It’s tradition at ThanksGavin (the 4 day feasting our family engages in each November) for one of my cousins to host the Friday Night dinner, which is like thanksgiving night all over again (but with different food). This year, Matt and his wife Andrea handled BOTH nights!
From my cellar: NV Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée. VM 94. The NV Grande Cuvée is absolutely stellar. This is one of the very best Grande Cuvées I can remember tasting. The flavors are bright, focused and beautifully delineated throughout, all of which make me think the wine will age well for many, many years. Lemon peel, white flowers, crisp pears, smoke and crushed rocks race across the palate in a vibrant, tense Champagne that epitomizes finesse. This release is based on the 2005 vintage and was disgorged in winter 2012/2013.
Fatty Friday usually has a big cheese spread, and tonight’s was dragged back a few days beforehand from Paris by my father. It included the cultured butter-like Mont D’Or.
And another view.
From my cellar: 2007 Domaine Henri Boillot Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Clos de la Mouchère. BH 94. Though very little time has passed since I reviewed this gorgeous effort in Issue 35, particularly in this larger format, nothing makes me question my initial review as the ’07 Mouchère is a knock-out: An almost invisible touch of wood influence allows the elegant, ripe and ultra pure aromas of citrus blossom, spice and orchard fruit to have center stage while the focused, textured and almost painfully intense flavors culminate in a bone dry, silky and seriously long finish. In sum, this is a stunning wine of real class and grace where the balance is so good that it could be drunk now with pleasure, even from magnum though it will certainly repay longer-term aging if desired.
Tonight’s spread.
Turnip, I think.
Salad from the previous night.
Beets from the previous night.
Leftover stuffing.
Cranberry relish.
Cranberry sauce.
Stuffed squash.
And the inside view.
From my cellar: 1996 Faiveley Corton-Clos des Cortons Faiveley. VM 94. Deep ruby color. Multidimensional aromas of violet, coffee, dried rose, clove, rare steak and seductive oak. Huge and tactile; really implodes in the mouth today. Extremely deep and lush, with the sheer sweetness to buffer its considerable acids and tannins. Oaky. Finishes extremely long, with very fine, tooth-coating tannins. With aeration, some of the baby fat melted away, and the wine’s powerful structure was manifest. Headspinning, old-style Burgundy, and very impressive. One to buy and cellar.
Matt poses with his slow cooked pork shoulder.
Slow cooked pork shoulder.
Crispy skin, tender juicy meat inside.
The plate.
The desserts were mostly repeated from Thanksgiving itself, but there were Kosher rice crispy treats (have to use kosher marshmallows).