Restaurant: Locanda Veneta
Location: 8638 W 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90048. (310) 274-1893
Date: July 22, 2015
Cuisine: Italian
Rating: great night w/ retro 90s Italian
After a few months respite the Dirty Dozen ride again, our club of blind tasters club within a club. The numbers have swelled a bit, tonight being the Dirty Sixteen, and the theme “good white wine.”
The location is Los Angeles classic, Locanda Veneta, a Beverly Hills Italian with several decades of history. Above, Chef Andre in the kitchen.
So big is our number that we split into two tables, which was a bit of a shame given the format.
Most of the dinner is blind but we had a few open bottles to begin with:
1999 Pommery Champagne Cuvée Louise Brut. 90 points. Light yellow in color, fine mousse, quite forward with ripe citrus fruit, toast and nut. Quite full and lush palate, yet pretty nice acidity lift in the back. Long finish with minerals, at a great time to drink now.
1983 McWilliam’s Mount Pleasant Wines Elizabeth. A very aged Australian Semillon.
Bread with a Spinach pesto.
The wines at Dirty Dozen dinners are all served fully blind. No one has much idea what’s in there except for their own wine. Winner of the WOTN gets dinner free. They were served in 4 flights (roughly of 4 wines). Since no single person knew what wines there were, flight contents were fairly random. Tonight people put them roughly on the course they thought they should be on, but this didn’t seem to make much difference.
2003 Marcassin Chardonnay Zio Tony Ranch. VM 94. Pale yellow-green color. Explosive nose of flowers, caramel and marzipan, plus an exotic honeycomb character. Wonderfully sweet, round and forward, with compelling flavors of honey, spice, hay and nuts. Very long and sweet on the aftertaste.
agavin: knew it was Cal Chard, so flabby (no acid).
2004 Camille Giroud Corton-Charlemagne. Burghound 92. A maturing nose features very mild reduction combined with ripe and ever so slightly exotic fruit trimmed in a discreet touch of wood before dissolving seamlessly into rich, delicious, round and relatively forward medium weight plus flavors brimming with lovely minerality and excellent length. While not quite at its prime, it’s not far away and another year or two should see this fine offering at its best.
agavin: ours had a touch of cork on the nose, fruit a little thin.
2001 Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc. VM 90+. Bright silvery color. Semillon-dominated aromas of dried apricot, wet stone and earth. Fatter and richer than the 2002, but less tightly wound and gripping today. But this has lovely underlying sweetness and really spreads out and lingers on the finish.
agavin: older, acidic, with no fruit. Somehow voted #3 WOTN. Our table disliked it, the other table enjoyed it.
Insalata di Carciofi. Finely Chopped Baby Purple Artichoke with Chopped, Arugula and Mixed Baby Green in a House Vinaigrette, topped with Shaved “Reggiano” Parmesan. Tasty, but a little acidic for the wine.
Bocconcini Prosciutto. Baby Size Fresh Mozzarella tossed with Fresh Cherry Heirloom Tomatoes, Fresh Basil and our Aged Balsamic Vinegar from Modena and Thin Slice of Parma Prosciutto.
1996 Chapoutier Ermitage Cuvee de l’Oree. Parker 99. It is no secret that I adore Chapoutier’s luxury cuvee of white Hermitage called Cuvee L’Oree. Made from 90-year old vines and microscopic yields of 10-12 hectoliters per hectare, this wine flirts with perfection. It is a compelling white Hermitage. Made from 100% Marsanne, it is as rich and multidimensional as the fullest, most massive Montrachet money can buy. It is unctuously textured, yet extraordinarily and beautifully balanced. I suspect it will drink well early in life, and then shut down for a few years. It should last for 4-5 decades. The 1996 possesses some of the most amazing glycerin levels I have ever seen in a dry white wine. In short, this wine must be tasted to be believed.
agavin: I think this wine was drinking exactly as it is supposed to, but the older Hermitage Blanc style is so heavy and oxidized that people don’t love it. Not bad though, and a nice pairing with the prawn.
1989 Louis Latour Montrachet. Burghound 88. A big, rich and intense smoky nose leads to complex if not particularly elegant flavors that have become somewhat heavy and frankly fat, without the requisite acid backbone to delineate the flavors. In short, there is good power and better than average density plus a lovely textured quality to the finish but ultimately, this does not deliver what it should. Drink up, not because it is declining but rather because the balance is slipping.
agavin: Brown and oxidized, nutty
2009 Bouchard Aîné et Fils Corton-Charlemagne. Burghound 93-96. A cool, fresh and densely fruited nose of crushed citrus, green apple and mineral reduction gives way to seriously concentrated and overtly muscular flavors that possess a suave and silky mouth feel yet do not lack for an underlying reserve of power. This isn’t as fine as the Montrachet but it’s even longer, at least at present with a chewy character that provides evidence of the massive levels of extract. Even so, don’t buy this with the intention of drinking it young as it will require plenty of cellar time, at least if you want to see its full potential realized.
agavin: very nice young White Burg. Voted #2 WOTN by the group.
2004 Paul Pernot et ses Fils Bâtard-Montrachet. Burghound 91. This is surprisingly elegant and expressive for young Bâtard with a highly complex nose featuring apple compote, fennel, apricot and brown sugar hints that continue onto the powerful, textured and mouth coating flavors, all wrapped in a punchy if less refined finish. This is a fine effort with much to like but one that is ultimately less complete than the Bienvenues.
agavin: Nice, and generally pretty good.
Scampi alla Grigliata. Whole Large Prawns grilled with Fresh Spices served on a bed of sautéed Swiss Chard and Maître’D Butter. Savory, but perhaps a tiny bit over cooked.
2007 Sine Qua Non Body & Soul. VM 94. Vivid gold color. More energetic than the previous wine, with zesty aromas of Meyer lemon, pear skin and grapefruit pith complemented by deeper notes of peach pit and yellow rose. Juicy and finely etched, with the palate displaying sweet orchard and pit fruit flavors and a strong note of grapefruit pith. Strikingly pure, lively and incisive on the finish, which clings with excellent juicy persistence.
agavin: no acid at all, but it grew on me after a while. Tasted a bit like a Gewurtz. Nice balance.
1997 Louis Jadot Chevalier-Montrachet Les Demoiselles Domaine des Héritiers Louis Jadot. Burghound 91. This is a beautiful wine with an elegant, even airy white fruit nose that introduces exceptionally rich, full and punchy flavors that possess excellent delineation for the vintage and plenty of the hallmark minerality plus fine length. I would be drinking this wine now as even well stored examples are showing mature aromas. However, note that I have encountered some bottle variation as two recent examples, both from the same source, were oxidized to the point of being undrinkable.
agavin: our bottle was brown and oxidized.
1999 Chapoutier Ermitage Cuvee de l’Oree. Parker 99. The awesome 1999 Ermitage Cuvee de l’Oree flirts with perfection. It is full-bodied, with an incredible bouquet of liquid minerals, licorice, honeysuckle, citrus, and a hint of tropical fruits. One-hundred percent new oak aging has been completely absorbed by the wine’s fruit and glycerin. This is a winemaking tour de force, made from exceedingly low yields of 12-15 hectoliters per hectare (less than one ton of fruit per acre). However, readers should understand that these are often unusual wines to drink because they tend to show exceptionally well for 4-5 years after bottling, then close up until about age 12. They can last for 4-5 decades. Anticipated maturity: now-2006; 2012-2050. Along with Gerard and Jean-Louis Chave, Chapoutier is producing the finest expressions of white Hermitage. His single vineyard cuvees are to die for if you like these eccentric, idiosyncratic, mammoth dry whites.
agavin: no acid, heavy. Again not that popular despite its technical quality.
LEC brought: 2006 Henri Boillot Corton-Charlemagne. Burghound 95. Here the incredibly fresh and vibrant yet discreet nose reveals aromas of green apple, pear and wet stone, all of which introduces tautly muscled, broad-shouldered yet tangy full-bodied, notably ripe and sophisticated flavors of striking depth and length plus absolutely impeccable balance. What is perhaps most impressive though is that such a big wine retains such solid precision that continues on to a palate staining, wonderfully intense and bone dry finish. In short, this is a seriously impressive, indeed brilliant Corton-Charlemagne that should age for years.
agavin: Voted #1 WOTN as it was drinking nice and fresh. LEC was therefore winner of the coveted title and able to lean back and enjoy a free meal, all being quite fair as he treated most of us to dinner a week ago.
Risotto al Tartufo Nero. “Carnaroli” Rice simmered with a Shaved Fresh Summer Black Truffles. Lovely.
Cappellacci di Funghi al Tartufo. Large Fresh Made Ravioli filled with Baby Portobello, Porcini, Wild Mushrooms sautéed in a Light Butter and Summer Black Truffle Sauce.
2001 Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc. VM 90+. Bright silvery color. Semillon-dominated aromas of dried apricot, wet stone and earth. Fatter and richer than the 2002, but less tightly wound and gripping today. But this has lovely underlying sweetness and really spreads out and lingers on the finish.
agavin: older, acidic, with no fruit. Again. This is one of the problems with no supervision of what people are bringing: repeats. What are the odds?
2008 Sine Qua Non Kolibri. VM 93. Deep yellow-gold. Ripe pit and exotic fruits on the nose, with complicating notes of honey, sweet butter and green almond. Becomes more floral with air, picking up suggestions of jasmine and chamomile. Lush but focused, with a spine of acidity adding structure and carrying through a very long, sappy and gently sweet finish. Krankl said that he’d serve this with a rich shellfish dish.
agavin: drinking pretty nice. Weird and rich, with a LOT of stone fruits, but very interesting and nice.
From my cellar: 2000 Domaine Jacques Prieur Montrachet. VM 93+. Bright but reticent aromas of iodine, clove and nutty oak. Fat, round and silky, with superb weight and volume. By far the richest and longest of this set of wines, with the most volume. Very suave and mouthfilling, but with plenty of underlying backbone and power. Very tightly wound but also very long on the aftertaste.
agavin: Sigh. This bottle was corked. Otherwise, under the nasty cork there was a nice Monty lurking, but it was ruined by the cardboard. I hate when this happens. I should just resort to bringing some young Boillot Batard to blind white dinners, I have plenty of them and they are always reliable. haha.
2004 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Blanc. Parker 95. The 2004 Hermitage blanc, which hit 15% natural alcohol, is another superb effort, continuing a succession of totally profound white Hermitages from 2003, 2004, and 2005. As many readers know, this small family producer has been making wine in Hermitage since 1481! The 2004 (about 1000 cases) reveals a light gold color, terrific finesse and elegance in spite of its enormous power, unctuosity, and richness. Of course, it is not as honeyed as the otherworldly 2003 (which hit 16% natural alcohol) but it is an amazingly full-bodied, powerful wine with pervasive honeysuckle, peach liqueur, and nectarine notes intermixed with licorice, quince, and acacia flowers. This is gorgeous wine which should evolve for 20-25 years.
agavin: old and honeyed. Kinda icky, tasted like $6 Ethiopian honey wine.
Medaglioni di Vitella. Grilled Boneless Veal Loin served with Tortino Saffron Risotto, sautéed Spinach and a Blueberry Porto Sauce.
Braciola di Maiale con Granchio. “Berkshire” Premier Bone-In Pork Chop stuffed with Imported Fontina Cheese, Crab Meat and Sautéed Spinach served with a Porcini Mushrooms Grappa Sauce. This was an odd dish. The meat was tasty, but the sauce was pretty old school, not bad, but not a great white pairing (the sauce) and totally oddball with the cheesy crab stuffing.
The polenta was dry and crumbly, more like a carrot cake with no sugar.
1959 Moulin Touchais Anjou Blanc. 93 points. Light straw color with open nose of straw and honey. Perfect acidity and balance. Not a heavyweight but still bright. Delicious and could probably keep another 50 years.
agavin: not sweet at all, but very nice acidity.
TORTA DI CIOCCOLATO. Chocolate Flourless Cake served with Raspberry Sauce.
TORTA DI MELE. Sliced Apple baked in a light puff pastry served with caramel sauce.
PANNA COTTA. Italian Vanilla Custard served on a Strawberry Coulis.
TORTA DI PERA. Sliced pear baked in a light puff pastry served with caramel sauce.
Our Somm, Massimo, did a great job considering the complexity of the task and the lack of info and preparatory time he had.
Overall this was a fun evening. I’ll bring apart commentary into different areas.
Service: The restaurant did a great job managing a group of our size. They were on top of things for the most part and extremely nice and accommodating. Whoever helped pick the menu for white wines did a good job pairing out all those red tomato sauce dishes.
Food: The food was good. Some dishes were excellent like the prosciutto salad, pastas, and desserts. Some were just nice. It all feels a little 90s Italian-American (which it is), but isn’t fully contemporary or fully Italian. But it’s good. Plating is very 90s.
Wine: Mixed bag. Everyone stepped up and brought the right kind of bottles for the most part, but we had a lot that just didn’t drink well. Some of this was because of the mix of Chardonnay and Rhone varietals — they just don’t mix well in the same flights. Some was shitty luck with the White Burgs. 4 out of 7 were flawed, 3 badly so. Only the 89 Monty was old enough to make that likely, although Jadot 97s have a lot of premox. Still we were unlucky to have cork on 2 bottles that shouldn’t have. The “expensive” part of the picking precludes a lot of nice fresh white wine types that might actually have impressed.
Format: While this and the last Dirty Dozen dinner were better than the earliest ones in terms of format, we still have some issues. Tonight we had 15 drinkers, which is the max possible and perhaps 2-3 more than would be best. It forced us into 2 tables which is far from ideal. If we were going to have 15-16 we need to find and prearrange a place with a huge square table that can seat 4 to a side. On a similar note we need to choose somewhere that can handle providing 8 or so glasses per person — or at least 4. If 3-4 of us hadn’t brought our own stems we wouldn’t even have had enough for everyone to have one flight in the glass! We need to go over that with them in advance. Food handling/format was fine this time around with 4 + dessert distinct courses. That worked well. But most importantly we need to designate a “wine czar” to collect what people are brining in advance, ensure no duplicates and that they are on theme, and then organize them into flights properly. It’s impossible to do unless you know wine and can see all the bottles. No casual restaurant wine guy will have the time to do that, particularly when they are already wrapped (mostly). This is really important because you need to get the varietals lined up in flights. The Rhone grapes fought against the Chards. If they had been against their own kind (Cali Chard can mix with Burg) they all would have tasted better. We also need a little more bandwidth for labeling the bottles properly and stripping the capsules. Maybe the wine czar could bring preprinted number labels. A “somm” who is also handling the rest of the restaurant will rarely have time to do that kind of stuff.
Anyway though, a very fun evening.
