July :: 2014 :: All Things Andy Gavin

Archive for July 2014

Saddle Peak Again?!?

Jul30

Restaurant: Saddle Peak Lodge [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]

Location: 419 Cold Canyon Rd, Calabasas, CA 91302 (818) 222-3888

Date: July 23, 2014

Cuisine: Modern American

Rating: Great ambiance and terrific game oriented food.

Ever year, both in the summer and winter, we Hedonists return to Saddle Peak Lodge. It’s pretty much the perfect venue for both a winter or summer food and wine blast, with gorgeous lodge patio, game driven food, and awesome wine service. For those of you who don’t know, Hedonist events have amazing wines (each diner brings at least one bottle).

Saddle Peak Ranch used to be a game lodge back in the early part of the 20th century. The rich and famous used to come up and hunt Malibu’s finest, such as this poor fellow. Now the deer are just served up on the menu.

It’s located in the middle of gorgeous Malibu Canyon.

Which on a lovely summer night is pretty incredible.

Our table out on the patio.

The current menu.

NV Billecart-Salmon Rose in Magnum. 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.

Salt and butter.

Yummy Pretzel bread.

2000 Yves Boyer-Martenot Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières. Burghound 92. Very classy with still finer aromas of intense green apple and ripe pear and flavors that are crystalline in their minerality and detail. The focus here is really impressive and though this does not offer the Genevrières’ flavor authority or slicing acidity, it is superbly refined with outstanding persistence and perhaps the best overall balance to this point. Another impressive Boyer Perrières.

Corn and tarragon soup.

2007 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Bougros Cote de Bouguerots. Burghound 94. A somewhat riper but more reticent nose features the barest hint of wood spice that marries well with the explosive green and yellow fruit aromas and fresh, full, powerful, beautifully delineated flavors underpinned by a driving minerality and stunning length. Given the superb balance and firm acid spine, this should age effortlessly for at least 15 years, perhaps longer. In sum, this is a strikingly elegant, classy and altogether refined effort with flat out marvelous complexity with buckets of classic Chablis character. A stunner of a wine.

A bit of salmon on blini with creme fraiche and caviar.

From my cellar: 1994 Domaine Jean Gros Richebourg. agavin 93 points. Straight up Richebourg nose. Mature, but still full of fruit, fruit. Lots of rich sour cherry syrup. The finish was a little unbalanced at first, but after an hour or so settled out. Very fine pinot.

Fava bean agnolotti with wild ramps and lemon cream. Very delicate and lovely.

1986 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection. Parker 94. In the blind tasting, I first thought this was a Spanish wine given the intense, pain grillee, toasty oak, and vanilla aromas. After ten minutes some of the oak dissipated, allowing the wine’s flamboyant blackcurrant fruit to emerge. Full-bodied, exceptionally concentrated, with a seamless, velvety texture, and a marvelously long, opulent finish, this 1986 Cabernet tastes like a jar of jam on the palate, with great purity and staying power. Although it appears to be fully mature, it will last for another 10-15 years. This impressive, sweet, creamy, exotic, and flamboyant wine merits the praise it has received.

agavin: to our taste, getting a little funky.

Yukon potato gnocchi glazed with perigord truffle butter and parmigiana-reggiano. Soft and mellow.

1982 Cos d’Estournel. Parker 95. This 1982 is still displaying a beautiful deep ruby/purple hue as well as a stunning set of aromatics consisting of blue and black fruits, loamy earth, flowers, licorice, and spice box. The wine is medium to full-bodied with sweet tannins, a medium to full-bodied mouthfeel, and a silky finish. It appears to have hit full maturity, but it can easily be held in a cold cellar for another 10+ years.

Special oysters with a combined topping of lemon granite, mignonette, and some other tasty stuff.

From my cellar: 1989 Pichon-Longueville Baron. Parker 95. Both the 1989 and 1990 vintages exhibit opaque, dense purple colors that suggest massive wines of considerable extraction and richness. The dense, full-bodied 1989 is brilliantly made with huge, smoky, chocolatey, cassis aromas intermingled with scents of toasty oak. Well-layered, with a sweet inner-core of fruit, this awesomely endowed, backward, tannic, prodigious 1989 needs another 5-6 years of cellaring; it should last for three decades or more. It is unquestionably a great Pichon-Longueville-Baron.

Belgian endive salad with roasted pink lady apples, St. Agur blue cheese, shallots, candied pecans, watercress, and white balsamic vinaigrette.

1993 Guigal Cote Rotie la Landonne. Parker 88. The great glories of this house are its Cote Roties, of which there are now five separate offerings. The 1993s, which have just come on the marketplace, are from a troublesome vintage for everyone in Cote Rotie, rivaling 1984 in difficulty. Nevertheless, the single-vineyard wines have turned out well. As for the single vineyard wines, they are all excellent in 1993, but more herbaceous and clearly marked by the green pepper smells of slightly underripe Syrah. The most tannic of the three famous single vineyards is the 1993 Cote Rotie La Landonne. It is amazingly powerful and rich for the vintage, and reveals more fruit and intensity than it did prior to bottling. It exhibits a saturated ruby color, and copious amounts of pepper, tar, olives, licorice, and black cherry fruit in the nose. It remains the most muscular and structured of the three wines, and has managed to avoid the hollowness and vegetal character that plague so many 1993 northern Rhones. This Cote Rotie should age gracefully for a decade or more.

Cesar salad with garlic croutons and Parmigiano-Reggiano.

1998 Penfolds Grange. Parker 98-99. Very deep garnet in color, the 1998 Penfolds Grange has shut itself away into a closed stage at this time, offering a subdued core of blackberry preserves and blackcurrant cordial with nuances of smoked bacon, black olives, sandalwood and sweaty leather. The full bodied, taut, muscular palate is firmly structured with chewy tannins and enlivening acidity, finishing long and savory.

Roasted Scarborough Farms beet salad, watercress, mustard, pickled cherries, Humboldt Fog goat cheese, pistachio granola.

2001 Domaine de la Mordoree Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee de la Reine des Bois. Parker 100! Tasted on four separate occasions, and awarded a perfect score on three of those, the 2001 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee de la Reine des Bois even surpasses the extraordinary Reine des Bois produced in 2000, 1999, and 1998 … and that’s saying something! An inky/purple color is followed by a heady perfume of graphite, blackberries, kirsch, licorice, truffles, and charcoal. This full-bodied effort displays endless concentration in its pure, dense, generous flavors. It is broadly flavored, with beautifully integrated acidity, tannin, and alcohol. A blend of 78% Grenache, 10% Mourvedre, and small quantities of Cinsault, Counoise, Syrah, and Vaccarese, it is made from 60-year old vines, and aged both in cask and neutral foudres from what are obviously very low yields. Sadly, just over 1,000 cases were produced. This classic Chateauneuf du Pape requires 3-5 years of cellaring; it will last for two decades. A modern day legend, it is an example of what progressive winemaking can achieve without abandoning the traditions of the appellation.

Scarborough Farms heirloom tomatoes, Maine crab, pickled watermelon, garlic chips, basil vinaigrette.

2003 Harlan Estate Proprietary Red Wine. Parker 98+. One of the most backward yet promising wines of the vintage is the 2003 Harlan Estate. Its dense opaque plum/purple color is accompanied by a sumptuous bouquet of graphite, camphor, creme de cassis, smoky barbecue wood and a hint of forest floor. Similar flavors hit the mouth with full-bodied splendor, a multidimensional mouthfeel and texture, and the sensational finish lasts more than 45 seconds. Some tannins are still present, and this wine seems much younger than expected at ten years of age, so give it 4-5 more years of bottle age and consume it over the following 20-25 years.

Ahi tuna sashimi with cucumber, watermelon radish, avocado, pea greens, sugar snap peas, green apple, and white soy sauce.

Special albacore with soy sauce.

1997 Greenock Creek Shiraz Roennfeldt Road. Parker 98. The nearly perfect 1997 Shiraz Roennfeldt Road boasts a dense opaque purple color in addition to celestial aromas of blackberry liqueur, melted road tar, truffles, and earth. It is full-bodied, with massive layers of fruit and glycerin that cascade over the palate in a seamless, beautifully balanced fashion, and a 55-second finish. This enormous wine is fabulously young with its entire future ahead of it. It should hit its peak in 3-4 years, and last for two decades.

Special pork belly with watermelon. Very sweet and delicious.

English pea toast with burrata and candied citrus.

2003 Clarendon Hills Astralis (Shiraz). Parker 99. It’s hard to believe the 2003 Syrah Astralis Vineyard could be better, but it offers riveting richness, intensity, purity, and equilibrium. Structurally, it is similar to the Piggott Range, revealing abundant amounts of sweet, ripe tannin, and huge extract, richness, and depth. Meant for true connoisseurs who are willing to forget it for 5-8 years, it represents what Roman Bratasiuk and Clarendon Hills do so well … show respect for the great traditions of France, but recognize the extraordinary raw materials that emerge from old vines planted in McLaren Vale. This fabulous wine offers both power and elegance, and showcases the extraordinary talent of Roman Bratasiuk.

Idaho rainbow trout pan-roasted in lemon, garlic, and red onion, served with grilled eggplant and squash, salt-roasted carrots, fire-roasted red bell pepper and fingerling potatoes.

Pan-roasted wild king salmon with roasted baby beets, shaved fennel, glazed cauliflower, purple kale, cherry tomatoes, buerre blanc, and puffed salmon skin.

New Zealand elk tenderloin with caramelized figs, sauteed arugula, Nueske bacon, green garlic panisse, spring onion sauce, and fig jam.

1998 Clarendon Hills Astralis (Shiraz). Parker 98. A sensational wine, the 1998 Syrah Astralis is a candidate for perfection. It boasts an inky/purple color as well as a big, complex, sweet perfume of charcoal, spring flowers, blackberry liqueur, roasted meats, and damp, forest floor-like notes. Enormously endowed, with good acid, backstrapping tannin levels, fabulous concentration, and a layered mouthfeel, it is beginning to throw off some of its closed, impenetrable personality. A long-termer, it needs another 5-7 years to fully open, and should last for 2-3 decades thereafter.

Seared New Zealand lamb rack with braised eggplant, golden raisons, grilled leeks, pine puts, curied cauliflower, piquillo yogurt, and pomegranate reduction.

Roasted New Zealand venison ch0ps with creamed morel mushrooms, lemon-scented white asparagus, sauteed English peas, and pinot reduction.

2003 Colgin IX Syrah Estate. Parker 95. Aubert demonstrates a superb know-how with Syrah. These wines are macerated for 35-45 days, and given frequent pump-overs as well as punch-downs. They are aged completely in French oak. Colgin’s 2003 IX Syrah Estate (330 cases) has added considerable complexity and weight since I tasted it last year, becoming very Burgundian in its huge aromatics and opulent, full-bodied power. Aromas of road tar, ground pepper, espresso roast, blackberries, and an exotic floral character emerge from this beauty. Enjoy it over the next 7-8 years.

Wild Game Trio.

New Zealand elk tenderloin.

A more short-rib like game meat.

Some kind of tenderloin.

Sweet potato fries.

1987 Massandra South Coast Kagor. This unusual light sweet red from the Crimea was very tasty with dessert.

Caramelized Pink Lady apple beignets with caramel.

Stoplman vineyards olive oil cake with Harry’s berries, tangerine agrumato, buttermilk sherbet, Meyer lemon curd.

Chocolate coffee pot de crème with espresso crème, chocolate-covered coffee beans, and almond coffee dust.

Banana huckleberry croissant bread pudding with white chocolate ice cream.

Chocolate raspberry fun.

Trio of house-made sorbets. Strawberry, raspberry, coconut.

Our server tonight — we sure kept him busy.

This was a total blow out event. The food was impeccable and the service warm. We had so much wine we left them a little overwhelmed, but that’s par for the course. Plus we had a really great mix of people and some of the most awesome wines. The vibe outside on the lovely warm Malibu evening was perfect too.

A note on the wines. As usual, I found myself massively preferring all the old world wines despite the ratings gap. To my palette, Parker has like a +5 point bonus that he grants to massive, young, over-extracted wines — but many people love them.

Click here for more LA restaurant reviews,
Or for Hedonist extravaganzas.

By: agavin
Comments (1)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Calabasas California, Food, hedonists, Malibu Creek, Saddle Peak Lodge, Wine

Amazon Wins Again

Jul28

Well, I’ve once again made my books Amazon exclusive. I last did this in 2012 (before Untimed even came out). Now, not only is there Kindle Select with its ability to run free day promotions, and the Kindle Lending Library where you can get paid if people borrow your book on Prime, but there is the new Kindle Unlimited program.

It’s this last, since it’s so new, that seems worth trying out. Generally, jumping early on a new Amazon thing has been fairly advantageous (it sure was with the Kindle free days). The new program allows me to list my book in a library that new subscribers (paying $9.99 a month) can download for “free” (as Matt Groening once said: “at no perceivable extra charge” — one having paid $9.99 a month). They pay out of that same weird fixed amount that has typically been $2 a buy (fine on a $2.99 book).

I personally wouldn’t want to read that way as my time to read, the small cost of books, and the desire to read exactly what I want makes the tradeoff poor. And I’m a big Netflix fan, but TV/Movie watching is far, far different than reading, as the cost per hour is so much higher and the increment smaller. I don’t want to pay for a season to check out a few episodes, as that is often $20 for 1-2 hours (and I’d know if I like it quickly). Whereas ebooks are generally $2-10 and they take 10-20 hours to read. Still, many people may like the service.

Besides, I don’t sell much on iTunes or Kobo, and not too much on B&N. We’ll see how it all works out.

By: agavin
Comments (1)

Posted in: Writing

Tagged as: Amazon

Endless Republique

Jul25

Restaurant: Republique [1, 2, 3, 4]

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

Date: June 18, 2014

Cuisine: Modern Bistro French

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

Some it seems more and more of my wine dinners are ending up here (probably in no small part due to their first rate wine program). Tonight brings my regular Hedonist group out on the town, this time organized by Larry (Yarom usually does the honors).

The building is an interesting fusion of pre-war factory…

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!

Tonight our dinner was in the private room upstairs, but our appetizers began on a little table in the midst of this chaos. I understand the desire to provide a change of venue, but given the pandemonium downstairs, squeezing a cocktail hour for twelve into the narrow entrance to the restaurant is a bit of a stretch.

Cattier Champagne Brut Premier Cru Chigny-lès-Roses.

Oysters on the half-shell. What can you say about these? They were very fresh.

And the sauces were traditional and good.

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.

Eggs on Toast. santa barbara uni, soft-scrambled eggs.

The eggs substantially cut the briny quality of the uni. Although this dish looks the same as the previous times I’ve had it, they seem to have improved it. The toast is thinner (it was a problem biting through it before) and the ratios seem adjusted in favor of the uni which helps the balance.

Our menu for tonight. We kept changing the wines on them and they kept reprinting the menu in realtime. It was impressive. I should also note that every wine had its own glass and they were all stickered with the wine and vintage! Really excellent wine service.

2004 Domaine Michel Niellon Bâtard-Montrachet. Burghound 94. Discreet notes of pain grillé, fennel, dried flowers and apricot aromas introduce rich, full and imposingly powerful full-bodied flavors that are mouth coating, palate staining and hugely long. Like many examples of Bâtard in 2004, this is more elegant than it usually is and while it can’t match the supremely refined Chevalier in this regard, it comes much closer than it usually does. A knockout and worth a special search.

2005 Domaine Michel Niellon Chevalier-Montrachet. Burghound 94. A very deft touch of wood frames the understated and backward nose of white flower and pear aromas that lead to mineral-infused and stunningly intense and precise medium full flavors that culminate in a hugely long yet focused and explosive finish. As one would expect, this scintillates with minerality and this liquid stone quality defines the character of this wine from start to finish. In a word, harmonious. Note that patience will be required.

2007 Domaine Michel Niellon Chevalier-Montrachet. Burghound 95. This is a study in elegance as the positively stunning nose displays breathtaking purity of expression with incredibly complex and airy white flower and ripe green fruit aromas that precede beautifully balanced, harmonious and chiseled, indeed even crystalline middle weight flavors that possess outstanding length and knockout depth. This is class in a glass with terrific vibrancy and the palate staining finish is almost painfully intense and about the only nit is a trace of warmth though this is as much due to the superb transparency as the actual level of alcohol. If you can find it, buy it.

2007 Etienne Sauzet Chevalier-Montrachet. Burghound 96. As with the Bâtard, there is a discreet hint of post-bottling SO2 that is just noticeable – decant. A classic, and radiant, Chevalier nose offers perhaps the purest fruit in the range with a mix of upper and middle register acacia blossom and fresh lemon aromas that are seductively enveloping before sliding seamlessly into strikingly detailed, stony and almost Chablis-like flavors carrying a similar sense of salinity and this is like rolling tiny pebbles around in the mouth, all wrapped in a palate-etching finish of spectacular length. This is breath-taking stuff and the focus and linearity are superb. This should age well for years. Textbook Chevalier.

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.

Live Santa Barbara Spot Prawn. Chanterelle mushrooms. This was a simple dish, but the sweet freshness of the prawn, the rich buttery sauce, and the almost uni-like mushrooms blended perfectly. Really rather excellent.

It also paired fabulously with all our great Chardonnay. However, we had wine to food ratio problem at the start of the meal as these first courses were light, and separated by a lot of time while we had an enormous lineup of 5 white Burgundies per course!

2004 Bouchard Père et Fils Corton-Charlemagne. Burghound 93. I have not had this since cask and the bottle in question had a tattered label though no apparent seepage. As such, it’s difficult to know whether this bottle was indeed representative as it seemed relatively supple and forward, indeed more or less ready to drink. To be sure, there was no obvious secondary nuances in evidence and still good freshness to the rich, intense and vibrant flavors brimming with minerality on the impressively long finish.

2004 Domaine Jean-Marc Morey Bâtard-Montrachet. Burghound 92. A riper nose that is an interesting combination of citrus, peach, peach and slightly exotic aromas that precede rich, full and powerful flavors that are presently quite focused on the linear and reserved finish. This will need a few years in bottle to really settle down and harmonize as it’s on the awkward side today.

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.

1988 Jacques Prieur Montrachet. 93 points. Initial notes of oxidation faded and developed into a wonderful mature powerhouse.

Dover Sole a la meuniere. Classic, but executed as well as any example of this ever has been. The sole was cooked perfectly and the sauce was a truly yummy butter fest. Which begged for:

Baguette with butter from Normandy. This is serious milk fat! Many at our table voted it the best “course” of the evening!

From my cellar: 1970 Domaine Drouhin-Laroze Bonnes Mares. 94 points. While not perfect, a gorgeous dried roses nose, led to a round body of berry-like fruit, and a lovely meaty tertiary finish.

2002 Louis Jadot Bonnes Mares. Burghound 94. Always one of Jadot’s best wines and the ’02 is no exception with a deft touch of oak highlighting the remarkably elegant, intense, rich and forward red and black fruit nose that is decidedly less austere than usual merging seamlessly into full-bodied, robust, well structured flavors that feature impressive depth and this finishes with absolutely knockout length. There is a subtle touch of oak on the finish but the underlying material is so good that it shouldn’t be an issue with a few more years of bottle age. In short, this is extremely impressive but will require ample patience.

2008 Rhys Pinot Noir Santa Cruz Mountains. 93 points. Served blind. This was as good, and as Burgundian, as any New World pinot I’ve had. It almost seemed like a Vosne Romanee 1re cru. And it was young.

Australian Black Winter Truffle Risotto. Acquerello Carnaroli. A pretty classic soft butter take on truffle risotto. Mild but delicious.

1996 Faiveley Chambertin-Clos de Bèze. Burghound 86. Earthy, intense and serious aromas lead to somewhat lean and tough flavors underpinned by solidly structured, only moderately ripe tannins framed by a touch more acidity than the fat can completely buffer. In short, while this is not technically flawed, it is disappointing by the usually high standards of a Faiveley grand cru.

1998 Domaine Robert Groffier Chambertin-Clos de Bèze. Burghound 92. Unlike a number of Groffier wines of this era, the nose is not dominated by char or excessively toasty oak and the now maturing fruit is allowed to show through freely. While there are hints of secondary fruit development, the nose remains largely fresh and bright with touches of Gevrey style earth and animale notes that are picked up by the delicious, round and relatively forward medium-bodied flavors that offer excellent complexity and fine if not truly exceptional length. This is not an especially big Bèze but it is balanced and is aging beautifully. More importantly, the tannins do not dominate the finish and with air.

Liberty Duck. Torte au gibier. Duck breast on the right, on the left a pastry filled with French Country Pate (scrambled duck innards). Gross as it seems this treat was utterly divine. Just so meaty and good. Also a great red Burgundy pairing for what it’s worth.

1982 Leoville-Las Cases. Parker 95-100. I have had perfect bottles of this cuvee, but, perplexingly, the bottles from my cellar tend to be broodingly backward and require plenty of coaxing. This huge wine is, in many ways, just as massive as Leoville Barton, but it possesses a greater degree of elegance as well as unreal concentration. Classic lead pencil, cassis, kirsch, cedar, and spice characteristics are abundant in both the nose and full-bodied flavors. The tannins are still there, and, at least from my cellar, this 1982 does not appear to have changed much in the last 10-12 years.

2006 Sine Qua Non Raven Series (Syrah). Parker 96-99. The 2006 Raven Series Syrah, a blend of 93% Syrah, 5% Grenache, and 2% Viognier that spends just under two years in French oak. Offering a dense purple color, gorgeous fruit, and a sweet perfume of graphite, blackberries, blueberries, charcoal, licorice, tar, and new oak, it is a dense, full-bodied, well-endowed, beautifully layered, pure Syrah that should drink well for 10-15 years.

agavin: I must say as enjoyable as these big New World’s get.

45-day dry-aged prime ‘steak frites.” Ha. More like Wagyu than normal steak this was a great piece of meat. But even better was:

The frites. About as good as fries ever get.

With Bernnaise too, although they were better straight up or in the steak jus.

1961 Château Climens. 93 points. Deep amber color. pineapple and caramel. some acidity on the finish. still very much alive.

Somehow I never get a real dessert here at Republique (and they look great). Instead we had this simple chunk of blue cheese. Nothing wrong with that, I adore blue cheese, but I also could have done with something sweet.

Michael Z felt the need for MORE WINE, so we got this young pup off the list.

2011 Domaine Marquis d’Angerville Volnay 1er Cru. Burghound 89-91. Here the nose is more deeply pitched with an attractive layering effect to the dark berry fruit aromas that enjoy added breadth from the presence of plum, violet and soft earth nuances. There is the same fine sense of underlying tension and detail to the medium-bodied flavors that possess a silky mouth feel before culminating in an overtly mineral-driven, dusty, linear and persistent finish. If this slightly muscular effort can add a bit more depth in bottle it should merit the upper end of my projected range.

agavin: surprisingly fresh and drinkable at the moment. Lots of berry.

Our Sommelier for evening, Taylor Parsons. As I mentioned before he and his team managed the wine assault flawlessly. Individual labeled glasses for every wine! They got the flights poured out rapidly. We did not want for wine!

Chef Walkter Manzke took a break from the kitchen madness for a quick visit.

Overall, Republique is a first rate place. It updates the classic French fare in a way that is contemporary without being ultra modern. And the whole everything here is so painfully (and I don’t mean in a bad way) contemporary. It just couldn’t be more “in” with the current dining trends. Not that I actually have a problem with that — in fact, my only problems with the restaurant was the volume (almost too loud for conversation) and a seeming total lack of large square or circular tables (I eat out in large groups and hate long skinny tables for more than 6). Most importantly, not only are these fresh takes on the classics, but the cooking is really on point. Even only being three months old this kitchen is executing very well.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
Comments (1)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: hedonists, République, Walter Manzke

Mosaic of Food – Byzantine Cuisine

Jul23

Once a year, the Getty Villa, Los Angeles’ leading (and only?) antiquities museum puts on an event celebrating historical food culture. For me, these are at a nexus of my interests, being (surprise!) such a foodie as well as a history buff.

This year’s event showcases the food of Byzantium. Sadly, most Americans are barley aware of this empire that (off and on) ruled half the western world for 1100 years, and is in itself the 3rd of 4 phases of the 2,500 year old Roman Empire (combining Republican, Roman Imperial, Byzantine, and Ottoman phases). But that’s history. What about the food?

Food scholar Andrew Dalby has a new book on the topic, Tastes of Byzantium, and before the meal he spoke for an hour on the topic. Essentially, Byzantine food is a mid point between the complex sweet / salty / herbed Roman cuisine and modern Greek and Turkish (i.e. Mediterranean) food. A few years ago I went to a similar event on Roman food too where he talked.

The dinner is located in the central courtyard of the lovely Getty Villa main building, a reconstruction based on the famous Villa di Papyri near Naples.

And the meal was accompanied by lovely Byzantine secular music, of which you can hear a sample.

The special menu.

This pomegranate juice was delicious. I had about 5 glasses (sugar rush!). I suspect, however, that the original historical variant was probably less sweet, or even if sweetened, wouldn’t have been with one of our modern easy dissolving versions (they probably used simple syrup). It might have been honey in the old days, which is very different.

Paropsides

Appetizers include figs, walnuts, and these incredibly delicious marinated green olives stuffed with honey, vinegar, and thyme.

Kalamata olives. Having just recently returned from Greece (and Kalamata), I can say that Kalamata olives are the best black olives I’ve ever had.

Multigrain bread with olive oil from Costa Navarino.

Grilled Eggplant with shaved bottarga and lemon vincotto. Coriander, parsley, oregano, and olive oil. The sweet, salty, herby notes here are distinctly Roman — but they are also representative of elements of both modern Greek food and of certain Italian dishes, particularly in rural areas.

Our wine selections are modern Greek. This white was typically quafiable and a good pairing.

Prodeipnio

Scallop and Caviar. Seafood foam of cream and egg whites, fish sauce, dill, fennel, minted pea puree, and crispy shallot.

This was a nice dish. Somehow it felt modern. I have to assume that even if the basic dish is ancient, the plating is highly modern. Individual plating entered Western Europe from Russia in the early 19th century, so I’m betting that Byzantine food was served (even at the Imperial level) from an elaborate central arrangement on the table. Still the tastes may be fairly authentic. Byzantine food apparently continued in the Greek and Roman tradition of liberal use of Garum, only loosing this important condiment with the Ottoman Conquest (1453). Garum is a salty/fishy sauce made from fermented fish innards that was used to add salt and umami to dishes for at least 2,000 years.

This Greek red reminded me of an Aglianico.

Deipnon

Cumin and Fennel rubbed lamb chop and loin. Oinogaros (fish sauce, dill, coriander, thyme, red wine, honey, costus). Garnished with pickled cabbage and leeks.

Pallekaria. Chickpeas, black-eyed beans, and fava beans with fresh parsley, dill, onion, and lemon.

This was a fabulous dish, and very interesting. The lamb was very tasty with a nice herby note (I have to assume they toned down the fish component of the Oinogaros for the modern palette). The salad was very unusual and lovely. It had a vinegary, herby quality and seemed to settle the stomach.

Epidorpio

Rice pudding with whipped cream and honey. Sugared almonds, cherries, and candied citron.

I don’t know how authentic this one was, but it was a fabulous rice pudding (of which I’m a fan). The nuts and candied fruit added both texture and sweetness, plus a sort of Sicilian vibe that was vaguely reminiscent of a good cannoli. This is probably not unrealistic as Sicilian cuisine is one of the more traditional Italian zones and had many of the same influences as medieval Greece (Greek, Roman, Crusader, Arab).

All in all, this was a very interesting evening. Not necessarily as hedonistic as many of my dinners, but both tasty and highly intellectually interesting. The authentic past is lost, an elusive reality that shimmers all about us, but remains only in glimpses. I thoroughly enjoy the opportunity to bring even a part of it into blurry focus.

By: agavin
Comments (1)

Posted in: Food, History

Tagged as: Byzantine Food, Byzantium, Foodie Club, Getty, Getty Villa, Kalamata, Roman Empire

Eastern Promises – Crabs of Yesteryear

Jul21

Restaurant: The Masthead

Location: 104 West Pier Street. Oxford, MD 21654. ph: 410-226-5171

Date: May 25, 2014

Cuisine: American Seafood

Rating: Great view and great crabs

In the late 70s and early 80s our family ate routinely (on summer weekends) at one of the three restaurants in Oxford Maryland known as “Pier Street” (after its address).

This crab oriented seafood establishment features primarily outside dining on the water and in those days crab men would bring up bushels of live blue crabs to the attached dock where they were transferred immediately to the boilers for conversion into “hardshells.”

The name has changed, but the outside dining remains virtually unchanged, featuring long picnic tables, a great view, and a lovely breeze.

The current menu.

Maryland vegetable crab soup. Not quite as good as at Hollys, but still good.

Chicken salad.

House salad with fried cornbread. lol.

Softshell sandwich. A deep fried blue crab on a bun!

Fish and chips.

A dozen blue crab hardshells. These are spiced with “old bay” and steamed. As this is still May, the crabs are tiny and expensive, but they are delicious!

The Masthead isn’t and never was a fancy establishment.

Tools for crab eating: mallets, more old bay, vinegar.

And this is where the crabs (and other shellfish) are steamed. I seem to remember the boilers were much bigger in the “old days.”

Tasty feller.

The pier ain’t what it used to be either. Some storm wiped it out and they never replaced it.

The Masthead might not be fine dining, but it does have great ambiance and still features some of the freshest versions of one of the world’s greatest crab!

For more Washington dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
Comments (1)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Blue Crab, Crabs, Oxford Maryland, Pier Street, The Masthead

The Republic of Thieves

Jul19

Title: The Republic of Thieves

Author: Scott Lynch

Genre: Epic Fantasy

Length: 609 pages

Read: June 23-30, 2014

Summary: a bit weaker

Most of the good things about books 1 and 2 of the Gentleman Bastards are also true of The Republic of Thieves. The latest installment serves up good fun, great characters, and all that. Lynch again moves the setting, this time to the city of the Magi, Locke’s bitter enemies from book 1. It brings into the foreground Locke’s mysterious and absent former lover/rival. Again the story is told both in the present and in flashback.

The two timelines don’t fit together entirely harmoniously. The present focuses on a contest/rivalry between Locke and Sabetha (his former lover) while the backstory details their childhood relationship and a long episode where the Gentleman Bastards crime gang played Elizabethan Actors for a summer. Partly, this addition feels gratuitous, like the pirate episode in Red Seas Under Red Skies, and certainly it exists because Lynch read a lot about this period and wanted to include it. It’s also (IMHO) the best part of the novel. We get to see a few of our favorite dead bastards alive and well (the twins) and (briefly) Chains. Plus, it’s just a fun romp and a bit of a caper.

And that’s sort of the problem with the main story. The back and forth with Sabetha was great, but the “caper” wasn’t really a caper. Both rivals are chosen by the Magi to run two sides of a strange election process — which is entirely trumped up and serves as a human proxy for the nearly all-powerful Magi. It just never felt very real, urgent or exciting.

Still, it’s an enjoyable book, and if you enjoyed the other two, read it. But The Republic of Thieves is a notch below its predecessors, perhaps 4 stars instead of 5.

But the epilogue was interesting!

For more book reviews, click here.

By: agavin
Comments (0)

Posted in: Books

Tagged as: Book Review, Fantasy, Lies of Locke Lamora, Locke Lamora, Lynch, Oceans Eleven, Red Seas Under Red Skies, Renaissance, Scott Lynch, The Republic of Thieves, Venice

Yar Maties – Pirate Fantasy!

Jul17

Title: Red Seas Under Red Skies

Author: Scott Lynch

Genre: Epic Fantasy

Length: 786 pages

Read: June 5-22, 2014

Summary: Possibly best of the series

The first book in this series, The Lies of Locke Lamora, was one of the better novels I read last year. Red Seas picks up right after and avoids Sophomore Slump by switching up the scenario and the location fairly substantially. Our heroes have left their Venice-like hometown of Camorr and venture off to a new city (Tal Verrar) and a new (and even more elaborate) scam with even bigger stakes.

The first third of the novel is Oceans Eleven in the Renaissance, and it’s real good fun. The world is enormously detailed and Scott Lynch is very sharp with the dialog. He has come into his own in this second book, as it’s wittier than ever. There is a very slight overwriting to the style, but you get used to it quickly and the huge novel flies along. The dynamic between Locke and his partner/friend Jean is fabulous and they are very well drawn characters.

This is aided enormously by a series of flashbacks. In the first novel, which also crossed two timelines, it was a little confusing which was which. This time around, Lynch has clearly labeled the flashback chapters. Because the novel begins essentially in the middle of the current heist, these are used to fill in the setup and the complex relationship between the two men. Walking a delicate line, Lynch has to maintain his suspense by NOT telling us how exactly the heist is actually going to work. We are tolled out bits and pieces until the very end.

Then about a third of the way in we take a hard tack to starboard and enter a high seas pirate tale. The entire middle act is shipboard and has less to do (directly) with the heist of the . At first I was like woah, but hell, I like pirates and this was good fun. Somewhere in Lynch’s brain there exists a different novel, about half the length, without the whole pirate part. You can tell this was self indulgent, that he really researched period nautical life and wanted to really use it. From a structural sense, the pirate thing isn’t even necessary, but because this world and its characters are so rich, and it was so fun, I think it’s a net win.

Hell the whole act of reading a fantasy novel is escapist, who cares if it’s too long as it’s a great read — which Red Seas absolutely and definitely is. A pure pleasure and a work of delightful fantasy. Plus, so strong are it’s characters, that it actually has a good bit to say on the nature of friendship.

Oh, and if you really like pirate fantasy two other favorites of mine over the years are On Stranger Tides and Wyvern.

For more book reviews, click here.

By: agavin
Comments (4)

Posted in: Books

Tagged as: Book Review, High fantasy, Lies of Locke Lamora, Locke Lamora, pirates, Red Seas Under Red Skies, Scott Lynch, Venice

Eastern Promises – BBQ Joint

Jul15

Restaurant: BBQ Joint

Location: 216 East Dover Street, Suite 201. Easton, MD 21601. 410-690-3641

Date: May 24, 2014

Cuisine: BBQ

Rating: Some of the best BBQ I’ve had

The Eastern Shore of Maryland is usually considered a seafood zone, being known for its awesome blue crab, but local residents don’t turn their nose at any Southern American favorites.

Located in quaint old Easton.

The menu.

The house made sauces (mostly a choice of sweet or spicy).

Sawdust floors.

Some sides, like applesauce, mac & cheese, and cornbread.

A pulled chicken sandwich and collard greens.

Salad. I like the “paper” plate.

This side plate has a roll and slaw.

Part of our BBQ sampler. featuring ribs (wet), BBQ chicken, chopped beef brisket, and pulled pork.

A pulled pork sandwich (front right). The pulled pork is a Carolina style. In the back are ribs “dry” and in the front baked beans (with pork of course).

The BBQ joint is as described, pretty straight up BBQ, but wow, was it tasty. This was some darn good smoked meat!

For more Washington dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
Comments (0)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Barbecue, Barbecue chicken, bbq, BBQ Joint, Easton Maryland, Maryland, Meat, Pig, pork, Pulled Pork, ribs

Eastern Promises – Brightwell

Jul11

Restaurant: Brightwell

Location: 206 North Washington St. Easton Md. 410-819-3838

Date: May 23, 2014

Cuisine: American

Rating: Tasty Gastro-comfort, hint of Spanish

The Eastern Shore of Maryland is home to all sorts of great seafood, particularly the famous blue crab. And it’s a place that time seems to have left untouched… well almost.

There is an aura of gentrification and the infiltration of national trends, in this case the “brasserie” concept. Restaurants are all moving down the formality scale and lately, after the whole “osteria” thing peaked, it’s back to French — not fancy French but Gaulic comfort food.

Le menu.

Back porch lemonade. A tasty concoction of vodka, lemonade, and I think a bit of cranberry thrown in.

Black and tan.

Some other cocktail.

Cream of crab soup. The other typical version, what vegetable crab is to Manhattan, this is to New England.

Beet salad. Rocket, burcheron, sherry vinaigrette.

Caesar salad.

Grilled Sausage. Potatoes Vinaigrette, smoked tomato, pickled mustard seeds. Very Catalan and quite tasty.

Jamon Iberico. Spanish Ham, manchego, almonds, grapes, frisee, balsamic. Yum.

Crispy Vietnamese Spring Rolls. Chili sauce. Tasty enough, but not terribly like Vietnamese spring rolls.

Spaghetti, pomodoro sauce, and cheese.

Grilled Duroc Pork chop. Brussels sprouts.

Grilled whole trout.

Wood-fire grilled rib-eye. House-made fries.

Mussels & Frites. Red curry. Spicy chili, cilantro, scallion, candied ginger. There was some serious heat hear — and salt.

Chocolate ice cream.

Brightwell was solid. Not mind blowing in any way, but the food was bright and tasty. The infusion of Spanish influence livened up the otherwise tedious bistro/brasserie factor.

For more Washington dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
Comments (0)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Brightwell, Easton Maryland

Eastern Promises – Holly’s

Jul08

Restaurant: Holly’s

Location: 108 Jackson Creek Rd Grasonville, MD 21638. (410) 827-8711

Date: May 23, 2014

Cuisine: American

Rating: Solid modern Gastro-comfort

My family has been stopping at Holly’s (a greasy spoon a few minutes east of the Bay Bridge) for almost 40 years.

This establishment is old school Americana at its best. Nothing has really changed here since the 70s, and probably for 20 or so years before that.

Classic decor. As a kid they even had one of those “Have a Coke and have a smile” machines that was a top opening cooler! Served bottles of course.

The menu is pretty classic too.

But it does have Eastern Shore specialities like Crab and Vegetable soup. This Eastern Shore variant on Manhattan Clam Chowder (blue crab instead of clams) is delicious, sweeter, and altogether amazing.

Tuna sandwich.

Catfish sandwich. They don’t skimp on the portions.

Pancakes.

And one of their specialties, straight up friend chicken. No chocolate. No waffles. No tempura batter. Just homemade American fried chicken. And it’s still great.

Another regional specialty, the crab cake sandwich. Filled with blue crab!

It’s nice that some things, especially simple good things, don’t change. As much as I’m a food modernist, I can also really appreciate well cooked classics, sort of the culinary version of folk music.

Oh, and they have crazy good pies too, including the famous apple “dumpling.” Plus, the prices are crazy cheap. Adding a fried chicken breast to anything costs $2.59!

For more Washington dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
Comments (1)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: crab, Crabcake, Eastern Shore of Maryland, fried chicken, Holly's, Maryland

Banana Split Redefined

Jul06

Restaurant: Central by Michael Richard

Location: 1001 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20004 (202) 626-0015

Date: May 22, 2014

Cuisine: American

Rating: Solid modern Gastro-comfort

Michael Richard used to be an LA chef, and I went a couple of times to his Citrus years ago, but quite some time ago he moved to my hometown of Washington DC. Central represents him following the national trend of “bistrofication” or the general movement of fancy restaurants down the formality curve.

The fancy Pennsylvania Ave frontage.

The interior is more sleek and with a more expensive build out than most gastropubs.

The menu is a hybrid between French and American comfort food, all updated a bit with modern sensibilities.

Gougeres. I.e. French cheese puffs. These had a perfect fluffy lightness to them.

Roasted beets, arugula & warm goat cheese.

Side salad.

Fish and chips. The green (cilantro?) aioli was bright and tasty.

Crabcake. Washington area staple, and never too bad.

Fried chicken. In the background brussels sprouts and bacon. The chicken was boneless and breaded like a Japanese Tonkatsu cutlet!

Banana Split. Certainly the best Banana split I’ve ever seen. Slightly deconstructed (ice cream on the side). The ice cream was homemade.

Flourless chocolate cake.

Michel’s Chocolate Mousse. Deep and chocolately, with those fun crunchy things.

This was a tasty place. The savories were good but it was really the desserts that stood out.

For more Washington dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
Comments (0)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: BANANA SPLIT, Central, Dessert, Michael Richard, Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington DC

Eight Legs at Il Grano

Jul04

Restaurant: Il Grano [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]

Location: 11359 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025. 310.477.7886

Date: June 16, 2014

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: Modern Italian to die for

After my stellar birthday meal at Il Grano, and with the closing of Drago, Il Grano has become one of my favorite westside Italians. You can tell by the number of reviews (up to 8!) I also frequently bring out of town guests here, like tonight.

The sleek interior space.

We didn’t order off the menu but instead asked Chef Sal Marino to make us a 9 course tasting menu. He through in a couple of bonuses!

From my cellar: 1990 Robert Ampeau & Fils Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières. Burghound 93. A truly wonderful nose of simply knockout complexity features notes of yeast and baked bread along with now fully mature aromas of a variety of floral notes and spice hints that gives way to mineral-suffused, round, intense and detailed medium full flavors that also offer outstanding depth on the sappy and mouth coating finish. This is drinking perfectly now and I wouldn’t hesitate to open one anytime as there is no further upside to be had. A beautiful effort of real style and grace.

Spoons of Tuna Tartar as an amuse.

Crudo. Chef Sal Marino is famous for his crudo. From left to right: big eye tuna/toro, yellowtail, snapper, Hokkaido scallop with cherry, and octopus.

Arugula and porcini salad. With parmesan.

Arugula, endive, and salmon salad.

Burrata and grilled peach. A lovely summer combination.

Pizza Del Re. white truffle crema, fontina, shaved white truffle. Yum!

Beef tartar with olive oil and caper. I love beef tartar. This one was good, but perhaps a bit too much of the caper.

From my cellar: 1995 Elia Pasquero Barbaresco Sori Paitin. Parker 90. A terrific 1995, this complex, fully mature, multidimensional Barbaresco is a beautiful wine. The color is deep ruby with some lightening at the edge. The knock-out nose consists of cherry liqueur intertwined with aromas of tobacco, wood fire, dried herbs, and roasted meat. Deep and lush, with no hard edges, a plump, succulent texture, medium to full body, and layers of glycerin and sweet, jammy fruit, this hedonistic, seductive Barbaresco.

There were two large parties tonight, one of Japanese gentlemen diving through a 21 course tasting menu. One was this giant stewed octopus done Southern Italian style. This big boy was cooked for a long time.

Here the chef is snipping off bits.

Octopus. My slice of tentacle. It was chewy, but fully of great flavor.

Lobster risotto. I love a good risotto and this definitely qualified!

Cheese ravioli. Not your everyday version, but a lovely homemade variant.

Spaghetti funghi. Mousserons, chanterelle mushrooms, mushroom stock. A very smokey flavor.

Spaghetti Octopoda. The octopus juice and bits were used to make a delicious briny pasta.

Wild salmon with pea puree, kale, and asparagus. Very soft and delicate.

Halibut crusted with squid ink with farmer’s market cauliflower.

Anatra. duck breast, caramelized maui onions, greens, pomegranate reduction, candied fig.

Apricot crumble. Warm, soft, and very apricot. Delicious.

If you like higher end Italian cooking (and who doesn’t?) you should absolutely rush over here. Make sure you get a tasting menu. I don’t think appetizer and entree selected off the regular menu would do the place the justice it deserves. I’m sure the dishes would be great, but this cuisine is about more than just two notes. I’m not sure why Il Grano isn’t always mobbed, as folks flock to overpriced mid-quality trattorias. I guess people are just clueless.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Or experience my gluttonous month-long journey through Northern Italy.

Sal treats his tomatoes like family

The wine list is top notch, with a real depth in Burgundy

By: agavin
Comments (2)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Barbaresco, Burgundy, Burrata, Crudo, Il Grano, italian, Italian cuisine, Los Angeles, Sal Marino, Truffle

Third Republique

Jul01

Restaurant: Republique [1, 2, 3]

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

Date: May 13, 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.

On this particular night, I was invited again by Liz Lee of The Sage Society. She’s a friend of mine, wine dealer, and overall awesome foodie. She sure organizes an amazing evening. This one was mostly top flight Burgundy, and 13-14 bottles for 7 people! (Good thing I never drive to wine dinners)

The building is an interesting fusion of pre-war factory…

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!

The bar is packed and setup with all those fancy little fixings that are the hallmark of the fancy mixologist style of expensive yummy weak drink making. Being a wine guy, I don’t much care.

Along with the hard (read loud) surfaces, open kitchen, mixologist and the like, our obligatory aged wood communal tables are graced with this paper menu.

As we sit we are offered some yummy bread sticks (a.k.a. grissini). The bakery here is clearly first rate, although there was nowhere to really put them and half of mine ended up tumbling to the floor.

Our Sommelier for evening, Taylor Parsons. Unlike my mostly more chaotic Hedonist Dinners, he opened and poured the wine properly in flights, and even ordered up food to match.

NV Pierre Gerbais Champagne L’Originale. 90 points. Pinot Blanc, single vineyard planted 1904. Lovely purity, floral note of camomile, some mineral notes, freshly cut fennel and dill Strong mineral notes and back bone, floral, fennel, clay, pear, yellow plums with long finish.

Mixed oysters on the half-shell.

Asparagus and pepper tempura.

Warm Baguette with Normandy Butter. A completely first rate piece of bread. Utterly classic and unadorned. The taste reminds one of France.

w

Chips & Dip. Scottish king salmon tartare, cucumber, mint, yogurt, crispy pork rinds.

For vegetarians there were potato crisps.

And the tastier chicarones.

2009 Trimbach Pinot Gris Reserve. 88 points. No formal note. This had a reasonably complex, smoky peach nose, with a hint of orange rind, was full bodied and plump on the palate, reasonably attractive stone fruit with creamy notes and low acidity. Paired fabulously with the pasta below.

English pea Agnolotti. Fresh blanched peas. Really a great pasta.

1996 François Raveneau Chablis Grand Cru Valmur. Burghound 91. Moderate but still very fresh secondary notes that reflect nuances of bee’s wax and the first hints of sous bois lead to intense, vibrant and mineral-driven flavors infused with ample citrus, all wrapped by a firm, edgy and pure finish. While this has plenty of legs left, it has arrived at its peak though as noted, it should be capable of holding for another two decades. From another bottle affected by a touch of premature oxidation – The color is a more advanced gold than I expected and certainly more so than the bottle of ’96 Blanchots tasted a few days earlier. The nose reveals a trace of oxidation and while it’s by no means enough to kill the enjoyment of the wine, it does detract as well as give one pause as to how this will evolve over the next few years. The flavors are classic Valmur with its incredibly precise and mineral-laden, moderately austere flavors and laser-like focus. As is the case with so many ’96s, the nose is out in front of the structure and while I certainly liked this wine, it’s not clear that this is going to reward further cellaring.

Live Santa Barbara Spot Prawns. Romanesco cauliflower, brown butter, lemon capers, almonds.

1990 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne. Burghound 93. This is one of those whites from the ’90 vintage that is trapped in a time capsule as it remains unusually youthful for a 20 year old wine even if no longer young as the nose displays the first hints of sous bois along with dried flower and citrus aromas. The delicious and highly mineral-infused middle weight flavors are racy, intense and beautifully delineated before culminating in a lingering and pure finish. This is in extraordinary condition if well-stored and should continue to drink well for years to come. In a word, impressive.

Hamachi Crudo. Pineapple, fresno chili, cilantro.

From my cellar: 1996 Maison Leroy Meursault 1er Cru. Burghound 92. This is still very fresh with only the initial hints of development to the airy white flower and hazelnut aromas that give way to rich, pure and gorgeously precise flavors that culminate in a mineral-infused and impressively linear finish that lasts in the mouth for several minutes. A stunner of wine that is still improving.

agavin: I was disappointed, nothing too obvious wrong with it, just too closed and reserved.

From my cellar: 1996 Marquis de Laguiche (Joseph Drouhin) Montrachet. Burghound 96. Classic white burg aromas of immense breadwith and depth with white flower notes, minerals and knockout complexity. This is a big, rich yet delineated wine that has near perfect balance. In short, this is flat out superb with an intensity, complexity, depth and stony minerality that is something special to behold. The length lasts for minutes and for my taste, this has finally arrived at its full maturity though there is certainly no rush to drink up as it should maintain this level for years. Consistent notes.

agavin: sadly, and I cry as I write this, the wine was heavily premoxed (oxidized) and not really drinkable. The finish had promise. 🙁

Fresh white Asparagus and black truffle butter sauce. Just in season and fabulous.

From my cellar: 1990 Robert Ampeau & Fils Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières. Burghound 93. A truly wonderful nose of simply knockout complexity features notes of yeast and baked bread along with now fully mature aromas of a variety of floral notes and spice hints that gives way to mineral-suffused round intense and detailed medium full flavors that also offer outstanding depth on the sappy and mouth coating finish. This is drinking perfectly now. A beautiful effort of real style and grace.

agavin: a third fail for me tonight. This bottle was pretty oxidized. I’ve opened around 20 of this wine (all from the same source) and about 2/3 of them are fabulous, but a few are kinda oxidized.

Black Stripped bass with a butter sauce and vegetable puree. Perfectly crispy.

1993 Domaine Leroy Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Narbantons. 93 points. Mme Bize-Leroy makes the best wines in the world. At least this was my hypotheses when we drank this wine. Domaine Leroy is superior to DRC and her wines are as a consequent also more expensive. When she dies, the prises will soar and eventually exede Henri Jayer’s. This Sauvigny is perfectly mature now, with smooth concentrated red fruits. My guess was an Echezeaux from the 90ies. More or less everything she does is of Grand Cru quality.

1996 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Ruchottes-Chambertin Clos des Ruchottes. Burghound 90. The nose on the ’96 Clos des Ruchottes is stunningly elegant with really dazzling purity of fruit and leads to relatively supple though barely medium weight flavors underpinned by moderate structure and healthy acidity. As it usually is, this is quite earthy and I suspect it will come around over the mid-term as the tannins are completely ripe and integrated. I would give this 3 or 4 more years of cellar time and then probably drink up whether or not the tannins are fully resolved as the lack of full phenolic maturity suggests that the acidity may come to dominate the finish.

agavin: great, but retained a surprising amount of oak/spice.

Mary’s Organic Rotisserie Chicken. Red russian kale, roasted fingerling potatoes. The rotating spit was right in front of me and all night I watched a procession of these tasting fowl orbiting. Just classic roast chicken en jus but absolutely perfectly cooked. All good.

1988 Domaine Leroy Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Beaux Monts. Burghound 92. Still quite reserved on the nose but the flavor profile is dense, rich and wonderfully complex with terrific length. As with the Boudots, the buffering extract is more than sufficient to envelope the substantial tannins though there is a touch of finishing astringency.

agavin: a lovely mature burg.

Liberty Duck Breast. Cherries and Brussels sprouts.

1970 Louis Latour Romanée St. Vivant Les Quatre Journaux. agavin 94. Stellar wine. All that I love in old Burgs. Lots of fruit, acidity and long berry finish.