish.


Cured duck (tasted like ham).

Fungus salad.


Double boiled winter melon soup.


I don’t know what is melon about this, but it has ham and mushrooms in the unami broth.


Sea bass with black bean sauce and Mongolian beef. The beef was good, but the sea bass was too mushy (not so surprising on a plane).


Rice.

A coconut cake.


Fruit.


And a gorgeous view of Mount McKinley (on the right of the two peaks). Tallest mountain from base to top in the world!


As we approached Beijing, a light snack.


Smoked salmon with salad.


Roasted duck noodle soup. Good stuff!


More fruit.

And a view of the Beijing smog! Kinda pretty when you can’t smell it.

Overall, a great start to the trip! Air China gets an A+, as that was a great first class. Now, I wouldn’t stack it up against a great restaurant, but it was solidly pleasant and compared to most plane food…

For more Asian dining reviews click here.

Related posts:

  1. Peking Duck at A-1 Chinese BBQ
By: agavin
Comments (11)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Air China, Alaska, Chinese cuisine, eating-vietnam, Hospices de Beaune, Mount McKinley, Travel, Volnay wine

Totorakuly Epic!

Mar13

Restaurant: Totoraku [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Location: 10610 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90064.

Date: March 12, 2014

Cuisine: Japanese Yakiniku

Rating: Best beef in town!

_

About twice a year my Hedonist group makes a regular pilgrimage to Totoraku, LA’s “secret beef” restaurant.  Toto (as its affectionatly known ) serves a refined version of Japanese Yakiniku, which is Beef BBQ originally from Korea but filtered through Japanese sensibility.

This time, after some of our 30 person mega dinners, we kept it to just 11 people and vetted the wines to an even higher standard, basically close to 100 points, high pedigree, age, or some combination thereof. As you’ll see, we really tore it up and in terms of pure pleasure this was the most epic Hedonist event yet.

The outside is basically a shell. The “Teriyaki House” has nothing to do with the food within, and the phone number is incorrect. The place is like a beef speakeasy!


NV Billecart-Salmon Rose. Parker 90. The NV Brut Rose emerges from the glass with the essence of freshly cut flowers, berries and minerals in a mid-weight, gracious style. It shows gorgeous inner perfume, along with persistent notes of chalkiness that frame the long, sublime finish. Year in, year out, this estate’s NV Brut Rose is one of the most consistently outstanding wines in the region.


The appetizer plate.


Jellyfish sunomono.


House made black sesame tofu.


Octopus and tomatoes.


On the left abalone (very tender), special marinated okra, and in the middle a yellowtail avocado roll.


2006 Agrapart & Fils Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Venus. Parker 95. The 2006 Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Venus brings together the best qualities of the house style. Rich yet weightless, the Venus impresses for its refined, layered personality. Sweet floral notes, Chamomile, spices and citrus resonate with tons of class and sheer personality. This is yet another great showing from Agrapart. The Venus is made from a tiny parcel in Avize measuring just 0.3 hectares and is farmed entirely by the horse for whom the wine is named.


Uni risotto balls on the right.


Shrimp with endive and caviar.


Mozzarella (or burrata?) with a bit of fruit and fish. On the right a very soft gelatinous thing that probably had some crab in it.


1970 Latour. Parker 98-85. The aromas suggest this wine has peaked with dusty notes of old leather, dried figs and grandma’s room. The tannins have gone a little powdery with the medium+ level of acidity taking centre stage in front of the remaining bits of fruit. Medium to long finish. Perhaps slightly past it but still provides an interesting glass.

agavin: I put in the unusual reverse order because this is a wine in decline, and even Parker has noted it. Our bottle tasted like chocolate coffee syrup. It was interesting, but pretty far gone.


Beef carpaccio with special salt, flowers, and some onion family derivative. Very yummy. This is eaten raw.


1985 Mouton-Rothschild. Parker 90. The rich, complex, well-developed bouquet of oriental spices, toasty oak, herbs, and ripe fruit is wonderful. On the palate, the wine is also rich, forward, long, and sexy. It ranks behind both Haut-Brion and Chateau Margaux in 1985. I am surprised by how evolved and ready to drink this wine is. Readers looking for a big, boldly constructed Mouton should search out other vintages, as this is a tame, forward, medium-weight wine that is close to full maturity. It is capable of lasting another 15+ years. This estate compares their 1985 to their 1959, but to me it is more akin to their 1962 or 1953.

agavin: Our bottle was in great shape and drinking very nicely. Still, this won’t be getting any better.

Two kinds of beef sashimi, eaten nearly raw. On the left beef tataki (rib eye) and on the right (in the cup) beef throat sashimi. Also on the plate is a bit of Korean style hot sauce (the red stuff), some intensely strong garlic (yum) and micro julienned ginger.

The throat was very chewy, more about texture. The rib eye soft and more flavorful. All went well with the garlic and ginger — I particularly liked the garlic.


1988 Lafleur. Parker 93. Consistently one of the strongest candidates for the wine of the vintage, Lafleur’s 1988 has a dark plum/ruby color and a gorgeous nose of white flowers intermixed with kirsch liqueur and raspberries. The wine is full-bodied, sweet, round, and beautifully pure, with moderate tannin, medium to full body, and great elegance and complexity. This wine has come around faster than I would have thought.

agavin: Still needs some time, but was pretty darn nice!


A raw beef dish. Marinated raw beef is seen here with ginger, raw egg, cucumber, daikon, pine nuts, and something orange. Apparently, this is a Korean dish called Yukhoe. Actually, I’ve had it at Korean places, but in any case it’s delicious.


The elements are mixed together and then eaten. It’s hard to describe why it’s so good, but it is, with a very complex flavor and texture interplay.


2004 Coche-Dury Meursault. Burghound 91.  Soft mineral reduction does not materially detract from the green fruit, citrus, stone and slightly smoky nose that introduces detailed, pure and attractively intense middle weight flavors that possess excellent vibrancy on the taut, linear and refined finish. This isn’t quite as complex or concentrated as the ’02 version (see herein) but the sheer persistence is most impressive. And in the same fashion as the 2002, this has reached an inflection point of maturity where it could be enjoyed now or held for a few more years depending on how one prefers aged white burgs. For my taste, I would hold this for another 2 to 4 years but many people will find the current state of maturity to be perfect now.

agavin: Burghound must hold Coche up to some very high magical standard, because even though this is a village wine it was fabulous, reduced, and just plain hedonistic.


As any regular Totoraku goer knows, any new dish is a big deal here, as the menu is very consistent. This is one of TWO new specials chef Kaz whipped up for us tonight, Sawara, a kind of Spanish Mackerel. It is considered  the best kind of Mackerel in Japan. Not only it is a big variety, but its comparatively white flesh is succulent in almost any kind of cooking! Here we have it miso marinated and raw. We lightly seared it on the grill and enjoyed!

Awesome and very rich!


2004 Chave Hermitage Blanc. Parker 95. The 2004 Hermitage blanc, which hit 15% natural alcohol, is another superb effort, continuing a succession of totally profound white Hermitages from 2003, 2004, and 2005. As many readers know, this small family producer has been making wine in Hermitage since 1481! The 2004 (about 1000 cases) reveals a light gold color, terrific finesse and elegance in spite of its enormous power, unctuosity, and richness. Of course, it is not as honeyed as the otherworldly 2003 (which hit 16% natural alcohol) but it is an amazingly full-bodied, powerful wine with pervasive honeysuckle, peach liqueur, and nectarine notes intermixed with licorice, quince, and acacia flowers. This is gorgeous wine which should evolve for 20-25 years.

agavin: Unfortunately our bottle was a little corked or oxidized.


Beef tongue with salt. After cooking, you dip it in lemon juice.


1989 Lynch Bages. Parker 99+. The 1989 has taken forever to shed its formidable tannins, but what a great vintage of Lynch Bages! I would rank it at the top of the pyramid although the 1990, 2000, and down the road, some of the more recent vintages such as 2005, 2009 and 2010 should come close to matching the 1989’s extraordinary concentration and undeniable aging potential. Its dense purple color reveals a slight lightening at the edge and the stunning bouquet offers classic notes of creme de cassis, subtle smoke, oak and graphite. Powerful and rich with some tannins still to shed at age 22, it is still a young adolescent in terms of its evolution and will benefit from another 4-5 years of cellaring. It should prove to be a 50 year wine.

agavin: Best Lynch ever, and still an awesome monster.


Filet Mignon with bell peppers, onions, and sisho pepper.


Filet on the grill.


1989 Latour. Parker 89. Neither the 1989 or 1990 wines has budged in quality or development since I first tasted them in cask. I am still disappointed by the 1989, wondering how this chateau produced an elegant, medium-weight wine that seems atypically restrained for Latour. The deep ruby color is followed by a wine with surprisingly high acidity and hard tannin, but not the depth, richness, and power expected from this great estate. This closed wine is admittedly in need of 5-6 years of cellaring, but what is so alarming is its lack of weight, ripeness, and intensity, particularly when compared to the 1990. I suspect there is more than what has been revealed in recent tastings, but this looks to be an excellent as opposed to outstanding wine. In the context of the vintage, it is a disappointment.

agavin: I’d certainly give our bottle better than an 89, but I’d probably agree that Lynch made a better wine in 89!


Outside rib eye with special salt and garlic.


On the grill.


Inside rib eye.


The inside rib eye on the grill.


1998 Lafite-Rothschild. Parker 98. A blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon and 19% Merlot, this wine represents only 34% of Lafite’s total harvest. In a less than perfect Medoc vintage, it has been spectacular since birth, putting on more weight and flesh over the last year. This opaque purple-colored 1998 is close to perfection. The spectacular nose of lead pencil, smoky, mineral, and black currant fruit soars majestically from the glass. The wine is elegant yet profoundly rich, revealing the essence of Lafite’s character. The tannin is sweet, and the wine is spectacularly layered yet never heavy. The finish is sweet, super-rich, yet impeccably balanced and long (50+ seconds).

agavin: This was a contentious wine at our table. I loved it, thinking it had tons of complex character. Some thought it was corked (there was a hint on the nose but I didn’t taste it).


Short rib. It was certainly good, very salted.


The “salad.” Cucumbers, carrots, daikon. They are served with this spicy sweet miso dip. The vegetables do help to move along the fat and protein heavy meat.


Momotaro tomatoes with a vinaigrette. These are supposedly incredibly good tomatoes, as a hater, I didn’t try them. I think Oyama-san gets them from some special place in Orange Country.


From my cellar: 2000 Chateau Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape Hommage A Jacques Perrin. Parker 97. The 2000 Chateauneuf du Pape Hommage a Jacques Perrin is a blend of 60% Mourvedre, 20% Grenache, 10% Counoise, and 10% Syrah, the standard blend for this cuvee except for the 1998, which had 60% Grenache and only 20% Mourvedre. The 2000 possesses an impenetrable black/purple color as well as a sumptuous bouquet of melted licorice, creosote, new saddle leather, blackberry and cherry fruit as well as roasted meats. Sweet and full-bodied, with great intensity, huge power, and a finish that lasts for 67 seconds by my watch, this is an amazing tour de force in winemaking. Even in a flattering, forward-styled vintage such as 2000, it will need 7-8 years of cellaring.

agavin: I’m biased, but this was my favorite wine of the night. It was just staggering.


1982 Penfolds Grange. Parker 97. The 1982 is another superb example of that. One of the jammiest, most precocious Granges when it was released, it has never gone through a closed stage and continues to drink beautifully. A full-bodied, opulent Grange, it reveals an inky/purple color to the rim as well as a beautiful nose of crushed blueberries, blackberries, smoke, toast, roasted herbs, and road tar. This dense, plush, expansive, seamless, seductive 1982 has not changed much since I had it nearly a decade ago.

agavin: Also fab, but amazingly (for a 32 year old), it could go for decades more.


You have to special order the lamb, which like all of Kaz’s meats, is pretty wonderful.


Grilling up the chops.


One hell of a chop.

2004 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Falletto. Parker 96. Giacosa’s 2004 Barolo Falletto is so compelling it will be hard not to drink it in its youth. This gorgeous Barolo reveals a deeply structured frame layered with sweet dark fruit, mint, spice and pine. At once delicate and powerful, it is a beautifully finessed wine that is sure to provide much pleasure. A recent bottle of the 1982 is a testament to the virtues of this great site as interpreted by Bruno Giacosa.

agavin: too young.


Skirt steak.


Grilling.

2002 Torbreck Run Rig. Parker 99. The 2002 Run Rig (97% Shiraz and 3% Viognier aged in 100% new French oak) represents the essence of old vine Barossa fruit. Extraordinarily opulent and rich, but playing it closer to the vest than the 2001, it gets my nod as one of the most remarkable wines made in either the Southern or Northern Hemisphere. An inky/purple color is accompanied by a sumptuous bouquet of apricots, honeysuckle, black raspberries, blackberries, licorice, and a hint of roasted meats. The wood has been soaked up by the wine’s extraordinary concentration. Fashioned from four sectors of Barossa (Maranaga, Koonunga Hill, Moppa, and Greenock), it spent 30 months in primarily new oak, and was bottled without fining or filtration.

agavin: also massive and delicious.


Here is our second “newcommer” for tonight. Bacon!!!!! Specially marinated.


And grilled up. Amazing!

2001 Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard. Parker 99. More mature and evolved (or maybe it just has more to it), the 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vineyard tastes like a great vintage of Pontet-Canet or Mouton Rothschild. This profound Napa Cabernet Sauvignon reveals gorgeous notes of creme de cassis, a celestial floral and espresso character, an inky/purple color, a dense full-bodied mouthfeel and hints of wood smoke and a volcanic/burning ember note. Quite intense with a prodigious mouthfeel and a nearly 60-second finish, this wine can be drunk now or cellared for another quarter of a century. Bravo!

agavin: Massive!


Hmm, can’t remember which meat this was. Too much wine!


Or this one.

1978 Rieussec. Parker 82. The 1978 Rieussec just missed the mark. While quite good, it is not special. Too alcoholic, and a trifle too heavy and overblown, this wine has a nice honeyed character and rich, unctuous flavors, but evidences little botrytis.

agavin: Parker didn’t love it. It certainly isn’t perfect, but we sure enjoyed it!

There was also a 1903 port that I forgot to photo! The bottle was two thirds empty from evaporation but the wine was amazing.


Toto serves homemade ice creams and sorbets as dessert.


So chaotic was this giant night that they brought out all five flavors on each  plate and just placed them about the tables. I like the ice creams better than the sorbets here. The white chocolate was fantastic. Still, it’s all great.

Notice the smokey haze

And this place IS all about the beef, which is arguably some of the best I’ve ever had. Certainly the best yakiniku/Korean BBQ I’ve ever had. There is a perfect tenderness to every cut that’s fairly transcendant. I’m not even that much of a steak fan — but I’d take this stuff any time over even a spectacular cut from Mastros or Cut. The food here does not vary much from visit to visit. There is no menu. The quality however is utterly consistant. So while it isn’t an everyday sort of dining experience, perhaps once every 6-9 months, I love to return for my fix.

This evening was our best time yet. The limited number of people (11), the quality of the wines, and our discipline in pouring them in order really upped the ante. Toto is always fun, but when we have 25-30 people it’s so crazy you can’t even keep track of the wines (let alone the conversation). In that circumstance if someone grabs a bottle away it’s gone forever. Here, it will go around easily and still have a couple inches left for seconds.

We also struck up a couple conversations at adjacent tables and swapped some wines (scoring an 89 Mouton and something else great).

A spectacular evening — really, truly, deeply epic. It was about 5 hours of mind boggling wines and crazy beef.

Me with chef/owner Kaz Oyama. Obviously, he was sharing in the wine!

More crazy Hedonist adventures or

LA dining reviews click here.

Related posts:

  1. Epic Hedonism at Totoraku
  2. Totoraku Double Meat Madness
  3. Totoraku – Hedonists Beef Up
  4. Hedonists at STK
  5. First Growths First
By: agavin
Comments (6)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: beef, hedonists, Japanese cuisine, lamb, Meat, Parker, pork, sawara, secret beef, Totoraku, Yakiniku

Game of Thrones Draws Near

Mar09

Tonight (3/9/14) HBO  released yet another Game of Thrones season 4 trailer:

I’m really loving this one, certainly makes the season look pretty awesome. I particularly like the character driven approach that emphasizes the big themes and moral ambiguity. GOT, despite being Fantasy fan boy fodder, is really one of the most adult shows on television. And I mean that in the best way. Martin really touched on a lot of universal themes of power and family and the showrunners have chosen to underline them.

Oh, and on 3/18/14, they gave us another one (below)!

If you liked this post, follow me at:

My novels: The Darkening Dream and Untimed

or all my Game of Thrones posts or episode reviews:

Season 1: [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]

Season 2: [11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20]

Season 3: [21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30]

Season 4: [31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40]

Season 5: [41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50]

Season 6: [51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57]

Kit-Harington-as-Jon-Snow_photo-Helen-Sloan_HBO

I’ve done plenty wrong…

Related posts:

  1. Game of Thrones Season 4 Trailer
  2. Game of Thrones – Season 3 Goodies
  3. Game of Thrones – Season 2 CGI
  4. Game of Thrones Season 4 Preview
  5. Game of Thrones – The 1984 Miniseries
By: agavin
Comments (0)
Posted in: Television
Tagged as: A Song of Ice and Fire, Game of Thrones, George R. R. Martin, HBO, Season 4 Trailer

Valentino – 2006 White Burgundy

Mar08

Restaurant: Valentino Santa Monica [1, 2, 3]

Location: 3115 Pico Blvd  Santa Monica, CA 90405. (310) 829-4313

Date: March 6, 2014

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: Fabulous!

_

Last year I went to an epic three night 2005 White Burgundy Dinner series (Part 1 can be found here), hosted by Burg-meister Don Cornwell. This year, he’s mixing it up a bit and we did a 2004 Red Burgundy dinner and tonight’s 2006 White Burgundy tasting.

2006 was a vintage that initially was a bit heavy and overly tropical, but let’s see how it turns out tonight.

This particular dinner is at Valentino, which has been a mainstay of the LA fine dining scene for decades. I first started coming here in about 1995 and it was a mind blowing change from the usual trattoria and red-sauce style Italians. Valentino is much closer to Michelin 2 star restaurant in Italy, although not as modernist as some of those are in recent years. If food in Italy turns you on, check out my Eating Italy segment.


Our private room. Notice the large table with a lot of space. This is important when you have 29 glasses a person!


Notice the awesome array of glasses in the background. Only about a third of them are visible. Few restaurants can handle this sort of thing, as they need over 400 stems of the same type and a dedicated Sommelier with sufficient experience and skill. Ours tonight was Julian Zaragoza, wine director, who has been at Valentino for around twenty years! He handled the whole wine service himself with extreme professionalism and personality.

Usually these dinners are done single blind, but tonight every glass was individually labeled with the wine name.


Tonight’s special menu.

Flight 0: Champagne


2000 Vilmart & Cie Champagne Coeur de Cuvée. Burghound 94. A moderately yeasty yet elegant nose that is fresh, complex and carries touches of both pain grillé and citrus blossom while leading to intense, pure and gorgeously deep flavors that possess first class breadth and genuinely excellent length. While still on the way up, after 30 to 45 minutes it began to display notably deeper and broader flavors that are at once powerful yet refined. A terrific effort that is absolutely worth your attention.

agavin: A lovely young champagne with a nice freshness to it.


Arancinette of Seafood. Basically a fried seafood risotto ball. Delicious!


Diamonds of Mushroom Polenta.


Oysters with Lemon Gelato. The bright and cool lemon flavors braced the briny oysters perfectly.

Flight 1: Batard Montrachet


The first flight includes two mystery wines.


From my cellar: 2006 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Bâtard-Montrachet. Burghound 92. A light touch of unabsorbed SO2 does not really diminish the considerable attractiveness of the wonderfully dense and layered aromas featuring mostly white flower and spiced pear notes that are also picked up by the big, rich and tautly muscled flavors that are naturally sweet and strikingly intense on the mouth coating and gorgeously persistent finish. This is a relatively understated Bâtard and while it’s certainly not retiring, it will likely require a few years of bottle age before fully blossoming.

agavin: Lovely, with a little petrol (minerality or SO2?) and a nice long acid finish.


2006 Henri Boillot Bâtard-Montrachet. Burghound 96. This too is relatively restrained with a pretty but reluctant white flower and spice box nose that slides gracefully into fresh, super intense and tautly muscled full-bodied flavors brimming with dry extract that confers a distinctly textured quality onto the powerful and chewy finish. This is a big Bâtard yet for all its size and weight, everything is harnessed and focused as the length just goes on and on with no sense of top heaviness. One of the more impressive examples of Bâtard that I have ever seen because it rarely ascends to territory normally reserved for the likes of Montrachet and Chevalier or the occasional Charlemagne.

agavin: One of my favorites. More advanced than the others but drinking fabulously. Honey and brulee and lots of acid.


Mystery Wine #1: 2006 J. Rochioli Chardonnay Rachael’s Vineyard. IWC 92+. Bright, greenish gold. Smoky, mineral-dominated aromas of Meyer lemon, tangerine zest, anise and talc. Juicy citrus flavors are impressively vibrant, with subtle power and slow-building herbal character. Sharply focused and fresh if a bit withdrawn on the palate right now. Finishes with excellent sappy cling and an echo of licorice. This one will need some time but the material is clearly outstanding.

agavin: I knew this was a new world. Lots of white flowers, honeysuckle, and a richer more malo style.


Mystery wine #2: 2006 Ramey Chardonnay Hyde Vineyard. IWC 93. Yellow-gold. Powerful aromas of orange peel, pear, truffle and floral honey, with slow-building minerality adding verve. Deep, spicy, impressively pure orchard fruit and citrus flavors pick up a bitter quinine quality on the back end. Brighter and more vivacious than the Hudson today, with excellent finishing clarity and mineral snap.

agavin: Not as much to my taste as the first myster. There might have been a bit of cork or taint.


2006 Domaine Ramonet Bâtard-Montrachet. Burghound 94. As beautifully as the Bienvenues showed, I was surprised that the Bâtard could actually one-up its stable mate in terms of aromatic complexity and elegance but it certainly does, at least at this early stage. The expressive nose offers up notes of white flower, citrus, pain grillé, spice hints and notes of green fruit that continue onto the bold, rich, intense and impressively detailed medium-full flavors that possess real drive, focus and finishing power. This is much more classic in terms of the traditional Ramonet style than what we saw in 2004 and 2005.

agavin: Another fabulous wine. Tight but with a long vanilla finish.


2006 Etienne Sauzet Bâtard-Montrachet. Burghound 95.  In contrast to the expressiveness of the Bienvenues, this is aromatically quite closed and tight with only glimpses of orchard fruit, citrus and floral notes discernable though the big-bodied and obviously well-muscled flavors are rich, pure and balanced if perhaps not quite as concentrated but somewhat curious, are even finer, which is not the usual result when these two wines are compared. The explosive finish is almost painfully intense and every bit as long as that of the Bienvenues. A qualitative choice though the character and personality of the two is notably different.

agavin: Honey with a nice finish, if slightly hot.


Swordfish Carpaccio with blue stone crab, pantelleria’s capers and Sicilian blood orange. A very nice seafood carpaccio with an elegant pairing of flavors.

Flight 2: Corton Charlemagne


The last wine on the far right was a mystery wine and served blind.


2006 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne. Burghound 94. The ’06 is more obviously riper than the ’07 with a complex, ripe and elegant mix of green apple, spice and minerality that complements perfectly the round, rich, detailed and stony flavors that possess ample mid-palate fat and superb depth of material, all wrapped in a gorgeously long and drenching finish. A study in harmony and grace that should also age well for years.

agavin: A bit of reduction, lean at first, then opening to a hot acid finish.


2006 Bouchard Père et Fils Corton-Charlemagne. Burghound 96. A reserved, indeed even reluctant nose of fresh and stony green fruit and citrus aromas that offer real depth leads to precise, minerally and exceptionally powerful full-bodied flavors that possess huge amounts of dry extract on the hugely long finish. This is still sorting itself out but the quality of the raw materials is impeccable and it possesses impressive potential, which will require at least a decade to realize. One of the finest examples from this appellation in the 2006 vintage.

agavin: More mineral, also with a huge finish.


2006 Coche-Dury Corton-Charlemagne. Burghound 94. A mildly exotic nose offers up notes of spiced apple, mango, wet stone and rose petal that precedes the impressively concentrated big-bodied flavors that possess very solid acid support on the ever-so-mildly toasty and hugely long finish. Compared to the most classically styled vintages this is not really my cup of white burgundy yet from a sheer quality standpoint this is irreproachable. Moreover there is so much dry extract present that this should have no trouble eventually integrating the residual wood. If I was going to choose a vintage among the more recent examples, this is the one that I would choose even though it will continue to age and improve.

agavin: A stunner, and one of my favorites. Lots of reduction (which I like) and a soft floating finish.


2006 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Corton-Charlemagne. Burghound 93. A green fruit nose also has detectable sulfur but again, I’m confident that it will be absorbed given how recent the mise was. The big-bodied flavors are full, intense and minerally that I particularly admire the outstanding precision on the linear, punchy and seriously powerful finish. This is blessed with ample dry extract and I particularly like the balance here.

agavin: A group favorite. Just drinking fabulously.


2006 Domaine de Montille Corton-Charlemagne. Burghound 92-95. Very discreet oak notes highlight the airy green apple and spiced peach aromas that are wonderfully refined and pure before preceding impressively rich, full and powerful flavors that also possess ample amounts of dry extract that confer an almost chewy texture onto the palate staining finish that seems to go on and on. This does a slow but inexorable build from the mid-palate on back to the explosive and almost painfully intense finale. Terrific potential here and there is so much minerality that it’s like rolling liquid rocks around in your mouth.

agavin: Chalky with a bit of tropical skittles. I really liked this a lot as well but others disagreed.


Mystery wine #3: 2006 Ceritas Chardonnay Porter-Bass Vineyard. IWC 92. Light, bright gold. Vibrant, floral-accented citrus and quince aromas are complemented by baking spices and flowers, with a gentle undertone of minerals. The minerality gains power with air and carries onto the palate, adding vibrancy to the gently chewy orchard fruit and anise flavors. The strikingly pure and persistent finish repeats the spiciness and leaves fresh pear and apple notes behind. More open-knit than the 2005 today: I’d opt for drinking this first.

agavin: Funny, with some kind of odd funk and a bit of flowers. Not to my taste.


Speck Wrapped Monkfish with Pappa al Pomodoro and Rock Shrimp Sauce. Good stuff, as this had oodles of favorites (for me). I love shrimp sauce, shrimp, speck AND monkfish.

Flight 3: Meursault


Not one but two Coche’s!


2006 Coche-Dury Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières. Burghound 92. This sports a mildly curious nose of soft reduction, exotic yellow orchard fruit, wood and a hint of a soap-like scent (no, not from the glass). There is outstanding richness and density to the opulent and overtly powerful flavors that possess an oily texture that strongly resembles that of the ’06 Genevrières. The amount of dry extract is most impressive and it imparts a textured, indeed almost chewy character to the explosively long finish. The acidity is quite marked so despite the outsized weight and concentration there is absolutely no trace of heaviness. This isn’t really my style but other than the slightly curious quality of the nose, this is an excellent wine all the same and one that is still very much on the way up.

agavin: Reduced and closed at first, opened up after a bit.


2006 Coche-Dury Meursault Les Rougeots. IWC 93+. Very closed nose hints at wet stone. Rich and ripe in the mouth, with palate-saturating flavors of crushed stone and orange. As lush and sweet as this is, it avoids crossing over to exotic. Very deep and very young: should age very well for a 2006.

agavin: Many people thought this was weird or partially oxidized. I happened to like it a lot. Perhaps I’m biased as a Coche fan. Lots of acid on the finish.


2006 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières. Burghound 93. An even more elegant nose that is ultra high-toned and every bit as pure though here the aromatic profile is more floral and citrusy while introducing gorgeously precise and cuts-like-a-knife flavors that culminates in a long, austere, dry and serious finish. The dryness is exacerbated by a noticeable touch of gas and I would suggest decanting this for 20 minutes or so first but this should one day be a very special wine.

agavin: Reduced. Slight odd notes with a big finish.


2006 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières. Burghound 93. There is a hint of the exotic to the otherwise elegant acacia blossom, citrus peel and softly spiced pear aromas that complement perfectly the pure, detailed, intense and gorgeously delineated medium full flavors that seem almost delicate and then the finish explodes and continues seemingly without end. In the context of the ’06 vintage, this is attractively dry and while not quite fully mature, it’s not far off. While I would advise holding this for another 2 to 3 years there certainly would be no harm in opening a bottle now, especially if you own several and are curious.

agavin: Very nice. Tons of butterscotch. More oxidized, but drinking great.


2006 Domaine Roulot Meursault 1er Cru Charmes. Burghound 92. This is at once ripe yet cool and reserved with a seductive mix of orchard fruit and brioche aromas that are strikingly elegant and refined before introducing equally elegant and pure middle weight flavors blessed with ample dry extract that confers a textured and full-bodied palate impression to the explosive and palate staining finish. As one would expect, this is finer than the Bouchères though perhaps not quite as deep. A choice.

agavin: petrol (reduction?). Rich, nice with a long finish.


2006 Domaine Roulot Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières. Burghound 93. A high-toned, pure, cool and ultra refined nose of green apple, wet stone and white flower aromas complements to perfection the racy, detailed and chiseled middle weight flavors that seem to be fashioned directly from liquid stone, all wrapped in a punchy, balanced and hugely long finish. This is truly Zen-like in its understated harmony of expression and perfect balance.

agavin: This may have had a little cork. It tasted more malo.


Sardinian Malloreddus with sea urchin. A lovely uni pasta. Just simple al dente “grubs” and uni. There might  have also been some safron here.

Flight 4: Chablis


The lineup.


2006 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos. Burghound 93. A reticent if wonderfully broad, airy and pure nose of primarily subtly spiced dried peach and white flowers nuanced by oyster shell and that seashore character that classic Chablis has, introduces rich, powerful and palate staining flavors that possess superb vibrancy on the linear, focused and pure finish. Somewhat surprisingly, this is perhaps not quite as stylish as the Preuses but it’s every bit as powerful and long. And like the Preuses, this did indeed surprise to the upside.

agavin: Tropical with a long finish.


2006 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos. Burghound 95. An airy, expressive and ultra refined and pure nose trimmed in very subtle wood notes offer up aromas of white flower, quinine, saline, minerals and seashore nuances that give way to rich and robust, indeed huge flavors that are perhaps a bit less refined than those of the Valmur or Preuses but there is another dimension here of depth that more than compensates. A great wine with a long future that should develop slowly yet because of all the mid-palate fat, be enjoyable young.

agavin: A little heavier and more cloying, but very good.


2006 François Raveneau Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos. Burghound 95. A white flower, exotically ripe yellow peach and pear suffused nose also reveals wafts of quinine and sea breeze that transition into powerful, full and exceptionally rich flavors that are almost chewy they’re so textured and the finish really soaks the palate with dry extract. This is a big and muscular example yet it’s also elegant and refined as it carries its size effortlessly. One of the wines of the ’06 vintage and as great as it is, I don’t find that extra dimension that I usually do relative to the Valmur. Still, you won’t find two better ’06 Chablis anywhere.

agavin: Flower and exotics, but a LONG finish.


2006 François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre. Burghound 93. A gentle touch of wood highlights airy yet slightly riper high-toned and admirably pure aromas of white flower, pear and quinine that gives way to supple, sweet, mouth coating and impressively concentrated flavors that exude a marvelous intensity on the long, powerful and driving finish supported by a solid acid spine. Definitely worth a look if you can find it but unlike most ’06s, be prepared to have at least some patience as this is unusually firm for the vintage.

agavin: A bit of Sulfur.


2006 François Raveneau Chablis Grand Cru Valmur. Burghound 95. This is aromatically fresher, finer and more elegant with a slightly austere and reserved nose of green fruit and oyster shell where the latter component also characterizes the delicious, serious and almost aggressively mineral flavors that culminate in a penetrating and explosive finish. A striking and austere wine with really beautiful acid/fruit/dry extract balance and huge length that doesn’t seem to end. One of the most serious ’06s of the vintage that is simply flat out great.

agavin: Muted at first, then opening up to a long finish.


The infamous (from last year) Lobster and Shrimp Risotto.Valentino has always made a great risotto and this was no exception, particularly being one of my favorite types of risotto. It was so good we had two portions!

Flight 6: Chevalier-Montrachet


The blitzkrieg of Chardonnay is drawing to a close.


2006 Henri Boillot Chevalier-Montrachet. Burghound 97. The most elegant wine in the entire range (which is really saying something in this case) with an ultra pure, even crystalline nose of white rose, anise, white peach, citrus and spiced pear plus subtle hints of stone that dissolve seamlessly into superbly well focused flavors that possess simply unbelievable precision on the harmonious, linear and palate staining finish that goes on and on seemingly without end. A wine of grand class and for me, the most refined wine of the entire tasting and one that is so intense that I had to ask Boillot to stop pouring for a few minutes to recover from the intensity. A genuinely great Chevalier that is more than worthy of the name.

agavin: Darker color, more oxidized with vanilla and a long finish. Quite nice right now.


From my cellar: 2006 Bouchard Père et Fils Chevalier-Montrachet. Burghound 96. Prost was, justifiably, extremely proud of this wine and observed that it may be the best “straight” Chevalier that he’s ever made. Not surprisingly, this is a good deal more elegant than the Bâtard with gorgeously pure floral and white fruit, stone and subtle spice aromas that seamlessly merge into the almost painfully intense and vibrant flavors that, like the Perrières, possess crystalline purity and huge length. This is a knockout Chevy and if you can find it, don’t miss it.

agavin: Vanilla and a buttery rich malo finish.


2006 Domaine Jean-Marc Pillot Chevalier-Montrachet. Burghound 93-95. A discreet touch of wood frames extremely primary aromas that are both reticent and backward though the gorgeously detailed, classy and refined medium plus weight flavors carry borderline painfully intense punch on the palate staining and hugely long finish. This seems to be extracted directly from liquid rock and this has that ‘wow’ factor in spades.

agavin: Butter and vanilla.


2006 Domaine Leflaive Chevalier-Montrachet. Burghound 94. This is notably more elegant, refined and complex with only a trace of exoticism to the mostly white flower and peach aromas that are followed by textured, pure, detailed and delineated flavors that are quite reserved and cool at present while culminating in a focused, crystalline, dry and driving finish. This does a slow build from the mid-palate before exploding onto the knockout finish. A Zen wine. Note that while I am giving a suggested initial drinking window of 2013, this will be capable of aging for years.

agavin: Darker and more oxidized. The most oxidized of the Burgs. Pretty hot after a while too.


2006 Domaine Ramonet Chevalier-Montrachet. Burghound 93. As one might reasonably expect, this is more aromatically reserved than either the Bienvenues or the Bâtard with discreet nose of tropical fruit, citrus and floral hints that are followed by focused and mineral suffused flavors that possess excellent detail and fine if not truly extraordinary length. I quite like the balance and sense of harmony here though there is perhaps a touch less overall depth and breadth than I’m used to seeing. Still, this is lovely, classy and refined.

agavin: My favorite of the Chevies. Very hot and long.


Roasted Veal au jus with petite vegetables. Very petite 🙂 A nice bit of spiced veal.

Flight  7: Dessert


2001 Chateau de Fargues. Parker 94-96. Still in barrel, this Chateau d’Yquem look-alike exhibits powerful creme brulee characteristics along with some volatile acidity, huge, full-bodied, unctuously textured flavors, ample intensity as well as purity, and caramelized tropical fruits. This brawny heavyweight requires 5-6 years of bottle age, and should evolve for three decades.

Psych. We didn’t open this, instead moving up to…


1998 Dönnhoff Oberhäuser Brücke Riesling Eiswein. IWC: Harvested November 22. Smells as though chili peppers and vanilla icing have been layered over the honey and red jam of the gold capsule Auslese. This exhibits such an enveloping vanilla cream character it easy to forget the acidity. Superbly concentrated if at present a tad less spectacularly expressive than the two Auslesen.

agavin: An awesome dessert wine.


Berry Macedonia with 70 year old Balsamico and fior di latte. A very interesting take on the berries and cream as the sauce (a fruit reduction) had quite a bit of the Balsamico in it, lending it a crisp acidity — which happened to pair excellently with the Donnhoff.

This was a LOT OF CHARDONNAY!

There is a lot to say about this tasting. First of all, Valentino did a great job as usual. The wine service was impeccable, and this is a difficult task (pouring lots of big blind flights). The food was good, better even than last week’s red tasting, and by the end I was plenty full (no need to run for ramen again). It maybe could have been a little faster.

I was expecting more of a mixed bag. Last year we had tons of oxidized or corked wines. And even the red tasting had a bunch of duds. But the 2006 whites were in fine shape. Nothing was seriously corked (1-2 had minor taint) and nothing was heavily oxidized (a few were either reduced or showed a little oxidation). Nearly everything was drinking great. This wasn’t just a LOT OF CHARDONNAY it was a LOT OF GREAT CHARDONNAY!

I think I’ll be picking up some more 2006s!

Other big tasting dinners from this group:

2004 Red Burgundy

2005 White Burgundy part 1

2005 White Burgundy part 2

2005 White Burgundy part 3

Related posts:

  1. Valentino – 2004 Red Burgundy
  2. Valentino – 2005 White Burg part 2!
  3. Burgundy at Bouchon – Jadot
  4. Burgundy at Bouchon – Faiveley
  5. JiRaffe Burgundy Blowout!
By: agavin
Comments (2)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: 2006 White Burgundy, Allen Meadows, Bâtard-Montrachet, Italian cuisine, Italy, Julian Zaragoza, Michelin, Santa Monica California, Valentino, White Burgundy

Republique of Jadot

Mar06

Restaurant: Republique [1, 2]

Location: 624 S La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036. (310) 362-6115

Date: March 4, 2014

Cuisine: Modern Bistro French

Rating: Nice (loud) space, tasty hip food, great service

_

Republique is certainly one of LA’s most anticipated recent openings. Taking over the gorgeous old Campanile space, this replacement is helmed by Walter Manzke and Margarita Manzke (of Church & State and Milo & Olive). As you’ll see, while the core cuisine marries Brasserie with neo-tapas, this is a place that draws intensely on the current (2013-14) trends. LA Zeitgeist for sure.

This is my second visit, and like the first, it was arranged by the awesome Liz Lee of The Sage Society, wine dealer, and overall awesome foodie. Tonight she staged an epic Jadot wine tasting featuring 17 of the domains fabulous wines spanning nearly 40 years — plus, a custom food pairing by Walter Manzke. Also attending our dinner is Jadot master winemaker Frederick Barnier.


The building is an interesting fusion of pre-war factory and classic LA vibe.


The main interior is nearly church-like. It’s been all opened up and looks great, but it’s big, tall, and covered in hard surfaces. That means loud!


They dry age their meats to rather gory looking perfection.

Flight 0: Champagne


2004 Taittinger Champagne Brut Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne. Parker 96. It’s fascinating to taste the 2004 Brut Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne after the 2002, something I have been able to do on a few occasions. The 2004 is all about minerality, precision and tension. It doesn’t have the sheer richness or power of the 2002, but it makes up for that with its crystalline purity and sheer energy. Bright hints of lemon oil, white flowers and crushed rocks are layered into the pointed, vibrant finish.


French bread with burrata, peas, mint, and almonds. This was an interesting and very refreshing combination.

Eggs on Toast. santa barbara uni, soft-scrambled eggs. The eggs substantially cut the briny quality of the uni. The taste was great, but I had two textural/physical problems with it. One, the bread was very toasted and hard to bite through, and so cut the mouth.


Our amazing special menu for tonight.


The dinner was hosted by my friend Liz Lee, head of Sage Society and foodie and wine dealer extraordinaire.


Taylor Parsons, the wine director. This dinner sure kept him busy! Also, he did a truly stunning job with the wine service (details below).


Walter Manzke, the chef/owner.


Taylor and his gang took the wine service to a new level. Not only did they have all these individually staged glasses, but they: opened and tested the wines beforehand, put little labels on every glass with the wine and vintage, and seasoned each glass properly with the correct wine (rarely done anymore). There were two bottles of almost everything and 14 people so the pours were huge too! Bravo.

Flight 1: Young 1re Whites


2009 Louis Jadot Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles. Burghound 91-93. This is also quite expressive with a ripe, high-toned and wonderfully fresh nose of honeysuckle, acacia blossom and spiced pear. The rich, full and very fleshy medium-bodied flavors possess a seductive mouth feel as well as excellent complexity on the intense and highly persistent finish. I very much like the balance and sense of harmony of this classy effort.

agavin: Rich and surprisingly approachable for such a young 1re crus. Very hedonistic and enjoyable, with lots of vanilla.


2010 Louis Jadot Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles. Burghound 92-94. A notably ripe orchard fruit nose also displays subtle spice notes on the classic honeysuckle and citrus blossom aromas that slide seamlessly into textured, silky and lightly mineral-inflected flavors that possess terrific depth and outstanding length on the mouth coating finish. This is very classy and refined.

agavin: Much more classic, with a powerful minerality and racy acidity. Not as open, but actually more my style.


Hamachi Crudo, citrus dashi, and chili oil.


An excellent pairing, with a delicious citrus finish.

Flight 2: Young Grand Cru Whites


2010 Louis Jadot Chevalier-Montrachet Les Demoiselles Domaine des Héritiers Louis Jadot. Burghound 95. A gorgeously elegant if highly restrained nose of citrus, acacia blossom and pungent wet stone aromas trimmed in just enough wood to notice is stunning. Not surprisingly, the medium-bodied flavors are much finer than those of the Bâtard or Corton-Charlemagne though not quite as big or powerful. The strikingly intense, lingering and impeccably well-balanced finish radiates minerality and the overall sense of harmony is flat out superb. A knockout, even by the incredible standards of this wine.

agavin: A great wine, if baby young. Surprisingly expressive considering.


2010 Louis Jadot Montrachet. Burghound 94-97. This is completely different and trades elegance for notably more aromatic complexity as here the nose is impressively broad-ranging with its panoply of ripe orchard fruit, rose, lavender and white flower nuances coupled with notes of citrus peel, stone and spices. There is a discreet touch of wood on the exceptionally rich, powerful and strikingly well-concentrated broad-shouldered flavors that brim with mouth coating dry extract before culminating in a massively long finish where, once again, the balance is flawless.

agavin: Like a cobra coiled in the glass. Tight, tight, tight, but with so much power.


Sea Scallop, cauliflower puree and bits.


Beef tartar and crisps.


Special house baked french bread. Liz swears this is the best in LA, if not the states. It is extremely classic (French).


And on special request (and fee) butter from Normandy is available. This is serious milk fat!

Flight 3: Old Grand Cru Whites


1990 Louis Jadot Chevalier-Montrachet Les Demoiselles Domaine des Héritiers Louis Jadot.  95 points. It began like an impenetrable block of wax, but continually opened up and evolved over the entire evening, developing flavors of crême brulée, lemon custard, caramel, and exotic spices. Not an especially powerful wine for a grand cru white Burg, but superbly graceful and weightless. Also lacked the ultimate grip as the acidity was not high, but the subtle, sugary finish was still long and stunning. I could have smelled the empty glass all night long – those who had still had some left at the end of the dinner were singing its praises.

agavin: We had two bottles and the first one was a stunner and the second enjoyable, but more oxidized. The first was in an impeccable place.


1974 Louis Jadot Corton-Charlemagne Domaine des Héritiers Louis Jadot. Burghound 84. Very advanced nose of truffles, yeast and dried orchard fruits with remarkably fresh flavors that are quite rich and honeyed though avoid clumsiness or undue weight. The length is solid though this is more about the vintage than Corton-Charlemagne.

agavin: Burghound may not love this wine, but we did. In a lot of ways it was a 98 point wine. Just fabulously interesting and full of nots of botrytis, honey and flowers, almost like a dry D’Yquem (Ygrec).


1985 Louis Jadot Le Montrachet. 89 points. This started a bit disjointed with some slightly unpleasant, medical smell. But it evolved in the glass and gained composition.

agavin: This was the weekest of the flight. Certainly fascinating, but it had a bit of weird sour quality and sherry notes. Definitely would have been better a few years ago.


Spaghetti with Main Lobster. An absolutely stunning simple pasta. There were carrots in here with added some nice texture too. This is like a high class (lobster) version of a typical fabulous Neapolitan dish.


Risotto with truffles. Absolute classic.

Flight 4: Young 1re Cru Reds


2010 Louis Jadot Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Fuées. Burghound 92.  There is a discreet application of wood to the elegant, pure and lightly spiced nose of layered black raspberry and cassis nose that is also barely visible on the mineral-driven, intense and tension-filled medium-bodied flavors. There is excellent volume and plenty of mid-palate stuffing because while this is certainly a wine of finesse, it does not lack for character or seriously impressive persistence on the gorgeously balanced if distinctly austere finish. A wine of class and grace that will need plenty of cellar time as it has already begun to shut down.


2010 Louis Jadot Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Lavaux St. Jacques. Burghound 91-93. Reduction renders the nose difficult to properly assess but there is good verve and intensity to the well-delineated and strongly mineral-inflected middle weight flavors that display a bit of wood toast. Like the Gevrey villages there is a lovely sense of underlying tension on the overtly austere, dry and clean finish that evidences outstanding depth and length. This is still very tight and compact but the material and balance are present to allow this to really blossom over the next 12 to 15 years.


Pan-Seared Wild Striped Bass, chicken jus, applewood-smoked bacon. The sauce had an extremely interesting hybrid east/west flavor. Part black bean, part bacon, it was all smoky richness.

Flight 5: Young Grand Cru Reds


2010 Louis Jadot Corton-Pougets Domaine des Héritiers Louis Jadot. Burghound 94. A highly complex nose speaks of pure wet stone, fresh cassis and ripe plum aromas. There is excellent detail to the mineral-driven and tension-filled sleekly muscular flavors that culminate in a precise, linear and driving finish that offers superb balance, wonderful depth and stunning length. As it always is, this is a relatively fine Corton; indeed it is consistently one of the most refined Corton reds made but note that is has an almost uncanny ability to age. In short, this is fabulous.

agavin: Young, but the complexity was highly seductive.


2011 Louis Jadot Chambertin-Clos de Bèze. Burghound 93-95. There is also enough oak influence to notice though not enough to materially detract from the high-toned and overtly spicy red currant, cherry and plum suffused nose. There is a lovely minerality to the supple, forward and refined middle weight plus flavors that possess a wonderfully refined mouth feel before culminating in a long, powerful, concentrated and palate drenching finish. While not truly a wine of finesse in the same sense as a fine Chambolle or Volnay, this is relatively subtle as the supporting tannins have the same fine grain as the best of these 2011s.

agavin: Young, and a structured monster, but surprisingly forward.


2009 Louis Jadot Clos St. Denis. Burghound 92. A ripe and notably somber but attractively spicy nose blends both red and blue berry fruit with earth nuances that can also be found on the rich, round, supple and refined medium-bodied tobacco and tar-suffused flavors that possess excellent, if not truly special, depth and length on the dusty, sappy and ever-so-mildly austere finish. However, like the Clos de Vougeot, it just feels as though there is more here than is presently being reflected and again, my score reflects this optimism that it will surface in time.

agavin: At the start particularly, the most closed of these babies.


The staff lined up with some duck.


Duck Breast, wild mushrooms. Another perfect pairing with the Burgs, and deliciously (under) cooked as well.

Flight 6: Old Vosne Romanee


1989 Louis Jadot Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots. 96 points. agavin: While other reds tonight much have more stuffing, this was for me, the most enjoyable. In a perfect place and just singing.


1990 Louis Jadot Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots. 95 points. Beautiful and elegant. Strawberries, cherries and forest floor with a goregous nose and an elegant frame. This was not overripe at all…just delicious fruit with some nice secondardy charatcteristics.

agavin: Also incredibly enjoyable, but still structured enough that it easily needs 10 years!


Chicken consommé, black truffle.


This dish was a total stunner. That white blob was a kind of terrine of pork and I don’t know what, and the soup was a classic souper (haha) savory chicken. The whole thing was so much savory / unami and truffle. Really amazing.


Just a few glasses on the table!


1990 Louis Jadot Corton-Pougets Domaine des Héritiers Louis Jadot. Burgound 92. A ripe and now mostly secondary nose of earth, spice, leather and hints of animale lead to rich yet elegant flavors underpinned by still noticeable but not hard tannins and a mineral-infused finish that offers admirable length and depth. This is aging beautifully and while ripe, the balance is such that the wine should continue to hold at this level for years though I don’t forsee much if any additional improvement from here. In short, a very successful ’90.

agavin: Wonderful, and from magnum, still oh so young.


1990 Louis Jadot Chambertin-Clos de Bèze. Burghound 91. From a bottle in the big Chambertin and Clos de Bèze tasting: Somewhat stewed, roasted fruit nose cut with very ripe earth and pungent, very ripe plum/prune notes. The flavors are big, very structured and intense but without sufficient mid-palate sap to completely buffer than and thus this finishes with an edgy, dry, slightly astringent quality. Perfectly good but not better and I found this wine a bit perplexing because the 1990 Clos St. Jacques is a really beautiful effort. 88/2005-12 Note: from a bottle tasted in October of ’04 – While the aromatics are certainly quite ripe, indeed even slightly roasted, this bottle delivered much more youthful, balanced, intense and savory flavors that displayed only a touch of the finishing astringency of the above example. While not destined to be a genuinely great wine, it’s certainly a fine effort.

agavin: Fabulous, way better than 91 points, but still young.


1988 Louis Jadot Bonnes Mares. IWC 91. Medium, developing red, less saturated than the ’89. Subtly perfumed nose combines red berry liqueur and cherry with a cooler berry aspect, complicated by dark chocolate and underbrush. Dense with extract but quite laid-back. In fact this is rather austere, with firm acidity, a faint herbal character and excellent flavor definition. Not really rich or expressive but has spine and verve. Finishes with fine tannins and very good length. “We picked in early October, later than most. The maturity came late and the wine shows its acidity. We did our best to protect the suave side of the vintage.”

agavin: 88 was a funny year, but this was the most open and drinkable wine of the flight.


Cheese. La Salers (on the right), which is some kind of special cheese where the cows must be pregnant to be milked. The one on the left was richer, stronger, and creamier. Awesome stuff.


Some sorbet.


Only about 2/3 of the wines.

Overall, Republique is a first rate place. It updates the classic French fare in a way that is contemporary without being ultra modern. And it infuses that Frenchness with a distinct (and very LA) Asian sensibility. It’s light, but significant and very umami. This is my second visit and the food was even better (and it was great before). Really on point and exciting without being too formal. They also put on a spot on event. The private room upstairs is much cozier and quieter than the giant noisy hall. They had everything down to a T. From the A++ sommelier service to the perfectly cooked and timed food. Really not an easy task.

I’ll certainly be back.

My previous Republique dinner can be found here.

Or another Jadot dinner from last year.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

After, I took home some of this bad boy for my wife

Related posts:

  1. Burgundy at Bouchon – Jadot
  2. Vive la République
By: agavin
Comments (3)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Brasserie, Frederick Barnier, Jadot, Liz Lee, Maison Louis Jadot, République, Sage Society, Walter Manzke

Nothing like N/Naka

Mar04

Restaurant: N/Naka [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]

Location: 3455 S. Overland Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90034. 310.836.6252

Date: March 1, 2014

Cuisine: Modern Kaiseki

Rating: Awesome

ANY CHARACTER HERE

For some reason I haven’t been to N/Naka in over a year (even though I love it). So when one of my Burgundy friends invited me we jumped on a return visit to see what the fabulous Chef Niki Nakayama has been up to!


The setting is elegant, minimalist, and very Japanese.


Tonight’s rough menu (kitchen notes).


1995 Bruno Paillard Champagne Nec Plus Ultra. IWC 93. Yellow-gold with a steady bead. Deep, smoky, complex bouquet offers caramel apples, poached pear, orange rind and baking spices. Broad and fleshy, with spicy orchard fruit flavors complemented by buttery brioche and creme brulee Rich and chewy but energetic, finishing with a gently tangy citrus peel quality and an echo of toasted bread. There’s an awful lot going on here.

agavin: A lovely mature Champagne.


Crispy potato, sea urchin, caviar, cauliflower puree, gold flakes. Pretty much consumed in one bite. The crispy potato dominated.


The vegetarian version with eggplant and truffle.


Seasonal appetizer plate.


A Santa Barbara spot prawn with a bit of beet. Deliciously sweet.


Tai ceviche with tomato. Even good by my tomato-hater standards.


Ankimo foie with mushroom. She may have pan seared the monkfish liver, not positive, but it sure tasted like foie gras.


Big eye tuna in the shape of a flower (with avocado).


Tempura nori. Yum.


The vegetarian seasonal plate.


English peas and mushrooms.


Pickled sprouts.


Eggplant.


Deep fried tofu rolls.


2002 Philipponnat Champagne Brut Clos des Goisses. Parker 96. The flagship 2002 Brut Clos des Goisses is simply stunning in this vintage. Seamless, ripe and beguiling, the 2002 is pure harmony in the glass. Dried pears, apricots, flowers, red berries and spices are some of the many notes that inform this towering, aristocratic wine. At once vertical yet endowed with serious length, the 2002 stands out for its breathtaking balance and overall sense of harmony. Layers of fruit built to the huge, creamy finish. This is a great showing from Philipponnat. The 2002 was disgorged in June 2011.

agavin: I liked the first better, but this was still very nice.


Modern sashimi: Fresh Japanese Scallop, English peas, yuzu foam, ponzu. Everything was perfectly cooked. Those brown ponzu blobs alone were amazing.


Vegetarian version with various root vegetables.


The serving containers are lovely.


Owan “Still Water”: bamboo, seabass, mitsub, dashi broth. This dish had a wonderful Japanese unami flavor.


This vegetarian soup came in a teapot.


w

Traditional sashimi: blufin tuna chu toro, halibut, kampachi, kumamoto oyster, lobster. Perfectly fresh and delicious.


A vegetarian version with various fruits and vegetables, plus a tofu.


Yakimono (grilled): Alaskan King Crab with kani miso (crab guts). The crab guts leant a lovely complexity to the sweet crab.


Another gorgeous vessel.


Filled with some kind of egg custard.


From my cellar: 2001 I Clivi Collio Coriziano Clivi Brazan. Parker 92. The 2001 Collio Goriziano Clivi Brazan 140 Months is a rich and sophisticated wine that could stand up to roasted white meat, shellfish or pasta with shaved truffles. This thickly structured white has the density and natural heft to match important dishes. It evolves slowly in the glass to impart defined fruit and spice aromas. The wine shows an absolutely beautiful quality and successfully demonstrates the aging capacity of Friulano (with 15% Malvasia in the case of this wine).

agavin: This was my first time tasting the Clivi, and boy was it unusual. Not oxidized at all, but extremely unusual and herby — like ricola herby. Now, this made it a poor pairing with the food, but with the right stuff, it would be a lovely wine filling an unusual niche.


Mushimono (Steamed): steamed seabass with dashi. Another example of that lovely umani.


Agemono (Fried): cauliflower deep fried with sweet and sour sauce. It’s heated until the sauce bubbles then…


Eaten in this lettuce leaf.


We opened both red Burgundies at once.

From my cellar: 1996 Joseph Drouhin Romanée St. Vivant. Burghound 90. Airy, pure, elegant and extremely expressive as the aromas just float from the glass with rose petal and assorted floral notes. The mineral-infused, racy and finely delineated flavors are nuanced and textured though the backend has a somewhat dry and edgy quality to it that is highlighted by the racy finishing acidity.

agavin: I love this wine (and RSV in general). It was a nice LONG racy acidic finish.


1999 Domaine du Clos de Tart Clos de Tart. Burghound 90-93. The oak that sat atop the fruit for so long has now almost completely integrated, allowing the relatively fresh aromas of black cherry, violets and earth hints to have center stage. The supple yet detailed middle weight plus flavors are attractively vibrant and restrained while culminating in a moderately austere finish where the mouth coating tannins are still noticeably firm and ever so slightly dry, which may be due to wood tannins. This needs a few years to sort itself out as it seemed unduly awkward. Note: I was surprised to see the slightly dry tannins as it’s not a characteristic of the vintage. The good news is that there is ample extract, which should in the end allow this to age gracefully but all the same.

agavin: also a great wine, with so much stuffing that I saved the last 25% of it for the next day and it was basically unchanged!


Shizakana: homemade seaghettini with abalone, pickled cod roe, burgundy truffles. Niki makes really wonderful and unusual pastas. This isn’t for everyone, being very “seafoody” but we all adored it.


Purple yam ravioli with truffles. My wife inhaled this it was so good.


Niku (meat): Japanese Matsuzaka wagyu beef. Absolutely melted in your mouth.


For the vegetarians: tofu cooked on a banana leaf.


Sunomono: fanny bay oyster, yuzu omoi from Kyoto Japan. Straight up and lovely.


A vegetarian version.


Sake. Super smooth, with lots of anise.


Sushi flights: tai and o-toro.


White asparagus and truffle.


Avocado.


Aji Mackerel and amaebi sweet shrimp.


Mushroom and okra.

Shima Aji and uni.


Vegetable cut rolls.


Buckwheat soba with dashi broth and tempura crumbles. A nice rendition.


We couldn’t resist another round of the pasta, this time a double.


Dessert: chestnut crepe and chocolate pot de creme.


Special green tea.

N/Naka really is a very special place. All the meals I had here were spectacular (here for the first, here for the second, here for the third). Plus we even did an amazing all foie gras meal here ounce. The place keeps getting better and better. This is thrice wonderful because often one finds a slight bloom to come off a place on repeat meals. At N/Naka everything is seasonal and constantly rotating.

Click here to other LA Japanese restaurants.

Or other Foodie Club extravaganzas.

Related posts:

  1. N/Naka Reprise
  2. N/Naka Birthday
  3. Food as Art – N/Naka
  4. Knocked out by N/Naka
  5. N/Naka – Farewell to Foie
By: agavin
Comments (0)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Japanese cuisine, Niki Nakayama, Sage Society, Sushi, Wine
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