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N/Naka on the Nose

Oct18

Restaurant: N/Naka [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]

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

Date: June 16, 2021

Cuisine: Modern Kaiseki

Rating: Awesome

ANY CHARACTER HERE

N/Naka served as the host location for the second of our 3 epic June “Fred” dinners, this one being themed around Coche-Dury Les Rougeots.

The empty interior. This was actually the first night that N/Naka reopened after the long lockdown closure.

Our table — before we got to it.

1996 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon. BH 97. A distinctly reticent but elegant nose with a purity of expression that is truly impressive to experience as it’s relatively high-toned and while the yeast comes up with air, it’s relatively muted at presence, combining with intense, precise and superbly detailed and complex flavors that culminate in an explosive and wonderfully long finish. This may very well rival the sublime ’90 in time even if it’s not quite as concentrated. This is still a baby so there is absolutely no rush whatsoever.

2015 Hubert Lamy Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet Cuvée Haute Densité. A rare bird!

2005 Domaine Roulot Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières. BH 94. A strikingly pure nose of white flower and spice aromas complements perfectly the delicious, intense and stony flavors that are wonderfully vibrant and gorgeously detailed on the transparent and equally pure finish that explodes with more minerality. This is beautifully balanced and understated with a Zen-like sense of calm. I very much like this and it’s very Perrières in character. In a word, brilliant. (Drink starting 2013)

2007 Domaine Roulot Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières. VM 94+. Bright pale yellow. Soft citrus fruits and crushed rock on the musky, slightly reduced nose. Rich, perfumed and tightly coiled, with a terrific core of acidity intensifying the orange, floral and mineral flavors. Offers compelling cut and concentration but this infant will require several years of aging. Wonderfully refined Perrieres of grand cru class.

1993 Coche-Dury Meursault Les Rougeots. 94 points. Signature coche gunflint, popcorn, dried extract, and smoked yellow fruit on the nose and palate. While the mid-palate did not have lots of substance, the flinty and popcorn-ish palate more than offset that shortfall. With the fresh acidity in the backdrop, the wine stayed energetic and interesting throughout dinner.

1996 Coche-Dury Meursault Les Rougeots. VM 94+. Complex, lively aromas of lime, minerals and vanilla. Structured and almost shockingly intense; great material here. A step up from the ’97 in density. Extremely fresh and vibrant. A tactile, mouthfilling wine to drink and to eat. Palate-staining finish. I kept raising my score as I came back for more.

2000 Coche-Dury Meursault Les Rougeots. BH 93. A completely different expression than any of the foregoing wines, which is interesting since the vineyard abuts Chevalières. This is classic Meursault in style with round, rich, generous, “warm” fruit and flavors, offering toasted nut and butter aromas plus fresh sliced peach, apricot and apple scents but gorgeously complex, intense, refined and beautifully precise flavors of terrific focus and cut. But it is the superb depth on the finish that really set this apart and this delivers such quality that it is almost a match for the Perrières, a compliment in anyone’s book. Simply beautiful wine that has just now arrived at its apogee though it should be capable of holding here for at least a decade. Tasted several times with consistent notes. (Drink between 2008-2010)

2008 Coche-Dury Meursault Les Rougeots. VM 92+. Classic aromas of lemon, lime, minerals, hazelnut and grilled almond; smells rich in dry extract. Then dense and superconcentrated, with terrific inner-mouth energy to the flavors of peach, orange blossom, lemon and crushed stone. Time-capsule Meursault, finishing with superb length. This too should age very well.

1972 Domaine Roulot Meursault 1er Cru Charmes!

Our menu.

Starter Tea.

Sakizuke. Uni, Cauliflower Puree, Carrot Coconut Ice, Trout Roe, Nori Sable.

Zensai. Uni, Eggplant Dashi, Kabocha Roll, Oyster Lime, Flounder Hasamiage, Wagyu Beef Roll, Cucumber, Cauliflower, Carrot, Burnt Chickepea and Miso Puree.

Uni.

Wagyu Beef Roll.

Cucumber, Cauliflower, Carrot, Burnt Chickepea and Miso Puree.

Eggplant Dashi.

Oyster Lime.

Kabocha Roll.

Flounder Hasamiage.

Modern Zukuri. Japanese Fluke, California Nori, Pistachio.

Owan. Hope Ranch Mussel, Summer Squash, Citrus Fern.

Otsukuri. Traditional Sashimi.

Yakimono. Tasmanian Sea Trout, Artichoke, Preserved Meyer Lemon.

Mushimono. Tomato, Lobster Shinjo, Tomato and Fennel Mochi.

Shiizakana. Spaghetti, Abalone, Picked Cod Roe, Truffles.

Niku. A5 Miyazaki Wagyu Beef, Baby Corn.

Sunomono. Nopales, Golden Kiwi, Cucumber, Aloe, Chia Seeds.

Yuzu juice intermezzo.

Pickled Ginger.

Miso soup with shrimp heads.

Nigiri sushi flight 1.

Nigiri sushi flight 2.

Blue crab handroll.

Mizumono. Lychee Sorbet, Shiso Lime Granita. Super bright and delicious flavors with a really nice textural contrast.

Mizumono. Peaches, Caramelized Pastry, Lavender Honey Ice-Cream, Hojicha Jelly.

Petite Fours.

So pretty!

Roasted green tea.

Burnt Basque Cheesecake Gelato — Milk steeped with Tahitian Vanilla Beans and Valencia Orange Peels and then blended with Cream-cheese and Egg Yolks, layered with house made “burnt” Caramel and topped with house-made Caramel Brittle, finished with the torch! — created by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #lemongrass #ginger #CremeBrûlée #basque #cheesecake #caramel #brittle #orange

Matchacchio Latte Gelato — Ceremonial Matcha Green Tea and Sicilian Pistacchio di Bronte DOP gelato base. I was skeptical the first time I made it, but it turned out to be a lovely flavor. And the green is all natural! — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #pistacchio #bronte #matcha #GreenTea #Sicily

Vietnamese Hazelnut Coffee Gelato — Cafe du Monde coffee milk with Piedmontese Hazelnut Paste swirled with Sweetened Condensed Milk — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #vietnameseCoffee #coffee #CafeduMonde #SweetenedCondensedMilk #hazelnut

A little take home snack for the morning.

Post dinner lethargy.

The setting is elegant, minimalist, and very Japanese. 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 once. 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.

Coming back to N/Naka after the pandemic I thought they were really firing on all cylinders. This was the best meal I’ve had there since the incredible Foie meal. I think her sushi has gone from “okay” to “great” and with regard to other dishes she has toned down a bit of the “theatrics” slightly but really upped the flavor balance and intensity. There weren’t some of the more interactive dishes of years past, like cooking your own item on hot stones, but the cooking was even more on point.

Service is also spectacular, highlighted all the more by the extremely low understaffed standard currently found in LA.

And what can we say about the wines? Awesome labels, awesome wines. All the coches were flawless, although the 93 was my favorite. So good!

Click here to other LA Japanese restaurants.

Or other Foodie Club extravaganzas.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: BYOG, Champagne, Coche Dury, Foodie Club, Gelato, Japanese cuisine, Les Rougeots, N/Naka, Niki Nakayama, Sushi, Wine

Marino al Fresco

Oct01

Restaurant: Marino Ristorante [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Location: 6001 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038. (323) 466-8812

Date: June 3, 2021

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: Superb

Tonight I return to a favorite haunt.

The amazing chef/owner Sal Marino cooks at his original family location, venerable Marino Ristorante on Melrose and continues to whip up his unique blend of amazing modern Italian. And if anything, he’s gotten even better.

Post pandemic they’ve turned the parking lot into a cute patio.

We begin with a bit of white Burg because the bringer of champagne is fashionably late. But the quality of their champ makes up for it!

2012 Paul Pernot et ses Fils Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet. BH 93. Here the nose is aromatically similar to the Pucelles but with even better complexity and elegance. There is fine mid-palate density to the refined and marvelously intense medium-bodied flavors that possess the same fine complexity on the beautifully well-balanced and highly persistent finale. This is very Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet in the sense that it allies finesse and grace with power. (Drink starting 2019)

Our table. Just ignore the cinder block in the distance :-).

2007 Ruinart Champagne Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs. VM 97+. The 2007 Dom Ruinart is the first vintage made entirely by Chef de Caves Frédéric Panaïotis, which shows just how long the production cycle is in Champagne. A striking, tightly-coiled wine, the 2007 Dom Ruinart will leave readers week at the knees. In this vintage, Panaïotis took Dom Ruinart, which has traditionally relied on a relatively high percentage of Chardonnay from the Montagne de Reims and tilted the balance to 75% Côtes des Blancs and 25% Montagne de Reims fruit. As a result, the 2007 is much more chiseled and steely than is the norm. The citrus, slate, crushed rock, white pepper, mint and floral notes really sizzle in this powerful, dramatically rich Champagne, with bright saline notes that add freshness and vivacity to the striking finish. The 2007 is a stunning Champagne by any measure. Although it is very early, the 2007 has the potential to go down as one of the great Dom Ruinarts. It is every bit that special. Dosage is under 5 grams per liter, a pretty striking change from the 2006, which was closer to 10. Readers who can grab the 2007 won’t want to miss it. (Drink between 2018-2048)

2006 Dom Pérignon Champagne Rosé. VM 97+. The 2006 Dom Pérignon Rosé is every bit as captivating as it was last year, maybe even more so. At times powerful, but in other moments finessed, the 2006 constantly changes in the glass, revealing a different shade of its personality with every taste. Perhaps most importantly, the 2006 seems to have gained a level of precision and pure sophistication it did not show last year, when it was quite a bit less put together. Back then, the 2006 was a wine of tremendous potential; today that potential is starting to be realized. Quite simply, the 2006 Dom Pérignon Rosé is a magical Champagne. Don’t miss it. (Drink between 2020-2046)

PEACH & BURRATA. Regier Farms yellow peaches, burrata, wild baby arugula.

From my cellar: 2007 Emidio Pepe Trebbiano d’Abruzzo. VM 93. Bright golden-tinged straw. Complex nose of apricot, quince, flint and mint. Dense, suave and juicy, with a multilayered quality to its flinty-mineral and orchard fruit flavors. The note of diesel fuel emerges again on the long, magically mouthcoating but vibrant back end. One of the best Trebbiano d’Abruzzo’s I have memory of from Pepe. This older Trebbiano d’Abruzzo is a specific release for the US and other international markets. (Drink between 2016-2026)

agavin: unfortunately this had a strong turpentine quality that was not very enjoyable.
2005 Domaine Michel Lafarge Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Chênes. BH 94. A beautifully elegant and highly complex nose of extract of dark berry fruit that is both elegant and complex serves as a dramatic introduction to the big-bodied, indeed even robust flavors that are firm, dense and incredibly concentrated, all wrapped in a palate drenching finish that just oozes dry extract and gives a velvety texture to the unbelievably long finale. This is a wonderfully gifted wine that has everything it needs to age gracefully for multiple decades and it will need 12 to 15 years in a cool cellar to really hit its stride. This too is one of those ‘wow’ wines. (Drink starting 2017)

ZUCCHINI BLOSSOM. ricotta & marjoram filled zucchini blossoms.

From my cellar: 2001 Emidio Pepe Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. JG 94+. The 2001 vintage is one of the recent favorites of Signor Pepe, and he is convinced that this will be a classic in the fullness of time. The bouquet is still quite primary in its blend of dark berries, black cherries, Cuban cigars, a bit of cherry pits, dark soil, botanicals and a nice touch of nutskin in the upper register. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and quite a powerful young vintage of the Pepe Montepulciano, with a rock solid core of fruit, lovely, nascent complexity, chewy tannins and excellent length and grip on the focused and still quite youthful finish. Today, the fine 2003 accessible, but with sufficient bottle age, the 2001 is going to be a reference point vintage of this great wine. (Drink between 2020-2050)

agavin: the red Pepe, however, was great!

MACCHERONCINI RABBIT. homemade pasta, rabbit ragout.

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1995 Gaja Barbaresco Sorì San Lorenzo. VM 95. Gaja’s 1995 Barbaresco Sorì San Lorenzo is potent and virile to the core. A modern-day version of the 1974, the 1995 hits the palate with a rush of fruit enveloped by firm, powerful tannins. The style is frank, direct and intense, with fabulous richness but also some elements of rusticity. The 1995 will drink well for another 10-15 years. (Drink between 2014-2024)

1996 Gaja Langhe Nebbiolo Sorì Tildìn. VM 96. The Sorì Tildìn is one of the best wines in this retrospective of Gaja’s 1996s. Sweet floral notes, mint and sweet red cherries give the 1996 its distinctive lifted, perfumed personality, qualities that are enhanced by the wine’s natural acidity. Fresh, aromatically open and also quite energetic, Sorì Tildìn is distinguished by its detail and nuance. Think of a sketch done in fine pencil. (Drink between 2016-2036)

PAPPARDELLE BOLOGNESE. 3hr beef, pork and veal meat sauce.

2004 Tua Rita Redigaffi Toscana IGT. VM 93. The inky-colored 2004 Redigaffi, 100% Merlot aged for 16 months in new oak, offers expressive, nuanced aromatics along with sensations of richly-textured blue and black jammy fruit, minerals, mint, chocolate, spices and sweet toasted oak on big, powerful frame with notable underlying structure and a warm, resonating finish. Although it has enough structure and acidity to drink well for another decade or so, I enjoy Redigaffi most in its youth. (Drink between 2013-2016)

2005 Tua Rita Redigaffi Toscana IGT. VM 92. The 2005 Redigaffi will delight Tua Rita fans. Large, ample and broad on the palate, the 2005 possesses remarkable depth and intensity within the context of the year. Mocha, torrefaction, plum, smoke, brown spices and leather meld together in a big, opulent wine. All things considered, the 2005 has held up well, but signs of oxidation are setting in. Any remaining bottles need to be enjoyed over the next few years. (Drink between 2015-2018)

Pork stew with onions and mashed potatoes. Super flavorful and delicious.

1997 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia. VM 94. The 1997 Ornellaia is another wine that is in the zone today. Soft, sensual and inviting, the 1997 has aged gracefully and also maintained a good deal of freshness as well. Wild flowers, spice, mint and red stone fruit continue to open up as this sumptuous wine fleshes out in the glass. (Drink between 2016-2031)

2015 Sine Qua Non Syrah Trouver l’Arene. VM 97. A real head-turner, the 2015 Syrah Trouver l’Arène is every bit as compelling from bottle as it was from barrel. Rich, sumptuous and exquisitely layered, the 2015 possesses magnificent concentration as it builds in the glass. Inky dark blue/purplish berry fruit, graphite, smoke, licorice and spice are some of the many nuances that develop in an arrestingly beautiful, vivid Syrah that will thrill those fortunate enough to find it. The blend is 80.5% Syrah, 7% Petite Sirah, 7% Mourvedre, 2% Grenache and 3.5% Viognier, done with 34% whole clusters and aged for 22 months in 48% new oak. (Drink between 2020-2035)

Sal, who was out at a catering event, returns just in time to bring in the meat!

And a closeup.

Porterhouse with mushroom sauce and brussels sprouts.

Vietnamese Hazelnut Coffee Gelato — Cafe du Monde coffee milk with Piedmontese Hazelnut Paste swirled with Sweetened Condensed Milk — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #vietnameseCoffee #coffee #CafeduMonde #SweetenedCondensedMilk #hazelnut

Chocolate Peanut Cream – a base made from 100% Valrhona Chocolate and South American Peanuts layered with house-made Peanut Butter Cream Cheese “Cream” — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #chocolate #valrhona #peanuts #icing #PeanutButter #reeses

The wine lineup.

Another great dinner. I really like the al fresco dining. Food was good, but I’ve had more elaborate and interesting meals from Sal. Tonight he was out for most of the evening, we didn’t have any of his specialties (like crudo and gazpacho), and more materially the person organizing the dinner has a more “modest” ordering sensibility than I do. Check out this meal I put together with Sal by contrast. He’s a fabulous chef when you let him go all out. The stand out for me tonight was the pork stew — which was pretty incredible actually.

Wines were pretty excellent too (except for my white Pepe).

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Or experience my gluttonous month-long food trips through Italy.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: BYOG, Gelato, hedonists, Italian cuisine, Marinos, pasta, Pepe, Sal Marino, Wine

Post OOToro

Sep03

Restaurant: OOToro [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]

Location: 1569 Fairway Dr, Walnut, CA 91789. (909) 598-8299

Date: May 22, 2021

Cuisine: Japanese Sushi (with slight nod to China)

Rating: Ends of the earth, but very good

Chef Kaz of Totoraku, an occasional hedonist, sent us far east to this Sushi restaurant in 2016 and it was such a fun time that we had to return again for a sixth visit — it’s now become a twice a year thing. This is my first return since the pandemic — although some in the group went once in the middle for a meal that was supposedly not quite up to snuff.

And by far east I mean REALLY REALLY far east — to Walnut California. 40+ miles from my house. 20 miles past Alhambra (which most people consider to far to drive for food). It took an hour and twenty minutes on a Saturday night!

The slick looking location is in the heart of the affluent Chinese American San Gabriel Valley. But yes, it’s Japan, if perhaps catering to Chinese taste. This photo was shot at about 10pm after everyone else had left.

Here is the private room — the only way to go.

2008 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut. VM 99. The 2008 Cristal is one of the most complete, most dazzling Champagnes I have ever tasted. A stunning wine from any and all perspectives, the 2008 simply has it all. Spherical in construction, with superb persistence. The 2008 takes hold of all the senses and never gives up. One of the many things that makes the 2008 special is a combination of ripe fruit and bright, piercing acidity. Marzipan, lemon confit, dried flowers and orchard fruit all build into the explosive, resonant finish. “We learned from the mistakes of 1996, when we picked more on acid than ripeness, as was the norm in Champagne back then” Chef de Caves Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon told me recently. “In 1996, the best fruit turned out to be the last picks, where the fruit was physiologically ripe. Today, we aim to pick all our fruit with that criteria.” (Drink between 2020-2050)

Caviar, scallop, and sulf clam “salad”.

2015 Ultramarine Blanc de Blancs Heintz Vineyard Sonoma Coast. VM 94. The 2015 Blanc de Blancs Charles Heintz Vineyard from Michael Cruse’s Ultramarine is a rich, powerful wine. Orange peel, almond, chamomile, butter and tropical overtones give the 2015 a good bit of raciness to play off its creamy, ample frame. The 2015 is overt and quite rich, with tons of the breadth that make Charles Heintz wines so distinctive. The radiance of the year really comes through nicely. Observant readers will note the 1% Pinot Noir listed in the blend; in 2015, the topping wine used was Pinot. Dosage is 2 grams per liter. (Drink between 2020-2025)

agavin: Eric, who brought this tried to make the case that this is in league with real Champagne. I was not convinced. Far from it. Basically barely better than a Mumm’s Sparkling wine. Only Champagne does Champagne right! And it’s the price of a Comtes or Grand Cuvee!

Edamame Tofu with Hokkaido Uni and Dill — awesome little combo.
From my cellar: 2007 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Rosé Brut. VM 97. The 2007 Comtes de Champagne Rosé is a total knock-out. Racy and exuberant in the glass, the 2007 wraps around the palate with stunning textural depth and resonance. The 15% still Pinot adds structure and persistence to a creamy, inviting Rosé Champagne that will leave readers weak at the knees. Hints of rose petal, dried cherry, cinnamon and dried flowers meld into the sublime finish. This is about as good as it gets. Wow! (Drink between 2018-2038)

Chu toro and otoro sashimi. These tasted as good as they look.

2000 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut. BH 96. A wonderfully layered and nuanced nose features an intense yeasty character to the maturing fruit that displays interesting phenolic characters, in particular petrol, along with aromas of apple, pear and soft citrus hints. In contrast to the nascent maturity expressed by the nose the flavor profile is still tight and backward with a genuinely gorgeous texture, all wrapped in a strikingly persistent and highly complex finish. For my taste the 2000 Brut is at an inflection point as the nose does offer enough maturity so that it’s really quite pretty whereas the palate impression is substantially younger. As such it really just depends on how you prefer your Champagne because I suspect that the nose will be very mature by the time the still very youthful flavors attain their majority. For my taste preferences it would be no vinous crime to begin enjoying this now but be aware that this will age for a very long time. The best approach is probably to buy 6, or even 12, bottles and enjoy them over a longer period of time. (Drink starting 2014)

Baby peach, fish cake, mollusk, abalone, baby squid, shrimp.

Kutamoto oysters with uni and ikura.

Toro tartar on toasted baguette.

The champagne lineup.

2004 François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Chapelot. BH 91. Extremely generous wood treatment that includes toast, vanilla and oak spice frames ripe floral and white peach aromas and rich, full and sweet flavors that have added lift from the citrus-infused finish that displays racy acidity. This is an impressive wine but it’s not really a Raveneau-styled wine and it’s certainly carrying more wood than I can personally warm up to. Still, this is a wine of obvious quality. (Drink starting 2010)

Goldeye snapper with yuzu.

2015 François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Butteaux. BH 91. An elegant and pure nose is notably ripe but evidences ample classic Chablis aromas that include pear, white flower and tidal pool hints that are also trimmed in enough wood and menthol characters to warrant noting them. The rich and vibrant flavors possess good volume and muscularity before concluding in a clean, dry and mildly austere if slightly warmer finish. Like the Montée de Tonnerre this is an excellent 2015 1er and worth considering – plus it should age well. (Drink starting 2022)

Ruby snapper, charred.

J & B generously brought: 2007 Coche-Dury Meursault. VM 92. Bright, pale yellow. Tangy aromas of orange, peach and spices. Broad and lively, with intense fruit lifted by a near-perfect sugar/acid balance. Finishes with excellent cut. This is awfully good for a wine from seven-year-old vines.

Santa Barbara Spot Prawn.

Kama Toro — even better than o-toro.

From my cellar: 2008 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles. BH 93. A textbook Pucelles nose of honeysuckle and citrus is trimmed in a discreet application of oak and a trace of exotic fruit, neither of which continue over to the delicious, round and quite generous medium-bodied flavors that possess excellent depth on the focused and unusually powerful finish. There is an ample amount of underlying tension that adds relief to the otherwise densely concentrated dry exact. This is quite simply terrific and while there is good power, the ’08 Pucelles remains a wine of finesse. (Drink starting 2016)

Uni Chawanmushi.

Marcassin Chardonnay Marcassin Vineyard. Can never read the darn year on these bottles.

Halibut with shiso.

2002 Comte Armand Pommard 1er Cru Clos des Epeneaux. VM 93. Bright medium red, with little sign of amber. Expressive aromas of redcurrant, cinnamon, mocha, leather and earth, with complicating ferrous notes of iron and tobacco. Wonderfully silky and fine-grained, showing lovely class and lift to its red fruit and spice flavors. Not a powerhouse but remarkably suave and smooth for Pommard. Really rises and lingers on the highly aromatic finish. Still on an upswing. (Drink between 2018-2028)

Chu toro and otoro sushi.

Seared toro sushi.

King Crab with a bit of sunomono.

2009 Domaine des Lambrays Clos des Lambrays. BH 93. An intensely floral and spicy nose that is wonderfully elegant and admirably pure speaks of red currant, blue berry, game, smoke and warm earth. The silky-textured, precise and mineral-inflected medium-bodied flavors possess copious extract that does a fine job of buffering the very firm tannins and allowing for perfect balance on the mouth coating and impressively persistent finish. A seductive and relatively accessible Clos des Lambrays that should be approachable with only a decade of cellar time yet last for 25 to 40 years. (Drink starting 2021)

A5 Wagyu with potatoes.

Seafood tempura.

Shrimp head miso soup.

Mango cheesecake.

Thai Red Curry Sorbetto — I made a version of this in 2017 and it was a dismal failure, but haunted me since and so this one is redemptive. Made a (no salt) red curry paste from scratch (chilies, lemongrass, galangal, cilantro roots, kaffir lime leaves, garlic, Asian shallots etc) and then cooked it into a pure Thai Coconut Milk base. Sweet and Spicy! — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #sorbetto#Thai #red #curry #spicy

Buko Pandan Gelato — Infused the milk with fresh Pandan Leaves and then crafted it into a dairy coconut base as my take on the Filipino favorite. Unusual and soothing. — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #buko #pandan #coconut

Hpnotiq Blue Hawaiian Sorbetto — like a frozen cocktail — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — Thai Coconut Milk, Pineapple, Lime, and Hpnotiq liqueur –#SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #sorbetto #Hpnotiq #BlueHawaiian #pineapple #coconut #lime

The full wine lineup.

Yarom scaring the waitresses.

Overall, OOToro — while always good — showed again that the private room is really the way to go. This was a great meal and much more subtle and sophisticated than some of the front room fare. Really great stuff — although we should have gotten the largest omakase for max variety, but even one down I was more than full (mostly because I ordered a couple extra tempura plates). The kitchen tonight was as good as ever despite the pandemic, however, we didn’t have a few of the more interesting items like the shabu shabu or tuna collar. Gotta get them to do the big one some time!

For more LA dining reviews click here,

or more crazy Hedonist dinners here!

By: agavin
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Tagged as: BYOG, Champagne, fish, Gelato, hedonists, ootoro, Sushi, walnut california, Wine

Return to Paul Wools

Aug27

Restaurant: Teresa Montana [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Location: Flintridge

Date: May 25, 2018

Cuisine: New American

Today’s Sauvages lunch is a lunch in honor of late Co-Poobah Steve Levin. It’s graciously hosted by Paul at at his beautiful home in Flintridge. This event is held outdoors in memory of the Zinfandel barbecues that Steve would hold for our group every summer at his home (it being Paul’s idea to maintain this fine tradition). To that end, we always enjoy a few Zinfandels at this lunch in addition to the theme wines for the lunch. The annual lunches at Paul’s home always rate very high on the scales for ambiance, camaraderie and food quality.

The main wine theme has changed a bit this year and instead of pure Grenache we have pivoted to a tour of some of the best Spanish wines to go along with Spanish food by chef Teresa Montana. Our very own Sandy Taylor provided Somm duties with style.

This California style building isn’t the house itself, but the amazing top of the integrated cellar.

Trying to give you a sense of the mid century space.

This year (2021), we sat on the other side of the main house at a single large table.

Here the chef can be seem working the kitchen.

Our special menu for the day.

The cart du vin.

2008 Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Champagne Brut Vintage. JG 94+. The 2008 Veuve Clicquot Brut Millésime is the first bottling here to include five percent barrel-fermented vins clairs since the estate transitioned away from foudres for stainless steel tanks all the way back in the 1960s. The blend on the ’08 is sixty-one percent pinot noir, thirty-four percent chardonnay and five percent pinot meunier. The wine is pure, youthful and stunningly precise on the nose, offering up scents of tart apple, bread dough, complex minerality, gentle smokiness and a lovely saline element in the upper register. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and very racy, with a great core, zesty acids, refined mousse and outstanding length and grip on the very long and still quite youthful finish. This is approachable today, but will be even better with five or six years in the cellar. This is Chef de Cave Dominique Demarville’s first vintage bottling since his arrival here in 2006. Impressive! (Drink between 2016-2040)

2002 Recaredo Cava Turo d’en Mota. 94 points.

NV Agustí Torelló Mata Cava Kripta Brut Nature Gran Reserva. 92 points. pretty sure it was the NV bottling that was consumed. Wine comes in a precarious amphoral shaped cylinder. very clean and dry, and to my palate somewhat indistinguishable from a champagne.

Pan Con Tomate. Crispy focaccia, grated tomato and garlic with J5 Jamon Iberico.

Pulpo a la Brasa Pintxo. Skewer of beer braised Spanish octopus with la espanola chorizo and pimenton mayonesa.

2016 Vina Somoza Godello Ededia.

2013 Clos Figueras Priorat Font de la Figuera Blanco. VM 91. Vivid straw color. Lively citrus pith and pear skin aromas are complicated by anise, white flowers and dusty minerals. Firm and juicy on the palate, offering zesty lime and orange flavors and a gingery topnote. Finishes dry, precise and very long, with a lick of spiciness and lingering minerality.

2018 Lagar de Cervera Albariño Rías Baixas. VM 90. Bright straw-yellow. Tangerine, green apple and melon on the fragrant nose, complemented by a chalky mineral nuance. Lively citrus and orchard fruit flavors show sharp definition and minerally back-end cut. Finishes long and precise, with repeating florality and a suggestion of bitter citrus pith. (Drink between 2021-2024)

2015 La Granja Nuestra Señora de Remelluri Rioja Blanco. 93 points.
2013 Clos Mogador Priorat Nelin. 91 points.

2014 Venus La Universal Montsant Dido Blanco. 92 points.Blend of Garnatxa blanca (White Grenache), Macabeu (Viura) and Cartoixà (Xarel·lo), by René Barbier & Sara Pérez. From ecologically farmed sauló (decomposed granite) soil plots in Marça and Falset. Aged in clay amphora and various size barrels for 9 months.

Early Summer Gazpacho. Valdivia farms tomato, burrata, strawberries and mint.

1980 R. López de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Viña Tondonia. 93 points. Leather and earth; light saline and cherry-blackberry; balanced and complex; smooth and lean; velvety; outstanding long sweet soft light cherry finish.

1975 Marqués de Murrieta Rioja Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial. 93 points.

1960 Marqués de Murrieta Rioja Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial.

1970 La Rioja Alta Rioja Reserva 904. JG 90. Out of the blocks the 1970 Reserva 904 from Rioja Alta is one of the most fruit-driven old Riojas that I have tasted in quite some time, as it offers up a candied mélange of bing cherries and wild strawberries when first poured. As the wine has a chance to settle in notes of deeper-pitched fruit tones of blood orange, cloves, allspice, woodsmoke and Burgundy-like undertones of autumn leaves emerge and add to the aromatic complexity. On the palate the wine is medium-full, bright and resolved, with good depth at the core, melting tannins, and good length on the delicate, but tangy old finish. As the wine unfolded over an hour and a half, a bit of the amplitude melted away, as this wine is getting towards the end of its apogee of maturity. For maximum pleasure out of this wine, I would opt for serving it immediately upon decanting. (Drink between 2005-2010)

1978 La Rioja Alta Rioja Reserva 904. 90 points.

Orecchiette. Pea puree, parmesan espuma, charred snap pea, lemon.

1994 Bodegas Alejandro Fernández Ribera del Duero Janus Gran Reserva Pesquera. JG 89. I liked the fruit and soil components of the 1994 Janus Reserva from Pesquara quite well, but the wood was a bit heavier-handed than was the case with the Pesquara wines from the vintages of the 1980s and 1990s. I am sure that there are plenty of tasters that would have no problem with this level of new wood, but for me, the wine loses a bit of elegance because of its uncovered wood tannins on the backend. In any case, the bouquet is lovely, as it delivers scents of pomegranate, plums, chocolate, a touch of blood orange, tobacco and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, complex and quite velvety on the attack, with a fine core of fruit, sound focus, but just a bit of dry wood tannin sticking out on the finish. A very good wine nonetheless, it could have been special with less oak. (Drink between 2006-2015)

From my cellar: 1995 Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Único. VM 94. Dark red. Intense, expressive aromas of blackberry, blueberry, cherry liqueur, sandalwood, cigar box, roasted coffee and exotic chocolate. Thick and sweet, with deep red and dark berry flavors complicated by an array of pungent spices, mocha, vanilla bean and cured tobacco. Deep, penetrating and very long on the finish, with wonderfully sweet cherry and blackcurrant flavors lingering. Built to age, but this is awfully delicious right now. (Europvin USA, Oakland, CA)

2004 Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Único. VM 96. Inky ruby: doesn’t look like a ten-year old wine. A heady, intensely perfumed bouquet evokes ripe red and dark berries, vanilla, pipe tobacco, new leather and potpourri, with a subtle mineral flourish. Spicy, sweet and expansive, offering palate-staining cherry compote and cassis flavors with exotic violet and chewing tobacco qualities. Deepens and gains spiciness on the smooth, gently tannic finish, which lingers with superb focus and tenacity.

2006 Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Único. VM 97. Saturated ruby. An amazingly complex array of red and blue fruit preserve, spice and floral scents is accompanied by suggestions of incense, pipe tobacco, coconut and candied licorice. Utterly stains the palate with impressively concentrated yet lively, smoke- and spice-laced cherry compote, blueberry, fruitcake and violet pastille flavors braced by a spine of juicy acidity. Sappy and broad on the endless finish, which shows outstanding thrust and dusty tannins that are absorbed by the wine’s densely packed fruit. (Drink between 2025-2040)

2013 Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Único Reserva Especial 1994, 1999, 2000 (2013 Release). 94 points.

2009 Dominio Pingus Ribera del Duero. VM 96+. Dark purple. Drop-dead gorgeous aromas of spicy dark berries complicated by vanilla, mocha, espresso, iron, licorice and sexy oak spices. Sweet and expansive, showing great depth to its ripe blackberry and boysenberry flavors. Notes of candied flowers, cola and mocha gain strength with air and carry through an extremely long, sweet finish. There’s plenty of structure here but it’s hidden under all the dense fruit right now. That price is correct, sadly.

Bacalao. Jamon tonkotsu, pan seared local black cod, sping onion and roasted cherry tomato.

2009 Marqués de Murrieta Rioja Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial. VM 94. Vivid ruby-red. A highly perfumed, expansive bouquet evokes ripe red and dark berries, cherry liqueur, coconut and cigar box, along with a sexy floral nuance that emerges slowly. Plush and seamless on the palate, offering sweet, deeply concentrated blackberry, cherry-vanilla and mocha flavors that are given spine and lift by a core of juicy acidity. Rich yet energetic in style, displaying superb finishing clarity, even tannins and a lingering spicecake note. The Tempranillo saw only American oak while the Mazuelo component saw only French. (Drink between 2020-2030)

2006 Bodega Numanthia Toro Termanthia. VM 94. Glass-staining ruby. Seductive, strongly perfumed aromas of black raspberry, boysenberry, sandalwood, potpourri and cocoa powder. Surprisingly lithe and energetic on the palate, offering sweet red berry and spice flavors, a velvety texture and slow-mounting minerality. Turns more floral on the finish, which is tangy, fresh and extremely long. More graceful than the 2005 but without that superb wine’s power: think of Margaux vs. the 2005’s Latour. (Moet Hennessy USA, New York, NY)

2005 La Rioja Alta Rioja Gran Reserva 904. VM 94. Bright ruby-red. Complex, intensely perfumed bouquet of candied cherry, vanilla, mocha, cured tobacco and spicecake, with a suave potpourri note becoming stronger in the glass. Offers sweet, penetrating cherry-cola and lavender pastille flavors complicated by hints of smoky minerals and candied licorice. The long, subtly tannic finish delivers noteworthy energy and focus, leaving suave spicecake and cherry liqueur notes behind. (Drink between 2020-2027)

2004 Bodegas Muga Rioja Aro. VM 95. Inky violet. Intensely perfumed nose offers a room-filling bouquet of dark berry liqueur, toasty oak spices, incense and lavender. Deep, sweet and impressively complex, offering flavors of blackberry, candied plum, floral pastille and baking spices. Big but supple tannins add support to this palate-staining monster, which boasts surprising freshness on the finish. Conveys a rare balance of power and elegance. (Fine Estates from Spain, Dedham, MA)

2005 Bodegas Pintia Toro Pintia. VM 92. Inky purple. Alluring bouquet of blackberry and blueberry preserves, cherry-cola and vanillin oak spices. Broad, fleshy and deep, with sweet flavors of dark berries, floral pastille and vanilla beans. The rich fruit nicely absorbs the oak element on the long, velvety finish. Leaves a wide swath of creamy dark fruits and licorice in its wake. Pretty sexy stuff. (Europvin USA, Van Nuys, CA)

Rib Eye. Grilled grass fed rib eye, grilled chanterelles, goat butter potatoes, smoked mushroom and px jus. A slightly contentious dish as some of the “meat on the bone” guys thought it was over cooked. I enjoyed it myself as I liked the rich sauce.

Grapefruit Aperol Tarragon Sorbetto — Cold pressed Fresh Grapefruit juice from my garden, Aperol and fresh Tarragon! — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — Unique and bracing — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #sorbetto #grapefruit #aperol #tarragon

1969 David Bruce Zinfandel.

2008 Outpost Zinfandel Howell Mountain. VM 91. Good deep red. High-toned aromas of plum, mocha, licorice, menthol, black pepper and exotic herbs. Plump, lush and sweet, with harmonious acidity framing the redcurrant and spice flavors. Finishes with substantial ripe, building tannins and repeating notes of pepper and menthol. This is creamier than usual for this consistently excellent zinfandel at this early stage but there’s no shortage of structure or minerality here.

1995 Ridge Zinfandel Paso Robles. 89 points.

2016 Epoch Estate Wines Zinfandel Paderewski Vineyard. VM 95. Vivid purple. Deeply perfumed black and blue fruit, incense and potpourri aromas show outstanding clarity and pick up exotic spice, vanilla and woodsmoke qualities with air. Fleshy, seamless and alluringly sweet, offering palate-staining boysenberry, cassis, dark chocolate and floral pastille flavors that show wonderful energy for their heft. The floral and blue fruit qualities carry emphatically through an extremely long finish that features slow-building, harmonious tannins and a resonating mineral note. (28% new French oak) (Drink between 2024-2033)

Quesos. Assorted chef selected cheese. Umeboshi membrillo, fruit, chestnut honey.

Crispy crackers.

From my cellar: 1946 Bodegas Toro Albala Don PX Convento Selección. 100 points. Wow. Oily thick. Initially a surprising amount of fruit and freshness, in the apricot peach sort of range. Then rich caramel and butterscotch and sticky toffee pudding. Hints of soy sauce. Interesting cooling notes like menthol or mint. Insanely long finish. Forever long. A little heavy and cloying — 4 people struggled (not quite the right word…) to finish 1 bottle. (I took one for the team and finished it! ) But excellent and fascinating nonetheless. Feels like it could age for 100 more years.

Kona Kona Gelato — Egg based Macadamia Nut base with chopped Mac Nuts swirled with house-made Coffee Caramel Valrhona Chocolate Ganache — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #chocolate #valrhona #Macadamia #nuts #swirl #ganache #eggs

The gang at the table.

Some of the guys contemplate the damage we did!

Others get to smoking.

Overall, a delicious afternoon — food and wine both! An awesome range of Spanish wines and some great Spanish food.

We did have WAY too much wine for the number of courses. We could have used an easy 2 or 3 more courses to stage it out. A couple years ago we had one more course and we could really use that as there is that extra Zin flight.

The setting really is magnificent. The weather was perfect, if a little cloudy. Just an ideal afternoon in the yard!

By: agavin
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Tagged as: BYOG, Gelato, Grenache, lunch, Paul Wools, Sandy, Sauvages, Spanish, Wine, Zinfandel

Meating of Champions

Aug23

Restaurant: Meat on Ocean [1, 2]

Location: 1501 Ocean Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90401. (310) 773-3366

Date: May 8, 2021

Cuisine: Steakhouse

Rating: Solid fare, good service

Meat on Ocean replaces the old i. Cugini on Ocean Ave. That storied Italian place was around for 20+ years (I even went on an early date there with my wife). It was (and still is) owned by the Watergrill group but has rebooted as a mid/high-end steakhouse.

Tonight is the first ever “Tournament of Champions” for winners of our Dirty Dozen nights. DD is a group within the Hedonists group that does periodic blind tastings. It’s a fun but oddball but fun group as the theme varies all over the place and while we have a great time, the “pre-dinner organization” tends to be a bit low, at least on the food side.

For example tonight, while we had about a dozen people, we had two 6 person reservations that the restaurant had no idea were either together or wine tastings, so it took a bit of teeth pulling to get the tables together and get even 3 stems each. Plus they gave us two waiters (one for each table) which is always an organization distraction as stuff does not come out at the same time (or even exactly the same stuff). I my best to craft a multi flight meal from the menu that would pair against the flights of big red wines (with a starter white flight that was not included in the blind tasting).

Theme tonight was just “red.”

They have opened up the patio space which is great to see as this is one of the most appealing outside strips in the city, almost reminiscent of Miami’s South Beach.

The build out was extensive and looks great.

And it continues inside.

One of their “things” is that they age their own beef and make the cuts in the morning. To that effect they have this serious aging room.

The somewhat paired down post pandemic menu.

Flight 0: Champs

2006 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Cuvée Nicolas-François Billecart. VM 97. The 2006 Cuvée Nicolas François Billecart is shaping up to be a jewel of a wine, but it needs time to be at its best. I am surprised by how tightly wound it is. But that only makes me think what it might develop into with time in the cellar. Lemon confit, white flowers, mint, crushed rocks and sage meld together in a bright, crystalline Champagne endowed with terrific purity. The 2006 is 60% Pinot Noir from the Montagne de Reims and the Vallée de la Marne and 40% Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs, mostly done in steel, with just a touch of oak, around 5%. Dosage is 6 grams per liter. (Drink between 2020-2032)

From my cellar: NV Demière-Ansiot Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut. BH 93. A beautifully yeasty nose reflects notes of apple, pear, white flowers and a hint of citrus peel. The vibrant middle weight flavors possess a positively gorgeous texture, indeed the mid-palate is almost creamy, while offering excellent depth and length on the dry but not austere finale. For my taste this is drinking perfectly now and I very much like both the style and the quality. (Drink starting 2017)

Rolls.

Oysters.

Cretans bogarted the Shrimp Cocktail before I could even get a photo.

Flight 1: Whites

From my cellar: 1996 Robert Ampeau & Fils Meursault 1er Cru Charmes. 93 points. Dark yellow, straw. Honey, toasted grain, flowers, straw nose. Lemony acidity, some caramel, baked apples, rich texture. A singular and beautiful bottle.

2018 Paul Pernot et ses Fils Meursault-Blagny 1er Cru La Pièce-sous-le-Bois. BH 89. A subtle whiff of petrol can be found on the ripe essence of pear and apple compote that is liberally laced with hints of citrus confit. There is good energy to the more finely textured middle weight flavors that manage to be both seductive and reasonably precise on the acceptably balanced finish that also flashes a hint of warmth. (Drink starting 2025)

2019 Tenuta Mormoraia Vernaccia di San Gimignano Suavis.

Jumbo Lumb Crab Cake. Grain mustard aioli.

Wild Spanish Octopus. A la plancha, sweet peppers.

Flight 2: Red 1

Yarom brought: 1996 Diamond Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Red Rock Terrace. VM 87-89. Deep ruby. Aromas of spicy, crystallized dark berries. Supple and lush, with good concentration and enticing sweetness. Minerally suggestion of graphite. Finishes with dusty, even tannins and a slightly edgy quality. An expressive wine that should give early pleasure.

2nd place.

David P brought: 2003 Sine Qua Non Syrah Papa. VM 93+. Bright medium ruby. Minty, high-pitched aromas of black fruits, violet and licorice. Primary and penetrating in the mouth, with powerful acidity giving a somewhat clenched character to the vibrant flavors of crushed berries, flint and minerals. Very lively and very long on the aftertaste. I’d expect this extremely backward wine to rate a score in the mid-90s eight or ten years down the road.

8th place.

Charcuterie Platter. Mortadella (smoking goose, emulsified pork, cured back fat, cinnamon, black peppercorns). Salami (in house, peppered). Prosciutto di Parma (Principe, DOP, traditional air-cured pork leg). Sobrasada (La Espanolo, semi-soft chorizo style, raw-cured pork sausage). Lomo (La Espanolo, marinated and cured pork loin). Manchego (La Mancha, Spain). Bayley Hazen Blue (Jasper Hills Farm, Vermont).

Flight 3: Red 2

Brian B brought: 2006 Sine Qua Non Syrah Raven Series. VM 94. Opaque purple. Succulent, mineral-driven dark berry and kirsch, with strong graphite, iron and black olive notes arriving with air. Vibrant mineral qualities add urgency to deep, sweet black and blue fruit flavors and lend an incisive character to the long, spicy finish. Picked up silky tannins with air but not at the expense of the suave fruit.

5th place.

Ron G brought: 1999 Greenock Creek Shiraz Roennfeldt Road. 93 points. It had the most incredible bouquet of smoke, blackberry, dark plum, licorice and spice aromas. Unfortunately, the palate didn’t live up to that promise. It was smooth and balanced with flavors that matched the nose, but not at the same level of intensity. 92+

7th place.

It should be noted that here is one of several occasions where the pair of servers got really confused with my multi staged plan. They brought out what was supposed to be the third wave of red food second, completely skipping the “red oriented hot appetizers” wave. I got them to bring it after as you shall see.

30 day aged bone-in New York and Rib Eye steaks with Bordelaise and Bearnaise sauce.

Mac & Cheese. Candied applewood bacon.

Asparagus. Grilled with gremolata.

Grilled Cauliflower. Parmesan with almonds and breadcrumbs.

Charred Shisitos. Edamame, bonito flakes. I didn’t order this (as the hot peppers would clash with the wine), someone else ordered it directly with the waiter.

Flight 4: Red 3

From my cellar: 1998 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Mouline. VM 95+. Saturated ruby-red. Sappy raspberry, redcurrant, plum and spices on the nose, lifted by an exotic floral/apricotty viognier note and complicated by woodsmoke, pepper and mint. Penetrating and very tightly wound, with brisk acidity giving this extremely young wine almost painful intensity. A saline, sappy quality and a hint of green pepper underscore the extreme youth of this highly promising wine. This certainly calls for at least a decade of additional aging.

8th place — but crazy given how good this wine was.

Jeff M brought: 2006 Dominio Pingus Ribera del Duero. 94 points. Dark red; powerful, masculine, dark fruit, licorice; tobacco leather nose, a bit dry tannins at the end; a fine wine, but why the hype?

5th place.

Sandy brought: 2003 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage. VM 98. “Now we take the monster out of his cage,” Jean-Louis warned me before pouring this. Inky, almost black in color. Elemental, hugely concentrated and powerful on the nose, which slowly unveils aromas of dark cherry liqueur, blackberry, cassis, espresso and a deep note of sweet tobacco. Impossibly rich and dense on the palate (the yields in 2003 were off by two-thirds), showing myriad dark fruit and bitter chocolate flavors, with a suggestion of tapenade and an intense licorice quality. Remarkably, this takes on a mineral tone on the finish, which has the effect of further drawing out the amazingly powerful finish.

8th place — again crazy!

Here begins what was supposed to be the wave BEFORE the above steak wave.

Smoked Kielbasa. Roasted peppers, grain mustard.

Beef Carpaccio. Egg, Japanese mustard and yuzu.

Roasted Bone Marrow. Bittersweet onion jam. I’m not a bone marrow fan at all, but Yarom insisted on this. To me, it’s just fat to smear on bread. I eat plenty of fat and I don’t need more bread. He eats it by itself (not my thing).

Meatballs. Tomato sauce, melted cheese, garlic bread.

Flight 5: Red 4

Larry H brought: 2002 Château Mouton Rothschild. VM 94. Good saturated ruby-red. Tight nose hints at currant and smoky oak. Highly concentrated, densely packed and built to age. As young as it is, it also shows a lovely velvety texture rare for this vintage. Finishes with terrific breadth, subtle minerality and noble tannins. I’ve been a fan of this wine since the outset.

1st place!

LEC brought: 2012 Screaming Eagle Second Flight. VM 94+. The 2012 Second Flight kicks things up a notch. Dense, layered and voluptuous in the glass, the Second Flight impresses for its breadth and volume. Although only recently bottled, the 2012 nevertheless shows superb depth and tons of pure personality. (Drink between 2017-2032)

Kirk C brought: 1990 Château Cheval Blanc. VM 98. The 1990 Cheval Blanc is a vintage that once upon a time I drank regularly, although I had not seen it since March 2016. Poured against the 1990 Lafite-Rothschild, this is the clear winner. Still youthful in color with modest bricking. The bouquet explodes from the glass with kirsch, mulberry, antique furniture and black truffle scents. With aeration it becomes more savory, the Cabernet Franc wanting to see more of the olfactory action. The palate is medium-bodied and comes equipped with a stunning velvety texture. This Saint-Émilion feels spherical, conveying a sense of controlled decadence but avoiding any ostentation. This is as good a bottle as I have encountered over the years. Brilliant. Tasted at Noble Rot’s “Xmas” dinner. (Drink between 2019-2045)

3rd place!

45 day bone-in Rib Eye. This was another confusion as for some reason they only brought it to one table, or brought both steaks to only one table, so one table went without and the other greedily packed up half the leftovers to take home. haha.

Sautéed Mushrooms with Marsala glaze.

French fries.

Flight D: Desserts

Rustic Apple Tart. Caramelized apples, puff pastry, vanilla bean ice cream.

Chocolate cake.

Caramel Bread Pudding. Vanilla bean ice cream, caramel sauce, alea red sea salt.

The wines.

My bad notes.

Most of the gang.

The food at Meat is quite good. I don’t have too much complaint with the actual taste of it. It was however a “confused” evening. Much of this was our fault because we just made the two separate table reservations without explicitly telling them that it was one party and that it was going to be a wine tasting, needing a single waiter and lots of stems. The two waiter thing really confused matters as they were separately writing down instructions and some confusion ensued. They did moderately well considering. Fighting the chaotic impulses of the group (and it’s variety of personalities) was amusing as always.

The wines were great and we were lucky that all of them were in perfect shape. My personal believes that the voting and opinions on these nights are totally random was further confirmed. I myself don’t put much effort into my “scoring” and I don’t see how most of the others do as well. The slightly disorganized format always means that we have at most 3-4 glasses and tight physical space instead of properly having a distinct glass for every wine. That means that one is constantly juggling, confusing, and mixing wines in the glass and there is little opportunity to easily taste previous wines side by side so one is reliant on ones notes. Jen as usual does a great job managing the wines themselves and there is always leftovers so revisiting is possible — it’s just that on the far side of all that wine and food I rarely have much energy for it.

A perfect example of all this is how my 1998 La Mouline, which was drinking perfectly, got zero votes (even from myself). Drinking it after the reveal it was just a stunning wine — and one among a lot of stunning wines — but has a more restrained and balanced character than some of the bolder characters.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

or more crazy Hedonist dinners here!

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: blind tasting, BYOG, Dirty Dozen, Gelato, hedonists, Meat on Ocean, red wine, Santa Monica, Steak

Reaching New Heights at 71Above

Aug16

Restaurant: 71Above [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]

Location: 633 W 5th St., Los Angeles, CA 90071

Date: May 4, 2021

Cuisine: New American

Rating: Awesome in all ways

71Above is one of my favorite LA restaurants and I’ve been many times. In fact there are 9 previous write ups! Today the location plays host to a special DRC dinner that owner Emil organized with a special menu. Chef Vartan Abgaryan has moved on to his own new place, Yours Truly (which the pandemic has sadly done in), and 71Above is now seamlessly helmed by his disciple, Chef Javier Lopez.

Our return here is in fact the day of their reopening after 15+ months shuttered and for a special dinner arranged by Emil.

Besides being located on the 71st floor (950 feet up!) of the US Bank building, being the highest restaurant west of the Mississippi, it’s owned and operated by my friend Emil Eyvazoff!

Before starting our dinner Emil gave me a quick tour of their new “patio” on the 70th floor below where they are serving up Mezzes and drinks.

Gorgeous build out upstairs for the main event.

Look at the crazy view and the crazy fog on this weird spring night.

We set up shop for this evening in the private room.

Our menu for the night.

NV Taittinger Champagne Brut Réserve / La Française. VM 89. Light gold. Poached pear, peach, orange and honey on the fruity nose. Broad and fleshy on entry, then tighter and more tangy in the mid-palate, offering juicy citrus and orchard fruit flavors with subtle ginger and toasted grain nuances. Shows a supple, round character on the finish, with the ginger and peach notes repeating. Note that this bottling is labelled as “Reserve” for every country aside from the United States. In fact, I tasted a bottle labeled as such here in New York this fall, from Lot L3348NA9200. How it wound up here, I’ve no idea.

2000 Dom Pérignon Champagne P2. VM 96. The 2000 Dom Pérignon P2 is striking. More importantly, it is absolutely delicious right now. Baked apple tart, brioche, spice, vanillin, ripe pear and crushed rocks all flesh out. Creamy, layered and inviting, with soft, voluptuous curves, the 2000 offers a lot of sheer pleasure. Although, perhaps not quite as complex or structured as the very best P2s, the 2000 is wonderfully alluring. Interestingly, in 2000, the Blanc and P2 are not as different as they typically are. The P2 has a bit more volume and freshness than the Blanc, but both wines share a distinct toasty, slightly reductive character. (Drink between 2019-2040)

NV Krug Champagne Brut Rosé Edition 23eme. VM 94. The NV Rosé 23ème Edition is wonderfully nuanced and layered, with lovely richness to play off a core of bright red berry fruit. Although not especially complex in this release, the Rosé offers lovely immediacy and tons of pure pleasure. Crushed berries, chalk, mint and white flowers are nicely softened in this super-expressive, beautifully persistent Rosé. A few more years in bottle will only help. The 23ème is a Champagne of pure and total pleasure. This release is based on 2011, with reserve wines back to 2000. (Drink between 2021-2041)

Bread and butter.

From my cellar: 1996 Robert Ampeau & Fils Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières. 94 points. Golden hue, good lustre. Fresh, fruit and spice, soft aged characters, honey and grilled nuts. Fleshy, full flavoured, long smooth palate. Fruit, cream, toast and honey, nothing oxidative. Very clean finish, pure and fruit driven, gentle acidity, carries its sweet aged fruit very well.

2014 Domaine Billaud-Simon Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons. BH 92. This too is distinctly cool and reserved with its pretty, spicy and airy array of citrus, iodine and ocean breeze scents. There is beautiful intensity and delineation to the delicious and energetic medium-bodied flavors that deliver solid richness and persistence on the well-balanced finish. This excellent effort should amply reward 6 to 8 years of cellaring. (Drink starting 2021)

2010 Joseph Drouhin Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières. VM 93+. Pale bright yellow. Very stony aromas of peach, apricot and grilled nuts. At once thoroughly ripe and quite dry, with its primary fruit flavors currently dominated by a strong dusty stone element. This very backward but scented Perrieres saturates the palate with spices and minerals.

Yellowfin Crudo. Jicama, Avocado, Lemongrass, Charred Serrano Oil, Lime, Mint. Super zingy flavors. Really awesome.

2009 Louis Jadot Corton-Charlemagne Domaine des Héritiers Louis Jadot. VM 96. Another vibrant, precise wine from this often misunderstood vintage, the 2009 Corton-Charlemagne boasts stunning precision and class from start to finish. Citrus, pears, white flowers and crushed rocks are some of the many nuances that vibrate on the bright, crystalline finish. In this tasting, the 2009 Corton tastes like it has barely budged over the last year. It is far too young to even consider opening. (Drink starting 2015)

2013 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Corton-Charlemagne. BH 92-94. A shy, indeed almost mute nose only grudgingly liberates its cool aromas of green apple, white fruit, spiced pear and wet stone. The intensely saline and stony big-bodied flavors are supported by a firm spine of citrus-inflected acidity that shapes the powerful finish that delivers outstanding complexity and persistence. I very much like the balance and this will need plenty of time to realize its full, and considerable, potential. (Drink starting 2025)

2018 Joseph Drouhin Corton-Charlemagne. VM 92-94. The 2018 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru comes from east-facing vineyards within the Les Languettes, a small production of six barrels. It has a closed and stubbornly backward bouquet that is outflanked by the Clos des Mouches Blanc. The tensile palate delivers good acidity and notes of orange zest and light peach notes, quite pure, and a spicy stem ginger and salty peanut finish. Very fine. (Drink between 2022-2040)

Farm Salad. Lettuces, Market Vegetables, Labne, Meyer Lemon, Parmigiano-Reggiano. To be honest this was one of the best salads I’ve ever had. Super herby with a really strong (and wine marginal) vinaigrette. Great texture and incredibly refreshing.

1996 Serafin Père et Fils Charmes-Chambertin. VM 94. Good full ruby color. Perfumed, highly expressive black cherry, currant and licorice aromas. Great sweetness in the mouth; thick and layered yet beautifully detailed. Finishing fruit really stains the palate, overwhelming the ripe tannins. Very primary and likely to age slowly. An impeccably proportioned wine that shows none of the acid edge that characterizes many ’96s. Serafin’s late harvesting strategy in ’96 paid major dividends.

1996 Jean-Jacques Confuron Romanée St. Vivant. VM 93. Saturated ruby. Multidimensional nose of black raspberry, cocoa, minerals and subtle, smoky oak. Reticent but very deep on the palate; in comparison to this wine, the Clos Vougeot is much more open today, not to mention fruitier. But this is more complex. Really seamless and impeccably balanced. Finishes with suave, evenly distributed tannins and great subtle persistence.

1997 Domaine Francois Lamarche La Grande Rue. BH 88. The initial hints of secondary aromas, including a somewhat surprising trace of sous bois, combine with pretty red and black fruit aromas that are notably ripe and framed in obvious wood are followed by moderately austere flavors (particularly so for the vintage) that offer better than average precision while being supported by medium firm finishing tannins that display just a touch of the greenness that many ’97s do at this point in their evolution. This is a bit one-dimensional relative to the best here and I would suggest drinking it over the next 5 years or so as the fruit risks drying out before the structure resolves itself.

1998 Domaine Ponsot Clos de la Roche Vieilles Vignes. BH 91. Exquisitely complex yet rather reserved fruit with medium weight, very earthy flavors of excellent depth and outstanding length. There is plenty of structure here and superb balance overall and I very much like the overall combination of density, purity, elegance and impressive length. While this is certainly approachable now with food, it will be best with another 3 to 5 years of cellar time, perhaps a bit longer. (Drink starting 2008)

Steak Tartare. Onion Vinaigrette, Bulgur, Parsley, Shallot, Turnip, Lavash Crisp. There is a clear “origin” here with the classic Lebanese/Armenian raw beef with bulgur.

Lavash crisp.

From my cellar: 1999 Denis Mugneret Père et Fils Richebourg. BH 92. Fascinating interplay of black fruit, earth, tobacco and Vosne spice framed by discreet hints of oak toast followed by sweet, supple and very intense flavors that last for minutes. This is not quite as ripe or opulent as most of the wines in this group though it sports excellent acid/fruit balance as a result. I like the more reserved style of this.

agavin: a touch bretty at first, but opened and was then stunning. My WOTN (of course I’m biased).

2002 Gros Frère et Sœur Richebourg. VM 95. Medium red. Highly perfumed, ineffably complex aromas of strawberry, currant, bacon fat, cocoa powder, gunflint, coffee and smoked meat. Dense, sappy and wonderfully intense, with exhilarating flavors of smoked meat, spices, minerals and underbrush. Conveys a powerful impression of soil tones. Builds almost freakishly on the back end, finishing with a kick of spice and a flavor of pink peppercorn. A wonderfully suave, extremely long Richebourg that offers great early appeal but has the spine to develop in bottle for 10 or 15 years. (A Patrick Lesec Selection; importers include Classic Wine Imports, Boston, MA; Fine Vines LLC, Melrose Park, IL; The Wine Warehouse, Commerce, CA; Domaine Select Wine Estates, New York, NY )

2001 Domaine / Maison Vincent Girardin Echezeaux. VM 90. Medium red-ruby. Cool aromas of cassis, black plum and minerals, lifted by a peppery nuance. Supple, minerally and sweet, though still youthfully closed; slightly medicinal fruit is not yet expressing itself. Finishes with nicely ripe tannins and very good length.

Grilled Octopus. Almond Gastrique, Chile de Arbol, Castelvetrano Olive, Fennel. Jokes about the Netflix film were lighting up the table.
2001 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Mouline. VM 96. Dark red color. Pungently floral aromas meld smoky red berries, exotic rose petal, dried lavender and magnolia blossom. Dense and extremely sweet, showing an explosive array of red fruit flavors along with exotic floral and sweet tobacco tones and an overlay of smoky bacon and bonfires. A bright mineral tone sharpens the fruit, adding focus and precision to the flavors. The finish builds and deepens but maintains superb elegance and silkiness of texture, finishing on notes of wild red berries and rose oil.

1994 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Turque. 94 points. Gorgeous nose. Blueberry, mulberry, cigar, tobacco. Moderate structure, medium body – think this would have been bigger and better a few years ago. Fruit fading now, with a dry finish. Long and complex.

1997 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Turque. VM 92-95. Good red-ruby. Perfumed aromas of cassis, violet, lilac and brown spices. Lush and aromatic in the mouth; the combination of a bit more acidity than the Mouline and its mineral and gunflint elements gives this wine noteworthy elegance and firm shape. Tannins are quite fine.

Spring Lamb. Charred Broccolini, Yellow Beet, Rhubarb Mostarda, Green Garlic, Jus. The lamb and the room have been silenced. This went perfect with the LaLa’s!

2005 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage. VM 97+. Inky ruby. Hugely aromatic bouquet of red and dark berries, cherry, Asian spices, fresh flowers, minerals and cured meat; smells like a great grand cru from Vosne-Romanee but with a wilder side. Flat-out gorgeous wine, with remarkably deep but fresh red berry and cherry flavors that stain the palate. Seems to actually expand on the finish, picking up exotic spicecake and rose pastille character and leaving a sweet trail of smoky red fruits behind. “If you insist on drinking this young, do it now,” says Chave, “because it will close up in about two or three years and not be open again for a long time.” You’ve been warned.

1989 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle. JG90+. After a few absolutely desultory bottles of the ’89 La Chapelle, I was very pleasantly surprised to hit a very good bottle of this wine. My last several examples prior to this bottle had been overripe prune juice that was already getting quite oxidative, but this bottle was very good and a far cry from those previous examples. As readers may know, there were multiple bottlings of La Chapelle back in this era, so there are some distinctly different wines out there under the same label and vintage banner. In any event, after several very disappointing bottles, I finally got a good one this last time around. The deep, complex and meaty nose offers up scents of ripe cassis, black pepper, grilled meats, smoky overtones, a touch of balsam bough and incipient notes of chipotle peppers. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and fairly roasted in personality, but, with a good core of fruit, moderate tannins and good focus and grip on the complex and gently tangy finish. I imagine that this is what sound examples of the better cuvées of this wine have shown consistently, and why folks with these bottles in the cellar thought I was completely off my rocker with my notes on less enjoyable bottles. This example is a good, solid Hermitage at its apogee, but with still a couple of decades of life ahead of it- though not quite in the league of the 1988 La Chapelle in terms of complexity and elegance. (Drink between 2012-2030)

Wagyu Short Ribs. Pea Tendril Salsa Verde, Potato Espuma, Carrot, Spring Onion, Jus.

Cheese Plate. Julianna, 1655 Gruyere, Ameribella, Accompaniments.

And a second cheese round with the special shaved cheese.

Chocolate Cherry Bite – The base is made with Valrhona 62% Satilla Chocolate with a pinch of Malabar Black Pepper and then layered with Cherry Coconut Vanilla Cream! — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #Valrhona #chocolate #creamcheese #ganache #icing #pepper #cherry

Our epic lineup.

Some of the carnage.

The lovely ladies of the evening.

Heading down!

Overall, 71Above is just a seriously well conceived and executed one-of-a-kind restaurant. Really, it’s more like a NY, Singapore, or Tokyo kind of concept. First of all, the view is just awesome. I can’t wait to come back on a really clear day. Particularly once they begin brunch service, a nice winter day will offer an observation deck like panorama.

But then Emil and crew built out such a lovely space to capture the drama. It’s modern, but welcoming. Not too loud, you can hear the conversation and the music both. And from when you enter off the double elevator ascent it folds from one experience to another: lounge, dining room, more intimate corridors, chef table, quiet and romantic view areas in the back, and a series of two adjustable private dining rooms. The attention to architectural detail is amazing.

Today’s dinner excelled on all counts. Service, food, company, and of course the wines. Post pandemic as it is everyone really stepped up big time!

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: 71above, BYOG, DTLA, Emil Eyvazoff, Foodie Club, Gelato, hedonists, Wine

Upstairs with Sauvages

Aug09

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

Location: 2311 Cotner Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90064 Tel. 310-231-0316

Date: April 2021

Cuisine: Modern Tapas

Rating: Bright flavors and a lot of options.

ANY CHARACTER HERE

A Sauvages lunch was my “last meal” before the year+ long hiatus from restaurant life and it’s fitting to return in style.

Upstairs 2 is located just above the Wine House on Cotner. The main room serves an eclectic tapas menu, but as this was a special Sauvages du Vin lunch (always a lunch, almost always Friday) and the restaurant was still closed due to the pandemic, we took over the whole dining room. Today’s theme was 2009 vintage or older red Grand Cru Burgundies from the communes of Gevrey-Chambertin, Morey-St. Denis, Chambolle-Musigny or Vosne-Romanee (91+ pts. Burghound or 93+pts. Parker).

Our takeover.

Our special menu.

From my cellar: 2004 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut. VM 96. I am thrilled with the way the 2004 Comtes de Champagne continues to evolve in bottle. A few years ago, the 2004 was quite focused and linear, in the style of the vintage, but more recently, the wine has begun to fill out beautifully. The 2004 remains bright, with a full range of citrus, white flower and mineral nuances that dance on the palate. A brisk, saline-infused finish rounds things out beautifully in a Comtes that impresses for its crystalline purity. I expect the 2004 will always remain a bit cool next to the more opulent 2002, but it is still drop-dead gorgeous. (Drink between 2014-2034)

NV Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée Edition 168eme. JG 96+. The new release of Krug Grande Cuvée “168ème Édition” is from the base year of 2012, with the reserve wines in the blend stretching all the way back to 1996. The final cépages has ended up as fifty-two percent pinot noir, thirty-five percent chardonnay and thirteen percent pinot meunier. Forty-two percent of the blend is made up of reserve wines in this beautiful iteration of Grande Cuvée. The bouquet is superb, wafting from the glass in a mosaic of apple, white peach, a touch of Clos du Mesnil-like fresh apricot, almond, a beautifully complex base of soil tones, fresh-baked bread, hints of the caraway seed to come and a whisper of buttery oak (which is particularly evident when the wine is first poured, but quickly is subsumed in the other elements on the nose). On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, focused and very complex, with a lovely core of fruit, fine soil signature, utterly refined mousse and a long, perfectly balanced and very energetic finish. This is one of the most effortless and seamlessly balanced young releases of Grande Cuvée in several years and is utterly brilliant wine. (Drink between 2020-2080)

Marinated crab amuse.

From the side.

Smoked salmon in pastry.

Scallop with citrus.

The wine list.

1990 Domaine A.-F. Gros Richebourg. 93 points. Lush and round, this was drinking magnificently well on the night. It started with a lovely nose, more lifted in character than most of the other Richebourgs on show, with red currants and cassis notes laced with earth, herb and sweetly citrus orange peel aromas. It was on the palate where the wine really shone though. It had a lovely fullness to it, with a plush depth and plenty of gentle power pulling away on a bed of softened tannins. I got a hint of sur-maturite on the attack, with a flavours of dried strawberries and raisin, but these were spiked by a bright citrussy energy and on the midpalate and beyond, all lending to a sense of clarity and freshness that I really liked. Unlike some of the other wines, I am not sure this has much room to improve, but it sure was showing very nicely on the day.

1991 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Musigny Cuvée Vieilles Vignes. BH 94. I have had this wine many times and it has always been one of my favorite ’91s. Unfortunately, a number of bottles tasted within the last 3 years were already on the decline, having lost that wonderful velvety quality that I once so much admired. While not unpleasant, it’s clear that these bottles are not what they should be as there is a toastiness that comes up on the finish and renders it ever so slightly bitter. However, a bottle tasted in Los Angeles that was air freighted from the Domaine only 3 weeks prior was simply outstanding with a wonderful nose of exotic spices and subtle yet seductive game and smoky hints followed by rich, warm and pure flavors of superb depth and length with plenty of finishing velvet. And the most recent bottle that was tasted in France was also outstanding though as my comments suggest, I have encountered significant bottle variation with scores ranging from 87 to 94.

1993 Domaine Ponsot Griotte-Chambertin. 91 points. This wine wasn’t bad but compared to the two other Ponsots CSD/CDR and also the very strong peer group it fell off. Cloudy, dark garnet. Rich and ripe palate, sour cherry, good acidity but the tannins produce a drying finish. Probably picked too late, extracted too much.

1995 Claude Dugat Charmes-Chambertin. VM 94. Brilliant ruby color. Blueberry, violet, smoky oak and floral aromas convey an almost syrupy sweetness. Dense and extremely concentrated; this shows an almost painful intensity today yet has no rough edges. Pure Pinot sap. Totally convincing grand cru. Builds and builds on the palate and aftertaste.

Roasted Mushroom Medley. Puff pastry, thyme, fennel, Burgundy mustard, parsley.

1995 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Romanée St. Vivant. BH 92. Gorgeous, sexy, opulently perfumed fruit followed by medium weight, intense, backward, beautifully textured flavors underpinned by solid but ripe tannins and the same floral note that many of these ’95s display. This is really quite lovely with a really impressive purity of expression and should age well for years. (Drink starting 2010)

From my cellar: 1995 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St. Jacques. BH 92. Explosively spicy, still entirely primary fruit of notable complexity leads to intense, medium full, edgy and beautifully precise flavors and a long but ever-so-slightly astringent finish. This is extremely pretty as well as stylish with plenty of flavor authority, mid-palate punch and impressive length. It will probably always have a slight edge on the finish but the essence of the wine is so fine that it’s a background nuance. In sum, a terrific effort. Consistent notes with the exception of one bottle that displayed a huge amount of oak that was completely over the top; I have no explanation for it but it was so oaky that it was honestly tough to drink.

agavin: if I do say so, WOTD

1996 Denis Mugneret Père et Fils Richebourg. BH 93. Subtly complex nose of leather, earth and dried grasses with delicious yet quite structured flavors and fine length. There is good sève and muscle underlying the flavors though the tannins are completely ripe and the wine should drink well over the medium term. This is not flamboyant or especially opulent yet it delivers plenty of character and quality in a refined, discreet style. I like this very much.

1996 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Bonnes Mares. VM 93+. Good fresh dark red. Flamboyant nose combines blueberry, blackberry, licorice and Cuban tobacco; distinctly blacker aromas than the ’97. Great sweetness and penetration on the palate; flavors are given thrust and grip by a strong spine of acids and tannins. Quintessential grand cru intensity without excess weight. Extremely long, noble finish. Fascinating Bonnes-Mares, and likely to be very long-lived.

Duck Confit. Wild rice, caramelized shallots, baby red beets, au jus, upland cres.

1999 Domaine A.-F. Gros Richebourg. VM 94+. Ruby-red. Pure, pristine aromas of blackberry, bitter chocolate, flowers and minerals. Dense, sweet and layered, with strong spicy oak flavor and intriguing notes of wild berries. Even fuller on the back end than the Clos Vougeot, with firm but very fine tannins. Compelling wine.

1999 Claude Dugat Chapelle-Chambertin. BH 94. Quite deeply colored. This is a big wine in every respect and one that is presently no where near its apogee. There is ample oak still present on the very ripe black fruit nose that also evidences notes of earth and spice, both of which can also be found on the powerful, concentrated and moderately rustic well-muscled flavors that are supported by very firm tannins and excellent depth and length. Courtesy of Dr. Chen I have had this wine twice with one bottle being superb and the other have the finish dominated by extremely firm tannins. Tasted twice but with inconsistent notes. (Drink starting 2017)

1999 Domaine Philippe Charlopin Mazis-Chambertin. BH 90. A completely different expression of pinot noir with its sauvage, slightly animale fruit and flavors. This isn’t especially dense but the complexity it offers is beguiling. Good precision and this has a nice sense of balance and if it manages to put on weight in the bottle, my rating will be conservative. (Drink between 2006-2009)

2000 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Musigny Cuvée Vieilles Vignes. BH 93. Extravagant, very ripe spice aromas explode from the glass with remarkable complexity that frame superbly elegant, gorgeously textured flavors that are intense and vibrant. This is really quite powerful for the vintage and incredibly long yet remains classy and fine. It is not especially big or dense as de Vogüé Musigny goes but is tautly muscular and defined. Extremely impressive for the vintage. (Drink starting 2010)

Ground Rabbit Sausage. Butternut squash ravioli, tarragon cream sauce, baby carrots, aged gouda.

2002 Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier Musigny. . Medium red. Immediately spectacular aromas of raspberry, baked bread and white truffle. Silky, thick and highly concentrated; densely packed, sappy and wonderfully sweet but seemed to go into a shell after five minutes in the glass. Finishes with a savory note of olive, almost invisible tannins and explosive length. A great showing today, although I can easily imagine this wine continuing to gain in aromatic precision and lift for another ten years. (Drink between 2016-2034).

2005 Geantet-Pansiot Charmes-Chambertin. VM 92+. Bright ruby-red. Deep aromas of blackberry and licorice; at once riper and more brooding than the last couple of wines. Then juicy, spicy and vibrant but quite closed in the middle palate, with superb energy to the dark berry and violet flavors. Finishes impressively broad, ripe and dry, with substantial tongue-dusting tannins and excellent length. This one also needs a solid six to eight years of cellaring.

Ron brought: 2007 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Richebourg. VM 93+. Bright medium red. Pungent aromas of wild strawberry, minerals, spices and pepper. Not a fat wine but classy and suave, with terrific peppery, minerally lift in the middle palate. With aeration, this classically dry wine showed a stronger soil component and mounting power. Finishes with superb breadth and an impression of weightlessness. I might have initially mistaken this for the RSV-and vice-versa-had I tasted these blind, but this is ultimately the more powerful wine.
2008 Domaine Dujac Clos de la Roche. VM 95. The 2008 Clos de la Roche is particularly refined in this vintage. The wine literally floats on the palate with weightless elegance in its intensely perfumed fruit. Crushed flowers and red berries linger on the silky, impossibly fine finish. This is a fabulous effort from Dujac. (Drink between 2018-2033)

Seared Lamb Porterhouse Chops. Gruyere potato gratin, buttered english peas, red wine demi-glace.

1880 D’Oliveiras Madeira Terrantez. 94 points. Powerful nose of burnt caramel, roasted nuts, and orange rind. Freshly roasted espresso, plum, and black tea notes most notable on the palate. Rich, but with piercing acidity, not cloying at all. Delicious stuff.

Brillat-Savarin & Roquefort. Toasted baguette, quince paste, cornichon, marcona almonds.

1976 Château Rieussec. 93 points. Hints of erstwhile headiness on the nose. Good balance of sweetness and acidity, with a definite bitter marmalade note. It suggested an old Bual madeira, both in appearance and flavour.

The lineup.

My notes.

Overall Upstairs 2 did a solid job with this lunch. Wine service was good and the food was good. Wines were awesome and a lot of great showings. As this was the first Sauvages in 13 months, everyone really stepped up.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Burgundy, BYOG, Champagne, Gelato, lunch, Red Burgundy, Sauvages, Wine

Rice Yummy

Jul13

Restaurant: Rice Yummy

Location: 8801 Valley Blvd, Rosemead, CA 91770. (626) 872-0491

Date: April 25, 2021

Cuisine: Shanghai Chinese

Rating: Solid Shanghai Cuisine

Shanghai #1 Seafood Village opened roughly 10 years ago to great fanfare and was for years a solid SGV Shanghai style place. It closed recently with the pandemic but the owners have this smaller more casual Shanghai place.

The facade isn’t too fancy. The menu has most of the Shanghai classics, although at the time we went even the limited menu wasn’t all “in stock.” They didn’t even have the classic pan seared dumplings.

Spicy cold chicken. This is generally a Sichuan style dish, and generally has more sauce, but it was tasty here.

Sweet and sour jellyfish — very crunchy, sweet tangy sauce. This was a bit polarizing. I liked it, but not everyone loves jellyfish.

Smashed cucumbers. Always a favorite.

Shrimp two ways. Left hand ones were very nice. Very delicate and paired nicely with the vinegar sauce.

Sweet and sour cabbage with pork. Excellent with lots of porky flavor.

Tea Smoked Duck.

XLB. Since they didn’t have the pan fried Shanghai dumplings we had to make due with the steamed version.

Pork Hock. Super juicy and tender. Not a lean cut.

Pork Belly with Tofu – very soft and flavorful. This was even “leaner” than the previous pork, but packed with porcine flavor. The different soft textures of the meat and tofu were wonderful together.

Ginger chicken. Very succulent.

Grandmother’s Pork with egg. All bound together in that classic Shanghai sweet soy sauce. Notice the fatty pork theme going on.

French Style Beef — very tender. I’m not even sure where in China this dish is from. Certainly down south near Vietnam. Or maybe it’s just Vietnamese Chinese.

Steamed rice (yummy). Very light steamed rice with nice vegetal and porky notes.

Nocciola Caramello Budino Gelato — Nocciola custard base made with Pure PGI Piedmont hazelnut paste, infused with house-made caramel (instead of sugar) then mixed with toffee and topped with Toffifay — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — so good it’s an instant signature flavor –#SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #hazelnut #nocciola #caramel #caramello #toffee #toffifay

Rice Yummy didn’t have a massive menu, and the interior was a bit small and not much to look at, but the Shanghai cuisine was well made and delicious. As this was my first trip back to the SGV since before the pandemic it was a very enjoyable and delicious dinner.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

For more LA Chinese dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: BYOG, Chinese cuisine, Gelato, hedonists, Rice Yummy, SGV, Shanghai Cuisine

Dirty Dozen Crustacean

Jul07

Restaurant: Crustacean Beverly Hills [1, 2, 3]

Location: 468 N Bedford Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210. (310) 205-8990

Date: Spring 2021

Cuisine: Vietnamese Fusion

Rating: Return after long hiatus

Two times in rapid sequence to Crustacean, as it’s both fabulous and features a great patio in these “outside is better” days. Tonight’s meal was Dirty Dozen, our blind wine group within a wine group.

We’ve had a couple awesome meals here in the last couple of years.

For extra caution in these uncertain times we ate on one of their fabulous patios.

Our special menu.

From my cellar: 2007 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Rosé Brut. VM 97. The 2007 Comtes de Champagne Rosé is a total knock-out. Racy and exuberant in the glass, the 2007 wraps around the palate with stunning textural depth and resonance. The 15% still Pinot adds structure and persistence to a creamy, inviting Rosé Champagne that will leave readers weak at the knees. Hints of rose petal, dried cherry, cinnamon and dried flowers meld into the sublime finish. This is about as good as it gets. Wow! (Drink between 2018-2038) PN 94. Really lovely mineral dried orange peel, freeze dried raspberry and strawberry, fullish body, perfect balance, good acidity, pure, long. Great stuff. DD at Crustacean.

2014 Domaine / Maison Vincent Girardin Corton-Charlemagne. VM 93+. Highly nuanced nose combines white peach, ginger, medicinal herbs, juniper, oyster shell and white pepper. Wonderfully smooth and fine-grained, with citronella and spice flavors spreading out to saturate the palate without leaving any impression of weight. Finishes complex, classically dry and long, with a repeating spice character. A very classy Corton-Charlemagne. (Drink between 2021-2030). PR 92. White flowers ripe peach, med. + body, balanced, concentrated, youthful, long with w tingly finish. Really excellent, a bit understated at first, but on 2nd tasting about 1 hour later it didn’t stand up as well to the other great Burgs. DD at Crustacean.

2016 Domaine de la Vougeraie Charlemagne. 93 PN. Tons of redux initially, tingly, rocky minerality, good extract, limey citrus, clean cut and precise. very nice, with a lean mouthfeel. DD at Crustacean.

King Crab Spoon. Uni Aioli, Meyer Lemon. a tasty little bite.

2015 Louis Jadot Corton-Charlemagne Domaine des Héritiers Louis Jadot. PN 92. This was really good but compared to the other top Burgs it ranked in the middle. The 2015 showed its ripeness, with white peach, some redux on the palate, round-ish, fuller, touch of vanilla oak, soft entry, touch of oak in the finish but with excellent vibrancy. Riper, fuller than the other top wines. DD at Crustacean.

2017 Louis Latour Corton-Charlemagne. Corked.

Salt & Pepper Calamari. Charred scallion, sweet red chili, Thai basil, Aioli. A tiny bit hot for the wine, but tasty.

Caviar Potato Tot. Royal Keluga, red tobiko, yuzu, creme fraiche. Fanciest tater tot you’re likely to encounter!

2008 Joseph Drouhin Beaune 1er Cru Clos des Mouches Blanc. PN 93. A bit darker but just slightly; a picked up soy, herbs, peach pit, really interesting notes along with a hint of caramel and apricot pit/botrytis; slight sweet attack, lots of character, thought this was a 2004 or 2006 with the color. DD at Crustacean.

2011 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Meursault 1er Cru Les Genevrières. PN 93. This was also really good out of a stellar line up; Green color! lots of redux, but a mature kind of aspect with mint cilantro, bright, youthful. Well-balanced and very tasty. Guessed 2014. DD at Crustacean.

New Zealand Green Lip Mussels. Asian pesto, garlic crostini.

Truffle chicken pan seared dumplings. Chili oil. Ponzu. The dumplings were seared into one giant block!

2002 Henri Boillot Corton-Charlemagne. PN 91. Nothing wrong with this but darker slightly nutty, aging ok, but slight bitter nutty aspect, could be fresher but is a 2002 after all. DD at Crustacean. One of the least favs of the lineup that was fault free. DD at Crustacean.

2002 Coche-Dury Meursault. PN 94. Insanely good, redux but complex and felt aged but fresh and lively at the same time; great fruit, tangy long, soft entry and a super long massive finish. Great dept and concentration. Unbelievable village level from Coche. Guessed 2005. Wine of the night with stellar GC Burgs with DD at Crustacean.

Winner!

Karante Salad. Kohlrabi, black truffle, crispy Kennebec Potato, garlic blossom.

2007 Louis Carillon Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Perrières. PN 93. Really fresh, young, youthfull tasting, lime/lemon notes with a touch of oak; very nice clean pure, bright. Can’t believe it’s 2007. DD at Crustacean.

From my cellar: 2007 Louis Carillon Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet. Old, dark and oxydized. Quite a shame since the ’07 Perrieres way out-performed this GC. DD at Crustacean.

agavin: sadly, an advanced bottle 🙁

2017 Domaine Michel Niellon Chevalier-Montrachet. PN 94. Up on par with the Coche, this showed bright, fresh herbs, good volume, depth, dry chalky extract, quite amazing. Wine #2 WOTN after the Coche. DD at Crustacean.

Sake Poached Whole Lobster. Caviar, red tobiko, Santa Barbara Sea Urchin & Meyer Lemon Reduction.

An’s Famous Garlic Noodles. Roasted Garlic & An’s Secret Sauce.

2014 Domaine Henri Boillot Bâtard-Montrachet. PN 92. Light green, lemon drop candy,fresh, crisp, tight, almost chablis like. very good just less complex than the competition. Needs a couple more years too. 92-93. DD at Crustacean.

2013 Domaine Jean-Claude Bachelet et Fils Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Blanchots Dessus. PN 93. Another stellar wine in the lineup. Hints of white pepper of all things, with lemon squeeze, juicy tasty, concentrated, med. body. 3 of the night. DD at Crustacean.

Truffle Dory en Papillote. Steamed Dory, Black summer truffles, leeks, napa cabbage, ginger. Surprisingly, this dish was “DOTN” (dish of the night). The fish was perfectly tender and had a lovely umami/ginger taste.

An’s Famous Garlic Rice. Steamed Jasmine rice, wok steeped garlic, hidden spices. Hidden spices must be sugar I’d guess. Basically white rice with a bit of a garlic flavor.

2015 Château Rieussec. VM 94. The 2015 Rieussec has a fragrant and quite floral bouquet, scents of yellow flower and earthy aromas filtering through the honeyed fruit. The palate is well balanced with a tang of marmalade and quince on the entry. This is pure and creamy in texture with shades of coconut and crème brûlée toward the punter, friendly finish. Lovely. Tasted blind at the Southwold 2015 Bordeaux tasting. (Drink between 2021-2042)

Kona Kona Gelato — Egg based Macadamia Nut base with chopped Mac Nuts swirled with house-made Coffee Caramel Valrhona Chocolate Ganache — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato but plated at @crustaceanbh in #BeverlyHills — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #MacadamiaNut #coffee #Valrhona #Chocolate

The wine lineup.

My notes. By a slight margin Jeffrey snuck across the finish line with the Coche.

The gang (minus the photographer).

Overall, this was a kingly evening. Boy did the Ans treat us right and we had an incredible menu, amazing service, and great wines. Tonight’s particularly menu, while filled with tasty dishes, was a bit undersized (certain parties were probably watching costs). We had to ask for seconds on a bunch of items like the noodles and the fish as there was one of those little bowls of noodles for 6 people (by default)! And I would have liked the XO fried rice instead of the “plain” rice. But the quality was fabulous.

Discussing the food analytically. Very good, and most dishes varied from good to great. The Vietnamese influence is far more subtle, less heavy handed, then at most newer fusion places like Little Sister / LXSO or the more contemporary small plates style Khong Ten. Definitely more roughly 2000 in formal fine dining style — which I don’t mind at all. In some ways it feels like a millennium event fine dining place with Vietnamese — and to a lesser extent Thai and Chinese — notes. It’s a pretty fancy place, and priced accordingly — but they do knock it out of the park.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

or more crazy Hedonist dinners here!

By: agavin
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Tagged as: An Family, blind tasting, BYOG, Dirty Dozen, Gelato, hedonists, Vietnamese cuisine, Vietnamese Fusion, White Burgundy, Wine

Return to Rocco’s

Jun21

Restaurant: Dinner at the Borgese’s [1, 2, 3, 4]

Location: Santa Monica

Date: Spring, 2021

Cuisine: Italian influenced gourmet home cooking

Rating: Awesome

Dinner at the Borgese’s is a special house dinner in Santa Monica cooked by the stunning pro-level home chef Borgese couple. So it’s very fitting for what’s only my second post lockdown dinner.

The dynamic Borgese team consists of Rocco, his lovely wife (and the main kitchen chef), and his daughter (helping out with service).

Their house has not only a wine cellar, but a cheese and meat larder!

Plus all this incredible wood fired oven set up.

We have this fabulous outside table, perfect for covid ventliation.

Tonight’s special menu.

2002 Dom Pérignon Champagne P2. JG98. Somehow, I never managed to cross paths with the initial disgorgement of the 2002 Dom Pérignon, so I was delighted to see the coming P2 version waiting in the wings in our tasting lineup in March at the Abbé d’Hautvillers. It would be fascinating to compare the P2 with the first release of the 2002 Dom Pérignon, in much the same way I tasted the two 1996 versions side by side, as this is a great Champagne vintage that dovetails so beautifully with the house style of this bottling. The 2002 P2 delivers a stunning young nose of pear, apple, stony minerality, iodine, dried flowers a touch of nuttiness, menthol and gentle upper register botanicals so emblematic of this cuvée as it starts to first stretch its wings. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and absolutely rock solid at the core, with lovely mousse, laser-like focus again and stunning backend mineral drive on the very, very long, perfectly balanced finish. The 2002 Dom Pérignon P2 looks to be almost unreachable by the passage of time and could easily last a century. (Drink between 2022-2095)

Capesante al Tartufo. Divine quality to these scallops, served in crudo style with a bit of olive oil and delectable truffles.

NV Krug Champagne Brut Rose Edition 24eme. VC 97. The Krug Rosé Brut “24ème Édition” is from the base year of 2012 and the wine is absolutely stunning on both the nose and palate. The wine includes reserves back to the 2006 vintage and ended up with a cépages of forty percent pinot noir, thirty-two percent pinot meunier and twenty-eight percent chardonnay. The wine this year includes eleven percent of its pinot noir component as still red wine from Aÿ, and the wine is quite a bit deeper in hue than is often the case for a Krug Rosé. The bouquet is pure, precise and utterly refined, wafting from the glass in a mix of fraises du bois, a touch of rhubarb, blood orange, caraway seed, wheat toast, a gorgeous base of soil tones, discreet smokiness and a topnote of rose petal. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, vibrant and flawlessly balanced, with a great core, refined mousse, bright acids and a long, complex and laser-like finish. I always love Krug Rosé, but this may well be my favorite iteration of this bottling I have ever had the pleasure to taste. (Drink between 2020-2060)

2006 Dom Pérignon Champagne Rosé. VM 97+. The 2006 Dom Pérignon Rosé is every bit as captivating as it was last year, maybe even more so. At times powerful, but in other moments finessed, the 2006 constantly changes in the glass, revealing a different shade of its personality with every taste. Perhaps most importantly, the 2006 seems to have gained a level of precision and pure sophistication it did not show last year, when it was quite a bit less put together. Back then, the 2006 was a wine of tremendous potential; today that potential is starting to be realized. Quite simply, the 2006 Dom Pérignon Rosé is a magical Champagne. Don’t miss it. (Drink between 2020-2046)

Tartare di Manzo con Tartufo. Another gorgeous truffle statement with great texture.

2010 Joseph Drouhin Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières. VM 93+. Pale bright yellow. Very stony aromas of peach, apricot and grilled nuts. At once thoroughly ripe and quite dry, with its primary fruit flavors currently dominated by a strong dusty stone element. This very backward but scented Perrieres saturates the palate with spices and minerals.

2012 Bouchard Père et Fils Chevalier-Montrachet Domaine. JG 96. The 2012 Bouchard Chevalier-Montrachet “Normale” is a stunning wine, with a bit more of an inviting structure out of the blocks than the even more refined la Cabotte. The gorgeous nose soars from the glass in a very deep and pure blend of pear, tangerine, chalky minerality, a touch of almond paste, apple blossoms and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, pure and almost silky in its texture out of the blocks, with a superb core, excellent focus and grip and a very, very long, elegant and perfectly poised finish. Great juice. (Drink between 2020-2060)

Risotto al Gamberi de Santa Barbara. The cooked down shrimp shells in the risotto brown give this an awesome seafood flavor.

From my cellar: 1996 Robert Ampeau & Fils Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières. 94 points. A lovely Perrières that is gracefully straddling the fence of freshness and maturity. A trace of fruit is joined by nutty, mushroomy tertiary notes. A real delight.

2008 François Raveneau Chablis Grand Cru Valmur. BH 97. A background touch of wood frames green fruit, white flower and salt water aromas that introduce ultra pure, refined, elegant and cool flavors that possess terrific vibrancy and focused power before culminating in a driving, understated, firm and altogether serious finish. I very much like this as it’s classic Valmur and should age beautifully as the balance is perfect. Perhaps the best way to capture the spectacular potential of this wine is to call it brilliant. Don’t miss it but note that patience is required. (Drink starting 2018)

Fake chard (forgot to photo the annoyingly hidden vineyard and vintage, so can’t look it up).

Pasta al Ricci di Mare. Perfect al dente uni pasta. What not to love?

From my cellar: 2001 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Bonnes Mares. VM 94. The 2001 De Vogüé Bonnes Mares exhibited uncommon depth and richness in the luxuriousness of its vibrant fruit, with a personality that was delicate yet powerful. Still very much an infant, it was a privilege to catch this gorgeous wine in its youth.

1995 Château Haut-Brion. JG 94+. The 1995 vintage of Haut-Brion is excellent, though still a few years away from primetime drinking. The bouquet is deep, pure and classical in profile, delivering scents of cassis, sweet dark berries, singed tobacco, a touch of coffee bean, fresh herb tones, a complex base of gravelly soil tones, cedary oak and just a hint of the more red fruity elements that are sure to emerge here with further bottle age. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, deep, complex and seamlessly balanced, with ripe, buried tannins, fine focus and grip and outstanding length on the vibrant and very classy finish. This is a superb Haut-Brion in the making. (Drink between 2025-2085)

Quaglia Fritta al Rosmarino. Super crispy, salty, and savory.

Agnolotti Fatti in Casa con Ragu di Costolette. Like the ultimate Chef Boyardee beef ravioli!

A pasta-less version for Yarom.

Steaks on the grill.

Prawns at the ready.

2001 Château Haut-Brion. VM 92+. Full red-ruby, less bright than La Mission. Brooding aromas of raspberry, nuts, menthol and game. Dense, rich, chewy and deep but a bit youthfully closed, showing less personality today than the 2001 La Mission. Larger but not longer. Finishes with building tannins and a minty nuance.

2003 Château Margaux. VM 96. Full, saturated red-ruby. Knockout nose combines redcurrant, tropical chocolate, leather, woodsmoke and nutty oak with exotic chocolate mint and coffee liqueur; still manages to retain floral lift even in this beastly vintage. Then wonderfully fat, sweet and full, even if it comes across as almost heavy following the ineffable 2005 and 2004 examples. But “relatively inelegant” for Margaux still suggests a degree of refinement that few chateaux can match in the greatest vintages. A hugely rich and dense wine that finishes with elevated but ripe tannins and great length, with a subtle suggestion of dry spices. Pontallier says the terroir will take over in 20 years, “like with the ’82.” Splendid.

2001 Château Latour Grand Vin. VM 97+. The 2001 Latour is magnificent. A huge, structured wine, the 2001 Latour boasts notable depth to match its vertical, towering structure and pure power. At nearly fifteen years of age, the 2001 remains deep, virile and imposing. With air, the 2001 is a approachable now, but ideally it needs at least a few more years in bottle. This is a superb showing by any measure. Frédéric Engerer adds that 2001 was the last vintage that was lightly filtered prior to bottling. (Drink between 2021-2051)

Bistecca de New York con Fuoco di Lenga. Some great meat.

Wood fired potatoes.

Wood fired eggplant.

2002 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Mouline. VM 90. Bright red. Intensely perfumed aromas of cherry and redcurrant, accented by cinnamon and dried flowers; smells downright Burgundian. Silky, sweet and mineral-driven red fruit flavors offer impressive energy and focus, with just a suggestion of tannin on the back end. I find this really elegant today.

1994 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Hommage à Jacques Perrin. JG 94. I like the 1994 Hommage à Jacques Perrin a bit better than the 1995- both for drinking today and for its ultimate, long-term quality as well. There is a touch of brett here on the nose, but at a more manageable level than what is found in the 2000 iteration. The nose wafts from the glass in a complex blend of cassis, woodsmoke, dark soil tones, grilled venison, pepper, the first touch of autumnal elements and a generous framing of nutty new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied complex and quite classic in profile, with a fine core, still a bit of melting tannin and excellent focus and balance on the long and complex finish. It is pretty clear that the earliest vintages of Hommage were the best! (Drink between 2016-2035)

1999 Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape. VM 91. Moderately saturated red-ruby. Complex nose melds redcurrant, kirsch, iron, tobacco, mocha and spices. Chewy, intensely flavored and fairly deep, but rather tight following the bottling. As usual for this estate, in a rather claret-like style, without the obvious surmaturite of some Chateauneufs. Firm acidity and sweet, fine tannins give this wine the backbone to age slowly. Finishes with subtle persistence.

Gamberi de Santa Barara alla Griglia.

2003 Château Suduiraut. JG 93. The 2003 Suduiraut is the finest example of this vintage in Sauternes that I have yet tasted, though this is admittedly from a fairly small sampling of the vintage. The bouquet is deep, pure and very refined in its mélange of pineapple, apricot, peach, coconut, gentle soil tones and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, deep and most impressively light on its feet, with fine mid-palate depth, with lovely focus and just a touch of youthful bitterness still to resolve on the long, succulent and bouncy finish. The acids here are not as zesty as in the 2005, but there are sufficient to frame the wine beautifully and to keep it fresh and lively far into the future. I would give this wine three or four years to fully blossom and then drink it over the next several decades. (Drink between 2013-2040)

Beignets with Berries.

Strawberry Cheesecake Gelato — strawberry cream-cheese base with strawberry ripple and house-made graham cracker crumble. Made by me of course.

The wine lineup. Not too shabby.

Overall, this was an amazing dinner, and the Borgese’s just keep amping up the quality.

First of all, the Borgese hospitality was awesome, the house lovely, and the food absolutely incredible. Best “home cooked” meal I’ve had. Maybe ever if you restrict it to chefs cooking in their own home kitchen. Just amazing. Every dish was great. Rustic but extremely delicious style. Superb homemade pastas. My gelato was darn good too :-).

Service was handled by the youngest Borgese (teen daughter) and was better than most restaurant staff. Super friendly and you can tell they do this a lot.

Wines were, as you can, pretty darn impressive!

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: BYOG, Dinner at the Borgese's, Gelato, hedonists, Italian cuisine, pasta, Rocco Borgese, Wine

Crustacean Cru

Jun05

Restaurant: Crustacean Beverly Hills [1, 2, 3]

Location: 468 N Bedford Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210. (310) 205-8990

Date: Spring 2021

Cuisine: Vietnamese Fusion

Rating: Return after long hiatus

For one of my first post-lockdown post-vaccination ventures out went to Crustacean, both an LA landmark and owned and operated by our friends the Ans.

We’ve had a couple awesome meals here in the last couple of years.

For extra caution in these uncertain times we ate on one of their fabulous patios.

Our special menu.

From my cellar: 2008 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut. VM 99. The 2008 Cristal is one of the most complete, most dazzling Champagnes I have ever tasted. A stunning wine from any and all perspectives, the 2008 simply has it all. Spherical in construction, with superb persistence. The 2008 takes hold of all the senses and never gives up. One of the many things that makes the 2008 special is a combination of ripe fruit and bright, piercing acidity. Marzipan, lemon confit, dried flowers and orchard fruit all build into the explosive, resonant finish. “We learned from the mistakes of 1996, when we picked more on acid than ripeness, as was the norm in Champagne back then” Chef de Caves Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon told me recently. “In 1996, the best fruit turned out to be the last picks, where the fruit was physiologically ripe. Today, we aim to pick all our fruit with that criteria.” (Drink between 2020-2050)

Blinis & Caviar. Tomato “Salmon” topped with meyer lemon vegan aioli, “vegan caviar”, fresh dill sprig, 2k gold. Nice contrast of flavors and textures, particularly for vegan.

2007 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut. VM 96. Taittinger’s 2007 Comtes de Champagne will be nearly impossible to resist upon release. Soaring aromatics, mid-weight structure and soft contours give the 2007 its alluring personality. Lemon oil, white flowers, mint, chamomile and green pear add brightness and freshness throughout, with a persistent, clean finish that makes it impossible to resist a second taste. Today, the 2007 comes across as a slightly more open version of the 2004, with freshness that makes that wine so appealing, and a touch of textural richness that recalls the 2002. Although the 2007 does not have the explosive energy or verticality of the profound 2006, it will drink better earlier. The 2007 has been positively brilliant on the three occasions I have tasted it so far. (Drink between 2018-2047)

Tempura Tiato. Tombo Tuna and Fresh Lime. Very tasty, hint of a spicy finish.

2008 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos. BH 96. Here too the elegance of the nose is simply stunning with a layered and perfumed aromatic profile trimmed in an almost invisible touch of oak that allows it to ooze Chablis character and in particular, a fine minerality that continues onto the impressively concentrated and palate staining flavors that possess striking precision on the explosively long and bone dry finish. This is a great Les Clos that will make old bones. (Drink starting 2015)

Spicy Pacific Yellowtail Sashimi. Drip Calibrasian Chili Sauce, Snow Pea. A bit like the Nobu Classic yellowtail with Jalapeño.

2008 Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Champagne Brut Rosé La Grande Dame. 96 points. Very refined expressive nose displaying subtle red and yellow fruit, raspberry, pomegranate soda, light caramel, cooper, a hint of cedar, rose, perfume and oyster shell. Already showing beautifully integrated sophisticate palate, finely layered subtle pale red fruit, very fine generous mousse, precise and beautifully detailed, bright acidity, strong seashell mineral, and a seamless long pale red and yellow fruit driven finish with caramel and oyster shell at the end.

Tempura Chicken Oyster. Kafir Lime Salt. Amazing soft and tasty bite of fry.

From my cellar: 2002 Gros Frère et Sœur Grands-Echezeaux. BH 90-93. While not really intrusive, the oak treatment is still visible on the otherwise expressive nose of spice, earth and black fruit aromas that are still completely primary in character. The big-bodied and muscular flavors are not particularly elegant though there is good size and weight to them, all wrapped in a reasonably long finish where wood tannins can also be discerned on the mouth coating backend. In sum, this is a good but not great Grands Ech. Tasted twice recently with consistent notes. (Drink starting 2014)

2012 Domaine Maume-Marchand-Tawse Mazis-Chambertin. BH 91-94. Here there is a much better wood versus fruit trade off that allows the black cherry liqueur, lavender and plum aromas to shine. The opulent and beautifully concentrated broad-shouldered flavors brim with dry extract on the intense and mineral-inflected finish that exhibits superb length where the wood resurfaces. This serious old school effort should be excellent in time though note that plenty of cellar time will be required.

Shaken Filet Mignon Skewer. Grilled over Binchotan Charcoal with House Pickles. Lollipop version of the French Vietnamese classic.

The big guy with the most senior An.

1982 Château La Lagune. JG 94. Though La Lagune is listed as a wine from the Haut Médoc, I have always thought of it as really a wine from Margaux, as it lies just outside of the communal boundary there and stylistically, shares much with the wines of Margaux. The 1982 vintage of La Lagune remains the very finest year I have ever tasted from this consistently outstanding property. Today the wine is drinking at its apogee, but still has decades and decades of life ahead of it, with the superb bouquet offering up scents of black cherries, cassis, French roast, cigar ash, some gently roasted fruit elements, dark soil and a touch of toasty new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and absolutely velvety on the attack, with a sappy core, lovely focus and grip and a long, meltingly tannic and opulent finish.

1989 Château Margaux. 94 points. Beautiful rich cherry and red fruit, plush nose; rich, plush, elegant red fruit, plum and espresso; long finish.

1996 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou. VM 94+. Bright medium ruby. Deep, superripe aromas of dark berries, black cherry and bitter chocolate; slightly exotic crystallized fruit aspect. Dense, sweet and wonderfully rich; a lovely combination of palate-caressing chocolatey fruit and firm underlying structure. Finishes with excellent grip and great palate-saturating sweetness. Another outstanding 1996 Medoc wine in the making.

Array ready to be finished.

A5 Wagyu Pho. Aromatic broth, ginger, scallion. Very very subtle and lovely.

From my cellar: 1996 Robert Ampeau & Fils Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières. 94 points. A lovely Perrières that is gracefully straddling the fence of freshness and maturity. A trace of fruit is joined by nutty, mushroomy tertiary notes. A real delight.

Alaskan King Crab with An’s Famous Garlic Noodles. These are so good. The noodles are simple, but to die for.

2003 Colgin Syrah IX Estate. VM 93. Good medium red. Aromas of black fruits, violet, licorice and bacon fat complicated by pepper and herbs; one can sense the heat of the vintage. Juicy, tightly wound and rather powerful, with its salty, penetrating dark berry and licorice flavors showing good energy and a serious tannic edge but still evolving. (Winemaker Tauziet referred to the wine’s “hot/cool aromas and flavors.”) Production in 2003 jumped to 250 cases from 2002’s 100 cases, but the estate nonetheless dropped a lot of crop in ’03.

2011 Colgin Syrah IX Estate. VM 93+. Bright dark ruby. Reticent aromas of black fruits, peppercorn, fennel and licorice showcase the coolest vintage to date here. Offers lovely density of flavor and texture if less sweetness than most of these vintages. A distinctly salty, backward Syrah with hints of menthol, maple syrup, beef and pepper. Strong natural acidity accentuates the wine’s impression of dryness. This very young wine went into a shell in my glass and will need at least three or four more years in bottle to harmonize. According to winemaker Allison Tauziet, almost all of the Syrah fruit was harvested before the rains started on October 4, and the latest-picked block was eliminated from the blend. A very Old World style with a light touch–and a complex, strong wine from this cool, late vintage. (Drink between 2021-2030)

2001 Marquis Philips Shiraz Integrity. 94 points. jammy dark fruit and a hint of chocolate mint with a long smooth finish. This is surprisingly good for its age.

2016 Moone-Tsai Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Black List XXI. 97 points.

Prime Rib and Mongolian Lamb. Yarom clearly had an influence on this dish. But super tender and delicious.

XO Garlic Fried Rice with Poached Egg and Pork Belly. This is pretty insanely good.

2018 Château de Rayne-Vigneau. VM 92+. The 2018 Château de Rayne-Vigneau is just missing a little intensity on the nose compared to its peers; even leaving it aside to open, it remains recalcitrant. The palate is much more expressive, offering orange pith, apricot, mango and a touch of wild honey. Nicely proportioned on the finish, although it needs 3–4 years to subsume the oak and for the aromatics to get their act together. (Drink between 2024-2048)

This is a signature Sweet Milk flavor — Italian Lemon Cookie Meringue Pie — Limoncello Zabaione base with lemon cookie flavor mixed with Italian Lemon Creme Cookies and Sicilian Candied Lemon and topped with house-made toasted Meringue — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #lemon #LemonCookie #cookie #Sorento #Limoncello #Meringue #LemonMeringuePie

Heavenly Coconut. Coconut Cake and Vegan Coconut Sorbet. Very lovely. Lots of good coconut flavors.

Overall, this was a kingly evening. Boy did the Ans treat us right and we had an incredible menu, amazing service, and great wines.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

or more crazy Hedonist dinners here!

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Beverly Hills, BYOG, Crustacean, French Vietnamese, Gelato, hedonists, Vietnamese cuisine, Vietnamese Fusion, Wine

Sauvages AOC

Apr27

Restaurant: A. O. C.

Location: 8700 W 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90048. (310) 859-9859

Date: March 13, 2020

Cuisine: New American Wine Bar

Rating: Great lunch

Sauvages lunch is always a great time and I hopped on the opportunity to return to A.O.C. (it’s been years) with the group. One of our regulars, Albert, is an investor, and set up this awesome event. Plus it had a Bordeaux theme which always makes for a great Friday.

The interior is clubby. It used to be (at the old location) far more “Spanish”.

After opening critically acclaimed Lucques in 1998, the duo of 3 time James Beard Award winning chef Suzanne Goin (Who’s Who of Food & Beverage in America 2017, Outstanding Chef 2016, Best Chefs in America – California 2006, Best Cookbook – Cooking from a Professional Point of View 2006) and James Beard Foundation’s Outstanding Restaurateur of the Year 2018 Caroline Styne embarked on A.O.C., the area’s pioneering wine bar that first paired an indulgent list of wine by the glass with a menu of market-driven small plates.

From my cellar: 2007 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Rosé Brut. VM 97. The 2007 Comtes de Champagne Rosé is a total knock-out. Racy and exuberant in the glass, the 2007 wraps around the palate with stunning textural depth and resonance. The 15% still Pinot adds structure and persistence to a creamy, inviting Rosé Champagne that will leave readers weak at the knees. Hints of rose petal, dried cherry, cinnamon and dried flowers meld into the sublime finish. This is about as good as it gets. Wow!

We sat on the covered patio. It was quiet because of corona virus :-(.

Here is are huge table and the gang.

Our custom menu for today.

2012 Domaine Billaud-Simon Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre. BH 93. A more elegant and equally restrained nose is composed of floral and mineral reduction scents where top notes of white fruit and sea breeze hints are evident. The pure and sleekly muscular flavors possess a silky texture that continues onto the mineral-driven, intense, mouth coating and beautifully balanced finish. This is seriously impressive. (Drink starting 2020)

2008 Moreau-Naudet & Fils Chablis Grand Cru Valmur. BH 94. A discreet touch of wood does not interfere with the transparency of the notably ripe mix of citrus, stone and iodine aromas that are followed by wonderfully rich, dense, powerful and gorgeously well-detailed flavors that ooze a fine minerality and there is plenty of Chablis character to be found on the racy and tension-filled finish that seems to go on and on. This is brilliant effort that will require up to a decade to reach its full maturity but should be approachable, and enjoyable, after 5 to 6 years of cellar time. (Drink starting 2015)

2017 Kirkland Signature Chablis 1er Cru. 91 points. Medium body, good acid, good fruit, drank easily, drank with shrimp with Chinese veggies, will drink again, good value.

Hamachi, leek vinaigrette, dijon, fingerlings & camino vinegar. Really nice dish. The vegetables had tons of flavor and these was a great textural interplay between the soft fish and their crunch.

1982 Ducru-Beaucaillou. RP 96. At a charity dinner in Charleston, SC, the 1982 Ducru Beaucaillou from my cellar was the only corked bottle out of twenty-two. A subsequent tasting revealed one of the all-time great Ducrus, probably matched or eclipsed by several recent vintages (i.e., 2003, 2005, 2006, and 2008). The 1982 is still 5-8 years away from full maturity, but it exhibits a dense ruby/plum/garnet color to the rim as well as a sweet perfume of forest floor, spice box, cedar, and copious quantities of black fruits. Medium to full-bodied and beautifully pure with sweet tannins, this wine has aged more slowly than I initially expected. It is the finest Ducru Beaucaillou produced after the 1961 and before the 2003. With respect to the 1990, I do not own any of this wine, but it was the last of a series of vintages between 1986 and 1990 that were affected by the TCA-like contamination in the estate’s chai, which was completely destroyed and then rebuilt, eliminating the source of these smells. Not every bottle is affected by this, but I do not have any source for this vintage. Release price: ($140.00/case)

1982 Cos d’Estournel. RP 95-96. 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. Release price: ($115.00/case)

agavin: haha, look at that release price! $10 a bottle!

Liberty duck confit, savoy cabbage, honey & armagnac prunes. Another great dish. As good as the duck was (and it was great) the cabbage was almost better! It must have had some kind of fat (duck fat?) on it.

1986 Gruaud Larose. RP 96. Still tasting as if it were only 7-8 years of age, the dense, garnet/purple-colored 1986 Gruaud-Larose is evolving at a glacier pace. The wine still has mammoth structure, tremendous reserves of fruit and concentration, and a finish that lasts close to a minute. The wine is massive, very impressively constituted, with still some mouth-searing tannin to shed. Decanting of one to two hours in advance seems to soften it a bit, but this is a wine that seems to be almost immortal in terms of its longevity. It is a great Medoc classic, and certainly one of the most magnificent Gruaud-Larose ever made. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2035. Last tasted, 10/02.

1986 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande. RP 95. Now at 30 years of age, there is a gulf between the two Pichons in this vintage that no longer exists. The 1986 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande has long been one of the best wines from the estate alongside the 1982 (even if the first bottle was a little oxidized). The second bottle was representative. It has a classic pencil-lead, cedar-infused nose that rockets from the glass, a subtle floral note developing with time. The palate is medium-bodied with supple red berry fruit, a pinch of white pepper and cedar, structured compared to coeval vintages and perhaps further along its drinking plateau than previous examples. Certainly à point, I would be reaching for bottles of this now if you cannot locate those 1982s, or alternatively seek out the superlative 1996. This still remains a fine, rather regal Pichon-Lalande. Tasted July 2016.

1986 Lafite Rothschild. RP 98. Tasted at the château, the 1986 Lafite-Rothschild continues to offer an exquisite bouquet at 30 years of age. This is beautifully defined, still full of energy, with copious blackberry, clove, leather and graphite aromas that seem to gain momentum in the glass. The palate is extremely well balanced with a crystalline quality, filigree tannin, perfectly pitched acidity, a quintessential Lafite-Rothschild with a sense of energy and focus undiminished by time. This finish displays immense purity and refinement, one of the most mineral-driven Lafites that I have encountered, whilst the aftertaste seems to linger for over one minute. It must rank as one of the finest wines from the estate. Tasted July 2016.

lamb skewers, kale, radicchio, chickpeas, charmoula, golden raisins & almonds. Also great, and I don’t even love kale.

1995 Mouton Rothschild. RP 95. Bottled in June, 1997, this profound Mouton is more accessible than the more muscular 1996. A blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc, and 19% Merlot, it reveals an opaque purple color, and reluctant aromas of cassis, truffles, coffee, licorice, and spice. In the mouth, the wine is “great stuff,” with superb density, a full-bodied personality, rich mid-palate, and a layered, profound finish that lasts for 40+ seconds. There is outstanding purity and high tannin, but my instincts suggest this wine is lower in acidity and slightly fleshier than the brawnier, bigger 1996. Both are great efforts from Mouton-Rothschild. Anticipated maturity: 2004-2030.

1996 Montrose. RP 96. Tasted at the vertical in London, I have instead used the tasting note from a bottle opened at the property when I visited just a couple of weeks later. The 1996 Montrose is a blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot picked between 23 September and 6 October. It was served alongside the 1986 Montrose, however, this is a far better wine and reconfirms Robert Parker’s remarks at his own vertical at the property in 2014. For me, it is that loamy character that defines the nose—freshly tilled, damp soil that tinctures the black fruit —that takes you straight to this particular château. This is classic through and through and very well defined. The palate is wonderful with very fine delineation, pitch-perfect acidity, touches of graphite infusing the red and black fruit that dovetails into a very pretty, floral finish. This is clearly one of the great wines of the 1996 vintage and I would be stocking up as much as I could, because it will give 30-40 years of pleasure. Tasted July 2016.

From my cellar: 2000 Pichon-Longueville Baron. RP 97. The 2000 Château Pichon Baron is just getting better and better and better. Perhaps the magnum format played its part, but nevertheless…just…wow. This is a millennial Left Bank with the keys to the top drawer. It has an incredibly precise, mineral-driven bouquet with intense black fruit infused with cedar and graphite scents. It just reeks of Pauillac in an almost uncompromising, yet compelling manner. The palate is structured, stylish and effortless, extraordinarily pure and unerringly youthful. This is a Pichon Baron saying, “You ain’t seen nothing yet.” You could broach this now if you wanted, but the clever people will wisely bunker this for another decade and gloat from 2025 onward. Tasted January 2016.

Braised beef cheek, scallion soubise, salsa verde & feta. Again the veggies were standout. But not your boring braised beef — really full of flavor.

2001 Léoville Barton. RP 92. Consistent from bottle (I tasted it three times), this is an outstanding offering, although not quite at the prodigious level of the 2000. Civilized and approachable for a young Leoville-Barton, it exhibits a saturated plum/purple color along with classic Bordelais aromas of damp earth, creme de cassis, smoke, vanillin, and tobacco. Medium to full-bodied and rich, with high but well-integrated tannin, and a long, 40+ second finish, it should turn out to be a brilliant effort, and one of the stars of the Medoc. However, patience is essential. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2020.

agavin: ok, this one cheated on the rules a bit.

2003 Cos d’Estournel. RP 93-98. Two terrific efforts from this vintage, the 2003 Cos d’Estournel (70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot and the rest Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc) remains one of the superstars of the vintage. It offers an opaque ruby/purple hue as well as notes of incense, camphor, licorice, creme de cassis and graphite. Full-bodied, opulent, incredibly fresh and well-delineated, it can be consumed now and over the next decade. Kudos to the team at Cos d’Estournel.
2005 Cos d’Estournel. RP 98. The 2005 Cos d’Estournel is blended of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet colored, it is still a little closed and youthfully shy. With coaxing, the nose is just beginning to offer glimpses at vivacious kirsch, red roses, violets, licorice and mocha scents over a crème de cassis, blackberry pie and chocolate-covered cherry core with wafts of chargrill, mossy bark and truffles. Full-bodied, concentrated and wonderfully complex in the mouth, the palate is just beginning to reveal the true potential of this wine, with tightly wound layers of perfumed black fruits and earthy notions bound by a rock-solid frame of firm, grainy tannins and finishing with epic persistence. This still needs 5-6 years, but I love how this beauty is shaping up!!

Bread for the cheese. They said grilled ciabatta — but this just looks sliced.

3 cheese. Walnuts, dried black mission figs and grilled ciabatta.

This might be the most complex gelato I’ve made — Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte Gelato — base is Valrhona white chocolate, vanilla, with a dash of Kirsch. Then it’s layered with house-made chocolate cake soaked in Kirsch/Cherry syrup, Kirsch soaked Fabbri Amareno Cherries, house-made 70% Valrhona Chocolate Ganache, and topped with Valrhona shavings — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato –#SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #WhiteChocolate #chocolate #ChocolateCake #cherry #BlackForestCake

Caramel Toffee Mandorla Dolce Gelato — base made with Sicilian Noto Romano Almond and house-made caramel instead of sugar, then layered with toffee/almond chunks — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato –#SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #almond #sicily #RomanoAlmond #toffee #caramel

The wine lineup.

My wine notes (not very much to them).

Overall, this was another fantastic lunch. Sauvages lunch are always great, particularly when at interesting places (A.O.C. qualifies) and with good wine themes. Bordeaux was perfect. No crappy new worlds :-). Every wine was nice. Obviously some were better than others but we had no flawed bottles and people really brought great stuff. Service was first rate and the food was terrific. Really surprisingly great. Different than I remember it from 15 or so years ago at the old location, but great.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: AOC, Beverly Hills, Bordeaux, BYOG, Gelato, lunch, Sauvages, Wine

Kang Ho-dong Baekjeong

Apr15

Restaurant: Kang Ho-dong Baekjeong

Location: 3465 W 6th St. Los Angeles, CA 90020, Wilshire Center, Koreatown

Date: February 27, 2020

Cuisine: Korean BBQ

Rating: Very solid KBBQ

This dinner was several months in the planning — mostly because it got moved around once or twice.

But in any case I always like to try new KBBQ places. This one is in busy Wilshire Center which is a cool bustling courtyard in the heart of Koreatown. There’s also a Quarters here, which people also say is good.

The interior is the usual smoke infested den. The hoods don’t do much. Afterward one reeks of char.

This is the first of 3 tables. We kept moving to find one which fit the ever shifting count of people.

Banchan here are good but way too limited. They have good “condiments” but not so much in the munching department. The kimchee, however, is excellent. I’m not so into the pumpkin/squash. There are marinated daikon for the meat, which is excellent.

Seaweed wraps.

This salad is one of the more boring Korean salads. Sometimes I love them. All depends on the dressing.

This spicy green onion and bean sprout salad was better.

Kimchee pancake! This and the kimchee are their best (only?) real banchan.

Slightly sweet and spicy dipping sauce.

Cheesy corn and egg around the grill.

Cold “soup.” Very odd. Basically a lemon or lime half-frozen slushy with marinated daikon and pepper! Weird, but kinda tasty.

Kimchee stew.

Beef brisket stew.

Spicy pork with green onions. Slightly sweet and spicy. Great dish. Maybe one of the best of the evening.

Thin beef (brisket).

On the BBQ. Pretty mild. They cook everything and she loaded this all up too fast and at first had it cooked in that middle range which is bland. We had to put it back on and crisp it up.

Short rib.

On the grill, a bit more flavor than the brisket.

Our friendly server.

Steamed egg. Good with the spicy sauce.

Skirt steak. Definitely more flavor than the other beefs.

Marinated beef short rib. The best of the BBQ beefs.

Pork belly and jowl.

The jowl has an interesting chew.

Beef tongue. Nice texture and flavor.

Getting crazy with an innovative new flavor: Oaxacan Choco-Mole – The base is made with Valrhona 100% Cacao and intense Oaxacan Mole Negro from Guelaguetza restaurant — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #Valrhona #chocolate #cocao #oaxaca #mole #molenegro

This is a signature Sweet Milk flavor — Italian Lemon Cookie Meringue Pie — Limoncello Zabaione base with lemon cookie flavor mixed with Italian Lemon Creme Cookies and Sicilian Candied Lemon and topped with house-made toasted Meringue — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato) — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #lemon #LemonCookie #cookie #Sicily #Sorento #Limoncello #Meringue #LemonMeringuePie

Overall, this is a very good (non AYCE — I prefer non) KBBQ. Meat quality is excellent but they could use more variety. I think Park’s BBQ is better for sure. Service is friendly, but they don’t take any kind of reservations. The banchan quality is excellent but they need more of them. I particularly like the spicy/chewy ones like squid or fish cakes. None of that here. We maybe didn’t order the best — I was actually kinda distracted with the table moves and never looked at the menu, so maybe there are some other interesting things. Best things were the pork with green onions and the marinated short rib.

For more LA dining reviews click here,

or more crazy Hedonist dinners here!

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: beef, BYOG, Gelato, hedonists, Kang Ho-dong Baekjeong, KBBQ, Korea-town, Korean BBQ, Korean cuisine, Koreatown, pork, Wine

Penfolds Marino

Apr10

Restaurant: Marino Ristorante [1, 2, 3, 4]

Location: 6001 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038. (323) 466-8812

Date: February 25, 2020

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: Superb

Tonight I return to a favorite haunt for a special Penfolds dinner featuring one of Penfolds own, organized by my good friend John.

The amazing chef/owner Sal Marino cooks at his original family haunt, venerable Marino Ristorante on Melrose and continues to whip up his unique blend of amazing modern Italian. And if anything, he’s gotten even better.

Penfolds is an Australian wine producer that was founded in Adelaide in 1844 by Christopher Rawson Penfold, an English physician who emigrated to Australia, and his wife Mary Penfold. It is one of Australia’s oldest wineries, and is currently part of Treasury Wine Estates.

Our special menu tonight.

Wines at the ready.

And just chilling.

2012 Penfolds x Thienot Champagne Lot. 1-175. Pale yellow. Some mousse on the pour. Medium sized persistent bubbles.
Chalky nose. Pears, apples, chalky with a hint of tobacco. Very astringent and aggressive on first sip. Some nuttiness. No brioche and very little mousse on sipping. Well structured. An excellent bottle without a doubt. It should age well, but it’s approachable now. Good stuff. QPR a tad low.

Tuna and caviar with olive oil. Nice bite. Flavors soft and subtle.

Razor clams. Very Vietnamese but super delicious.

Rock cod with Japanese Sea Urchin. Delicious, but I might have liked a more intense uni flavor.

The gang at the big table in the back of the main dining room.

Sal introduces the food.

2016 Penfolds Chardonnay Yattarna. 95 points. White Peach, nectarine, meyer lemons, lemon meringue pie along with a nutty profile and great acidity, this is wine is painfully young, wait 10 years to fully enjoy this masterpiece. Multi-regional blend. From Tasmania, Henty, Adelaide Hills and Tumbarumba aged in french oak barrels (35% new) for 8 months.

agavin: this was a great “fake” chard (as I call any non white Burgundy chard). But it is expensive considering it’s “fake.”

Wild Japanese Snapper Crudo with Radish Mosaic. Very nice soft flavors.

2016 Penfolds Shiraz St. Henri. 94 points. Clear deep ruby; clean medium plus nose of cassis, blueberries, black pepper, toast and vanilla; dry; medium plus acidity; medium plus tannins; high alcohol; medium plus body; pronounced flavor intensity; pfn with addition of cocoa and black licorice; long finish; outstanding quality; from the bottle, it wasn’t as pronounced as we remember from the Penfolds dinner; we decanted and it was infinitely better

Prime Filet Tartare, black truffle. Tons of strong truffle aromatics.

2017 Penfolds Shiraz RWT Bin 798. 94 points. Clear deep ruby; clean medium nose of fresh cassis yogurt, vanilla, blueberry and toast; dry; medium plus acidity; medium plus tannins; high alcohol; medium plus body; medium plus flavour intensity; pfn with addition of cocoa; long finish; outstanding quality; big ass wine

Rhode Island Black Bass with black tuscan kale and sweet onions. This was paired (controversially) with a massive Austrialian red but due to the sweet onions and the awesome rich sauce it actually worked spectacularly.

2016 Penfolds Cabernet Sauvignon Bin 707. A touch “dusty” in style.

Maccheroncini with Jimenez farm lamb ragout. Very nice meaty pasta.

1999 Penfolds Grange. VM 91+. Full ruby-red. Sexy aromas of raspberry, cola, root beer and coconut. Thick, dense and concentrated, with exotic, slightly candied dark fruit, caramel, toasted coconut and mineral flavors nicely shaped by firm acids. Shows strong fruit and a major dose of oak on the powerful, backward finish. This can’t quite match the 1998 for sheer depth of fruit, but it’s built to age.

Kirk brought this rare: 1990 Penfolds Shiraz Coonawarra.

30 day dry aged ribeye with salt and porcini mushroom sauce. Great meat, perfectly cooked and seasoned, with the stunning rich sauce.

NV Penfolds Grandfather Rare Tawny. 94 points. This is undoubtedly one of the best bottles of port I have ever had at any price. Pecans and fruitcake on the nose. Thick and luxurious with a burnt sugar, nutty palate that even seemed to have a touch of peppermint in the background. Great finish and mouthfeel with no hint of heat or alcohol. I though my impression of this may have been overblown when I drank my first bottle several months ago, due to the amount of wine consumed, but this 2nd bottle also knocked it out of the park.

Ricotta cheesecake. Very Sicilian in flavor, like a fluffy cannoli interior. Loved it.

From my cellar: 2008 Paolo Bea Sagrantino di Montefalco Passito. 94 points. Tasted at the winery: Prune-like, candied plum, cherry, siky, lush, intnse tangy aspect; not heavy, slightly sweet with good lift, medium long finish. Very nice classic passito.

This is a signature Sweet Milk flavor — Italian Lemon Cookie Meringue Pie — Limoncello Zabaione base with lemon cookie flavor mixed with Italian Lemon Creme Cookies and Sicilian Candied Lemon and topped with house-made toasted Meringue — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato) — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #lemon #LemonCookie #cookie #Sicily #Sorento #Limoncello #Meringue #LemonMeringuePie

Getting crazy with an innovative new flavor: Oaxacan Choco-Mole – The base is made with Valrhona 100% Cacao and intense Oaxacan Mole Negro from Guelaguetza restaurant — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #Valrhona #chocolate #cocao #oaxaca #mole #molenegro

Sal was totally on point today and we had a perfect meal. Service was great too. Really nice dinner that went extremely smoothly. The wines were lovely, but BIG for the most part. Grange needs a lot of time and even the 99 was a baby. The 16s and 17s — woah.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Or experience my gluttonous month-long food trips through Italy.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: BYOG, Gelato, Grange, Italian cuisine, Marino Ristorante, pasta, Penfolds, red wine, Sal Marino, Truffle

NC Peking Duck – Double Duck part 2

Apr01

Restaurant: NC Peking Duck 老北方烤鸭店

Location: 17515 Colima Rd A, City of Industry, CA 91748. (626) 839-0000

Date: February 16, 2020 & May 2, 2021

Cuisine: Northern / Beijing Chinese

Rating: Awesome duck and great flavors

Tonight is “Double Duck” night and while we had a “Peking Duck Appetizer” at Happy Duck, afterward the main event was at:

NC Peking Duck — which is a Northern and Beijing style place that is quite new and seemed a bit closer in style to real Beijing offerings.

In case you wondered if they have duck.

Cold plater with Pig Ears, Cloud Ear Mushroom, Peanuts, and Seaweed. Mostly nice and spicy with good crunch, mala, and heat.

Smashed Garlic Cucumber. Nice version of the garlic cucumber. Extra good with the spicy sauce from the other dishes.

Tofu with Century Egg. Awesome dish. Nice firm silky tofu with the incredible umami and jelly-like texture of the Century Egg. All doused in spicy sauce. Totally to die for.

Szechuan Glass Noodles. Actually a kind of mung bean noodle, here with a spicy sauce, peanuts, and a super umami mushroom paste or sauce. Nice, but I prefer them in the tangy/spicey sauce.

Cold Spicy Chicken. Awesome tender chicken in this fabulous hot, spicy, and a touch sweet sauce. Tons of flavor.

Fried fish with seaweed (5/2/21). Pretty much a Shanghai dish, but still good here.

Chili Fish with Glass Noodles. Now these were actual glass noodles. Nice tender fish too and lots of flavor.

Peking Duck with pancakes. This is just one duck (we ordered 2 for 8 people). This meat had the skin more integrated and was very juicy and full of flavor. It was some of the best Peking Duck I’ve had in LA.

Close up on the duck meat.

Duck presentation on 5/2/21.

The typical duck toppings, scallions, cucumber, and really really good thick hoisin.

Ultimate Condiment Box. Tons of interesting things to put in the duck pancake, including sweet and spicy sauces, sugar, candied fruits, melon, etc.

Pancake all done up.

Duck Bones. Pretty juicy.

Stir fried duck bones (5/2/21). Very nice version of “duck #2.”

Crispy chicken (5/2/21). Great version.

Fragrant Spiced Lamb. Not their best dish. Sauce/soup was very watery and tasted mostly of mala. Not bad or anything, just the weakest dish out of a lot of great dishes.

Delicious “bacon” (aka preserved pork) with garlic and leeks (5/2/21).

Beijing Style Pork (5/2/21). With the fermented bean sauce, slightly sweet.

Big Pot Cauliflower. With a bit of pork. Nice and crunchy.

Smashed garlic eggplant (5/2/21).

Bok choy (5/2/21). Simple but delicious.

XLB (5/2/21). Always a favorite.

Pork and Chive Dumplings. Tons of chive, delicious with vinegar.

House Tianjin Pork Baos. Awesome. Really nice thick skins with a huge lump of very flavorful pork.

Chinese Sweet Bean Roll with peanut dust.

My wife’s Valentine’s Day pick: Dulcey Chocolate Cloud – The base is made with Valrhona 62% Satilla Chocolate and then layered with Dark Chocolate Cream Cheese Ganache and the rotating ingredient is house-made Vanilla Dulce de Leche — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #Valrhona #chocolate #creamcheese #ganache #icing #DulceDeLeche #caramel

Overall, I really liked NC Peking Duck. First of all, the duck was some of the best I’ve had in the states, and even beyond that, they had a really interesting menu with lots of standout dishes. Almost everything we had tonight was great, particularly the tofu with century egg, cold chicken, fish, and the pork baos.

Returning here on 5/2/21 the food was still very good but the restaurant was suffering from immediate post pandemic operational changes. They had clearly been doing takeout for the previous year (good for them and I even had it once and it was very good), but hadn’t yet switched back over to normal service. I think we were the only dine in party and the menu had been pared back substantially. Hopefully soon they’ll be back to 100%.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

For more LA Chinese dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: beijing Cuisine, BYOG, Chinese cuisine, dumplings, Gelato, hedonists, Peking Duck, SGV, spicy, Wine

Tong Tak – Epic Cantonese

Mar27

Restaurant: Tong Tak House Seafood Restaurant

Location: 1265 S Baldwin Ave, Arcadia, CA 91007. (626) 638-3388

Date: February 9, 2020

Cuisine: Cantonese Chinese

Rating: Really great execution

Our friend Tony Lau organizes the best Cantonese banquets.

He always manages to find new places that surprise. Tong Tak isn’t exactly new, but it’s new to most of us.

Classic “palace” interior. It was pretty empty too. Sure it was Academy Awards night, but hard to say.

After an initial foray into a private room that was way too small they set us up downstairs at this huge table with the awesome blue thrones.

The whole gang.

Salted peanuts.

Spicy cold marinated cucumbers. Pretty good version of this typical Chinese starter. Nice crunch, garlic, and a bit of spice.

I ate a lot of these because oddly, they didn’t serve any real dishes for 45 minutes despite the place being deserted! Then the dishes came on like a storm.

Chinese Mountain Yams with Raspberry Sauce. Crunchy yam, not slimey (sometimes it is). The yam itself doesn’t have a lot of flavor. Raspberry sauce is a bit odd..

Beancurd wrapped mushroom rolls. Interesting texture.

Marinated wood ear mushrooms. I love the rubbery texture.

Beans. Not sure what kind. Very mild and I don’t love the pastey bean thing.

Hot sauce.

XO sauce.

Spicy clam with vegetables. Very interesting spongy/chewy texture on the clam and very nice crunchy vegetables.

Fried oysters typhoon style. Really delicious. Probably the best fried oyster’s I’ve ever had with the crispy fry and lots of garlic.

Cheesy lobster. Nice tender lobster with a cheesy sauce. Very interesting combo.

Condiments for the duck and pig.

Suckling pig with buns. Nice small pig, actually a suckling. Nice crunchy skin and good flavor.

The pig head returns after a discombobulating encounter with the cleaver.

Beef with asparagus. Tony always orders a straight up beef dish like this. It was fatty and pretty tender with nicely cut asparagus.

Crispy roast pigeon. Very nice hot juicy pigeon. Not too dark, not overcooked at all.

Peking Duck (Cantonese style) with buns. Very tasty as always, but is of course much better with pancakes and cut a bit differently.

Duck part 2: Lettuce cup duck. The meat from the duck mixed with water chestnuts and celery.

Lettuce cups to go with the duck.

Packed lettuce cup ready to eat. These were good.

100 Flower Chicken. 2 ways. Pressed chicken with shrimp paste. This version was mostly shrimp paste. Almost no chicken meat under the skin. Still it was delicious.

Wok cooked vegetables and oyster mushrooms. I like the double texture thing.

Yin Yang Fried Rice. Two types of sauce covering fried rice. The lighter one was asparagus stalks and shrimp in a light sauce. Very savory and delicious. The red one was with chicken and a tomato based sweet sauce. A bit too sweet for my taste.

Dessert Buns. The yellow topped ones were filled with pineapple and egg custard.

Crackerjack Gelato – Smooth Peanut Base with homemade Dulce de Leche Ribbon, Toffee Peanuts, and Caramel Popcorn! — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — oh my! — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #peanut #caramel #DulceDeLeche #Popcorn #CaramelCorn

Raspberry Sorbetto — French Raspberries and a touch of lime juice — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — Unusual for me to go so “straight” with my flavors but I wanted a complement to a complex flavor — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #sorbetto #raspberry

Overall, another great night. Really, these Tony Lau dinners are always great. Despite the slow start to the food, service was very good and the execution of the dishes was excellent. Very nice plating and on point flavors. The kitchen’s command of vegetables was particularly impressive. They know how to cut them into the proper shapes and to wok them quickly so they are still crunchy and tender.

It just goes to show that just because a Cantonese place has that “dated” palace look, doesn’t mean the kitchen isn’t first rate. Somehow they have 3 stars on Yelp. I wonder if we just got the royal treatment of if it’s just Yelp haters.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

For more LA Chinese dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Arcadia, BYOG, Cantonese cuisine, Chinese cuisine, Gelato, hedonists, Peking Duck, Seafood, SGV, suckling pig, Tong Tak, Tony Lau, Wine

Uni at the Borgese’s

Mar23

Restaurant: Dinner at the Borgese’s [1, 2, 3]

Location: Santa Monica

Date: February 6, 2020

Cuisine: Italian influenced gourmet home cooking

Rating: Awesome

Dinner at the Borgese’s is a special house dinner in Santa Monica cooked by the stunning pro-level home chef Borgese couple. Tonight’s theme is UNI!

The dynamic Borgese team. Rocco in the center, his lovely wife (and the main kitchen chef on the left), his daughter (helping out with service) on the right of her and our Somm on the far right.

Their house has not only a wine cellar, but a cheese and meat larder!

Plus all this incredible wood fired oven set up.

Rocco apparently shucked 20-30 fresh Santa Barbara Unis in preparation for this dinner.

Some live lobsters twitch in the bowl too.

Steaks ready for the cooking.

Since it was a “wintery” Febuary evening, we ate inside in the dining room as opposed to out on the lovely patio.

Our special Uni menu.

NV Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée Edition 163eme. VM 95. The NV Grand Cuvée 163 Edition is wonderfully open-knit and giving, qualities that make it a terrific choice for drinking now and over the next 30 or so years. Pastry, apricot, lemon confit, chamomile and white flowers, along with soft contours, give the wine its inviting, alluring personality. There is more than enough energy and overall freshness to support several decades of fine drinking. Even so, the 163 is virtually impossible to resist at this early stage. (Drink between 2017-2037)

Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée Edition — unknown edition.

Riccio di Mare con Tartufo. Sea urchin with truffle. Two ways, one close to plain with sea-salt and the other with truffles. I think I actually like the plain more, but both were great.

2009 Dom Pérignon Champagne Luminous. 94 points. We are not sure if they play with the dosage on the Luminus given its designed for Party time but this felt softer than the usual 2009 (Papies 93) more approachable and lusher in a way. The fact that we had this in a club does not qualify for a full TN and hence no score but we do have to say that for party purposes the Luminous reigns supreme and definitely has a start & wow factor like no other.

Trish brought (thanks!): 1993 Dom Pérignon Champagne P2. 95 points. Light Amber color, good nose, nice palate feel, good bubbles and good finish.

Crostini con Burro al Riccio di Mare. Sea urchin butter crostini. Really nice crostini with a good bit of acidity to balance it out. This was even yummier than the bites.

2007 Ruinart Champagne Dom Ruinart Brut Rosé. VM 96. The 2007 Dom Ruinart Rosé is another brilliant wine from Chef de Caves Frédéric Panaiotis in his first vintage at the house. Delicate, nuanced and wonderfully polished, the 2007 is airy and gracious in feel, with superb aromatic intensity and exceptional balance. Sweet floral notes, mint, spice and crushed red berries are all laced together in this very pretty, gracious Rosé. More finesse than power, the 2007 is positively sublime. (Drink between 2019-2037)

From my cellar: 2007 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Rosé Brut. VM 97. The 2007 Comtes de Champagne Rosé is a total knock-out. Racy and exuberant in the glass, the 2007 wraps around the palate with stunning textural depth and resonance. The 15% still Pinot adds structure and persistence to a creamy, inviting Rosé Champagne that will leave readers weak at the knees. Hints of rose petal, dried cherry, cinnamon and dried flowers meld into the sublime finish. This is about as good as it gets. Wow! (Drink between 2018-2038)

2006 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Rosé Brut. VM 96. The 2006 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Rosé is at once rich and refined, a simply fabulous Champagne Rosè I won’t soon forget. Intensely perfumed, with the Pinot Noir-derived red berry and cranberry flavors that are not just concentrated, but also remarkably pure. It is one of the better Rosé bubbles I have had in the last year. (Drink between 2018-2036)

Brodo al Riccio di Mare. Sea urchin bisque with spiny lobster. This was incredible. Lovely presentation in the shell too and featuring a super rich sea urchin bisque — much like a lobster bisque — with lots of lobster.

2012 Louis Jadot Bâtard-Montrachet. BH 93. There is a hint of menthol sitting atop pretty aromas of acacia blossom, spiced pear and white peach scents. The delicious, muscular and pure broad-shouldered and powerful flavors possess fine size and weight that continues onto the concentrated and impressively persistent if presently compact finish. Those who enjoy their white burgs young should note that while this is very promising there isn’t great complexity at this early stage so I would very much be inclined to allow this to age for at least 8 to 10 years first. (Drink starting 2020)
By Allen Meadows

2013 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Meursault 1er Cru Charmes. BH 91-94. A background whiff of SO2 is barely noticeable and does not compromise the attractiveness of the layered and intensely floral nose of almond, white peach, pear and softly spice-infused aromas. There is good volume and richness to the appealingly crisp, stony and energetic medium-bodied flavors that possess a clean, focused and beautifully textured finish. (Drink starting 2021)

2006 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne. VM 95. Bonneau du Martray’s 2006 Corton-Charlemagne (magnum) opens with a super-classic bouquet of slate, crushed rocks and hints of reduction. Bracing and intense and energetic, the 2006 flows with superb focus and pure mineral-drenched cut. From magnum, the 2006 is simply dazzling and appears to have many years of fine drinking ahead of it. 95 (Drink starting 2014)

Rocco shows off the live lobsters.

Aragosta con Crema al Riccio di Mare. California Spiny Lobster with Sea Urchin Cream. Delicious “lobster salad.” Really a fabulous dish.

2017 Sine Qua Non Tectumque. VM 93. Just bottled, the 2017 White Wine The Tectumque is rich, unctuous and full of character. Dried pear, almond, honey and wild flowers all infuse this rich, flamboyant wine. The 2017 is built on a core of co-fermented Roussanne and Petit Manseng, which yields a white with intriguing layers of savory complexity. I find that the Sine Qua Non whites need time to come together in the cellar and show their best with at least a few years of bottle age. I suspect that will be the case here as well. (Drink between 2021-2029)

From my cellar: 2012 Paolo Bea Arboreus. 94 points. Complex and unique, but also, like, whatever. It is basically watered down sherry. Quite honeyed nose. Dry. Oily. Seaside wax texture. Etc. Oxidized in the manner of the style. Gained weight with time open. Perfect pairing for uni.

Pasta al Riccio di Mare. Sea urchin pasta. Scrumptious creamy pasta. Not super urchiny, but amazing all the same. A bit reminiscent of this one.

From my cellar: 1985 Nicolas Potel Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Combettes. BH 91. A very fresh yet mature nose of citrus, white flower and lightly toasted nut aromas combines with round and vibrant middle weight flavors that possess a seductive and rich mouth feel, all wrapped in a sappy and mouth coating finish. This is really a lovely effort with complexity and ample finishing punch and is a wine that will continue to hold well if not improve. (Drink between 2007-2009)

agavin: Lovely. Also a good uni pairing due to its maturity.

Risotto al Riccio di Mare con Halibut. Sea Urchin Risotto with Halibut. The risotto was delicious, maybe just a hair thick or “dry” (just a bit shy of perfect), but delicious. Halibut is a plain fish, but the risotto offset this nicely.

Marcassin Fake pinot (can’t read the vintage).

2005 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou. VM 94. Good deep ruby-red. Wonderfully sweet, aromatic nose combines currant, chocolate and cedary oak. Fat, lush and silky, with atypical volume to the flavors of plum, tobacco and chocolate. Wonderfully supple, plump wine with layers of flavor, thoroughly sweet tannins and compelling aromatic persistence. Today the wine’s substantial baby fat is masking its impressive underlying power. According to Borie, this 2005 combines the best traits of the chateau’s 2003 and 2000.

2007 Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape. VM 95+. Deep ruby. Powerful, pungent aromas of kirsch, dark berries, smoky herbs and spicecake, with notes of black olive and tobacco coming on with air. Chewy, palate-staining dark fruit flavors are complicated by bitter chocolate, licorice and black cardamom. Acts like a 2005 today, with serious structure but also superb depth of powerful, densely packed fruit. A hint of cherry skin adds grip and refreshing bitterness to the long, smoky, focused finish. Not an easy read right now: this demands cellaring. (Wines of France , Mountainside, NJ)

Bistecca Fiorentina. Giant slabs of rare beef. Nicely salted and bloody delicious.

Optionally, we gussied the steak up with more truffle!

Roasted eggplant with olive oil and salt. I loved these.

Roasted carrots.

My first gelato as an intermezzo.

Coconut Lime Sorbetto — bright lime flavors — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — Thai Coconut, Lime Juice, and a touch of Dark Vanilla Rum — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #sorbetto #coconut #lime #rum

Almond cake by the Borgese’s.

By coincidence, my second gelato was a perfect pairing.

Almond Amaretto Truffle Gelato — Amaretto Zabaglione (egg yolk, amaretto, and sugar custard) Sicilian Almond gelato base with stacked layers of house-made Valrhona Almond Amaretti Ganache — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato –#SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #Valrhona #almond #amaretto #amaretti #cookie #ganache #ChocolateTruffle

So we plated the almond truffle and the cake together. Match made in heaven.

The wine lineup. Not too shabby.

On the left our too awesome young servers, in the center our somm, and to the right the real chef, Lady Borgese.

Overall, this was an amazing dinner, probably my favorite of the three Borgese dinners — mostly because I love uni and seafood.

Service was handled by the youngest Borgese (teen daughter) and her friend (both pictured above) and was better than most restaurant staff. Super friendly and you can tell they do this a lot.

Wines were good. Not AS good as at the previous two events. Mostly whites and champagnes, which I love, but not everyone else has as deep a cellar in this department. My favorite was my whacky Umbrian white, the BEA Arboreus because being partially oxidized it’s an amazing uni pairing.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: BYOG, Dinner at the Borgese's, Gelato, hedonists, Italian Cusine, pasta, Rocco Borgese, Uni, Wine

Mirko at Osteria Mamma

Mar09

Restaurant: Osteria Mamma

Location: 5732 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90004. (323) 284-7060

Date: January 24, 2020

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: Great meal

I’ve been eating at Mirko Paderno restaurants for years. He’s a super talented Italian chef, who’s been at a lot of places: Oliverio, the 4 Seasons, Berea (briefly), Estrella, Spring, and now Osteria Mamma.

I’m not entirely sure if Mirko is cooking here all the time or just using the kitchen for special dinners like ours — slipped in. Yarom asked him to cook up a meal including a bunch of big Y’s “fresh shot” wild boar.

The location is right next door to Kali — far far from me on a Friday night in traffic!

The interior is cutesy LA Italian.

We had a giant table in the back.

As usual at Italian (or most) “gang” dinners, people neglect to bring any whites despite the fact that half the food goes with white! So I put a couple Italian whites in my bag.

From my cellar: 2015 Vietti Roero Arneis. 91 points. Light yellow color; aromatic, lemon balm, lemon syrup, tart peach nose; tasty, medium bodied, lemon syrup, vanilla palate; medium-plus finish 90+ points.

Caprese di Bufala. fresh buffalo mozzarella DOP, tomatoes, fresh basil, olive oil, sea salt.

Calamari. grilled calamari with arugula, oranges, cherry tomatoes, lemon dressing.

From my cellar: 2010 Borgo del Tiglio (Nicola Manferrari) Collio Studio di Bianco. Vinuous 95. Weightless, crystalline and pure, the 2010 Studio di Bianco appears to float on the palate. White pear, crushed rocks, oyster shells and lime jump from the glass. A beautifully delineated, vibrant wine, the 2010 captures the best qualities of the year. Stylistically, the 2010 is brighter and more focused than the 2011, with a bit less body but more sheer drive and personality. What a gorgeous wine this is. (Drink between 2014-2025)

Burratona. fresh burrata cheese with roasted squash, aged balsamic, frisée, toasted pine nuts.

Main Lobster Catalana Style. A great lobster salad.

Linguine al Pesto di Rucola. Mamma’s arugula pesto.

From my cellar: 1966 Badia a Coltibuono Chianti Classico Riserva. 95 points. This took a few minutes to open up, but it had tremendous fruit and strength still when it did.

From my cellar: 1997 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Le Rocche del Falletto di Serralunga d’Alba. 97 points. Bricking medium dark red color with pale meniscus; lovely, roses, milk chocolate, leather, incense nose; delicious, gorgeous, poised, velvety, roses, spice box, tar, resin palate; medium-plus finish

Roasted Quail, cannelini bean puree, natural jus. Another stand out dish.

Focaccia bread and tomato sauce.

2001 Tua Rita Redigaffi Toscana IGT. 93 points. Elegantly light and refined, plums, licorice, cherries, well balanced deep and classy wine with clear and pure taste world, I preferred this over the Miani Merlot 2001.

Maltagliati Pasta with Wild Boar Ragu, fresh ricotta cheese. Great ragu — Yarom shot the boar!

2004 Tua Rita Redigaffi Toscana IGT. 94 points. The inky-colored 2004 Redigaffi, 100% Merlot aged for 16 months in new oak, offers expressive, nuanced aromatics along with sensations of richly-textured blue and black jammy fruit, minerals, mint, chocolate, spices and sweet toasted oak on big, powerful frame with notable underlying structure and a warm, resonating finish. Although it has enough structure and acidity to drink well for another decade or so, I enjoy Redigaffi most in its youth. (Drink between 2013-2016)

Bigoli Neri alla Bottarga. black squid ink bigoli, cherry tomatoes, shrimp and bottarga.

Branzino. Grilled Mediterranean branzino fillet, red and green bell pepper peperonata, garlic aioli.

2012 Tua Rita Redigaffi Toscana IGT. VM 92+. Bright ruby-red. Coffee and cocoa nuances almost overpower the wine’s delicate violet and dark berry aromas. Then rather graceful in the mouth, with a distinct delicacy to the dark berry, cocoa and coffee flavors. A lighter Redigaffi than usual, but harmonious and refined.

Colorado Lamb Chop, dolce latte fonduta, bagna cauda.

Arnie brought: 2007 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon. VM 95+. Dark medium ruby. Lovely vibrancy to the aromas of blackcurrant, plum, licorice and cocoa powder, with a strong impression of minerality. Like liquid silk on the palate and yet powerful at the same time, with strong minerality contributing to the impression of lift and inner-mouth perfume. The dark berry, violet and cocoa powder flavors offer compelling early sweetness, and this wine’s wonderfully lush tannins will not get in the way of early enjoyment. A great example of the new generation of Quilceda Creek cabernet. Based on its superb length and balance, I’d cellar this for even more fireworks ahead.

Roasted wild boar loin & ribs, soft polenta, pioppini mushrooms, natural roast jus — extremely gamey and salty. Very salty. Given that the boar has been dead (and in the freezer) many months, this rareness was a bit “interesting.” However, the salt must have sterilized everything as I was fine.

Bone in!

Seb brought: 2014 Sine Qua Non Syrah Piranha Waterdance. VM 95-97. A wild, exotic wine, the 2014 Syrah Piranha Waterdance hits the palate with serious richness, power and voluptuousness. This is in a decidedly lush, exotic style. A rush of super-ripe, intense fruit builds into a flamboyant finish in a heady, inviting wine that will drink well with minimal cellaring. The blend is 81% Syrah, 8% Petite Sirah, 6% Mourvèdre, 4% Touriga Nacional and 1% Graciano, done with 26% whole clusters. (Drink between 2019-2029)

Selection of fine cheese & fruit marmellata.

Peppered Lemongrass Ginger Creme Brûlée Gelato — A blended milk and Thai coconut cream base steeped with lemongrass and ginger and then juiced up with yuzu and black pepper. For sugar, I used coconut palm sugar and even torched the top! — created by me for @sweetmilkgelato –#SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #lemongrass #ginger #CremeBrûlée #BlackPepper #coconut #yuzu

Double Shot Gelato — Hot brewed espresso gelato with house-made dark chocolate hazelnut ganache — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — this will keep you up! — #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #chocolate #valrhona #espresso #coffee #hazelnut #ganache

Overall, this was a great meal — some even thought the best Mirko meal, but I’ve had several better, particularly this one. Still, it was a fun night with good wines (I liked mine best, of course as they were native Italian varietals), great company, and very good food. It’s unclear which dishes were Mirko’s or if some were the normal restaurants. Certainly the lobster, quail, boar dishes were Mirko. All a touch confusing. We didn’t have any of his risotto though — which is one of my favorites.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

or more crazy Hedonist dinners here!

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: boar, BYOG, Gelato, hedonists, Italian cuisine, Mirko Paderno, Osteria Mamma, pasta, Quail, Wild boar

China Red by Day

Mar04

Restaurant: China Red [1, 2]

Location: 855 S Baldwin Ave, Arcadia, CA 91007. (626) 445-3700

Date: January 23, 2020

Cuisine: Chinese

Rating: A- dim sum

Continuing our Lunch Quest series of random lunch visits we decide to check in on the China Red dim sum.

For some reason I’ve been on a run of places on the slightly more “Eastern” half of the main SGV. Slightly more annoying drive too as it’s 10-15 minutes further.

The outside.

The interior is typical midsized Cantonese. There is some DM (deferred maintenance). This is very Chinese, but the place is only a couple years old and is showing some wear and tear.

Zoom.

Sauces.

Har Gow (shrimp dumplings) – large, but hot and good.

Chicken feet in XO sauce.

Pork ribs — ugly but tasty.

Shu Mai (pork and shrimp dumplings) — large but tasty version of the classic.

Shrimp and Leek Dumplings — quite nice. One of the better dumplings.

Sticky rice in lotus leaf — good.

Crunchy baked BBQ pork bun — slightly mushy interior.

Pork Rib Chow Fun — I didn’t realize that this was just the ribs on top of some chow fun. I would have ordered a different one had I known.

Dumplings with an interesting peanut and meat paste inside. I didn’t adore.

XLB (Xao Lao Bao) – juicy pork dumplings. Very nice version.

Shrimp paste with almonds – Basically a shrimp spring roll covered in almonds. Interesting texture.

Another dumpling type with a brown spinach mush inside — not my favorite at all.

Beef balls — ok.

Crispy fried squab — very dense and meaty. Not my favorite squab.

Spicy cabbage — I love this dish as always.

Double Shot Gelato — Hot brewed espresso gelato with house-made dark chocolate hazelnut ganache — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — this will keep you up! — #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #chocolate #valrhona #espresso #coffee #hazelnut #ganache

Peppered Lemongrass Ginger Creme Brûlée Gelato — A blended milk and Thai coconut cream base steeped with lemongrass and ginger and then juiced up with yuzu and black pepper. For sugar, I used coconut palm sugar and even torched the top! — created by me for @sweetmilkgelato –#SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #lemongrass #ginger #CremeBrûlée #BlackPepper #coconut #yuzu

China Red is a solid “made to order” dimsum place. It’s better than pretty much all the cart places, but it’s not the best ever, and the menu is pretty small and straightforward. Which place is the best in the SGV is always changing, but generally 2-3 are A+ and a whole bunch are good but not quite as good — that’s where China Red falls.

For my catalog of Chinese restaurant reviews in China, click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: BYOG, Cantonese cuisine, Chinese Food, Dim sum, dimsum, Gelato, Har Gow, Lunch Quest, SGV, Yarom

Chinois Champy

Feb28

Restaurant: Chinois On Main [1, 2, 3]

Location: 2709 Main St, Santa Monica, CA 90405. (310) 392-9025

Date: January 10, 2020

Cuisine: Asian Fusion

Rating: Still good decades later

When I first moved to LA 25 years ago, Chinois was already a vibrant pillar of LA’s hot high end dining scene. It represented the kind of cool “fusion” of east/west cuisines that was so novel at the time, and almost never seen (by me) back on the East Coast.

The outside remains tres (80s) LA.

The interior has been kept up, and still has that funky late 80s hip modern style. And while this is a long way from the starker more “rustic/urban” decor that is popular now, I still think it looks good.

For today’s Sauvages lunch — which is the annual Tête de cuvée Champagne lunch — we set up “next door” in the private room. I’d no idea this was even here, but it’s huge.

Closer in with the gang.

Our special menu.

The wine order.

Flight 0:

2014 La Chablisienne Chablis 1er Cru Mont de Milieu. BH 93. This is notably ripe though the nose stops just short of expressing exotic fruit aromas and I particularly like the plethora of Chablis characters present on the pear and citrus scents. There is excellent richness, volume and density to the full-bodied flavors that possess plenty of minerality on the powerful lemon-inflected finale that is both persistent and quite dry. Very fine quality here. (Drink starting 2021)

Slightly spicy/sweet toro cones. This has been a puck staple for decades and it’s still fabulous.

With this begins what is one of the most extensive passed appetizer “flights” I’ve ever seen. Eight types and plenty of each!

Same with the Jewish Pizza, which is creme fraiche and lox. Delicious! This variant had a potato latke crust — I prefer the regular pizza crust.

Spring rolls with sweet and sour sauce.

2008 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Valmur. BH 95. The reflections are the classic light gold-green hues of a fine Chablis. The barest touch of oak highlights the green fruit, menthol, saline and iodine aromas that precede the extremely stony, concentrated and driving flavors that are also blessed with ample amounts of dry extract that provides a much needed balancing element to the ripe acid backbone on the chalky and sappy finish. When Valmur is really good, it rivals Les Clos for the best grand cru in Chablis and this 2008 is really good. (Drink starting 2015)

Wagyu with asparagus. An amped up version of the cocktail classic.

Sweet and sour scallops. Very nice.

Lamp chops with mint sauce — full sized.

Vegetable spring rolls.

Veggie pizza. Just okay.

Flight 1:

2007 Gosset Champagne Celebris Rosé Extra Brut. 95 points. Really big, tight wine – so much so that this is difficult to assess. There’s really not much to say about this right now. 60% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir.

2007 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut. VM 96. Taittinger’s 2007 Comtes de Champagne will be nearly impossible to resist upon release. Soaring aromatics, mid-weight structure and soft contours give the 2007 its alluring personality. Lemon oil, white flowers, mint, chamomile and green pear add brightness and freshness throughout, with a persistent, clean finish that makes it impossible to resist a second taste. Today, the 2007 comes across as a slightly more open version of the 2004, with freshness that makes that wine so appealing, and a touch of textural richness that recalls the 2002. Although the 2007 does not have the explosive energy or verticality of the profound 2006, it will drink better earlier. The 2007 has been positively brilliant on the three occasions I have tasted it so far. (Drink between 2018-2047)

2008 Champagne Suenen Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Millésimé. 91 points. Steely. acid backbone, and with a bit of a chalky soil in the finish. Better the second day as the fruit showed more.

2008 Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Champagne Brut La Grande Dame. CW 90-92. Big, rich and ripe fruit meets taut acidity and an energetic bead. Great mouth coating fruit. In a good spot right now.

Sweet onion parmesan soup, crab cake and yuzu lemon.

With the soup. I was very skeptical reading the description for this dish, but it was lovely. Really delicious.

Flight 2:

2004 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut. VM 96. I am thrilled with the way the 2004 Comtes de Champagne continues to evolve in bottle. A few years ago, the 2004 was quite focused and linear, in the style of the vintage, but more recently, the wine has begun to fill out beautifully. The 2004 remains bright, with a full range of citrus, white flower and mineral nuances that dance on the palate. A brisk, saline-infused finish rounds things out beautifully in a Comtes that impresses for its crystalline purity. I expect the 2004 will always remain a bit cool next to the more opulent 2002, but it is still drop-dead gorgeous. (Drink between 2014-2034)

2006 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut. VM 97.5. The 2006 Comtes de Champagne is striking, especially in the way it brings together elements of ripeness and freshness in a hypothetical blend of the 2002 and 2004. Smooth and creamy on the palate, the 2006 is all about texture. There is a real feeling of density and weight in the 2006, qualities I expect to see grow with time in the bottle. All the elements fall into place effortlessly. The 2006 has been nothing short of magnificent both times I have tasted it. Comtes de Champagne remains the single best value (in relative terms) in tête de cuvée Champagne. I suggest buying a case and following it over the next 20-30 years, which is exactly what I intend to do. There is little doubt the 2006 Comtes de Champagne is a magical Champagne in the making. (Drink between 2016-2046)

2007 Ferrari Giulio Ferrari Riserva del Fondatore. VM 93. Golden-tinged straw yellow. Enticing aromas and flavors of yellow apple, peach, puff pastry and herbs. Rich and with ripe, bright, lively lift extending the flavors nicely on the long creamy finish. (Drink between 2018-2025)

2006 Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Champagne Brut La Grande Dame. JG 94+. The final blending of the 2006 La Grande Dame was completed prior to Dominique Demarville joining the team at Veuve Clicquot, so we will have to wait for the release of the 2008 version to see his impact on this bottling. The 2006 Grande Dame is a blend of fifty-three percent pinot noir and forty-seven percent chardonnay and was finished with a dosage of eight grams per liter. The wine is excellent, wafting from the glass in a complex blend of apple, pear, wheat toast, fine minerality, a touch of smokiness and a nice note of caraway seed in the upper register. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, deep and complex, with elegant mousse, fine focus and grip and a very long, vibrant and zesty finish. This is drinking beautifully, but has the balance to age long and gracefully as well. High class juice. (Drink between 2016-2040)

Tempura Ahi tuna sashimi with fresh uni sauce.

Flight 3:

2004 Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Champagne Brut La Grande Dame. VM 93. Vivid gold. Heady aromas of orange, white peach and smoky minerals, with a note of buttered toast adding depth. Densely packed citrus and pit fruit flavors show chewy texture and a bright mineral quality that adds vivacity. Rich but lively and precise, finishing very long, with notes of candied fig and toasty lees.

2004 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut. VM 97+. Krug’s 2004 Vintage is absolutely mesmerizing. Layers of bright, chiseled fruit open up effortlessly as the wine fleshes out with time in the glass. Persistent and beautifully focused, with a translucent sense of energy, the 2004 captures all the best qualities of the year. Moreover, the 2004 is clearly superior to the consistently underwhelming 2002 and the best Krug Vintage since 1996. Readers who can find it should not hesitate, as it is a magical bottle. (Drink between 2017-2044)

1997 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut. JG 92. The 1997 vintage in Champagne was characterized by damp and cool conditions through August, but September was scorching. The resulting grapes were very high in malic acidity according to Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon, but there was no malo in the Cristal base wines this year. The 1997 Cristal is a very pretty wine for current drinking, offering up a reasonably mature, transparent and classy nose of apple, lemon zest, a touch of smokiness, chalky soil tones, fresh almonds and a whisper of honeycomb. On the palate the wine is deep, fullish and à point, with good, but not great depth, refined mousse and very good length and grip on the complex finish. One gets used to the rock solid cores of most vintages of Cristal, and while this is far from fluide, there is still a touch less depth here than in most recent vintages of this fine cuvée. (Drink between 2012-2022)

2002 Dom Pérignon Champagne Luminous. 95 points. Absolutely fabulous right now, very dry for a Dom (e.g compared to 2006 we also had that evening), great balance. Drink or hold.

Potato wrapped seabass, wild mushrooms, red wine sauce. Interesting. A bit breaded.

Flight 4:

From my cellar: 1993 Ruinart Champagne Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs. VM 94. Among the wines of the 1990s, I especially liked the 1993 Dom Ruinart, which was beautiful, especially considering this was an original disgorgement. Layers of honeyed fruit, licorice and mint were woven together in a captivating fabric. We also caught this wine at near peak, as it was firing on all cylinders. What a beautiful wine.

1996 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon. VM 95. One of the more accessible wines of the year today, the 1996 Dom Pérignon impresses for its exceptional balance and class. Lemon peel, white flowers and mint are laced together in the glass. The 1996 is in a terrific place today where it can be enjoyed or cellared for a number of years. (Drink between 2014-2030)

1996 Henriot Champagne Cuvée des Enchanteleurs Brut. VM 94. Vivid yellow-gold. Kaleidoscopic aromas of citrus fruits, poached pear, mango, lees and licorice, with slow-building florality. Supple, palate-coating orchard and exotic fruit flavors are complicated by notes of herbs and buttered toast, with a smoky quality in the background. Seems younger than it did last year, showing excellent finishing clarity and persistent smoke and spice character. This really won’t let go of the palate, which is fine by me. I’d still hold this. (Henriot Inc., New York, NY)

1990 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon. BH 95. This is a wine that I know extremely well from 750 ml and it’s one that is beginning to tire though I hasten to point out that it’s still enjoyable and just beginning to show signs of fatigue. However there are no such concerns with the same wine from magnum that remains magnificently fresh and while it’s clear that the aromas are mature, that’s not at all the same thing as describing the yeasty and baked apple suffused nose as tiring. There is equally good depth and vibrancy to the beautifully delineated flavors that are supported by a fine and firm mousse that allows the texture of a well-aged Dom to be easily appreciated. For my taste this has arrived at its peak though note well that it should easily be capable of effortlessly holding for years to come. (Drink starting 2015)

Filet Mignon, garlic steak.

Dessert:

Passion fruit cheese cake with caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream. Nice cake actually.

Haven’t made this in almost 3 years — Rocky Road Gelato — Valrhona Chocolate base with marshmallows and pecans and house-made caramel and toasted kosher Marshmallow topping! — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — oh my! — #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #chocolate #valrhona #RockyRoad #marshmallow #caramel #marshmallow #pecan

The wine lineup.

My notes.

Overall, Chinois still has a sharp kitchen and great service. This was an atypical meal for Chinois in that everything was custom, nothing off the menu. It was less “fusion” or less “Chinese” than the menu food with more subdued flavors (to pair with the Champagne). But I think the food was a bit better last year. Small variants this time around. The appetizers and soup were awesome this year, but flavors were too straight up on the other dishes. Execution was solid though.

The Champagnes were amazing. Not a bad bottle in the group and both the older and younger ones were delicious in their own rights.

I think the decor has aged great and is actually more unique now.

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