Archive for Wine – Page 20

Good Vegan? – Is that Possible?

Jan10

Restaurant: Erven

Location: 514-516 California State Rte 2, Santa Monica, CA 90401. (310) 260-2255

Date: December 30, 2016 & January 9, 2017

Cuisine: Modern Vegan

Rating: Best Vegan I’ve had

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Real Food Daily has been a Santa Monica Vegan staple for twenty-ish years, but it closed recently (I was not sad, it tasted weird and gave me gas). Instead, the brilliant Saint Martha chef has taken over, rebooted it into a market restaurant, and voila: Erven.

I went twice here in short order. The first time with my wife where we had 5-6 things and the second time with 7 Foodie Club members where we ordered the entire menu X 2!

The frontage is much updated.

There is now a trendy market counter with vegan treats for sale.

The two floor interior looks way updated as well, and stylishly, if economically.


Corn nuts. Came for “free.” These had a strong flavor.A pre meal snack. Very strong intense flavor, not super to my taste.

The menu. Reading this was hard for me because I usually look at the protein types — but here that was all pretty irrelevant!

Krug Champagne Brut Rosé. VM 94. The NV Brut Rosé is brilliant and finely-sculpted in the glass, with floral aromatics, pulsating minerality and chiseled fruit. Less austere than it can be, the Rosé impresses for its combination of tension and textured, phenolic weight. There is so much to like. This release (ID 213027) is based on the 2006 vintage. The blend is 59% Pinot Noir, 33% Chardonnay and 8% Pinot Meunier. Disgorged Spring 2013.

Savory donut holes. of sauerkraut and smoky applesauce. Interesting. Like jelly donuts too (filling was inside).

Black garlic-chickpea fritter. with yuzu and Aleppo pepper.

2006 Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Champagne Brut Rosé La Grande Dame. JG 95. For both the vintage-dated and the Grande Dame Rosé bottlings, Veuve Clicquot uses their parcel of Clos Colin in the village of Bouzy for the still red wine that is used to add color to the final blend. The ’06 Grande Dame Rosé is comprised entirely of chardonnay and pinot noir, with thirty-three percent of the blend the former and sixty-seven percent of the blend the latter (with fourteen percent still pinot noir). The dosage is eight grams per liter and the wine is outstanding, offering up a pure and complex bouquet of tangerine, desiccated cherries, chalky minerality, orange peel and plenty of smokiness. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and complex, with a superb core, lovely focus and grip, elegant mousse and a very long, zesty and wide open finish. This is drinking beautifully right now, but will age very gracefully as well. (Drink between 2016-2035)

Fried date pickles with Sumatran curry, pine nut and maple. Really interesting fried, tangy, sweet, combination. My wife liked them a lot too.

2002 Henri Boillot Corton-Charlemagne. VM 95+. Steely, penetrating aromas of minerals, crushed stone and vanillin oak. Wonderfully dense and broad, with a dusty, tactile texture and powerful underlying spine. Shows a superripe note of crystallized pit fruits, but the wine’s powerful acids give it great precision and penetration. A great young Corton-Charlemagne.

Hearts of romaine. with dill-tofu ranch, kohlrabi and poppyseed ‘persillade’. Salad.

Tiny beets with avocado mousse, curry-almond streusel and cilantro. Beet sorbet. Quite nice and interesting beet salad. The sorbet even added a temperature variance.

2004 Bouchard Père et Fils Corton-Charlemagne. VM 95+. Pale, bright color. A quintessence of Corton-Charlemagne dirt on the nose: stone fruits, lemon, iodine, ginger, minerals and mint, all complicated by a musky, leesy note that reminded me of a Coche-Dury wine. Then compellingly dense and penetrating in the mouth, with captivating, soil-driven flavors of raw pineapple, white peach, white flowers and crushed rock; a sulfidey complexity and a saline element add to the wine’s spectacular subtle complexity. Hardly a blockbuster but conveys an impression of great solidity. This remarkably precise wine coats the palate with dusty stone and leaves behind a suggestion of honey. My sample at Bouchard in early June was painfully young and closed though obviously outstanding, but this bottle, tasted in New York in August, was spectacular. (Incidentally, my following notes on the Chevalier-Montrachet, Chevalier-Montrachet La Cabotte and Montrachet were from bottles tasted at Bouchard-also quite backward at the time-and I would expect my scores to prove to be conservative.)

Soft tofu with brussels sprouts, pickled garlic ponzu, lime cured onion and popcorn. I love this kind of soft tofu and this was like a combo of a traditional Japanese/Korean soft tofu and a Gjelina brussels sprouts dish.

 

Korean ‘gnocchi’. with chickpeas, okra, purslane and tomato-kimchi soup. The gnocchi was a little dense.

From my cellar: 2006 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles. JG 94. The 2006 Pucelles is by a good margin the most sophisticated and pure of these premier crus, and seems to have avoided the ripe excesses of the vintage better than most of the wines in the cellar this year. The nose is deep and fresh, as it offers up a beautiful mélange of lemon, pear, white peach, spring flowers, a touch of both bee pollen and incipient notes of beeswax and a nice framing of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, silky on the attack and utterly refined, with a lovely core of fruit and no signs of heat on the long, crisp and very long finish. This is a beautiful bottle in the making.

Falafel. with apricot-ginger mostarda, dried olive and smoked paprika. A hair dry.

Onion bread pudding with mushroom chili, broccoli and spicy squash spread. Another interesting textural dish, nice flavors too, although I didn’t anticipate the beans.

Roasted carrots. with coconut, crispy lentils, Thai herbs, and tamarind sriracha. I really liked the frozen coconut on top and the vaguely Thai flavor profile that fell out of that.

1996 Joseph Drouhin Romanée St. Vivant. JK 94. Airy, pure, elegant and extremely expressive as the aromas just float from the glass with rose petal and assorted floral notes. The mineral-infused, racy and finely delineated flavors are nuanced and textured though the backend has a somewhat dry and edgy quality to it that is highlighted by the racy finishing acidity. This is still entirely primary and should age well for a number of years.

Farro and black eyed pea ‘hot pot’. with braised greens, shishito, preserved tomato and onion jus. Tasty enough, but needed a braised meat!

Spaghetti. with baby shiitake mushrooms, brassicas and yeast broth. More like a vegan ramen or Asian noodle soup. The broth was good and the noodles nice.

2005 Louis Jadot Charmes-Chambertin. BH 94. An interesting nose of menthol, underbrush, warm earth and relatively high-toned red pinot fruit leads to fresh, rich, full and almost tender big-bodied flavors that are supple on the mid-palate before tightening up on the delicious, powerful and mouth coating finish. A quality effort that is more impressive than it usually is and worth a look.

Shredded cabbage pancake. with braised eggplant, chili hoisin. The waitress said it had the best hoisin ever — well no, not even close — but it did vaguely induce a feeling of Peking duck. Made me want some Peking duck!

Kale cavatelli with squash, oyster mushrooms, pear and tom yum gravy. Loved the yom yum flavor. Texture was great too with the bitey cavatelli. Really a pretty great dish.

Beer battered tofu sandwich with slaw, thick pickle and manchamantal. Kinda like a tempura fish sandwich without the fish. But nice and tangy and great texture. Really quite excellent.

Chocolate ‘liquid’ donut. with frozen peanut butter brittle ganache, huckleberries, and potato chips. Pretty good. I liked the peanut butter tone.

Black sesame cake. with passionfruit custard, cilantro sorbet and coconut meringue. Really nice and I didn’t even miss the dairy!

Chocolate cookie and frozen cinnamon custard ‘sandwich’. with toasted meringue and graham crumble. That “cream” was pretty good without dairy too.

The wine lineup, not bad for 7 at a vegan restaurant!

 

Overall, Erven was pretty cool. It felt light, and fundamentally the introduction of modern textural play and Asian flavors with the vegan concept really brought the flavor level up. There is so much mouth fireworks going on that it distracts from the lack of protein or fat — wow!

Be warned though, there is a lot of fiber. I’m writing this at 4am because the bloating is keeping me up! Erven will not only tickle your palette, but keep you regular too!

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Related posts:

  1. Pistola with a Bang
  2. Katana – Stripping it all Down
  3. Saint Martha Modern
  4. Sumo Bowl Yamakase
  5. Japanese in China – Izakaya Akatora
By: agavin
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Sebi Mastro’s 2016

Jan04

Restaurant: Mastro’s [1, 2, 3, 4]

Location: 246 North Canon Dr, Beverly Hills, Ca 90210. 310-888-8782

Date: December 23, 2016

Cuisine: Steak House

Rating: My favorite LA Steak joint

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For the second year in a row, my friend Sebastian picked Mastros for his birthday dinner — no complaints here — so we all hauled out the wines and headed across town.

We setup in the luxurious Penthouse!

Bought from the list: Perrier-Jouët Champagne Grand Brut.

Pretzel bread — gotta love it.

Seb brought: 2002 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Clavoillon. VM 90. Complex, precise aromas of apricot, mirabelle , honey and smoke. Silky, fat and full if quite dry; considerably richer than the young 2003, with sound framing acidity. Finishes very long, with a subtle whiplash of flavor. This has filled in quite nicely since I tasted it from barrel last spring.

agavin: this bottle was terrific. It’s the 5th bottle of this I’ve had, and at least 4 of them have been fabulous.

A seafood tower. The quality of the seafood here is impeccable and the only thing we had to complain about was that there wasn’t enough! Really for five we would have expected the two or three story version Still there were amazing shrimp, claws, king crab (didn’t taste frozen), and oysters. The Dungeness chunks in the setter were the real winner.

With dry ice for coolness — haha.

From my cellar: 1982 Certan de May. Parker 98. Every time I have this wine in tastings outside my cellar, I have guessed it to be Petrus and I have rated it as one of the greatest 1982s. My scores have ranged from 96-100. From my cellar, the wine has always tasted super-concentrated, impressive, and frightfully backward, and not nearly as flattering and open. This tasting note is based on a wine from my cellar – a cold, damp storage facility. The wine reveals no signs of age in its color, which remains an opaque, thick- looking ruby/purple. The nose offers up reticent aromas of super-ripe black fruits (jammy cherries), combined with earthy, truffle, cedar, and chocolate notes. Full-bodied and super-concentrated, with high levels of extract, glycerin, and tannin, this remains an outrageously rich and compelling Pomerol that I find needs another 5 years until it begins to enter its plateau of maturity. It will easily last through the first three decades of the next century . It is a majestic Certan de May, as well as the finest young vintage of this wine I have tasted, but it is evolving at a glacial pace.

Bone marrow and toast — have a bit of fat! Actually not my favorite as I don’t love the texture of bone marrow straight up.

Foie Gras. Awesome as you would expect!

Annie gets her OWN tower!

Beef Carpaccio with capers, arugula, and parmesan. Awesome and a bit lighter.

Shoestring fries. Chevy wanted a fry course!

Dr. Dave brought: 2003 Thibault Liger-Belair Clos Vougeot. BH 91. This is very ripe though it stops short of being roasted with its plum, earth, wood, spice and pungent game suffused nose. There is excellent density and volume to the overly powerful, intense and broad-shouldered big-bodied flavors that are shaped by a very firm tannic spine that flirts with a bit of astringency on the otherwise lingering finish. This is definitely not a wine of refinement but it is certainly imposing. It’s not really a style that I particularly care for but then again that’s true of many ’03s as they’re just a bit too ripe for my taste. This particular example is slightly less ’03 in style than some but that said, it’s clear that it’s from a very ripe vintage.

Seb brought: 2002 Louis Jadot Chapelle-Chambertin. VM 93. Good bright ruby-red. High-toned roasted fruits, licorice, violet and sweet oak on the nose. Sweet, supple and creamy, with fruit currently dominated by an exotic coconutty oak quality. A second barrel showed even riper aromas and superb richness.

The wedge salad (chopped).

Mastro’s salad.

Seb brought: 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.

Dr Dave brought: 1998 Les Cailloux (Lucien et André Brunel) Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Centenaire. Parker 97-100. Happily, the last two bottles of 1998 Cuvee Centenaire from my cellar were representative of the score that has been bestowed above. Dense plum/garnet to the rim, with an extraordinary nose of creme de cassis, blackberry, licorice, camphor, new saddle leather, and scorched earth, the wine is full-bodied, opulent, rich, very pure, and from sound bottles, a great Cuvee Centenaire that comes close to rivaling the perfect 1990. This wine should drink well for another decade or more.

Arnie brought: 2003 Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon RBS To Kalon Vineyard. Parker 97. The closest to full maturity and farthest along in its evolution appears to be the 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon RBS Beckstoffer To- Kalon Vineyard. Notes of pen ink, creosote, tar, black currants and Christmas fruitcake jump from the glass of this dense ruby/purple-colored effort, which is showing less color saturation than its three siblings. Full-bodied and ripe with soft tannins, good freshness and liveliness, there is no reason to defer your gratification. It is an intense, mouthfilling, terrific, young Cabernet Sauvignon that should continue to drink well for 10-15 years.

Wagyu tomahawk steak. Actually a bit fatty and chewy.

Bone in rib eye. Awesome piece of beef.

Sautéed mushrooms.
Brussels sprouts.

And even better, the evil “king crab truffle gnocchi.” Yes that’s right. Cream, cheese, truffles, crab, potato. What could be better?

Lobster mashed potatoes. Somehow ours didn’t have enough lobster.

This is “Gorgonzola mac & cheese!” Oh so light, oh so yummy.

Regular Fresh fries. A bit soggy actually.
Yarom brought this ancient Russian dessert wine.

1977 Massandra Muscat Rose Muscat South Coast Crimea.

Comes with cool documentation — straight outta the U.S.S.R.!

The all important Butter Cake. This is “Mastro’s signature warm butter cake ala mode.” Basically a pound cake with an extra four sticks of butter or something. It’s really sweet and really good. Goes well with the magic whipped cream (see below).

Whipped cream.

The birthday boy does the honors.

TMastro’s, while a zoo, and expensive, is a spectacular steak house experience. You can really feel your heart palpitating as you roll out of here!

Overall, another perfect steakhouse birthday!

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Related posts:

  1. ThanksGavin 2016
  2. Steak in the Blind
  3. Mayhem at Mastro’s
  4. No Beef with Mastro’s
  5. Is that a Pistola in your pocket?
By: agavin
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Phong Dinh Fun

Jan02

Restaurant: Phong Dinh [1, 2, 3, 4]

Location: 107 E Valley blvd, San Gabriel, Ca, 91776. (626) 307-8868

Date: December 18, 2016

Cuisine: Vietnamese

Rating: Excellent!

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My Hedonist club has hit up Phong Dinh several times before. This authentic Vietnamese/Chinese continues to serve up interesting stuff — plus they’re happy to take some of Yarom’s “do it yourself” meats, like both boar, deer, and pheasant he shot recently.

The sign brings them in.

From my cellar: 2011 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Meursault. VM 90. The 2011 Meursault is quite beautiful, even if it shows some tightness from its recent bottling. White peach, pear and spice notes all wrap around an energetic frame. I very much like the way the 2011 opens up in the glass. The Comtes Lafon Meursault is now a blend of various parcels, mostly Clos de la Baronne, En la Barre, Luraules and Crotos.

Cold plate. A super epic cold plate with boar sausage (from a boar Yarom shot), jellyfish, shrimp and mustard/mayo, weird cold cuts, and other Chinese/Vietnamese delectables.

Fish sauce. You can’t have enough fish sauce!

There are various condiments. Mint and basil. Veggies.

And these rice paper “pancakes” that are softened in hot water. Not pictured are two kinds of fish sauce and thin rice noodles (you can see them below).

Rice noodles.

You put all this together with the fish as you like and do your best to roll into a pancake. It’s scrumptious, absolutely delicious, but messy.

2003 Emrich-Schönleber Monzinger Halenberg Riesling Spätlese. 92 points. Aromas and flavors of blueberry, blackberry and honey combine here with woodsmoke, black tea, nut oil and subtly stony nuances. The wine is rich and full, with its slight sense of heat enhancing the effect of distilled fruit concentration and smoky pungency. The finishing effect is long and noticeably sweet.

Baked catfish.
 Filleted.

My attempt at a fish burrito didn’t stick together so well.

Someone else with a lot more experience rolled up this larval form.

2010 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie Brune et Blonde. VM 93. Deep ruby. Powerful aromas of dried cherry, blackberry and licorice, with a suave floral pastille nuance in the background. Densely packed bitter cherry and dark berry preserve flavors show a refreshingly bitter edge and pick up spicecake and dark chocolate qualities with air. Dusty tannins come in late and give shape to the finish, which clings with superb tenacity and a resonating floral quality. Shows the power and structure of this outstanding vintage to full effect but comes off as polished and, I daresay, approachable.

Goat chops. Amazing, tender, and tons of BBQ (char) flavor.

2014 Belle Glos Pinot Noir Dairyman. 88 points.

Snails in coconut curry. This spicy coconut curry cream sauce was amazing. You had to suck the meat out of the snails, which was cool, and there was plenty of sauce to drip over rice or noodles.

Papaya salad.

2005 La Rioja Alta Rioja Viña Ardanza Reserva. VM 92. Deep ruby. Sexy, highly perfumed aromas of red fruit preserves, vanilla, mocha and fresh flowers, with a hint of pipe tobacco coming up with air. Sappy and broad on entry, then more taut in the middle, with sweet cherry-vanilla and spicecake flavors given lift by juicy acidity. Closes smooth, spicy and long, with lingering smokiness and fine-grained tannins adding grip. A touch more lively than the excellent 2004 version of this wine and of equal quality, which makes it an outstanding value in old-school Rioja.

agavin: our bottle was a little funky.

Butter on a hot skillet.

Marinated pork. Raw. From the boar Yarom shot.

This raw pork was cooked by us table-side like at Totoraku.

From my cellar: 2002 Louis Jadot Corton-Pougets Domaine des Héritiers Louis Jadot. VM 92. Medium-deep red. Superripe nose dominated by smoky, earthy soil tones. Silky on entry, then rich, succulent and deep, with very sweet red fruit and mineral flavors building impressively on the back half. Finishes ripely tannic and long. Like a few other Jadot ’02s, this shows terrific early sweetness but also has the structure to age. A very strong vintage for this cuvee

Roast pigeon or quail. Pigeon I think.

With crispy rice cakes.

2012 Chris Ringland Shiraz.

Ginger lobster. Very much a Southern Chinese style dish.

2011 Mollydooker Cabernet Sauvignon Gigglepot. 91 points.

Fried rice.

Overall, another epic Hedonist Asian adventure. Good food, great prices, fun wines, and a whole lot of us. What more could you ask for?

We headed over to Salju for dessert. This one was with mochi and mango.

My usual passion fruit, but this time with rainbow jelly.
And a black sesame.

More crazy Hedonist adventures or
LA dining reviews click here.

Related posts:

  1. Phong Dinh – Hedonists go Vietnamese
  2. Coconut Curried Snails?
  3. Pheasant & Deer are Never Boaring
  4. Hedonists at Shanghailander
  5. Eating Saigon – Hoa Tuc
By: agavin
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Sauvages Valentino

Dec26

Restaurant: Valentino Santa Monica [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]

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

Date: December 9, 2016

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: Best meal here in years!

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The final Sauvages lunch of the year is always one of the best. The wine theme is not as singular, but instead concentrates on “greats” from France.

And the locale is Valentino, LA’s venerable high end Italian — and host to countless wine events (that I’ve been to).

Flight 0:

2002 Pol Roger Champagne Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill. VM 95. The 2002 Brut Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill is wonderfully open, expressive and resonant. The richness of the vintage comes through nicely, yet the more overt elements are very nicely balanced by a good deal of freshness. Baked apple, pastry, candied lemon, dried flowers and warm, toasty notes shape the generous, resonant finish. With time in the glass, the 2002 takes a on a striking, vinous character. Readers might want to consider opening the 2002 a few hours in advance, as it really blossoms with air.

Today’s special menu.

The initial chaos tamed by Valentino’s master sommelier.

Flight 1: White Burgundy

2004 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne. BH 93. The color was very pale straw with green highlights yet there was the barest trace of oxidation on the nose. To be fair, it was extremely subtle, indeed two tasters didn’t notice it at first. Yet with air, it became worse and in the end, it was clear that there was a problem. I include the original tasting note here for ease of reference: A reserved yet elegant nose of white flower, green apple, pear and natural spice and wet stone notes that introduce detailed, fresh and wonderfully intense flavors that are exceptionally clean and bright, culminating in a bone dry finish replete with superb minerality. This is not as dense as the ’05 but the purity here is really something to see and as noted last year, it’s sufficiently structured that it will need the better part of a decade to reach its apogee. Note that there was a trace of reduction on the nose and this would benefit from 30 minutes in a decanter should you elect to try one.

2006 Marc Colin et Fils Bâtard-Montrachet. BH 93. A touch of pain grillé frames very ripe but not exotic fruit that includes pear, peach, orange and apricot as well as acacia blossom and honeysuckle that complements well the rich, fresh and vibrant flavors that also display a touch of gas on the textured, opulent and palate drenching finish. This is a big wine that is very Bâtard-like in character as there isn’t much elegance but it’s long on power and size. Buyers would also do well to decant this for 20 to 30 minutes first.

2010 Domaine Michel Mallard & Fils Corton-Charlemagne. 94 points. Initially it was lean and fresh on the palate, I kept thinking Chablis as it had this brightness to it that was really nice, but didn’t have the heft of corton charlie. After a few hours in, I went back to the decanter and it was a totally different wine. It picked up this round rich fruit of apple and citrus on the palate as it picked up more and more concentration and power. Really packed a wallop at the end of the night. Very much made in the style of CC that I like.

2011 Fernand & Laurent Pillot Chassagne-Montrachet.

Polipo Grigliato Con Crema di Paptate E Sedano. Grilled octopus on a puree of potato and celery.

and

Calamari Farciti Ai Gamberetti In Brodetto Di Pomodoro E Oregano. Seafood stuffed calamari in light tomato-oregano broth.

More formal than most LA Italian, these are actually very classical in style (for high end Italian).

Flight 2: Red Burgundy

1990 Domaine Joseph Roty Charmes-Chambertin Très Vieilles Vignes. BH 95. This has long been one of my favorite 90s with its immense fruit that soars from the glass. Red and black fruits blend seamlessly with the beginnings of secondary aromatics and combine with mouth coating extract of pinot yet despite the incredible richness, the balance is impeccable. This doesn’t quite yet offer the complexity of the Griotte but the superb depth of extract is simply glorious. In sum, this is a profound effort and one of the finest wines of the vintage and while it can certainly be enjoyed now, there is no doubt that this is still improving even though it’s approaching its peak. Multiple and consistent notes.

1990 Domaine Rossignol Trapet Chapelle-Chambertin. 96 points. Every once in a while a wine sufficiently stirs the senses to impart a lasting impression…this is such a wine. Tasted blind. Considerable bricking and somewhat opaque; knew from the outset it was at least fifteen years old. The luxurious bouquet sings with the finest elements of great Burgundy! Sous-bois, earth, rose petals, charred cork, and hints of smoke, etc. The wine features brilliantly focused acidity, all the elements on the bouquet, and a mind-bending textural mouthfeel! Lasting finish marked by tremendous acidity and unbridled deliciousness!

1989 Serafin Père et Fils Charmes-Chambertin.

1995 Dominique Laurent Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Lavaux St. Jacques. 92 points.

Duck Crespelle with Prosciutto. A delicious big ravioli notched up even further by the ham.

Flight 3: Rhone

1990 Chateau Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape. Parker 96. Two great back to back vintages are the 1990 and 1989. The more developed 1990 boasts an incredible perfume of hickory wood, coffee, smoked meat, Asian spices, black cherries, and blackberries. Lush, opulent, and full-bodied, it is a fully mature, profound Beaucastel that will last another 15-20 years.

From my cellar: 1990 Domaine du Pegau Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Reservee. Parker 96. A big step up, and showing that the warmer, richer years dish out the most pleasure at maturity, the 1990 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Reserve is drop-dead gorgeous, and close to my favorite of the night. Possessing a thrillingly complex, mature feel, with full-bodied richness and a layered, textured and seamless mouthfeel, this puppy was singing, with loads of lavender, peppery herbs, game and dried flower-like aromas and flavors. I don’t see it getting any better, and would drink it while it still has this voluptuous, hedonistic slant that makes it such a joy to drink.

2000 Clos des Papes Chateauneuf du Pape. Parker 95. The Burgundian-styled 2000 Chateauneuf du Pape is drinking at point today. Possessing beautiful notes of forest floor, truffles, spice, garrigue and sweet cherry and kirsch like fruit, this beauty has notable freshness and purity, medium to full-bodied richness, fine tannin and a layered, integrated texture that keeps you coming back to the glass. There’s no need to delay gratification here and I’d enjoy bottles over the coming 4-5 years.

2003 Clos Saint-Jean Chateauneuf du Pape la Combe des Fous. Parker 97. A big, ripe and voluptuous effort, the 2003 Chateauneuf du Pape Combe des Fous is thrilling stuff that’s drinking beautifully. Incense, exotic pepper, cedar and spice are all supported by a ripe core of sweet kirsch and blackberry fruit. It’s full-bodied, rich, textured and voluptuous on the palate. Showing no signs of over-ripeness or astringency, with polished tannin and excellent mid-palate depth, it pumps out loads of fruit on the finish, and should be consumed over the coming handful of years.

2000 Chateau Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape. Parker 94. Deep garnet colour with a faint touch of brick in the rim. Classic Beaucastel earthy/meaty/gamey nose with an undercurrent of stewed strawberries, Chinese dried plums and soy. Quite elegant on the palate with a medium to full body and a reasonably taut structure of medium to high acidity and a medium level of velvety tannins. Layer upon layer of spices and savoury flavours. Long finish. Drink now to 2024.

Classic Crispy Lasagna Bolognese. Isn’t the prettiest, but it sure tasted great!

Flight 4: Bordeaux

1982 Beychevelle. Parker 94. I have noticed serious bottle variation with this wine, but recently it has been consistently scoring in the 94-96 point range. Beautifully sweet, slightly herbaceous black currant, licorice, and earthy notes emerge from this nearly opaque, dark ruby/purple-tinged 1982. Compared to the more elegant, feminine-styled wine often produced here, it is a beast. Dense, thick, rich, concentrated, and impressive, it can be drunk now and over the next two decades.

1989 Montrose. Parker 98+. This was not in the tasting at the chateau, but I opened two bottles on my return home, because this is another near-perfect wine from Montrose. It is an unusual two-grade blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot. The wine emerged from another very hot, sunny, dry growing season, with early, generous flowering. Harvest in Montrose took place between September 11 and 28. The wine has never had any issues with brett, making it a somewhat safer selection than the more irregular 1990. Like a tortoise, the 1989 has finally begun to rival and possibly eclipse its long-time younger sibling, the 1990. The wine is absolutely spectacular and in auction sells for a much lower premium than the 1990. That should change. This is a magnificent Montrose, showing notes of loamy soil undertones, intermixed with forest floor, blueberry and blackberry liqueur and spring flowers. It has a full-bodied, intense, concentrated mouthfeel that is every bit as majestic as the 1990, but possibly slightly fresher and more delineated. This great wine should drink well for another 40-50 years.

1989 Pichon-Longueville Baron. Parker 96. Both the 1989 and 1990 vintages exhibit opaque, dense purple colors that suggest massive wines of considerable extraction and richness. The dense, full-bodied 1989 is brilliantly made with huge, smoky, chocolatey, cassis aromas intermingled with scents of toasty oak. Well-layered, with a sweet inner-core of fruit, this awesomely endowed, backward, tannic, prodigious 1989 needs another 5-6 years of cellaring; it should last for three decades or more. It is unquestionably a great Pichon-Longueville-Baron.

2000 Lynch Bages. Parker 97. Beginning to open magnificently, the still dense purple-colored 2000 reveals a blossoming bouquet of blackberries, cassis, graphite and pen ink. Full-bodied with velvety tannins that have resolved themselves beautifully over the last eleven years, this wine is still an adolescent, but it exhibits admirable purity, texture, mouthfeel and power combined with elegance. One of the all-time great examples of Lynch Bages, the 2000 is just beginning to drink well yet promises to last for another 20-25+ years.

2000 Figeac. Parker 91-93. Tasted at the Château Figeac vertical at the property. It is some years since I last tasted the 2000 Figeac. There is a valid argument that it is being eclipsed by the 2001, but it is still a fine Saint Emilion. The nose is clean and fresh with strong graphite aromas, very Left Bank in style with black truffle and smoky notes developing. The palate is masculine and rather austere at first, though I notice that it gains fleshiness in the glass. It is nicely weighted, but does not quite deliver the sensuality or joie-de-vivre of the 2001 (which is actually like a lot of millennial Bordeaux). Let’s see how it matures over the next few years, but my money would be on the 2001.

Pan Roasted Napa Quail on lentils with creamy pan dripping sauce and polenta crouton. More ham — and a very tasty little bird indeed.

Flight 5: Sauternes

1989 Rieussec. Parker 92. After a period of prolonged disjointedness, this wine has pulled itself together. The color is deep straw, and the wine displays an intense perfume of creme brulee custard, baked apple pie, and sweet, ripe pineapples and pears. Full-bodied, rich, alcoholic, and fat, with low acidity and considerable sweetness, this is a luxuriously rich, unctuously-textured, heavyweight Sauternes that should become more civilized with age.

Robiola Cheese “Brulee”. Soft yummy cheese.

Pears poached in red wine. Another Valentino classic. My gelato is better though :-).

Overall this was an awesome lunch — as almost all Sauvages lunches are. The food was quiet excellent for Valentino with both a variety and solid execution (sometimes the dishes can be a little flat), plus we had plenty of it and it paired very well. The wines were amazing with almost all of the bottles in great shape and tons of variety of goodness. As always, wine service at Valentino is about the best in the city with tons of stems, organization, and all that. Really very few places that can handle it as well.

For more LA dining reviews click here,

Related posts:

  1. Sauvages in the Forest
  2. Sauvages at Drago
  3. Sauvages – East Borough
  4. LaLa – Valentino
  5. Sauvages at Upstairs 2
By: agavin
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Molti Marino

Dec19

Restaurant: Marino Ristorante

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

Date: December 14, 2016

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: Awesome. One of the best Italian meals I’ve had in LA

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Restaurants in Los Angeles are constantly changing, opening, closing etc. One of the recent changes I miss the most was the shuttering of Il Grano — certainly West LA’s best Italian, particularly in the fancy/modern department. I really miss it – as it was one of my favorites and has 9 write ups on the blog (I think the most of any restaurant).

But the amazing chef/owner Sal Marino has relocated (back) to his original family haunt, venerable Marino Ristorante on Melrose and continues to cook up his unique blend of amazing modern Italian. And if anything, he’s gotten even better.

The menu for tonight’s special Foodie Club year end dinner.

1996 Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Champagne Brut La Grande Dame. VM 95+. Deep, highly complex aromas of citrus skin, nutmeg, porcini mushroom, toasted almond and clove. Rich, dry and impressively deep; superconcentrated and oily. A chewy, spicy Champagne that seemed to grow fresher as it opened in the glass. Really explosive on the aftertaste, finishing with a clinging quality and powerful spicy, nutty flavors. A major mouthful of Champagne, at its best at the dinner table. Displays the combination of high ripeness and high acidity of this vintage at its best. This thick, rich, very powerful wine is still a bit youthfully disorganized and will be even better for a few years of additional aging. One of the standouts of my recent tastings.

Mexicola avocado and Dungeness crab. Eaten skin and all! Like a super fresh Italian California roll.

Snapper Tartar.

Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée. VM 94. The NV Grande Cuvée is absolutely stellar. This is one of the very best Grande Cuvées I can remember tasting. The flavors are bright, focused and beautifully delineated throughout, all of which make me think the wine will age well for many, many years. Lemon peel, white flowers, crisp pears, smoke and crushed rocks race across the palate in a vibrant, tense Champagne that epitomizes finesse. This release is based on the 2005 vintage and was disgorged in winter 2012/2013.

Amberjack & white truffle.

2002 Pol Roger Champagne Brut Rosé. VM 95. Pale gold. Intense, mineral-dominated aromas of candied citrus fruits, pear, anise, smoky lees and chamomile, plus a sexy floral nuance and a hint of sweet butter. Palate-staining orchard and citrus fruit flavors show outstanding depth and energy, picking up chalky mineral and spice notes with air. Strikingly concentrated and precise wine with strong finishing punch and noteworthy persistence. This concentrated, deftly balanced Champagne is built for a long, graceful evolution.

Sawagani – wild river crab. These little fellows were live and scampering in the bowl.

Then flash fried. No longer live, they are eaten as a whole bite and had a touch of spice. Amazing crunch and flavor!

From my cellar: 2010 Borgo del Tiglio (Nicola Manferrari) Collio Friulano Ronco della Chiesa. VM 94. Borgo del Tiglio’s 2010 Ronco della Chiesa shows what this hillside site in Cormons can do in cooler vintages. Still bright, focused and intensely saline, the 2010 bursts from the glass with grapefruit, lime, mint and crushed rocks. The 2010 will probably be appreciated most by readers who like tense, vibrant whites. Next to some of the other vintages, the 2010 lacks a little mid-palate pliancy, but it is quite beautiful just the same. I especially like the way the 2010 opens up nicely in the glass over time.

Nantucket Scallop Crudo, citrus salad. Delicious bright. Awesome pairing.

Buri Crudo. Amazing Italian/Japanese slices of large Buri.

Persimmon & Burrata. Best Persimmon I’ve ever had. Sweet and soft and non of that weird dusty finish. Amazing with the cheese too.
From my cellar: 2001 i Clivi Brazan. 93 points. Geraniums and menthol on the nose. On the palate, pear, apricot, white flowers, and notes of pineapple and lemon on the medium finish, with good acidity. Unlike a previous bottle, this didn’t show any significant oxidation, and it held up well over two days without fading. Well-stored bottles with good corks should be good for at least a few more years.

Hokkaido scallop, sea urchin, caviar. Amazing combo of umami and rich flavors.

1976 Alain Hudelot-Noellat Clos Vougeot. 95 points. Amazing shape for the vintage. Lots of cherry.

1983 Domaine Pothier-Rieusset Pommard 1er Cru Les Rugiens. 92 points. For a Burgundy that should be over the hill it’s drinking nicely. Crystal clear and very light ruby color. Poured straight from the bottle but with a little glass time it really started to show its stuff. Quite fruity and approachable. Has notes of cranberry cocktail with a twist of lemon.

Pizza al tartufo bianco.

With shaved white truffles!

This was one amazing pizza slice. I could have eaten the whole pie. Super soft (fontina?) cheese.

1996 Domaine du Clos de Tart Clos de Tart. JK 94. Fairly closed and tight nose of spicy black fruit framed in subtle new wood followed by medium weight, intense, relatively powerful flavors yet the tannins are elegant and quite fine. The overall impression is one of discreet breed and this delivers impressive if not incredible persistence. For the patient.

2003 Domaine Anne Gros Clos Vougeot Le Grand Maupertui. VM 91+. Full red-ruby. Brooding, superripe aromas of medicinal black cherry and cassis. Huge, chewy and backward; boasts impressive flesh and phenolic material but quite closed today, and not particularly sweet. This very rich but youthfully sullen wine finishes with substantial tannic spine. “Jammy but not cooked,” notes Gros.

Black Bass, stinging nettle, dehydrated olives. Great piece of light fluffy bass. As good as bass gets.
1982 Leoville-Las Cases. Parker 95-100. I have had perfect bottles of this cuvee, but, perplexingly, the bottles from my cellar tend to be broodingly backward and require plenty of coaxing. This huge wine is, in many ways, just as massive as Leoville Barton, but it possesses a greater degree of elegance as well as unreal concentration. Classic lead pencil, cassis, kirsch, cedar, and spice characteristics are abundant in both the nose and full-bodied flavors. The tannins are still there, and, at least from my cellar, this 1982 does not appear to have changed much in the last 10-12 years. One wonders how much patience admirers of this brilliant St.-Julien will continue to exhibit. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2050.

From my cellar: 1985 Gaja Barbaresco. ? points. This was stewy and very “mature.” I liked it, but many at the table considered it totally flawed — which it probably was — I just kinda enjoyed it.

Black tagliatelle Lobster. Home made squid ink pasta with chunks of moist lobster. Amazing.

Chef Sal Marino shows off his pasta dough. Eggy!

1998 Azienda Agricola Montevertine Le Pergole Torte Toscana IGT. JG 91. The 1998 Pergole Torte is a bit deeper-pitched and more black fruity than the more vibrant and red fruity 1999, but despite its slightly “cooler” profile, this too will be a fine bottle of wine at its apogee. The nose is deep and complex, as it offers up scents of black cherries, plums, a touch of bitter chocolate, herb tones, road tar, damp earth and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and still quite tannic, with fine focus, a solid core of fruit and very good length and grip on the firm, chewy and well-balanced finish. The 1998 does not possess the same generosity of youthful fruit as the 1999 or even the 2001 for that matter, and hence would be a bit more difficult to drink before it reaches full maturity, but with its sound acids and lovely complexity, it will be a delightful drink once it reaches its peak.

Cassonetti, celery root filled ravioli, black winter truffle.

With the truffle. This was an absolutely amazing pasta. The melt in your mouth shells, and the slick buttery sauce with the truffles. 11 out of 10!

1985 Antinori Solaia Toscana IGT. VM 94. The 1985 Solaia kicks off a flight of Early Classics. I have had the 1985 twice recently and it has always been impressive. It is also very much a wine of its era, which is to say if anything, it is too polished. This was an era in which wines were squeaky-clean. Well-stored bottles still have plenty of fruit although further upside appears to be limited.

1990 Antinori Solaia Toscana . VM 94. Tasted next to so many other great wines, the 1990 Solaia actually suffers a bit. I am sure it would be magnificent on its own, but here it comes comes across as a bit one-dimensional, with less opulence than vintages like 1994 and 1997, but less structure than the 1988 tasted immediately before. Overall, the 1990 is a hugely attractive wine that stops just a touch short of being truly profound.

agavin: both were great, but I liked the 1990 better.

Chicken & Polenta. Local farm polenta and chicken. Super moist and soft. Usually chicken doesn’t have enough flavor to handle this kind of treatment, but this certainly did.

2002 Tua Rita Redigaffi Toscana IGT. Parker 94. The 2002 Redigaffi is sweet and balsamic in its expression of jammy plum fruit, elegant and ample on the flow and with an expanding volume, firmness, and grip which should guarantee maximum pleasure for another decade and a half.

Lamb Ossobuco. This was bone sucking good. Super rich, stewed and fatty. Ron and I were literally gnawing on the bones.

Wagyu tagliata, sunchoke, pea tendrils. East meets west version of the New York strip, but with Japanese breed beef. Grilled bread was amazing too.

Sal through in: 2004 San Michele Appiano (St. Michael-Eppan) Sanct Valentin-Comtess Passito. 96 points. Awesome complex sticky.

Panettone. This ain’t your grandmother’s panettone. It was more like bread pudding.

Ramen Roll Gelato, made by me. I brought these in but Sal’s crew plated them. In the front is Macha White, green tea with white chocolate. In the back my amazing Hazelnut Caramel with pure traditional hazelnut (made from Italian Hazelnut Regina paste) and house made caramel.

The normal Marino menu looks great, but is certainly more classic than Sal’s special dinner fare like above. If you like adventurous modern Italian, I’d see if he can do a special tasting menu — likely he’ll be up for it. Or several people could put together something really interesting from the regular menu if they think outside the normal appetizer, entree, dessert box. But it’s with this kind of special dinner — and not to mention the great crew and our awesome wines — that Sal’s cooking really knocks your socks off. He is a nut for detail and ingredients. He grows tons of stuff at home — like over a 100 varieties of heirloom tomato — and really knows how to adapt and pair with wine.

I had a lot of great meals at Il Grano, but this was probably the most on point of all of them. Every dish was pretty much a knock out. Bright fresh ingredients coupled with bright fresh flavors. I’m still dreaming of that truffle Cassonetti.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

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

Or more crazy Foodie Club meals.

Related posts:

  1. Italian House Party
  2. Brandon DiFiglio – Post-Maudern
  3. Doing it All Right – Christophe Emé
  4. Pistola with a Bang
  5. Saint Martha Modern
By: agavin
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Kali Live Octopus

Dec12

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

Location: 5722 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038. (323) 871-4160

Date: December 1, 2016

Cuisine: New American French

Rating: Better every time!

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I’ve known Kevin Meehan for years as a private and popup chef and have had the pleasure to enjoy many a fine meal he’s put together. But this year he transitioned into the more stationary, and possibly more hectic restaurant world by opening up his own Melrose Ave restaurant! This is our third Foodie Club visit.

With the opening of Kali Restaurant, Chef Kevin Meehan’s broad 23-year culinary career reaches its apex. At Kali, Meehan, whose deft hand was cultivated in Los Angeles’ most prestigious kitchens, joins forces with long-time friend and professional colleague, Drew Langley, previously the wine director at the iconic, Michelin-starred Providence.
For the 39-year-old Meehan, Kali represents the evolution of not just Kali Dining, his roving private dinner pop-up, but the rigorous years he spent refining his craft. The contemporary California restaurant blends the precision and hospitality of the white tablecloth kitchens where Meehan developed his culinary acumen, with the accessibility and ease of a local’s favorite neighborhood haunt.
Born and raised in Long Island, New York, Meehan’s initial foray in the industry was at a fried chicken joint when he was a teenager. While most would be turned off by working the fryer, Meehan was feeding an innate attraction to food, and, in the process, unearthing what would become a life-long love affair with the restaurant world. After graduating high school, Meehan enrolled in the esteemed Culinary Arts program at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island, an education that he would test and sharpen on-the-line during an apprenticeship at the Michelin-starred L’alban Chambon under French Master Chef Dominique Michou, and, later, alongside Los Angeles’ finest chefs.
In 2000, Meehan drove cross country to assume a post at the celebrated L’Orangerie, then helmed by Chef Ludo Lefebvre. It was there that Meehan met Langley, who he would subsequently work with at the now late Bastide, where Meehan served as Chef de Cuisine, and, later, at Citrine. After Citrine’s closure in 2005, Meehan joined Patina Restaurant Group as Chef de Cuisine at Joachim Spichal’s seminal Patina restaurant in Downtown. During his three-year tenure, the restaurant received a Michelin Star for its fresh interpretation of French cuisine informed by seasonality, and Meehan was consequently promoted to Executive Chef of Café Pinot.
In 2012, Meehan parted ways with the prolific restaurant group to launch his passion project, Kali Dining. The underground operation quickly garnered critical attention for Meehan’s assertive, yet nuanced tasting menus that he prepared, dinner party-style, for Los Angeles top tastemakers, luminaries, and food enthusiasts. Kali the restaurant was birthed from the success of Kali Dining, and the passion that Meehan and co-owner Langley share for pushing the boundaries of the typical fine dining experience.

For Kali, Kevin partnered with Drew Langley.
While most known for his esteemed tenure as the Wine Director at the Michelin-starred Providence in Los Angeles, Drew Langley brings an extensive resume of experience to Kali Restaurant, a passion project born out of his 15-year friendship with Chef Kevin Meehan.
As Co-owner and Wine Director of the contemporary California restaurant near Hollywood’s iconic Paramount Pictures Studios, the 39-year-old’s near life-long matriculation in the food & beverage industry is fully realized. Kali blends the haute cuisine and hospitality of a fine dining destination with the accessibility of an everyday neighborhood haunt, and Langley’s concise, intelligent wine program is a reflection of the core philosophy that defines the restaurant.
Born and raised in a small town in south Maryland, Langley’s initial introduction to the industry was as a dishwasher at a local pizzeria at the age of 13. While his contemporaries found inspiration in the classroom, Langley was drawn to the rhythm and intensity of the restaurant world, acquiring a vast understanding of its inner workings through odd jobs that ran the gamut from line cook at regional chain Perkin’s to corporate trainer for Applebee’s openings to bar back at Solomon’s Pier, a seafood restaurant and nightclub.
In 1997, the then 20-year-old Langley leapt at an opportunity to relocate to Los Angeles, and stumbled into a position at Greenblatt’s, a beloved deli and wine shop in West Hollywood, that would ultimately pave the way for his future career. Langley furthered his three-year wine education at Greenblatt’s with a position at Dennis Overstreet’s Beverly Hills Wine Merchant, before joining the now-closed L’Orangerie in Beverly Hills as Sommelier in 2000. It was there that Langley crossed paths with Meehan, who he would subsequently work alongside at the late Bastide and Citrine.
After opening Bastide in 2002 as Commis Sommelier, and enjoying a stint as Wine Director at Citrine in 2003, Langley switched gears to lend support to entrepreneur and wine collector Jeff Smith for the launch of Carte Du Vin. His time at the local wine cellar management firm birthed and deepened relationships with prominent private collectors, relationships that inform his wine program at Kali today. In 2005, Langley joined the opening team at Providence, serving as Wine Director for Michael Cimarusti’s nationally-acclaimed seafood destination through 2015 when he left to prepare for Kali’s debut in early 2016.
An avid music enthusiast, when Langley is not refining his wine list with new finds or overseeing the day-to-day operations at Kali, the Koreatown resident can be found indulging in the local drum-and-bass culture.

A glimpse inside.

And the cool meat larder — pig head and all.

2004 Taittinger Champagne Brut Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne. 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.

A delicious cracker/cookie and cheese sandwich.

Uni on polenta.

1999 Bouchard Père et Fils Chevalier-Montrachet. VM 92+. A mineral bath of a nose, with bright lemon and lime fruit notes. Youthfully austere, penetrating and sharply delineated; strong minerality currently dominates lemon and white grapefruit flavors. Bracing, near-painful finish features superb length and grip.

Live octopus — it was still twitching.

Then it was cut up into bits and tossed with tangy marinate. Chewy, but delicious.

2015 Domaine Tempier Bandol Rosé. VM 93. Pale orange. Lively, expansive citrus pith and red currant aromas are complemented by suggestions of chalky minerals and white flowers. Sappy, concentrated and precise, offering palate-staining red berry and blood orange flavors and a hint of spicy white pepper. Shows excellent thrust and persistence on the mineral-driven finish, which emphatically echoes the floral and citrus fruit qualities. I’m impressed by the way this wine balances the opulence of the vintage with vivacity and I suspect it will reward at least another eight or so years of patience — standard behavior for this bottling, which ages more like a red wine than a pink one.

Fish tartar with crisp.

2004 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles. BH 93. A mildly reduced nose features honeysuckle and acacia blossom notes introduces sweet, rich and beautifully complex flavors of impressive purity and vibrancy with brilliant length. A terrific effort that has the hallmark softness of Pucelles while retaining a firm and tangy, indeed almost linear finish that displays more minerality than usual.

Lobster ravioli.



With this amazing broth with a rich bisque-like taste.

Rosemary bread.

1993 Domaine de Montille Pommard 1er Cru Les Rugiens. BH 92. For years the ’93 de Montille Rugiens was impenetrable and it’s still incredibly youthful and in fact, not a great deal has changed except to note that little by little, the wine is gradually emerging from its awkward adolescence with a gorgeous and still primary nose of red and black pinot fruit that reflects obvious mineral notes. The vibrant and firm medium full flavors are impressively complex and are underpinned by firm but integrated tannins that leave the finish with a dusty texture. This will require the better part of the next decade to come around but it should be worth the wait.

Black barely risotto. Black garlic, toasted cheese. A very nice whole grain with a creamy garlic herb vibe.

From my cellar: 1996 Faiveley Corton-Clos des Cortons Faiveley. VM 94. Deep ruby color. Multidimensional aromas of violet, coffee, dried rose, clove, rare steak and seductive oak. Huge and tactile; really implodes in the mouth today. Extremely deep and lush, with the sheer sweetness to buffer its considerable acids and tannins. Oaky. Finishes extremely long, with very fine, tooth-coating tannins. With aeration, some of the baby fat melted away, and the wine’s powerful structure was manifest. Headspinning, old-style Burgundy, and very impressive. One to buy and cellar.

1996 Faiveley Bonnes Mares.

LAMB. parsnip / date / pecan / purlane.

1999 Domaine / Maison Vincent Girardin Echezeaux. 92 points. Complex and mature bouquet with -beside some red fruits- mostly tertiary impressions. Tar, toast, asphalt, gun powder, a bit organic and rustic. On the palate the same special impressions, minerals, volcanic, beautiful acidity, soft tannin and strawberries. Beautiful and very special wine. Drink now or in the next few years is probably a wise thing to do.

2008 Louis Jadot Grands-Echezeaux. VM 93. The 2008 Grands-Echezeaux is wonderfully expressive in its aromas and flavors. Clean, mineral notes frame an attractive melange of sweet red cherries, flowers, licorice and spices in this mid-weight, intensely long Burgundy. This is a classy effort from Jadot.

DUCK BREAST. carrot / coffee / honey / cocoa.
Meat anyone?

1952 Giacomo Borgogno & Figli Barolo Riserva. 94 points. Awesome, very Burgundian.

Flannery Beef HANGER STEAK. burnt onion jam / fingerling potato / bitter herb oil.

2005 Domaine du Clos de Tart Clos de Tart. BH 96. n expressive and very ripe black berry fruit, spice, mocha, fresh coffee and earthy nose is surrounded by a generous blast of new oak that continues onto the rich, full, concentrated, powerful and sweet flavors that possess superb mid-palate density and huge length. This is an extremely rich wine and because of the influence of the wood, the detail that will very likely come with time in bottle has not yet developed but this is so concentrated yet balanced that it’s only a matter of time. This will live for ages and somewhat surprisingly, this is actually approachable now simply because it is so concentrated yet I suspect that when this finally shuts down, it will stay there for the better part of a decade. In a word, fantastic.

Toasted Meringue Gelato. grated candied yolk. This tasted like sweet cream with a dusting of salty eggy goodness. It was mild, creamy, and absolutely stunning. I ate two.

One of these hands is the one you want to get slapped with.

CHOCOLATE CREMEUX. mint / cocoa soil / bitter nibs.

Les vins.

Overall, not only was this a great meal with great friend (and wine), but Kevin’s food was really bang up fabulous. He’s always been a very talented chef but it seems to me, and I noted how in my previous visit that he’s really polished the cooking. This trend has continued, because in a few short months things have gone from great to… well greater. I don’t know anyone else in LA that’s doing this kind of ingredient focused cooking and yet nailing it with such bright pure flavors. The dishes have this balanced tension that is very sophisticated and some of them are pretty stand out amazing like the yellowtail, burrata, cod, steak, duck, and gelato — and noticed how I named a LOT of dishes because the percentage of knock outs is very high!

Service was great. We felt like family.

Really great stuff. Bravo Kevin and Drew!

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Related posts:

  1. Kali-fornia Dreaming
  2. Kali on Melrose
  3. Big Bottle Madness at Kali Dining
  4. Kali Cabernet
  5. Crash Live Action Tribute
By: agavin
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ThanksGavin 2016

Nov26

Thanksgiving in my family is always an opportunity for epic gluttony — home cooked gluttony at that — hence the ThanksGavin nomenclature. This year we were back in Los Angeles for only the second time in decades, blending cooking and recipes from both my side and my wife’s side in an all around cooperative cooking fest.
Let’s review some of the prep like this rathere hacked Kosher turkey.

And Challah stuffing.

The open neck was “surgically sealed” before it went on the BBQ.

We had enough people we needed 2!

The finbished product pre-carving.

And drippings to be transformed into gravy.

NV Demière-Ansiot Champagne Grand Cru Brut Blanc de Blancs. VC 90+. The new release of the consistently excellent non-vintage Blanc de Blancs bottling from Demière-Ansiot was disgorged in December of 2014 and is base year 2011, with a finishing dosage of six grams per liter. The thirty percent reserve wines used here hail from 2010 and 2008. The youthful bouquet wafts from the glass in a classic blend of pear, apple, a touch of fresh almond, incipient notes of crème patissière, chalky minerality, brioche and a topnote of apple blossoms. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and still youthfully snappy, with a lovely core, excellent mousse, crisp acids and a long, pure and beautifully balanced finish. This is certainly approachable today, but I will keep my bottles tucked away for a couple of years to allow this wine to come forward a bit from behind its fine structure.

2005 Gramona Cava III Lustros Gran Reserva. 90 points. Light brioche on the nose with dried lemons and limes, and ripe pear. Nice dry finish and some minerality but overall palate lacks depth and complexity.

The appetizer hour in the drawing room.

Chopped Beef liver.

Crackers and crudites.

Toasts.

Olives, dates, tomatos.

People then move into the dining room.
2006 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatières. VC 92. The 2006 Leflaive Folatières shows even more ripeness than any wine that has come before it in the cellar, with an extravagant and exotic profile on both the nose and palate. The bouquet is a mix of very ripe apples and peaches, honeysuckle, honeycomb and some chalky soil tones. On the palate the wine is a bit fresher on the attack than the nose promises, with good mid-palate stuffing, fine focus and complexity, but some heat penetrating through the fruit on the long finish that closes nicely with a note of lemon oil.

Butternut squash soup. For a long time during “development” this soup tasted too much like boxed chicken stock — but after adding some Remi Martin XO, a bunch of black pepper, ginger, and cinnanom and cooking it down it was redeemed. It came out delicious.

1983 Domaine Robert Arnoux / Arnoux-Lachaux Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots. 94 points. An awesome mature red Burg.

2004 Cantine del Castello di Conti Boca Il Rosso delle Donne. AG 92. The 2004 Boca Il Rosso delle Donne shimmers on the palate with layers of fruit, mineral, and herbs. Stylistically the 2004 is a much more expansive, generous wine than the 2005, with layers of fruit that radiate with notable energy through to the mineral-laced finish. This fresh, vibrant and impeccably pure wine is a jewel.

Seb brought: 2014 Melville Syrah Estate Donna’s. parker 97. Even better, with more depth, density and ripeness, the 2014 Syrah Donna’s offers overflowing notes of olive tapenade, salted beef, licorice, black olive, peppery herbs and cured meats, with tons of ripe currants, fresh plum and smoked black cherry fruit. Full-bodied, elegant and seamless, with fabulous purity and persistence, I wouldn’t push the aging curve, but it’s a killer wine that will provide tons of pleasure over the coming 7-8 years.

The main buffet spread.

Kale salad with citrus.

Savory slaw.

Mashed potatoes.

Sweet potato “pie” with walnuts.

Turkey. sorted white to dark.

Stuffing. Awesome!

Gravy. reduced from the drippings and neck meat.

Balsamic glazed beets.

Other beets.

Brussels sprouts.

Brussels sprouts version 2.

Sweet cranberry sauce.

Spicy cranberry chutney – my favorite.

Apple sauce.

Spiced green beans and carrots. Great color and a nice crunch.

Spicy beet greens my brother cooked.

Cauliflower with walnuts and raisins.

The annual plate.
Seb brought: 2014 Bodegas Alto Moncayo Garnacha Campo de Borja. 92 points.  big rounded Spainish Grenache.
NV Gonzalez-Byass Pedro Ximénez Jerez-Xérès-Sherry Viejo Noé (30 Years/Años). WD 17.5. A 100% PX wine. Caramel, molasses, Christmas pudding on the nose. Rich, oily, toffee sauce style of wine, with nuts and raisins. Really over the top; impressive, but I don’t know if I would actually want more than a mouthful. I suspect it would be really good with ice cream though.

Parve Nonpareils.

Chocolate chip bundt cake.

Fruit.

Bananna blondies.

Pumpkin pie.

My mom’s apple cobbler.

Chocolate cake.
And all handmade my me, artisanal sorbetti. Left to right: espresso, strawberry, and cherry-cassis. The texture came out textbook perfect in all 3 cases. The espresso would be better with milk, but the two fruit ones have amazing flavor.

All in all and extremely successful feast. Cooking was a shared affair between my the whole family on both sides and oodles of excellent dishes abounded. So much good home cooked food! So little room in the stomach.

For more ThanksGavin meals, click here.

Related posts:

  1. ThanksGavin 2014
  2. ThanksGavin 2012
  3. ThanksGavin 2011 – The Main Event
  4. ThanksGavin 2013
  5. ThanksGavin 2015
By: agavin
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Artsy Toppings – Sushi of Gari

Nov18

Restaurant: Sushi of Gari

Location: 6201 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028. (323) 400-6300

Date: November 16, 2016

Cuisine: Japanese Sushi (new influences)

Rating: Good, but new style is different

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Sushi of Gari is that rare bird in LA, a New York Japanese food import! They have a couple of high end branches in Manhattan and have now ventured back to the serious sushi town.

It’s located in the heart of Hollywood — on the Blvd. Bold location for an expensive Japanese omakase restaurant.

The interior has a very high end and modern Japanese build out.

Tonight just the core original Foodie Club founders went: Erick and I.

From my cellar: NV Jacques Selosse Substance Blanc de Blancs. VM 93. Selosse’s NV Substance, based on 2007, is remarkably fresh considering the solera style that goes back to 1986. Candied lemon, white flowers and herbs are fused together in an ample, creamy Champagne. The classic Substance breadth is there, but in this release, the wine is a bit less overtly oxidative in style than it can be. Disgorged October 2015. Dosage is 1.3 grams per liter.

agavin: maybe a tiny touch advanced, but drinking awesomely.

Erick brought: 2002 Louis Jadot Montrachet. BH 96. Jadot has seriously upgraded the quality of their Montrachet over the past few vintages and while it’s always been good (consider the incredible ’96), the last few efforts have been at another level. The ’02 offers sublimely complex aromas of white flowers and citrus wrapped in a gentle hint of wood spice followed by sappy, powerful, mouth coating, pungent flavors of superb density and weight. Ripe and vibrant acid keep everything in perfect balance and this should drink well for a long time. In short, this is class in a glass and a knockout effort.

agavin: this needed more years, still pretty closed.

Our itamae for the night.

Cute custom chopstick rests and wrappers.

The menu, almost all sushi.

Kuromutsu Nanbanzuke. Our only non-sushi. deep-fried halibut, marinated in sweet vinegar. Dashi, ginger, and crunchy glassy noodles. Very interesting (and fun) texture.

Maguro Tofu Raya. Tuna with creamy tofu puree. The tofu was very mild, but right off the bat it set the night by distracting a bit from the gorgeous fish. Not that it was bad, but the rice here isn’t very assertive (low vinegar), and the topping complicates the tasting of the fish.

Tai Salad. Japanese red snapper topped with seasoned baby greens, roasted pine nuts, and crispy lotus root with hint of wasabi olive oil. This was interesting and quite a bit of basil, but again I wasn’t sure it paired to the improvement of the fish.

Amaebi Yuzu. Sweet shrimp with yuzu miso. This had a slightly bitter finish but was overall a slightly better compliment.

Yellowtail Belly Jalapeno. Like a nigiri version of the Matsuhisa classic. Much better pairing.

Sake Yaki Tomato. Salmon with sautéed tomato. This is one of their signatures. The salmon was fabulous, and with the tomato made for an interesting interplay, but the fish is slightly lost.

Nama Hotate Ume. Hokkaido scallop with umeboshi plum sauce. This was a good pairing and the plum didn’t overwhelm the scallop.

Kamatoro with wasabi. Awesome piece of toro. This is from the collar, like the giant whole collar we had the other night. Pretty straight up without a weird topping (that was just wasabi).

Yuki Masu Ringo Sauce. Snow trout with apple sauce and sprigs of radish. There was a smoked quality to the piece. I’m not sure the sweetness of the apple actually goes with the marinated vinegar tone of the fish and rice.

Mackerel with shiso and marinated daikon. Interesting, and certainly colorful.

Ika Broccoli. Squid with broccoli! The squid was very tender with a char flavor. This actually paired well with the broccoli and didn’t distract.

Zuke Kinmedai. Goldeneye snapper with dried kelp. A great pairing. The kelp isn’t very strong and it added some extra interest and texture to a fabulous piece of fish.

Zuwaigani Uni. Snow crab with uni sauce. Quite charred. Good though, although I kind of like my crab cold and less crispy.

Hirame Truffle. Charred halibut with quail egg and truffle oil. This one was very good. I love egg yolk. Combo was “interesting” but it worked.

Yaki Hokkaido Bafun Uni. Charred Hokkaido search urchin. Very straight up and without a sauce. Worked better than most of the sauces. There was a bit of char to the uni too — very good uni.

Maguro Carpaccio. Seared tuna with onion, seaweed, breaded flakes, garlic chip, and ponzu. Nice nigiri. Also tasted like a Nobu dish.

Aji Miso. Spanish mackerel with cream cheese miso. Hmm. Miso distracted a bit.

Yaki Sawara. Charred kit mackerel with mushroom sauce. One of these very charred fish bits. The mushroom wasn’t so distracting but I’m not a super lover of this sort of “dried” (aka charred) sushi bits.

Lobster. Marinated lobster with sea salt. Excellent.

Nodoguro. Charred rosy sea bass. No sauce, but quite charred.

Yaki Sake. Seared marinated salmon. This was an awesome piece with more of a vinegar flavor than most things tonight.

Nama Saba Goma. Japanese mackerel marinated with sesame soy sauce. Very interesting strong nutty tone from the sesame. Quite good.

Clam Parsley Sauce. Chew giant clam sautéed in butter and served with a garlic-parsley sauce. Like escargot! Nice chew too.

Maguro Yukke. Shredded lean blue fin tuna marinated with Korean-style sweet sesame oil sauce on a bed of crispy nori seaweed with pine-nuts and scallion. This was very interesting and I liked it a lot. I liked that it was soft and marinated. The crispy (and it was quite chewy) bit of seaweed was interesting too.

Baby baracuda. Another fairly “charred” piece, but good for barracuda.

Toro Taku. Chopped fatty tuna with Japanese yellow pickles. This one was great. Interesting we are in parallel working on a very similar handroll at Ramen Roll — maybe the toro and pickles is a classic pairing.

Needlefish with shiso and plumb sauce. Interesting marinated sushi note.

Ikura. Salmon eggs. Straight up — but I love salmon eggs.

Hamachi Yubiki. Poached yellowtail with sesame sauce. Different. The sesame worked. Tahini basically, so felt slightly middle eastern.

Kohada Rakkyo. Shad with shiso and onion. Very marinated. Tasted almost like pickled herring!

Yaki Kamatoro. Kamatoro (collar toro) is always great. I prefer (as usual) the fully raw version, but the seared one is good too.

Avocado sushi with eel and cucumber. Interesting. Tasted exactly like a caterpillar roll — but as a nigiri.

Foie Gras Nashi. Foie gras with poached pear and red wine jello. Unconventional but awesome. What’s not to like about foie gras and fruit?

Anago. sea eel. A nice chunk of sea eel. Not very sweet with a distinct charred fat flavor.

Tomago, shiso, and sour plum handroll. Very traditional with the shiso/plum thing. A good palette cleanser and fairly bracing.

Crab handroll. Very nice crab, but plain like this it’s pretty subtle. I prefer blue crab.

Okay, so how was Sushi of Gari? I’d say that the decor was awesome. The service was awesome. The sushi chef’s really nice and very skilled. Two we knew from Mori. The build out is really swank as well, although for me the location is FAR. Not as far as oo-toro — but far enough. The fish quality was absolutely first rate. The price wasn’t even that bad (considering how much we had).

But how was the overall effect?

Gari has a very distinct style. The rice is very low vinegar. A LOT of nigiri (and we tried EVERYTHING THEY HAD tonight) are charred. A little too much for my taste, sort of the opposite of the Sasebune or Zo style where there is a lot of ponzu and things are very wet. Here many nigiri were quite dry and partially cooked.

Then there is the sauce/topping/modern thing. Overall I would have to say it distracted and made for novel, but inferior tasting nigiri than a more conventional approach. Now they were interesting, and some succeeded well like the truffle egg, kelp, or parsley clam, but many of my favorite pieces were the ones without heavy/unusual toppings. Like the marinated salmon or the kamatoro. So what does that tell you? If they dropped most of the gimmicks they would have to stand out on the quality of the fish — but I think they actually have that, and I might enjoy it even more.

We lasted past 3 different normal Omakases and were the last guests at 11:30 — I think they wanted us out of there and didn’t offer us dessert. So we went next door to shake shack!

I photoed the concretes, which is what we ordered.

And the simple but well done interior.

Sunset Grind. Cookie custard, Stumptown coffee beans, marshmallow sauce and Cofax spiced crumb donut. These things are like gelato softserve crossed with Cold Stone creamery. The hugely sweet infusion of stuff makes for a yummy mix, but it’s hardly subtle or elegant. And it sits VERY heavy.

Tinseltown Toffee. Chocolate custard, peanut butter sauce, chocolate toffee and Compartes dark chocolate chunks. Peanut butter chocolate with chunks. What’s not to like? Pretty decadent.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Related posts:

  1. Sushi Sushi – Small Omakase
  2. Food as Art – Sushi Sushi
  3. Sushi Sushi Sushi
  4. Shunji Sushi – Nonstop Nigiri
  5. Sushi Sushi = Yummy Yummy
By: agavin
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Collar the Market — OOToro

Nov14

Restaurant: OOToro [1, 2]

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

Date: November 12, 2016

Cuisine: Japanese Sushi (with slight nod to China)

Rating: Ends of the earth, but very good

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Chef Kaz of Totoraku, an occasional hedonist, sent us far east to this Sushi restaurant in July and after having seen this crazy tuna collar we decided to return.

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.

The menu.

Ron brought: NV Billecart-Salmon Champagne Brut Rosé. VM 92. Pale orange. High-pitched red berry, orange zest and jasmine aromas, with suave mineral and smoky lees notes adding complexity. Spicy and precise on the palate, showing very good punch to its strawberry and bitter cherry flavors. Opens up smoothly with air and picks up a bitter rhubarb quality that lingers onto the long, tightly focused finish. This bottling showed more brawny character than many past renditions of this cuvée, but with no lack of vivacity.

Marinated Japanese seaweed with mountain potato. For those not put off by the slimy texture (didn’t bother me) this had a wonderful vinegar/dashi tone.

Live spiny lobster sashimi. He was still wiggling as we ate his tail. Of course, this being Ootoro, they can’t resist putting some yuzu kosho on the side.

Yarom brought: 2004 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos. BH 95. Stylistically, this closely resembles the Valmur with its ultra elegant and pure aromas featuring white flowers, oyster shell and subtle spice notes that perfectly complement the round, powerful, rich and full-bodied flavors that coating the mouth and culminate in a saliva-inducing, incredibly intense finish that reminded me more than a little of a great Corton-Charlemagne. This just oozes minerality and the texture is minerally to the point of this resembling a block of stone. A great Les Clos.

Rice, toro, foie gras, caviar, shiso, and gold. Beneath it was something crunchy too, maybe a pickle.

Goldeneye and red snapper and a third nigiri with wasabi.

From my cellar: 2006 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Combettes. VM 92. Medium bright yellow. Sexy aromas of yellow peach and hazelnut. Superripe and sweet, with flavors of apricot, peach and buttery pastry. Not particularly complex but thick and approachable. Finishes with a distinctly sweet quality.

agavin: maybe a touch advanced. Typical of 2006.

Chu toro on the right, otoro on the left. We mostly liked the chu toro slightly bette of this delectable duo. It was softer, while the otoro had more fat and more chew.

Parfait of sesame tofu and uni.

Danny brought: 2013 Sine Qua Non Résisté. VM 92. A rich, voluptuous white, the 2013 White Wine Résisté is built on pure texture. Honey, apricot pit, succulent peaches and mint all race from the glass. The high acidity of the Petite Manseng adds a kick of brightness on the finish. The blend is 45% Roussanne, 26% Chardonnay, 14% Petite Manseng, 10% Viognier and 5% Marsanne; 40% from Eleven Confessions, 29% Cumulus and 31% Bien Nacido.

Persimmon and truffle in some kind of mayo sauce.

Boiled meat (indeterminate) on daikon. Like a snippet of one of those traditional Japanese stews.

Ron brought: 2015 Vignobles du Soleil Costières-de-Nîmes Saveurs du Temps. Very nice, lots of acid. Great pairing.

Oyster and scallop/clam.

Either some kind of scallop or orange clam.

Oyster with uni and ikura.

On the right, Mackerel, on the left needle fish.

Flaming sea snail. Chopped up charred bits of this “creature.”

Awesome salmon.

Arnie brought: 2009 Marcassin Pinot Noir Marcassin Vineyard. VM 92. The 2009 Pinot Noir Marcassin Vineyard is quite pretty and lifted in the glass. Expressive and floral, the 2009 possesses gorgeous fruit and lovely mid-palate pliancy. Here the Pinot tannin carries the fruit much more gracefully than in the Chardonnay. Sweet floral and spice notes reappear on the finish, adding lift. The 2009 is intense, but not at all heavy.

Roasted Blue fin tuna collar, kama-toro. This giant collar from a giant fish is one of the things that brought us back. The meat looked and felt like roasted lamb, but of course tasted more like tuna. It was very rich and solid and almost certainly the best cooked tuna I’ve ever had.

Dr D brought: 2002 Domaine Jacques Prieur Corton-Bressandes. VM 90+. Good deep red. Crushed blackcurrant, black cherry, smoke and cured tobacco on the nose. Broad and rich, with a restrained sweetness. Notes of dark berries, sassafras and mint. Began with an almost medicinal austerity but grew sweeter in the glass. A big, rich, very ripe, soil-inflected wine that should repay six or seven years of patience.

Toro tartar with avocado, truffles, and uni. Uh, yum! Nice crunch too from the pickles.

Sashimi plate.

Kanpachi amberjack nigiri.

Seared toro on shiso. Charred and great — but I prefer the raw versions.

Yarom brought: 1981 Penfolds Grange. Parker 97. The 1981 stood out as slightly superior. Winemaker John Duval always felt this was a tannic style of Grange, but the wine has shed its tannins, and this is one of the few vintages where the percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon was above 10%. Sweet notes of creme de cassis, cedarwood, charcoal, and barbecue spices are followed by a full-bodied, opulent wine displaying heady amounts of alcohol, glycerin, and density in its full-bodied, skyscraper-like texture. I was drinking this wine with great pleasure in the mid-nineties, yet here it is nearly 15 years later, and the wine does not appear to have budged much from its evolutionary state. This is a testament to how remarkably well these wines hold up, and age at such a glacial pace.

agavin: the peculiar thing about this wine is that Yarom had it in his fridge (rabbited) for 2+ weeks and it was still drinkable. Only Grange would survive like that. It wasn’t fabulous (anymore), but it was pretty good.

Fried squid. Japanese calamari.

Shrimp springrolls. These were awesome. We reordered. Super hot, light and crispy.

Ron brought: 95 Figeac. Parker 92. Tasted at the Château Figeac vertical at the property from one of the last remaining imperials, one could argue that the six-liter format would have benefit the 1995 Figeac. Even so, that should not take anything away from this, the best vintage of that decade. Firstly, one notices that it is deeper in color than the underwhelming 1996. Then you fall into the aromatics, a beguiling concoction of blackcurrant pastilles, melted tar and tobacco all beautifully preserved after two decades. What differentiates it from the succeeding vintages is that here there is the fruit to back it up. The palate is fresh and quite dense in the mouth. The acidity is perfectly matched to the fruit, lively with a touch of piquancy on the ebullient, red cherry and wild strawberry finish that still has a bit of glycerin. The 1995 is the best vintage between 1990 and 2001, and represents a worthy wine to celebrate Thierry Manoncourt’s 50th vintage.

Seated Wagyu A5 nigiri. Tasty, although i prefer the raw toro. Not as tender as I would have expected.

The chef shows us the cow’s pedigree.

Tamago. With some seafood in it and a bit of plum sauce.

Mushroom miso soup.

Wagyu fried rice. Bits of squash, marcona almonds, etc. Pretty awesome and very filling. It totally stuffed me up.

Lobster and vegetable tempura.

Yuzu sorbet and cheesecake. A very mild sorbet with a slightly icy texture.
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My yuzu sorbet is way better. It’s pictured here, but not eaten tonight at ootoro (but you will be able to get it at Ramen Roll if you are lucky). I make it with a lot more yuzu and it is punchier. The caramel offsets the sour fruit. Plus I go for a proper Italian Sorbetto creamy texture :-).
The wine lineup. All enjoyable.

Overall, OOToro is an interesting place. It’s far. Very far. And the food adheres to a certain over-the-top super-rich-ingredient version of sushi. Plus they “distract” with LOTS of yuzu pepper and wasabi and general richness. Still, it was (in a rich way) very enjoyable — if a touch pricey. Our second visit was a bit cheaper and probably better than our first. I’d really like to try the preorder $250 omakase. It might be epic. Or more of the same.

But that drive! It was so far that most of the party booked a nearby Marriot and turned it into a bunch of meals, massages, and other decadences. I drove home to my lovely wife.

For more LA dining reviews click here,

or more crazy Hedonist dinners here!

Related posts:

  1. Cheeks & Things – OOToro
  2. Food as Art: Sasabune
  3. ThanksGavin 2011 – The Italian Market
  4. Katana – Stripping it all Down
  5. Japanese in China – Izakaya Akatora
By: agavin
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Alsace at the Cal Club

Nov07

Restaurant: Private Club

Location: Somewhere in California

Date: October 26, 2016

Cuisine: American

Rating: Fun

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I end up at the California Club all the time for wine dinners, but tonight was a special treat as I was invited by Liz Lee of Sage Society to join the Alsatian group and Anne Trimbach (of Trimbach wines).

The Cal Club is a true California institution, left nameless, a private bastion of the old California.

They don’t make them like they used to!

Tonight’s special menu. The chef is Alsatian and so he “cooked it up.”

Tonight I forgot (didn’t really get the chance) to photo the wines. So you will just have to imagine what all those great bottles of Trimbach looked like.

Giant dinner party!

Northern Halibut, Poached oysters in butter.
Roast Shelton Farms Turkey, Confit leg , chestnut & cabbage dressing. Thanksgiving comes early this year!

Roast Rack of lamb, spinach, carrots and salsifis.

Warm Vermont cheese oma, poached pear.

On the far left Anne Trimbach, then to the right chef Jean-Marc Weber.

The different colors. I’m not sure I had a Trimbach pinot noir before this.

Traditional Peach Haeberlin. Probably my favorite dish of the night — but I do have a sweet tooth.
Cookies.

All and all a fun evening. The venue was great. The service was great. This kitchen handles an enormous volume, yet these dishes were all really nice, and many fabulous. They aren’t the most modern looking, but they tasted really great and were fabulously paired with the wines.

The star of the show was of course charming Anne Trimbach, who is back on the road evangelizing her family wines after having brought a new (human) Trimbach into the world — congratulations Anne!

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Related posts:

  1. Eating Hanoi – Club Opera
  2. Mastro’s Ocean Club Malibu
  3. Riviera Country Club – Gluttony with a View
  4. California Dreaming
  5. Trimbach Republique
By: agavin
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Gasping Fish Shunji

Oct17

Restaurant: Shunji [1, 2, 3, 4]

Location: 12244 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90064. (310) 826-4737

Date: September 30, 2016

Cuisine: Japanese Sushi

Rating: First rate traditional sushi

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My parents and some friends wanted sushi — so out we go for Shunji’s omakase!

Shunji, which took over for the “Mr. Cecil’s BBQ” in this oddball looking building on Pico has developed quite a reputation.

At night, Shunji offers an amazing and advanced mix of traditional and modern raw and cooked dishes.

Chef Shunji Nakao was an opening chef at Matsuhisa in the day, then opened Asanebo, then The Hump (one of my old favorites). It has quickly risen to the top of the LA Japanese scene.

From my cellar: 2013 Zardetto Prosecco di Conegliano Zeta. Just a touch sweet, very food friendly.

Eggplant mouse. One of those vegetable purees, presumably mixed with dashi. Had a cool, slightly slimey texture and an oh so Japanese vibe. Not the most approachable.

A section of starters.

House made flavored tofu (can’t remember the flavor) with some kind of gel.

Uni caviar ball, steamed sea creature, shrimp, octopus.

Pickled celery. Marinated tomato.

From my cellar: 2006 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Les Preuses.. BH 94. The touch of wood spice this displayed last year has now been completely integrated though the original anise, clove and saline notes remain to add nuance to the pretty and elegant mix of white and yellow fruit aromas that introduce round and generous flavors that offer up real volume and mid-palate density, all wrapped around a firm acid spine on the refined, pure and explosive finish. This is positively stunning, certainly in an absolute sense but particularly so in the context of the vintage. One to look for and like the Valmur, this almost vibrates with an underlying sense of energy.

A tea pot of soup.

Some kind of very mellow Japanese broth with bits of fish and mushroom. You squeeze the yuzu in too and pour it into the little cup.

Live Halibut! A rather impressive but disturbing bit of dinner theater. This poor guy was still alive (or at least gasping) as we ate his yummy sashimi flesh. Bits of his skin had been fried so they curled up all chewy too.

A close up. Too bad I didn’t shoot the video of him in “action.” It was so sad we had the fish taken away and returned with the meat only.

From my cellar: 2011 Prager Riesling Smaragd Wachstum Bodenstein. VM 92. Initially reminiscent of slate and fresh rain, the nose evolves toward apricot and peach fruit along with caraway seed and lemongrass. Bracing lively acidity gives a weightless quality to the intense flavors of yellow plum, wild spice and abundant minerals. Seductive and stylish, with noteworthy grip and persistence, this is an excellent 2011. Some may prefer it, but the lower alcohol and marvelous freshness speak for 2012 as the slightly better of these two excellent rieslings.

Snapper in slime. A bit of raw snapper in a goopy sauce that reminded me of gefilte fish.

Vegetables and seared fish. Perfectly crispy marinated vegetables of different textures and a bit of seared fish with two sauces.

Tomato tofu. This Shunji classic is a block of sticky tomato paste made from 5 Japanese tomatoes. It has been glommed together into a tofu-like texture with a mild but very fresh tomato taste and topped with a shiso pepper. It was pretty good, even by tomato-hater standards.

Wagyu, uni, caviar, truffle. Yum yum!

Mushrooms and squid? Hard to remember but this was a great dish with interesting texture and woodsy notes.

Sushi. Includes snapper, toro, salmon, mackerel, and uni.
Traditional toasted tea.

All and all Shunji is rather fantastic, joining the large repertoire of top LA sushi restaurants. This was a really great take on sushi kaiseki style dishes, combining both innovations with a solid grounding in traditional Japanese flavors and seasonal ingredients. There was some really unusual stuff too. While this was a good meal, I prefer Shunji at the sushi bar with a smaller group — and possibly more nigiri. Many of the items tonight had that very subtle Japanese flavor profile. Shunji, although modern, is less “punched up” than many LA sushi houses with much less reliance on acid (a.k.a. vinegar) and other “flashier” flavors.

For more LA sushi reviews click here.

Related posts:

  1. More Shunji Omakase
  2. Shunji Sushi – Nonstop Nigiri
  3. Shunji Super Omakase
  4. From Noodles to Fish
  5. Takao Top Omakase
By: agavin
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Elite Champagne Brunch

Oct12

Restaurant: Elite Restaurant [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Location: 700 S Atlantic Blvd, Monterey Park, CA 91754. (626) 282-9998

Date: October 9, 2016

Cuisine: Cantonese Dim Sum

Rating: Elite!

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Elite is well known as one of great LA’s top dimsum places and so the Dirty Dozen is heading there on this lovely (hot) Sunday afternoon for a blind Champagne tasting.

We have the private room, of course.

2014 St. Romain Les Jarrons. Just a little chard to get started.

The bucket of Champs.

Flight 1:

This flight of 3 (ignore the rightmost) was first, but remember the whole lunch was blind.

2004 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut Millésimé. Peter says 93 points. Nice BdB bready-yeasty notes, fine, straw, with exceptional elegance, lemon, bosc pear, minerals, chalk, complex, super long, powerful but pretty. Loved this, guessed Comtes BdB ’04.

1995 Charles Heidsieck Champagne Blanc des Millénaires. AG 95. The 1995 Brut Blanc des Millenaires shows just how compelling this often overlooked vintage can be. Layers of lemon, pastry spices, crushed rocks and savory herbs literally jump from the glass in this exquisite, perfumed, beautifully delineated Champagne. The 1995 shows lovely flavor complexity and nuance from its extended time in bottle, yet it also retains plenty of freshness, verve and acidity. This is a great showing from Charles Heidsieck. The 1995 was made before the tenure of the house’s current team, headed by CEO Cécile Bonnefond. It will be very interesting to see what develops at this historic property over the coming years.

Peter, anther attendee says 93 points: Medium burnished yellow/gold; rich, powerful, a touch nutty, berries showing through tertiary notes, very long, complex and great balance. Blind at Dirty Dozen tasting. Guessed ’96 Dom. Would not have guessed a BdB. Curious to know disgorgement date since they have the new bottles/embossed clear labels.

1988 Salon Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut. VM 97. After the lackluster 1990, things get back on track quickly with the 1988 Salon, a wine that is absolutely peaking today. From one of the all-time great vintages in Champagne the 1988 Salon exudes power and explosive intensity, with superb balance and pulsating acidity that gives the wine its drive. A host of candied lemon peel, hazelnut, smoke, licorice and anise overtones meld into the super-expressive finish. Disgorged à la volée, with no dosage.

agavin: our bottle was a bit oxed. According to Peter, another of our guests: Quite dark gold color; this seemed very old with a quite strong oxidative nose, nutty aspect, light caramel bits, a touch of a sour tangy finish. Still, very intriguing and enjoyed the burnished aspect of an older Champagne. Drink up now for sure, although this most likely was prematurely oxidized as it shouldn’t have been this developed. Guessed ’90 Krug. Blind at Dirty Dozen tasting.

Pork Shui-Mai. Also great versions of the classic.

Shanghai Style Steamed Bun. We love XLB, and these particular examples were awesome. My brother and I snarfed a tin each on at least 2 trips.

Har Gow (Crystal shrimp). Excellent versions of the standard.

Peanut Dumpling. This one had peanuts and some other protein bits inside.

Elite BBQ Pork Bun. Like a jelly donut, just filled instead with porky goodness!

Baked BBQ pork dumpling. Little flakey. pastry triangles stuffed with the usual red BBQ pork.

Hot sauces.

XLB sauce.

Macau style pork belly. What it looks like (pork belly). Today was really on point.

Layered beancurd. Never had this before. All texture but it was really great.

Halloween version! (actually dipped in its sauce)

Flight 2:

More goodies — vintage.

2002 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Cuvée Nicolas-François Billecart. VM 94. The 2002 Cuvée Nicolas François Billecart comes across as rich, powerful and opulent. This latest release of the 2002 was disgorged in July 2015 and finished with a Chardonnay-based liqueur whereas the previous release, disgorged in May 2014, was finished with a Pinot Noir-based liqueur. This is a distinctly vinous, almost shockingly raw, visceral Champagne from Billecart-Salmon. There is no shortage of volume or intensity, that is for sure. Stylistically, this year’s release inhabits a whole other world relative to last year’s release. Dosage is 4 grams per liter.

Peter says 91 points: Distinct but subtle berry notes on the nose, slight pinot character with very slight oxidative character; somewhat rougher bubbles after the Heidsieck Millenaires, Billecart BdB and Salon. At first it seemed less fine in the mouth, but coming back to it it seemed very foamy small bubbles. 91-92. I usually like this much more than I did today. Guessed ’02 Blend. Blind at Dirty Dozen tasting.

From my cellar: 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.

Peter says 93 points: This had great vinous character, clear aged notes, apple skin, baked bread, earthy minerals; fine foamy mouth, elegant but powerful and intense, with excellent acidity and very long in the finish. 2nd day drank kinda like a great older Burgundy. Guessed ’96 blend. Blind at Dirty Dozen tasting.

1999 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut. VM 92+. Light gold. Vibrant, tangy aromas of apple, pear, white peach and minerals. Wound tight right now, only reluctantly offering up flavors of fresh orchard fruits, herbs and pepper. Finishes zesty and long. Seems less deep than the 1997 bottling; is this just in a sullen, youthful stage?

Peter says 94 points: This was a killer–gorgeous complex character, fruit, minerals, yeast, all in perfect balance, savory notes shining through with power and elegance. Guessed ’90 BdB. Blind at Dirty Dozen tasting. My WOTN (with very strong contenders).

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.

agavin: our bottle was sadly corked.

Chicken feet in house sauce. Not my thing, but some like it.

Pheasant lettuce cups. Really nice crunchy texture. Put in the lettuce cups below and add hoisin.

Lettuce cups.

Scallop Dumpling. This was one of the best scallop dumplings I’ve had. There are all sorts of trefy goodies in there.

Singapore noodles. Great version of this classic dish with its yellow curry flavor.

Flight 3:

The NV wines.

NV Kirkland Signature Champagne Brut. CW 79-81.  Light golden yellow color with steady stream of small bubbles; tart peach, baked pear nose; ripe pear, apple, honeyed palate; medium-plus finish.

Peter says 88 points: This had a prosecco-like aromatic floral nose (Not a champagne nose), it was light yellow (contrasting with the darker more intense colors of the other prestige cuvees), and more rustic effervescence and quick finish. Guessed Prosecco or low level young brut. This was fun because it ranked very high when put up against a slew of prestige cuvees. I think maybe because of the nice floral aromatics and bright freshness which may have been refreshing after a lot of older vinous wines? Blind at Dirty Dozen tasting.

2005 Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée. Always great!

1990 Perrier-Jouët Champagne Cuvée Fleur de Champagne. VM 92. Complex, nutty, vibrant aromas of orange peel, lemon oil, and biscuit. Very concentrated and intensely flavored; thick with extract in the style of the best ’90s, but without any heaviness. Lemon and apple flavors really cling to the palate. Finishes very long and thoroughly ripe.

Peter says 91 points: This was just as dark as the ’88 Salon (maybe a bit darker even); Oxidative, nutty, pecan, slight caramelized notes, old tired bubbles, but this really grew on me like a comfortable worn out old leather chair. It seemed a bit older than it was, but fun to drink. 91-92. Blind at Dirty Dozen tasting.

Beef chow mein. Excellent, although I liked the seafood a bit better.

House Roasted Duck. The duck does not suck. In fact, it was great. There was that usual authentic Chinese bone factor, but the taste was first rate.

Elite fried rice. A bit of everything.
T T

Macau Egg Tart. Nice custard pies. Pretty awesome.

Coconut cakes. Wow are these good!

Durian bun. One of the best Durian buns I’ve had. With a really creamy mushy (banana texture) interior with that weird but yummy Durian flavor (rotten bananas with pineapple and petrol?)

Mango pudding. Love this stuff.

Another awesome Chinese feast. This whole thing was $45 including paying for the winner AND a huge tip. Food was very fresh and on point. A large percentage of my fiends who go to dimsum think it’s the best in the SGV. I personally agree, with next best being King Hua. Certainly Elite, King Hua, and Lunasia are also at the top, but slightly below and there is a tier even slightly below that including Sea Harbor and maybe Shi Hai.

Wines were pretty good. Sadly the Salon and a couple others were over the hill or off (the Dom 96 too which should have been great), and a couple were showing oddly. But still great fun.

One of the best Dirty Dozen meals I’ve been too — particularly because they tend to be at restaurants I don’t like, such as Taylor’s Steakhouse, Del Frisco’s Grille, Locanda Veneta, or Wilshire. They are selected for being accommodating (which they are), but the food at that lot tends to be dated and/or sloppy which isn’t my thing. The next event, however, will be at BOA SM, which while still a steakhouse (I’m not a steak guy unless it’s Yakiniku), is a pretty good place.

For more LA Chinese reviews click here.

Other Hedonist festivities.

Related posts:

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By: agavin
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71Above – Knights Who Say Wine

Oct03

Restaurant: 71Above [1, 2, 3]

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

Date: September 30, 2016

Cuisine: New American

Rating: Awesome in all ways

_

Besides being located on the 71st floor (950 feet up!) of the US Bank building, being the highest restaurant west of the Mississippi, and showcasing the food of Chef Vartan Abgaryan, it’s owned and operated by my friend Emil Eyvazoff! And Emil also happens to be a member of my class in the Chevaliers du Tastevin, which bring’s us to this year’s annual “Grand Cru” lunch.

The Chevaliers are a sacred (to Dionysus) order of “knights.” Hehe. Knights of the grape.

And today we took over Emil’s spectacular high-rise.

Even the wine commands a view!

As does every table!

First comes the cocktail hour.

With live band.

And champagne of course.

Plus yummy fig and burrata tarts.

2013 Comte Armand Bourgogne-Aligoté. BH 86.  A spicy and ultra-fresh nose exhibits notes of green apple and citrus peel. There is fine verve and delineation to the lightly mineral-inflected flavors that exude a subtle salinity on the clean, dry and nicely balanced finish. This is not especially complex but I like the clean style and delivery.

And foie gras toasts.

Today’s special menu.

Notice the committee details.

Savory Canelé. Looks just like the not so savory kind, and has the same wonderful texture, but instead offered an evocative warm taste of rosemary and maybe cheese.

2009 Domaine Larochette-Manciat Pouilly-Fuissé Les Petites Bruyeres. 91 points. Nose of acacia flowers, lemon zest and lemongrass. Extracted lemon, some chalkiness with hints Grass and stone. Very refreshing.

agavin: over performing.

2011 Paul Pillot Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Champs-Gain. BH 89-91. A ripe but very fresh nose of spiced herbal tea, white flowers, pear and fennel leads to generously proportioned middle weight flavors that possess both good volume and a suave mouth feel. There is just a touch of austerity to the agreeably dry, pure and well-balanced finish that offers very good if not truly distinguished depth and length. (Drink starting 2018)

2007 Yves Boyer-Martenot Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Le Cailleret. VM 91. Medium, bright yellow. Ripe aromas of peach, butter, clove and grilled nuts, lifted by violet and lavender nuances. Supple and pliant, offering the sweetest impression of Boyer’s crus, but with an edge of pineappley acidity giving the wine an early spiky quality. For all its texture, this shut down in the glass and will need some bottle aging.

Hamachi with apple, dill, horseradish, and preserved lemon. Really bright and delicious Japanese/herby “enchilada.”

2009 Domaine Henri Boillot Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Clos de la Mouchère. BH 95. There is also a trace of reduction and sulfur remnants present on the nose though there is a brilliant purity to the refined and penetratingly mineral-driven flavors that possess outstanding precision and cut on the powerful finish that is quite dry for the vintage with almost painful intensity. A real stunner.

agavin: young and tons of reductive bandaid.

Sautéed scallop with cauliflower, raisons, and harissa. Really interesting textures and a great turmeric taste.

Halibut with a similar prep.

2006 Domaine Michel Lafarge Volnay 1er Cru Clos du Château des Ducs. VM 92+. Good medium red. Captivating aromas of cherry, spices, minerals and flowers. Fat, broad and deeply spicy, with noteworthy depth of flavor and a tactile mouth feel. At once mouthfilling and vibrant; seamless and lively. The very long finish features thoroughly enrobed ripe tannins and vibrant spicy persistence. It will be fascinating to compare this with the 2007 version in six or seven years.

2004 Bouchard Père et Fils Beaune 1er Cru Grèves Vigne de L’Enfant Jesus. VM 90. Medium red. Black cherry and a resiny nuance on the youthfully medicinal nose. The broadest and sweetest of these Bouchard Beaune bottlings, with dark fruit flavors given definition and lift by firm acidity. This has good volume and a chewy texture. Finishes with sweet tannins and very good length, with a piquant note of grapefruit.

agavin: 90 points is a stretch for this wine which is still showing the awful ’04 meany greenies.

Roasted duck with parsnips, dates, and Szechuan peppercorns. The duck was gamey and perfectly medium rare. A really nice piece of fowl. And boldly there was a real Szechuan peppercorn tongue buzz. I’ve almost never seen these used outside of Chinese restaurants.

The vegetables were sweet and “spicy” (cinnamon, etc) with a decidedly autumn vibe.

Emil and Chef Abgaryan and crew.

1998 Domaine Michel Gaunoux Corton-Renardes. BH 92. This is markedly more complex than the ’98 Rugiens with a classic Renardes nose that is intensely sauvage and displaying moderate secondary development along with plenty of spice nuances. There is excellent energy and punch and it’s clear that the supporting structural elements are riper while supporting and shaping the impressively well-detailed and mineral-inflected flavors and finish. This is an excellent ’98 though note that while it could certainly be drunk now with pleasure that it will continue to age for years.

Selection of American Cheeses. The middle one was like a Gorgonzola dulce.
Reds in the sky.

Crazy views! The Wilshire corridor.

In full swing.

Like on my previous visits the team at 71Above really pulled ahead with great execution. As you can see above the plating is modern but approachable and highly attractive. But the flavor on the dishes is paramount, and really quite excellent, particularly considering their complexity and textural variation. There is a balanced quality between opposite forces in Chef Abgaryan’s cooking that pulls from Chinese culinary theory, while that specific flavors and combinations are largely American/European. It’s both approachable and sophisticated. Bravo!

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Vertigo.

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By: agavin
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Doing it All Right – Christophe Emé

Sep30

My friend Eric Cotsen’s house is again host to another amazing food & wine event. French chef Christophe Emé, formerly of Ortolan, “whips” up an epic dinner with wines brought by the gang — with the organization of the evening arranged by Stewart.

First the setting….
Which is decidedly first class.

Look at that view!

Then the first time I’ve eaten at the inside table.

And chef Christophe Emé works had in the kitchen — he was slaving away intently the whole evening.

Have a few champagnes!

And the apropos fish theme.

1985 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut. BH 94. I have had a number of bottles, even from the same cellar, that have been showing plenty of age and even occasionally flirting with oxidative hints yet this most recent bottle (from my cellar) was among the freshest I’ve had in a while with its intensely yeasty and toasty aromas of white orchard fruit, citrus peel, marmalade and orange peel. This is arguably the most complex vintage of the 1980s (though not necessarily the most vibrant or the most complete) and in particular I like the way that the mousse has managed to maintain most of its original vigor on the sweet yet ultimately dry finale that delivers very fine persistence. While this bottle was admirably fresh it’s clear that it’s time to drink up sooner than later unless your taste runs to post-mature characters.

agavin: really awesome bottle, one of the best of the night.

1990 Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée. An older GC!

Gougeres. The classic French cheese puffs.

1998 Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Champagne Brut La Grande Dame. VM 90.  The house’s 1998 La Grande Dame reveals notable clarity and precision. This focused, poised wine emerges from the glass with well-articulated flowers, pears, smoke, crisp apples and minerals in a medium-bodied style. The wine appears to have enough freshness and sheer depth to support another decade or so of aging. La Grand Dame represents a significant step up from the estate’s other wines. In 1998 La Grande Dame is 64% Pinot Noir (Aÿ, Verzenay, Verzy, Ambonnay and Bouzy) and 36% Chardonnay (Avize, Oger, Mesnil-sur-Oger). This is Lot 510 2572, disgorged between December 2006 and January 2007.

agavin: big flavors (for champ)

An amuse of grains, beet, and leaf. Gorgeous, huh?

1998 Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Champagne Brut Rosé La Grande Dame. VM 92. Copper-pink with a frothy mousse. Smoky strawberry and cherry aromas are complicated by buttered toast, blood orange and dried flowers. Deep and chewy, with vivid red berry and bitter cherry flavors underscored by dusty minerals. Gains power on the broad, focused and gently nutty finish. Already complex, and ready to drink.

1995 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon Rosé P2. VM 95.5. The just-released 1995 Dom Pérignon Rosé P2 is stunning. Young, delicate and vibrant in the glass, the 1995 has it all; expressive aromatics, crystalline fruit and fabulous overall balance. Cranberry, mint, hard candy, cinnamon and dried rose petals are laced into the super-expressive finish. The 1995 P2 is sweet and layered, but with lovely veins of chalky minerality that give the wine its sense of energy. A delicate, floral finish rounds things out nicely.

agavin: LOVED LOVED this champy — and so did everyone else.

1997 Salon Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut. VM 95. One of the surprises in this vertical, the 1997 Salon is super-polished, delicate and refined. The 1997 offers lovely detail and nuance throughout. Hints of candied lemon peel, white flowers and white pepper add an element of brightness that complements the wine’s natural richness. Although 1997 doesn’t belong to the group of elite vintages at Salon, it does come close to that level. Perhaps even more importantly, the 1997 is aging gracefully and should continue to drink nicely for a number of years.

agavin: another amazing champy!

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.

Foie gras terrine, toasted brioche, pear and apple chutney. Awesome foie terrine — serious fat!

Look at this house baked brioche!

And sliced open like pound cake.

The next course arrives from outer space.

The classique scrambled eggs caviar served in the shell. Can you saw Champagne pairing?

2001 Marquis de Laguiche (Joseph Drouhin) Montrachet. BH 93. Perfumed aromas of honeysuckle and ripe peach that display just a hint of secondary development introduce rich and solidly concentrated big-bodied flavors of limestone, citrus and an attractive nutty quality that are underpinned by good depth and outstanding length. This has lost the robust character that it displayed early on and has now matured into a delicious, round and relatively forward effort that is drinking perfectly for my taste even in magnum format though it should easily continue to drink well for much longer. As is often the case, I preferred the magnum to the 750 ml version (see herein), if only slightly.

agavin: needed like an hour in the glass.

From my cellar: 2000 Domaine Ramonet Bâtard-Montrachet. BH 94. Like all great examples of Ramonet Bâtard, the nose is simply gorgeous with immensely complex aromas of peach, white flower and ample minerality, which leads to big, rich and muscular full-bodied flavors that retain excellent focus and incredible intensity plus first rate precision on the hugely long finish. While approachable now, for my tastes I would be inclined to wait another year or two first as it still is on the way up. In a word, masterful. Tasted multiple times with consistent results.

agavin: I loved this very Batard batard

1998 Coche-Dury Meursault. BH 88. A touch of botrytis adds nuance to the otherwise clean, pretty and notably elegant aromas that merge into relatively dense, pure and round flavors that are supported by solid finishing acidity. As is often the case with this wine relative to its upper level siblings, this isn’t really built for the long haul and 2 to 3 more years of cellar time should see it at its best.

agavin: big reduction!

1980 Château Haut-Brion Blanc. In great shape considering. A bit amber, but delicious.

Lobster spaghetti, artichoke barrigoule, and parmesan.

I’ve had some versions of this amazing pasta years ago at Ortalon. This was a nice lobstery one — wrapped in spaghetti!

The chef at work.

1996 Domaine Leroy Richebourg. VM 94-97. Restrained but vibrant aromas of violet, licorice and cassis. Offers great volume in the mouth, but this is more muscular, more musclebound, than the Romanee-Saint-Vivant. Fabulous subtle flavors of black fruits (creme de cassis!) and minerals. Superb richness and powerful structure. Less giving and perhaps less subtle, but even more impressive on the finish. Will be more difficult to taste early on than the Romanee-Saint-Vivant.

agavin: a serious pedigree red Burg packing serious big flavor.

From my cellar: 1996 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Musigny Cuvée Vieilles Vignes. VM 94+. Very good deep red-ruby. Black cherry, boysenberry, rose petal, licorice, minerals, shoe polish, mint and white pepper on the nose. Extremely unyielding today in the middle palate, and dominated by its rather large structure. Exotic hints of citrus fruit keep the flavors bright and sharp. Then extremely long and authoritative on the back end. A wine of great potential, but it’s all nose and finish today. May ultimately merit a considerably higher score.

agavin: very elegant.
2006 Camille Giroud Vosne-Romanée. BH 86-89. eduction. The delicious and rich flavors are attractively sweet and full with fine depth of material and good punch on the firm finish that offers just a bit more overall complexity. A serious villages.

The seabass (for the below dish) in its salt/dough shell.

Opened up to reveal the fish.

Sea bass en croute de sel with clams and lemon confit and artichokes. Great broth. I actually liked the artichokes the best. Some bones in the fish.

1998 Guigal Cote Rotie la Mouline. Parker 97-100. The awesome 1998 Cote Rotie La Mouline is a seamless, full-bodied classic with many characteristics of the 1997 La Landonne , but more structure, tannin, and muscle. It will need two years of cellaring, and will last for twenty years. Stylistically, it is reminiscent of the 1988.

1990 Montrose. Parker 100! The final blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc was harvested between September 14 and October 3. The spring was cold, yet summer was extremely hot and dry – one of the hottest vintages since 1949. The fact that virtually no rain fell in September served as a catalyst to get all the grapes ripe and in cellars. Some bottles of this wine have a definite brett population that gives off the notes of sweaty horses, but this one did not. The ones I have had from my cellar – where I have had it frequently – are quite pure and clean. I suspect that the brett population is in all of them, but unless the wine hits some heat along the transportation route or in storage, the wine will not show any brett. This one tasted at the chateau, as well as those I’ve had from my cellar, have been pristine and not showing the sweaty horse notes that can be in evidence in brett populations that have flourished in the bottle because of external temperatures. This wine has an incredibly complex nose of spring flowers, blackberry and cassis liqueur, scorched earth and barbecue spice. It is full-bodied, majestic and opulent, with low acidity and fabulous fruit. It is close to full maturity. The wine should continue to drink well for at least another 30 or more years, but it is showing secondary nuances in the perfume. The wine is absolutely magnificent, broad, savory and mouth-filling. This is one of the all-time modern legends from Bordeaux as well as Chateau Montrose.

agavin: great bottle.

2006 Haut Brion. Parker 96. Tasted at Bordeaux Index’s annual 10-Year On tasting in London. The 2006 Château Haut-Brion has a more ostentatious bouquet than the comparatively reserved La Mission: quite feisty blackberry, briary, kirsch and red plum scents, hints of leather and sage tucked just underneath. This is a bouquet determined to make an impression! The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, well-judged acidity, a gentle build to a concentrated, earthy, truffle-tinged finish that lingers long in the mouth. This seems to have the upper-hand over the La Mission and probably has a longer future. A thoroughbred from Jean-Philippe Delmas and his team. Tasted January 2016.

agavin: babykill

1986 Henri Bonneau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Réserve des Célestins. Parker 96. Few Chateauneuf du Papes from this vintage turned out well, and the few that did required consumption during their first decade of life. Bonneau’s 1986 is just hitting full maturity. It offers a concoction of jammy, concentrated licorice-infused black cherry fruit, with hints of tobacco, cedar, beef blood, smoked herbs, and Asian spices. As the wine sits in the glass, aromas of licorice, Peking duck, and other exotic scents emerge. An amazing effort, it may be the only Reserve des Celestins I own that can be classified as fully mature. Anticipated maturity: now-2020.

agavin: looked a little cloudy, but tasted awesome.

Seared squab filet, wild mushroom, crispy potatoes. I liked the long gnocchi like things.

Partial lineup.

Les fromages.

1989 Chateau d’Yquem. Parker 97. The favorite sweet wine of millionaires, Chateau d’Yquem has, not unexpectedly, turned in a brilliant effort with their newly released 1989. It is a large-scaled, massively rich, unctuously-textured wine that should evolve effortlessly for a half century or more. It does not reveal the compelling finesse and complexity of the 1988 or 1986, but it is a far heavier, richer wine than either of those vintages. It is reminiscent of the 1976, with additional fat and glycerin. The wine is extremely alcoholic and rich, with a huge nose of smoky, honey-covered coconuts and overripe pineapples and apricots. As with most young vintages of Yquem, the wine’s structure is barely noticeable. These wines are so highly extracted and rich yet approachable young, it is difficult to believe they will last for 50 or more years. The 1989 is the richest Yquem made in the eighties, and it has an edge in complexity over the powerhouse 1983. It remains to be seen whether this wine will develop the extraordinary aromatic complexity possessed by the promising 1988 and 1986 Yquems.

agavin: awesome!

1999 Chateau d’Yquem. Parker 92.

Mille feuille caramelise with vanilla butter cream. Perfect contrast between crispy/butter pastry and the creamy filling.

1994 Broadbent Porto Vintage. 90 points. not bad at all.

Chocolate tart, fig and cream de praline. Looks dry, but tasted great.

1983 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Eiswein. 95 points. Great stuff — very mature, but awesome.

Artisanal gelato by moi. On the left macha green tea white chocolate straciatella and on the right rose water white peach sorbetto. Eric Cotsen called it by describing the rose one as like eating a “perfectly textured really high end bath soap” (he loved it though).

Overall a really epic evening. Super great combo of superb food, crazy sick wines, and great company!

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By: agavin
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Sauvages Rioja at the Bazaar

Sep26

Restaurant: The Bazaar [1, 2, 3, 4]

Location: 465 S La Cienega Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90048. 310.246.5555

Date: September 23, 2016

Cuisine: Spanish influenced Molecular Gastronomy

Rating: Awesome, one of LA’s best places.

_

I’m like a José Andrés groupie. I’ve been to every possible variant of his restaurants in LA, Vegas, and many in Washington. I’ve been here countless times, but today return with the Sauvages for a special Rioja lunch.

We have the entire inner dining room to ourselves with a giant table.

And LOTS of stems.

Flight 0:

1994 R. López de Heredia Rioja Blanco Reserva Viña Tondonia. 92 points. A lovely old Rioja Blanco. Lots of oxidative notes, but still plenty of life in this puppy.

From my cellar: 2011 Raul Pérez Rías Baixas Muti. 90 points. Fresh citrus…lemon, lime, grapefruit tinged w/floral notes. Razor sharp base minerality puncuated with clean even finish. Paired with steamed shrimp, oysters on the half. Bottle didn’t last long. Great wine for the summer!

Today’s special menu.

Flight 1:

1995 R. López de Heredia Rioja Viña Tondonia. 91 points. Great nose! Mature, complex, sweet. Lots of tannins and high acidity. Could use a few more years to improve. Very nice!

1999 C.V.N.E. (Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España) Rioja Imperial Gran Reserva. VM 92. Deep red. Blackberry, cherry and licorice on the nose, plus a strong note of smoky oak. Densely packed and very sweet on entry, then juicy and focused in the midpalate, with lush dark fruit liqueur and oak spice flavors firmed by a mineral spine. This still-youthful wine gains flesh and volume with air and finishes with silky tannins and resonating oakiness. Built for the long haul but should also show well now with enough aeration.

2001 Bodegas Valsacro Rioja Dioro. 90 points. vanilla, lots of oak at the start (this is a baby). plums and dark fruit dominate. minerality is well present in the mid. good finish. modern powerful wine – even with 2 hours in the glass it didnt move much. hard to judge it fully now – but the structure is there and so is the acidity and the fruit. With time this may develop into a beauty.

Organized Caesar. Egg Yolk Sauce, Parmesan. Little caesars rolled up in jicama. Taste pretty much like caesar salad. Not, perhaps, the ultimate Rioja pairing, but a nice dish.

Flight 2:

2004 R. López de Heredia Rioja Reserva Viña Tondonia. 91 points. Light ruby, tawny rim. Gorgeous scents of citrus peel and clove. Light to medium weight, just lovely sense of a complete, elegant package. Already complex with background vanilla, leather, tobacco, and a citric twist, gentle tannin. Beautifully balanced.

Tondonia is usually my favorite Rioja and we had 4 today (of different ages and levels and colors).

2004 Bodegas Muga Rioja. 91 points. Deep smoky cherry nose. Graphite, medium, dry, little spicy. Smooth. Paired great with spanish meal (paella). Enjoyable. Little prune on finish.

2005 Marqués de Murrieta Rioja Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial. 94 points. The 2005 Castillo de Ygay Gran Reserva Especial, a classic among classics, is back in top form with the excellent 2005 vintage. It’s produced from a blend of 89% Tempranillo and 11% Mazuelo (aka Carinena), a difficult grape that is in high esteem at the winery (they exceptionally produced a varietal Mazuelo in 2000 to celebrate their 150th anniversary) as they consider it adds acidity and aging potential to the blend and has been selected specifically to make part of the flagship wine’s blend. In 2005, the Tempranillo was harvested on September 30, the Mazuelo on October 3, and fermented separately in stainless steel vats. The Tempranillo ages in American oak barrels and the Mazuelo in French ones, both for a period of 30 months. The wine matures for a further two years in bottle before being released. It’s extremely backward and tight, showing very young, with a balanced nose between spice, tertiary and cherry fruit aromas. It’s a powerful, still young vintage, with plenty of glycerin, body, round tannins. An austere wine (is it the Mazuelo?), it is complex and ever-changing in the palate. It has a sense of harmony that only the best wines have. Very long and elegant. I loved its serious and austere overall feeling. 100,000 bottles produced. This is a true vin de garde which develops complex notes of violet and meat with time in the glass. This is a Gran Reserva greatly marked by the Mazuelo, which should give it great ability to age. At this quality level it represents very good value. Drink 2014-2030

Sauteed Shrimp. Garlic, tomato sofrito, guindilla pepper. A spicy gambas pil pil? A shrimp diablo? Either way, good and a bit spicy.

Flight 3:

2001 Artadi Rioja Grandes Añadas. VM 94+.  Medium ruby. Penetrating aromas of blueberry, cassis and bitter chocolate. At once fat and firm, with strong acids giving shape and verve to the flavors of roasted blackberry, violet, espresso, nuts and baking spices. This has real power and thrust, not to mention inner-mouth perfume. Finishes with big but sweet tannins and terrific length. Like the Pagos Viejos, this is 100% tempranillo. This special bottling was previously offered only in 1994, 1998 and 1999.

2000 Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Único. VM 95. Deep red. High-pitched aromas of redcurrant, dried cherry, potpourri and spicecake. Silky in texture and alluringly spherical, offering seamless red fruit and floral pastille flavors and late notes of blood orange and Asian spices. Nothing heavy or fat here and yet this delivers the impact of a large-scaled wine. The finish is expansive and extremely persistent, leaving notes of rose and sweet red fruits behind. I find this to be drinking extremely well now but have no doubt that it will live a long life on its balance. (I also had the chance to re-taste the 1991 Unico and it is showing superb clarity and finesse, a seamless texture and suave red fruit and floral character. It is delicious now but holds excellent for further development in bottle.

2003 Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Único. VM 95. Inky ruby. Highly aromatic scents of ripe cherry and dark berries, singed plum, cured tobacco and succulent herbs, with a vanilla undertone. Sweet, expansive and powerful, offering intense black and blue fruit flavors with smoke and floral accents. Rich and full but surprisingly lively, with excellent finishing thrust and sweet, harmonious tannins adding grip. Shows the ripeness of the vintage to good effect; this is a somewhat approachable and exotic Unico, especially with some air, but it has the concentration to age slowly.

Jamon Iberico & Farm egg. Roasted Cipollinis, Tomato, Truffle butter, pan de cristal. Pretty much the consensus for the dish of the day. How can you go wrong with yummy egg and ham?

This is presumably the Pan de Cristal.

Flight 4:

More Tondonia!  1981 R. López de Heredia Rioja Viña Tondonia. 93 points. A lovely wine, drinking quite at peak. This had a classic Rioja nose, with cigarette smoke and tobacco aromas (somewhat reminiscent of Marlboro menthol lights) around a core of sweet cherry notes, then little drifts of dried herb and dried flowers and fragrant spice all playing against a backdrop of loamy earth – an absolutely beautiful bouquet. The palate had a stunningly youthful brilliance to it, with wonderfully bright, juicy acidity and the silkiest tannins hugging lovely flavours of bright cherries and wild berries. The wine may lack some of the depth that you will find in the Reserva or Gran Reserva, but there was such beautiful purity here. Bright, fresh, lively and absolutely joyous, I really enjoyed drinking this. A streak of metallic mineral and a little waft of cigarette ash and dried herb then stretched into a wonderfully fresh, lengthy finish. A beautifully elegant and graceful Rioja, this was drinking wonderfully on the night

1978 Marqués de Murrieta Rioja Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial. VM 93. Medium red with an amber rim. Highly complex bouquet of fresh and dried red fruits, cherry skin, pipe tobacco, smoky minerals, cigar box and potpourri. Sweet strawberry and cherry flavors stain the palate but are strikingly lithe. Cured tobacco and candied rose flavors emerge with aeration, and the fruit takes a darker turn toward cherry. The tannins have been completely absorbed, allowing the wine’s almost decadent sweetness to come through. Expensive, yes, but this would offer newly minted wine lovers an insight into the personality of aged wine from a great region and a very good vintage for the same price as many newly released Napa or Bordeaux wines.

1973 La Rioja Alta Rioja Reserva 904. 93 points.

From my cellar: 1970 Bodegas Olarra Rioja Cerro Anon Gran Reserva. Lots of fruit, but a touch corked.

Seared Wagyu Beef Cheeks. Black garlic, black olive. Rich meat, fabulous reduction.

From my cellar: 1973 Bodegas Olarra Rioja Gran Reserva. 91 points. Clearly shows evolution both color wise and on the nose/palate. A touch of oxidation, cedar, sweet strawberry and some oak. Elegant even if this is not totally focused. Clearly shows younger than its age. The oak is very well integrated. Very nice.

Sandeman Jerez-Xérès-Sherry Special Oloroso Sherry. Nice stuff, almost like a PX.

Quesos. Manchego “Pasamontes”, Murcia al Vino, and Valdeon.

The chef and co-poobah Kirk C.

No other restaurant in LA has the combination of ultra modern chic and whimsical playfulness that The Bazaar does — plus everything tastes great and you get to experience an great melange of flavors in one meal. If you haven’t been, or haven’t been recently, you should.

This particular meal was great, mostly importantly for the company, the wines, and the service. The Bazaar staff did a bang up job with our private party and all the dishes we had were very good. But I do prefer the Bazaar in a format where one can taste 15-20+ things, not just 4-5. Plus, being a true glutton I could have eaten easily twice as much!

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Or for a full swath of all my José Andrés restaurant reviews, click here.

Related posts:

  1. Eating Rioja – Terete
  2. Bazaar Treats
  3. Sauvages at Upstairs 2
  4. Sauvages at Drago
  5. Son of Saam – Actually more Bazaar
By: agavin
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Italian House Party

Sep19

The Hedonist gang periodically converges for a some house party goodness, this time for a home cooked Italian meal by Linda di Franco.

Elisabeth and Jake were very generous to host us at their lovely 20s Hacienda.

This setting always shows off some interesting views, in this case a cool orange reflection off some far off buildings.

NV Billecart-Salmon Champagne Brut Rosé. VM 92. Light orange. Vibrant strawberry and orange zest aromas are complicated by notes of tea rose, smoky lees and chalky minerals. Bright, incisive red fruit flavors pick up a toasty nuance with air. Fresh, incisive and refreshingly tangy, with impressive finishing clarity and stony persistence.

From my cellar: 2011 Villa Diamante Fiano di Avellino Vigna della Congregazione. 92 points. Excellent, one of the best white wines I’ve had in some time. Beautiful golden color, with delicious fruit but not too fruity. It has the composed, focused quality of a Jobard from Burgundy. I can imagine that this wine would age nicely, but it is awfully good right now.

2013 Bruno Giacosa Roero Arneis. 93 points. It’s late summer, we were dining outside. So we brought this. Fabulous.

Cheese.

Crackers.

2008 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Bougros. BH 92-95. A classic Chablis nose of mineral reduction, oyster shell and green fruit aromas merges into sappy, rich and powerful flavors that possess more refinement than usual on the long, sappy and beautifully detailed finish. I’m impressed that this seems to have to rusticity and in this sense, it’s a bit atypical.

Gorgonzola stuffed figs wrapped in prosciutto. Very nice soft fresh sweet figs and paired very well with the salty ham and gorgonzola.

2014 Bouchard Père et Fils Corton-Charlemagne. BH 94. Mild notes of wood and reduction mask the underlying fruit though I can say that it appears to be ripe. Otherwise there is outstanding volume and concentration to the big-bodied and openly muscular flavors that exhibit evident power and punch on the hugely long finale. This is presently very compact and like the Perrières very clearly built to age. I should note that while this is certainly going to need time it is not especially austere and I suspect that it will begin to drink well after only 5-ish years or so if that’s your preference.

Younger than my fiano!

Zucchini mint onion frittata on a bed of baby greens.

2011 Louis Latour Corton-Charlemagne. VH 90-93. A restrained, indeed almost mute nose of Granny Smith apples and citrus aromas is in keeping with the rich and full-bodied but reserve flavors that possess very good size and weight, all wrapped in an intense, deep and sneaky long finish where noticeable wood surfaces. I like the concentration and this should be a rare Corton-Charlemagne that will be approachable in its youth.

Cannellini and Italian Salsiccia Crostini. A classic dish of central Italy, certainly including Tuscany and Umbria.

2014 Liquid Farm Chardonnay White Hill. 91 points. light-to-medium deep yellow core with nice viscosity. As others have noted, nose is quite reminiscent of a very good PC Chablis (or better?). Lemon zest, apple, pear, wet stone/minerality and a deft touch of oak; quite pretty. Palate of white flowers, apple pie, peach pit and minerals. Lovely, balanced, medium-bodied wine with no sharp edges that should pair nicely with most foods, unlike many of its Cali counterparts. Good acidity, as it should have, along with a nice midpalate and reasonably long finish. With the acid and minerality and balance I wonder if this would age like a good Chablis? Hmmmm . . . .

Bresaola with Parmiggiano. The dog liked it so much he licked the edge of it (dangerously close to the table edge). Rolled up with the cheese was a great meaty/cheesy snack boosted up by the olive oil drizzle.

Linda (right) making pasta with some “help” from Jennifer.

From my cellar: 2004 Podere Il Cocco Brunello di Montalcino. 94 points. I love this rare bio-dynamic Brunello.

2010 Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino. VM 94. The 2010 Brunello di Montalcino is one of the very best wines I have tasted here in recent years. Dark red cherries, mint, game, smoke, tobacco and licorice are all deeply expressive in a mid-weight, very classic feeling Brunello long on class and personality. Big yet silky tannins frame the dramatic, intense finish. The Valdicava wines are always big, but the 2010 is a bit pulled back, and striking.

2006 Le Presi Brunello di Montalcino Riserva. 93 points. Nice!

Lasagne with Besciamella.

2008 Tantara Pinot Noir Le Colline Vineyard.

Pizza with prosciutto.

Cheese pizza.

2009 Rocca di Frassinello Maremma Toscana Baffonero. VM 91+. Full ruby-red. Cool, brooding aromas of cassis, blackberry, violet and minerals. Concentrated, densely packed, minerally and brisk, with ripe black fruit and coffee flavors carrying through to the creamy, ripe, very long finish. This is an important wine for this estate, and one that it would like to become one of Italy’s most important merlots in the future, in the mold of Masseto or Messorio.

agavin: very nice giant ripe merlot

1997 Bava Barbera d’Asti Superiore Stradivario. 91 points.

2003 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate. VM 91. Bright ruby-red. Sweet aromas of black cherry, flowers, menthol and creosote. Supple, sweet and fine-grained, though not especially nuanced for this wine. Strong note of chocolate. Finishes with a fairly fine dusting of tannins and lingering notes of cherry and licorice. This seems a bit less vibrant than it was from barrel a year ago. Barrett noted that the December 2005 bottling date was quite late for this wine, and my sample had not yet recovered.

2012 Chris Ringland Shiraz. BIG!

Balsamic beef rags with arugula. Very thin tender meat, a little like Korean BBQ.

Roasted red potatoes with rosemary and garlic.

2003 Château Duhart-Milon. VM 88-91. Bright ruby-red. Blackcurrant, blueberry, black cherry, violet, tobacco, fresh herbs and currant leaf on the slightly medicinal, quintessential cabernet nose. Then broad, fat and rich, with a layered texture and enticing sweetness. Showing its cabernet side today, but this is thoroughly ripe, seamless cabernet.

Hand made mushroom agnolotti with butter and sage. I love these classic butter and sage pastas. There wasn’t a lot, so we each got about two.

2003 Château Gravas. 87 points. pale golden yellow; honey, apricot, dried pineapple and mango aroma; full-bodied; a relatively unimpressive palate as a Sauternais; short finish.

Tiramisu.

I brought this in my new Gelato cooler, made by moi: Gianduia Gelato – not only is this from a hardcore Italian recipe, properly stabilized for that gooey texture, but I used all Valrhona chocolate and Piedmontese hazelnut paste. Seriously it’s like frozen Nutella! A huge hit if I do say so myself — and I do!

A lovely group of ladies!
This one is a little less dignified.

Related posts:

  1. House Party from Laos
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  5. Is that a Pistola in your pocket?
By: agavin
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The High Life – 71Above

Sep16

Restaurant: 71Above [1, 2, 3]

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

Date: September 12, 2016

Cuisine: New American

Rating: Awesome in all ways

_

This is my second visit to one of LA’s latest and hottest event restaurants, 71Above. The first can be found here.

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

This is no casual opening, but a massive (and gorgeous) multipart buildout that encompasses the entire floor. Above is part of the lounge/bar.

And behind that is the stunning dining room with its computer controlled auto tinting windows. Beyond that the view continues all the way around with the chef’s table and several more intimate private dining areas.

The view alone is worth the price of admission, and offers varied sights depending on your 360 degree angle. Notice how even the second tallest building downtown (seen under construction here) is below eye level! On a clear day you can easily see the vast sweep of the Pacific and several mountain ranges.

1996 Philipponnat Champagne Brut Clos des Goisses. BH 97. One of the greatest examples of the ’96 vintage, this wine has it all with elegance, intensity, subtlety and grace, not to mention buckets of unrealized potential that will enable this beauty to improve for at least another decade and perhaps longer. I can only imagine just how good this would be from magnum format! The nose is discreet, reserved and pure with lemon, green apple and layers upon layers of fruit framed by just the right amount of yeast influence that continues onto the exceptionally dry and tight flavors that are crisp and refined as well as superbly intense yet through it all there is this underlying sense of harmony, as though all of the elements are working in concert. The greatest wines, at least those cut from classical cloth, persuade through the subtlest means and so it is with the ’96 Goisses, which is indeed a great wine by any measure. While it is drinkable now, for my taste preferences a lot of potential would be left in the glass and I wouldn’t start in earnest on this for another 5+ years.

Tease, we didn’t open this bottle.

1992 Louis Latour Montrachet. BH 93.  exotic aromas merge into powerful, intense and long medium-bodied flavors that offer excellent length and vibrancy, especially in the context of the vintage. This is really quite good with ample density and plenty of refinement. Moreover, it exhibits no signs of fatigue, at least when the bottles have been impeccably stored.

agavin: In pretty great shape. Not a ton of fruit, but a lot of body and complexity.

Savory Canelé. Looks just like the not so savory kind, and has the same wonderful texture, but instead offered an evocative warm taste of rosemary and maybe cheese.

2008 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis 1er Cru La Forest. VM 93+. Bright, pale golden-yellow. Sexy aromas of orange, honeysuckle, hazelnut and toast. Big, silky, rich and deep but not especially showy today as its stony minerality currently dominates the palate. A downright profound premier cru with outstanding persistence. It will be interesting to taste this next to the superb ’07 in about eight years.

2003 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Bourgogne Blanc. 90 points. Very pale gold in appearance. The nose was very pure, clean, elegant and full of white flowers. On the palate, minerally with good acidity. Peach, yellow fruits like kiwi and a hint of rocks and stone. This was definitely a Puligny wasnt it? Table was torn between Meursault and Puligny, some were on a 1er or Grand. When Wayne revealed it was a Bourgogne, it could only be Vogue, and what an experience. The only discouraging note was that the wine lacked the structure and also had a tad of bitterness and roughness at the end. Nevertheless, it was extremely enojoyable and in a good drinking window.

From my cellar: 2011 Prager Riesling Smaragd Wachstum Bodenstein. VM 92. Initially reminiscent of slate and fresh rain, the nose evolves toward apricot and peach fruit along with caraway seed and lemongrass. Bracing lively acidity gives a weightless quality to the intense flavors of yellow plum, wild spice and abundant minerals. Seductive and stylish, with noteworthy grip and persistence, this is an excellent 2011. Some may prefer it, but the lower alcohol and marvelous freshness speak for 2012 as the slightly better of these two excellent rieslings.

Oyster. Poached, Uni, Caviar, Tarragon, Champagne. A super yummy bite of umami goodness. Very bright with strong flavors from the tartar-like sauce.

2014 Albert Grivault Meursault Clos du Murger.

1999 Henri Boillot Chevalier-Montrachet. 90 points. Had a steeliness on the palate that seems typical of 99. As the night went on, I felt like the power that H. Boillot is known for was trying to peek out as you can start to taste that density of fruit but the wine just needed time. There was a zest in the background, but still needing more time. I was actually very surprised how little it was giving up as the 00/02/04 chevs have been drinking wonderful in the past year or so.

1990 Pierre Bitouzet Corton-Charlemagne. JG 93.

Shrimp. Mango, Avocado, Fresno Chile, Sorrel, Chicharrón. Also extremely bright. A little heat, and very tangy. Loved this slightly Vietnamese-inspired sauce.

1976 Mayacamas Vineyards Chardonnay. 88 points. Dark yellow. Some peaches underlying moderate oxidative aromas. Actually on the palate, the wine was not bad. Amazing that a California chard could show this well at 35 years.

1998 Sine Qua Non Backward & Forward. VM 93. Pale peach skin color. Deep, complex nose of apple, nut skin, apricot and minerals; this somewhat resembled a bottle of 1990 Pol Roger Winston Churchill I had tasted 15 minutes earlier. Thick, penetrating and solidly structured; rich, nuanced flavors of vanilla, minerals, apricot and superripe peach. Wonderful sweetness and chewy texture more akin to the Southern Rhone than to Southern California. Great building length on the finish. Close in quality to the extraordinary ’95 Sine Qua Non white blend labelled The Bride.

2014 Donelan Vénus. VM 91. The 2014 Venus is lovely, soft and understated. Apricot pit, mint, chamomile and dried flowers flesh out nicely in this very pretty, expressive Roussanne/Viognier blend. Veins of supporting acidity give the wine its freshness and sense of overall proportion. There is plenty to like here.

Octopus. Grilled, Peach, Lemon, Mustards, Pickled Pearl Onion, Herbs. A great piece of octopus. Tender inside and a little crispy on the outside. Nice bits of mustards.

From my cellar: 1991 Domaine Georges Mugneret/Mugneret-Gibourg Echezeaux. BH 94. This possesses perhaps the most complex nose of any of these “youngsters” as there is a potent mix of spice, game, herb, leather, earth and smoke nuances that seems to signal the remarkably dense, sweet and intense flavors of near perfect balance and stunning length. While this is sublime now there is sufficient structure to carry it another 10 to 15 years with no problem, perhaps longer. In a word, astonishing and highly recommended.

agavin: I may have brought it, but for me, it was also (red) WOTN. Really expressive.

1990 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Volnay 1er Cru Santenots-Du-Milieu. BH 87. Rich, fragrant and complex black fruit aromas explode from the glass and lead to very rich, robust, indeed almost massive flavors underpinned by chunky tannins and good length if not much finesse or elegance. This is not a typical Volnay and will appeal more to those who enjoy Rhone-style Burgundies as it’s a powerful Volnay.

1990 Domaine Rossignol Trapet Chapelle-Chambertin. 96 points. Considerable bricking and somewhat opaque; knew from the outset it was at least fifteen years old. The luxurious bouquet sings with the finest elements of great Burgundy! Sous-bois, earth, rose petals, charred cork, and hints of smoke, etc. The wine features brilliantly focused acidity, all the elements on the bouquet, and a mind-bending textural mouthfeel! Lasting finish marked by tremendous acidity and unbridled deliciousness!

2009 Domaine Joseph Voillot Volnay 1er Cru Les Fremiets. BH 91. A deft touch of wood sets off an attractive mix of violets, wet stone and ripe red cherry aromas. The rich, full and seductively textured flavors possess excellent delineation and fine length. This is on the awkward side today as it hasn’t fully harmonized but the underlying material is of sufficiently high quality that it should do so in time.

1990 Bouchard Père et Fils Corton-Le Corton. BH 92. A complex nose of earth, leather, game and very ripe, in fact hints of over ripe pinot fruit leading to still firmly structured flavors are underpinned by curiously dusty, chalky tannins with outstanding length. In many ’90s, the fruit will never outlast the fruit but here the structure is completely integrated with the sappy and mouth coating flavors and finish. The only nit is that the wood is not subtle and while not dominant, if it hasn’t melted into the essence of the wine by now, it probably will always display a trace of it. Still, this is a most impressive effort in every respect and certainly built for the long haul as this is no where near its apogee in this format.

1994 Prince Florent de Merode Corton-Clos du Roi.

Suckling pig. Loin, Belly, Confit Pressé, Young Lettuces, Cherry, Mustard. An awesome trio of pig. The rich pork belly, the succulent loin, moist and with delicious herbal notes, and the confit fritter. Wow! A bit of chorizo juice on top too.

1990 Lynch Bages. Parker 99. This magnificent Lynch Bages has been drinking well since the day it was released and it continues to go from strength to strength. The biggest, richest, fullest-bodied Lynch Bages until the 2000, the fully mature 1990 exhibits an unbelievably explosive nose of black currants, cedarwood, herbs and spice. The majestic, classically Bordeaux aromatics are followed by a full-bodied, voluptuously textured, rich, intense wine with superb purity as well as thrilling levels of fruit, glycerin and sweetness. This beauty should continue to provide immense pleasure over the next 15+ years.

1978 Leoville-Las Cases. Parker 90-93. The 1978 Las Cases has taken on a garnet hue with some dark ruby tints. The nose is more complex and penetrating than the flavors. The wine offers classic, mineral, lead pencil, smoky, earthy scents, with plenty of ripe fruit, and none of the vegetal herbaceousness that many 1978s have begun to exhibit. The attack offers good ripeness, medium to full body, higher acidity than many more recent vintages, and considerable tannin in the hard finish. Although this wine possesses outstanding complexity, the high tannin level may never fully melt away. While it will last another 15-20 years, the 1978 is at its apogee and will slowly dry out over the next two decades.

1973 Rothschild Brothers of California Cabernet Sauvignon. 84 points. The nose speaks of old, maderized, gone wine. The palate initially also seems tired, but bottle after bottle, they wake up after an hour. Dried cherries and some woody notes on the palate; silky; some worcestershire. Unsure how this was 20 years ago (probably just okay) but surprising that this has any character left at this point.

1995 Bryant Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. Parker 99-100. The 1995 Cabernet Sauvignon is cut from the same mold as the profound 1996, displaying astonishing levels of black fruits (the usual suspects – blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and cassis), phenomenal concentration, and virtually perfect balance and equilibrium.

1982 Laurel Glen Cabernet Sauvignon. Parker 73. Me 93. Tasted like a nice 82 Bordeaux!

2009 Donelan Syrah Obsidian Vineyard. VM 95. Another stellar wine, 2009 Syrah Obsidian Vineyard is fabulous today. In 2009, the Obsidian has a little more fruit, richness and sheer volume, all of which serve to balance some of the wilder notes of this cool-climate, marginal site. Dark, sensual and alluring, the 2009 Obsidian is firing on all cylinders today. This full-throttle Syrah should drink well for another decade, perhaps beyond.

Prime Ribeye. Dry-Aged, Eggplant, Black Garlic Miso, Onion, Cipollini Jus. A fabulous hunk of rich meat. Super tender and marbled with a very intense (good for me) sauce.

The dessert menu.

1997 Domaine Robert Groffier Bonnes Mares. VM 94+. Knockout aromas of black and red fruits, flowers, mocha and game. Great freshness and grip on the palate; at once thick and penetrating. Superripe flavors of framboise and blackberry. This powerfully structured wine quickly closed up in the glass. Very subtle and very long on the aftertaste. Another remarkable ’97: the crop level here was just 22 hectoliters per hectare, according to Serge Groffier.

Caramel Custard. Truffle-Praline Almonds, young coconut sorbet, vanilla white soy gelee, pork & maple powder. Awesome dessert. Very soft, almost sweet-soup-like, broken up by the almond crunch.

Lemon Curd. Sparkling goat’s milk ice, vanilla rhubarb, sweet basil oil, wild bay leaf ice cream, cherry blossom gelee. Really interesting flavors and textures. Barely a dessert actually as it was more like an herb/lemon ice — extremely savory and refreshing.

Chocolate. Cremeux, gel, ganache, smoked, yogurt sorbet.

The wine lineup.

Emil Eyvazoff on the left and Chef Vartan Abgaryan on the right.

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 here 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.

Then the menu has a creative format with a fixed price (currently $70) and three savory courses. You can pick from six options per category. If you are a glutton like me, you can add extra courses – and of course dessert.

But an interesting menu wouldn’t be anything without great execution. As you can see above the plating is modern but approachable and highly attractive. But the flavor on the dishes is paramount, and really quite excellent, particularly considering their complexity and textural variation. There is a balanced quality between opposite forces in Chef Abgaryan’s cooking that pulls from Chinese culinary theory, while that specific flavors and combinations are largely American/European. It’s both approachable and sophisticated. Bravo!

For more LA dining reviews click here.

More Foodie Club outings here.

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By: agavin
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Sauvages at Upstairs 2

Sep12

Restaurant: Upstairs 2 [1, 2]

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

Date: September 9, 2016

Cuisine: Modern Tapas

Rating: Bright flavors and a lot of options.

ANY CHARACTER HERE

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, always Friday) we gathered upstairs in the private room for a special menu and flights of themed wine. This time around Grand and 1re cru Red Burgundy from the village of Gevrey-Chambertin, vintages older than 2004.

Today’s special menu.

Flight 0

The whites are bonuses that various people brought – like me.

From my cellar: 2008 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Bougros. BH 92-95. A classic Chablis nose of mineral reduction, oyster shell and green fruit aromas merges into sappy, rich and powerful flavors that possess more refinement than usual on the long, sappy and beautifully detailed finish. I’m impressed that this seems to have to rusticity and in this sense, it’s a bit atypical.

1999 Louis Latour Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Caillerets. 83 points. Our bottle was “very” advanced. Golden and oxidative.

2005 Brewer-Clifton Chardonnay Mount Carmel. VM 91. Light yellow. Rich pineapple and lichee on the nose, with fresh melon and fig adding complexity. A real fruit basket on the palate, displaying peach, honeydew, tropical fruits and an exotic licorice quality. Picks up sexy baking spices on the long, juicy finish. I prefer the finesse of this to the power of the Seasmoke today.

The gang gathers in the private room. Amusingly, this was the very same room in which I took my Italian Sommelier mastery class
4.5 years ago!

Flight 1

1999 Domaine Rene Leclerc Griotte-Chambertin. 92 points. Bright ruby. Very seductive and perfumed nose of first roses, then cherry, raspberry and a touch of roast. Somewhat tight on the palate, yielding some cherry and flowers. Gritty tannins with medium acidity and body. Sappy finish with medium to long persistence. Needs at least another 3-5 years to come together.

1990 Serafin Père et Fils Charmes-Chambertin. 90 points. Black fruit with earthy hints, overall a bit firm and rustic. Nice fruit, length and balance, but I was surprised this was from 1990 given the wine’s firm structure and seemingly modest ripeness.

1996 Geantet-Pansiot Charmes-Chambertin. VM 94. Saturated deep ruby; one of the darkest ’96s I saw in November. Multifaceted nose combines black fruits, violet, licorice, espresso, smoke, gibier and sweet butter. The class of the cellar in terms of concentration, sweetness, finesse and length; in fact, today this wine makes Geantet’s ’95 seem almost heavy in comparison. Lovely roundness and clarity of flavor. Really explodes on the palate-staining finish.

1996 Dominique Laurent Chambertin. VM 92-95. Much deeper red-ruby color. Brilliant sauvage perfume of dark fruits, mocha and Chambertin earth. Very intensely flavored but folded in on itself; currently showing less texture and volume than the Clos de Beze. But explodes and expands on the finish, which features powerful, chewy tannins. A musclebound wine that will need at least seven or eight years of bottle aging.

Foie Gras Terrine. Burgundy-Pomegranate Reduction. Pretty straight up duck liver goodness!

Flight 2

From my cellar: 1998 Domaine Bruno Clair Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Petite Chapelle. 93 points. Lots of cherry fruit and good structure. Quite delicious.

1998 Claude Dugat Chapelle-Chambertin. VM 89-92. Dugat vinifies two barrels of Chapelle-Chambertin juice owned by Philippe Livera and Butterfield & Robinson, keeping one barrel for himself.<BR> Higher-toned aromas of iron, earth and game. Penetrating and rather powerful, but a less fruit-driven style than the wines from Dugat’s own vines. Not quite as much material or nuance here. Soaking up the oak more quickly, and thus a bit drier on the finish. But still impressive.

1997 Domaine Joseph Roty Charmes-Chambertin Très Vieilles Vignes. VM 93. Deep red. Perfumed, nuanced aromas of cherry, faded rose, woodsmoke and bacon fat. Tighter and less showy than the last two bottles, but displayed sappy, intense red fruit flavors with aeration. A rarity: a ’97 with real finesse. Finishes very long and juicy, with unusually supple tannins for this wine, from some of the oldest vines on the Cote de Nuits.

agavin: voted WOTD (wine of the day)

1998 Hospices de Beaune Mazis-Chambertin Cuvée Madeleine Collignon Louis Jadot.

Flight 3

Pan Seared Quail. Roasted grapes, poltry reduction, celeriac choucroute. A nice small game bird dish.

1999 Louis Jadot Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St. Jacques. BH 91-93. Roasted ripe fruit that has a mix of red and black fruits, especially black cherry with wonderfully spicy, complex flavors that are both rich and dense. This is very ripe but the acidity is more pronounced which does a better job of balancing off the richness. Clos St. Jacques is almost always the finest Gevrey 1er chez Jadot and 99 is no exception. Grand cru quality and because of the richness, this will be approachable young but drink well for a long time.

1999 Domaine Joseph Roty Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Fontenys. VM 91. Full red. Expressive aromas of raspberry, woodsmoke, tobacco and game. Sweet and pliant, with very ripe flavors of meat and tobacco. Showing more personality today than the Brunelle or Clos Prieur. Lovely ripe, harmonious acidity. Finishes very long, with fine tannins. This was delicious since the beginning.

2000 Domaine Joseph Roty Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Fontenys. VM 90+. Red-ruby. Floral aromas of red cherry, licorice and tarry oak. More perfumed than the foregoing wines; tightly wound but very aromatic in the mouth, with dark fruit and licorice notes. Pure and fresh for the year but in need of aging.

2001 Domaine Joseph Roty Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Fontenys. VM 91+. Full ruby-red. Pure, vibrant aromas of berries, cherry, minerals and flowers. Sweet, stony, minerally and quite firm, with refreshing framing acidity. ?A mix of old vines and very old vines from a very hot part of this vineyard,? says Philippe, adding that the fruit here came in with a relatively high 12.5% potential alcohol in 2001. Structured finish features firm acids and serious but supple tannins.

agavin: our bottle was slightly tainted

Pan roasted Duck Breast. Cauliflower Puree. Duck Demi-Glace. Some perfect bits of medium rare duck breast. Very juicy.

Flight 4

The partial flight lineup.

2002 Claude Dugat Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Lavaux St. Jacques. VM 94+. right ruby-red. Deeply smoky aromas and flavors of black and red cherry and violet. Less nuanced and expressive today than the 1er cru, but also boasts terrific freshness of fruit. Brilliantly primary wine, finishing with slow-building, extremely persistent flavor and superb grip. Give the 1er cru six years in the bottle, but hold off on this one for seven or eight. (Incidentally, Dugat opened a bottle of the ’92 Lavaux, no doubt to make the point that his wines age better than some critics believe. It was a knockout: at its peak right now, and more stylish and complex than 99% of Burgundies from this relatively early-maturing vintage.)

2001 Domaine Perrot-Minot Mazoyères-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes. BH 93. This is much like the ’02 in style with a sterner and less elegant character but a good deal more power and the same masculine quality. Earthy, robust and slightly austere minerality and a mix of red and black fruit aromas introduce precise and brilliantly intense flavors that deliver outstanding length and simply incredible complexity. I rarely prefer big over fine but the additional complexity and depth of material make this a better wine and this is just flat out wonderful.

2002 Domaine Perrot-Minot Mazoyères-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes. VM 92. Good deep ruby-red. Knockout nose combines black fruits, minerals and coffee. Richer and more tactile than the Charmes but not sweeter; more massive and powerful. This boasts very strong fruit without coming across as overly sweet or heavy. A wine of compelling length, with the well-buffered tannins coating the entire palate.

2002 Louis Jadot Chapelle-Chambertin. VM 90-93. Good bright ruby-red. High-toned roasted fruits, licorice, violet and sweet oak on the nose. Sweet, supple and creamy, with fruit currently dominated by an exotic coconutty oak quality. A second barrel showed even riper aromas and superb richness.

2002 Domaine / Maison Vincent Girardin Chambertin-Clos de Bèze. VM 92. Ruby-red. Wild, musky aromas of strawberry, minerals and smoky oak. Wonderfully silky on entry, then suave and aristocratic in the middle palate. Very subtle flavors build impressively on the sweet finish, which features very fine tannins.

Grilled Alpine NY Strip. Gratin of Root Vegetables. Haricot Verts. Truffle Jus. I loved the meat and “potatoes” quality of this dish — particularly that the potatoes were rich and cheesy.

Expresso Ice Cream. A nice creamy bit of ice cream clearly made with real expresso beans.

The lineup.

Overall Upstairs 2 did an awesome job with this dinner. Wine service was good and the food was a fowl collection of tasty morsels. Sorry, couldn’t resist. We had only 1-2 flawed wines and a lot of great showings from Gevrey, particularly the 90s wines. Sauvages is always a great time.

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By: agavin
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Weird Sausages by the Sea

Aug08

I was lucky enough to be invited again to a absolutely fabulous wine dinner hosted by my friend Eric Cotsen at his lovely Malibu pad. The group was mostly Hedonists, with a few other pals of Eric’s mixed in. Eric has these diners regularly and they feature an awesome setting, great company, wonderful food, and amazing wines provided by both him and the guests.

You can see the ocean is right there! Like under the house.

The bright and eclectic decor is so Malibu!

And the wines that everyone brought are hidden in socks and served in a giant blind free-for-all, but we start off with some whites.

NV Billecart-Salmon Champagne Brut Rosé. VM 92. Pale orange. High-pitched red berry, orange zest and jasmine aromas, with suave mineral and smoky lees notes adding complexity. Spicy and precise on the palate, showing very good punch to its strawberry and bitter cherry flavors. Opens up smoothly with air and picks up a bitter rhubarb quality that lingers onto the long, tightly focused finish. This bottling showed more brawny character than many past renditions of this cuvée, but with no lack of vivacity.

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

2014 Aubert Chardonnay Eastside Vineyard. 95 points. Nose of butterscotch, beeswax, glycerin, pear, minerals and a touch of honey, very aromatic, flowery nose, of rose and salvia, more of the same on the palate, still very young and slightly subdued, very tasty during the 90 minute dinner, big body, mouth filling, intense fruit, long, flavorful finish of pineapple, salvia, and sage. Better in 2 years.

agavin: lots of malo, but some acid too.

2012 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis 1er Cru La Forest. VM 94. Soil-driven aromas of apple, biscuit, chlorophyll, fern, anise and flowers. Quite rich, sappy and concentrated, conveying a strong impression of dry extract and stony minerality. Powerful, very solidly built premier cru with a very long finish tinged by licorice. I would not be surprised if this wine needs a good seven or eight years of cellaring to approach its peak.

Various cheeses.

And marcona almonds.

Eric brought out a set of his own reds to be tasted first (blind). They all shared a common “2007” theme, not that we knew that until later.

2007 Clos des Papes Chateauneuf du Pape. Parker 99-100. One of the top wines in this incredible vintage is Avril’s 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape, which is the normal blend of 65% Grenache, 20% Mourvedre, 10% Syrah and the rest of mix of permitted varieties. Brought up all in older foudre, it’s a blockbuster, almost over-the-top, effort that gives up notes of kirsch, incense, dried flowers, spice and pepper. Deep, full-bodied, massively concentrated, unctuous and downright sexy, it needs another 2-3 years of cellaring and will have 30 years or more of overall longevity.

2007 Dominus Proprietary Red Wine. Parker 98. The 2008 Dominus may eclipse the 2007, but it may just be a matter of style. The 2007 Dominus, the quintessential model of haute couture, is pure elegance exhibiting a seamless integration of wood, tannin, alcohol and acidity as well as a complex bouquet of cedar, new saddle leather, sweet kirsch, black currant and plum fruit and a notion of licorice. Both the 2007 and 2008 Dominus should drink well for 25-30 years. 
2007 Harlan Estate The Maiden. Parker 93. As outstanding as the 2008 is, it is eclipsed by the brilliant 2007 The Maiden, perhaps the finest second wine yet made here. Sweet tobacco leaf, fruitcake, creme de cassis, black currant and licorice aromas emerge from this round, opulent, voluptuously textured wine. It is very much in keeping with the 2007 vintage. Enjoy it over the next 10-15 years.

agavin: ours was corked 🙁

2007 Joseph Phelps Insignia Proprietary Red Wine. Parker 99. Aged 24 months in new French oak, this infant 2007 exhibits an inky/purple color along with notes of graphite, spring flowers and smoky oak. This full-bodied, classic Insignia reveals fabulous depth, ripeness, texture, viscosity and richness. Still young and unformed, it should evolve for 25 or more years.

Tonight had a “game” theme, so we had a whole slew of sausages from whacky animals. This first one is Alpaca Hot Italian!

Then goat garlic basil.

And camel French apple — near universal favorite. Never had camel before!

Ostrich!

Alligator bayou. A little mushy and weird.

Rattle snake with rabbit and Jalepeno. I’m sure there was more rabbit than rattlesnake.

Yak bratwurst. My second favorite after the camel.

Kangaroo bratwurst. Not bad.

Camel chipotle cheddar. Not nearly as good as the first camel.

Ostrich egg scrambled in the egg. That’s just one egg worth and it filled up two halves of the shell!

Some beef for later.
The chaos of the early tasting.

And people sampling the sausages.

Next we move outside to the fiery seaside table.

A light vegan salad with herbs. Almost Vietnamese or Thai in style.

Risotto.

Green vegetables. Nice crunch.

Roasted carrots. Great for carrots.

And this amazing filet mignon with a rich savory BBQ sauce.

For dessert this awesome salted caramel gelato with chocolate chunks.

And one of the richest brownies I’ve ever had. Amazing.

The chef plates and entertains!

Oh, and fruit. For those who eat fruit!

While eating all this we sat around drinking all these wines (blind at first):

2002 Domaine Perrot-Minot Clos Vougeot. VM 91-94. Medium ruby. Expressive, nuanced aromas of black cherry, animal fur, smoke, minerals and nutty oak. Sweet, superripe and generous, with surprisingly opulent black fruit and mineral flavors. Finishes with substantial but fine, horizontal tannins and enticing sweetness. Like so many Clos Vougeots from this vintage, the tannins seem nobler than usual.

agavin: our bottle was off. Corked?

2005 Marcassin Pinot Noir Three Sisters Vineyard. 93 points. Like a very young red burg.

2005 Domaine de la Vieille Julienne Châteauneuf-du-Pape. VM 93+. Inky ruby. Ripe, powerful boysenberry and blueberry aromas are deepened by musky tobacco and dark chocolate. Weighty dark berry flavors verge on thick; initially brooding but brightens with air, picking up an energetic, stony character. Red fruits build on a long, sappy finish. A serious style, and not for those who demand elegance.

1990 Chateau Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape. Parker 96. Two great back to back vintages are the 1990 and 1989. The more developed 1990 boasts an incredible perfume of hickory wood, coffee, smoked meat, Asian spices, black cherries, and blackberries. Lush, opulent, and full-bodied, it is a fully mature, profound Beaucastel that will last another 15-20 years.

2001 Gaja Barbaresco Riserva Che Storia. 91 points. Young, highly structured Neb.

2003 Angelo Gaja Sperss. Parker 93. Gaja’s 2003 Sperss is made from vineyards in Serralunga and offers better balance than the Conteisa. It is plump and juicy, with a generous core of dark fruit, tar and menthol supported by a massive, imposing structure. The wine offers notable length although there is a suggestion of heat on the finish. This powerful, brooding Sperss will require patience, even if today it gives the illusion of being a relatively accessible vintage for this wine. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2023.

From my cellar: 1990 Vega Sicilia Unico. Parker 96. Served from magnum, the 1990 Unico (a blend of 80% Tinto Fino and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon) possesses and extraordinarily, opulent bouquet with cassis, blood orange, Italian cured meat and crushed stone. It is extremely well defined and powerful yet succinctly focused. The palate is ripe and sweet on the entry. Vibrant red fruit, orange peel, marmalade, Asian spices all vie for attention. There is great weight and potency, building in the mouth that is rich in glycerine and climaxes with a spicy, meaty finish that tightly grips the mouth. It has a Right Bank, Cabernet Franc like persona. This is a lovely, decadent Unico that is surfeit with fresh and vitality, a Rubenesque Unico of some style. 109,548 bottles produced. Drink now-2030.

agavin: as Amanda put it, hints of saddle leather. Really delicious though, and many though the WOTN.

1970 Beychevelle. Parker 85. Fully mature with a spicy, plum-like bouquet, and some caramel aromas, the 1970 Beychevelle is round, fruity, quite silky and soft, and nicely concentrated. It lacks complexity and the depth of the best 1970s, but is still quite attractive. Anticipated maturity: Now. Last tasted, 4/88.

2003 Greenock Creek Shiraz Roennfeldt Road. Parker 96. The 2003 Shiraz Roennfeldt Road offers up an ethereal perfume of sandalwood, incense, lavender, Asian spices, and blueberry compote. Rich, dense, and very long in the finish, the wine’s 18.5% alcohol pokes through with a touch of heat. For that reason, it is likely to be controversial.

1995 Diamond Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Volcanic Hill. 92 points. A throwback. The nose was a nice mix of cassis and cedar. Over two hours, it put on weight and went from a nice but lightweight to a medium weight, concentrated but still light on its feet cab. The last sip was the best suggesting that this still has many years of positive development in front of it.

2012 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Cask 23. VM 91. The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon CASK 23 is the biggest and richest of these wines from Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars. Broad and expansive on the palate, the 2012 is quite pretty, but stops short of being truly exciting. Blue and black fruits, violets and sweet spices add nuance on the perfumed, generous finish.

2006 Colgin Cariad Proprietary Red Wine. Parker 98. Meriting the same rating I gave it at its release, the 2006 Cariad is composed of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc and 7% Petit Verdot. One of the stars of the vintage, this thrilling, opaque purple-colored wine offers up sweet espresso, jus de viande, blackberry, blueberry, flower and chocolate aromas. A fabulous texture, tremendous purity, sensational brightness and authoritative flavor intensity allied to striking complexity and elegance are the signature of this creative blend from the David Abreu vineyards of Thorevilos and Madrona Ranch. Six hundred cases were produced. Give this wine another 3-4 years of cellaring and enjoy it over the following 15+.

2010 Joseph Phelps Insignia Proprietary Red Wine. Parker 95. A gorgeously intense bouquet of lead pencil shavings, spring flowers, black currants, blackberries, and subtle smoke and foresty aromas jumps from the glass of this full-bodied, rich, concentrated wine with soft tannins, a multidimensional mouthfeel, and a long, rich finish displaying well-integrated acidity, tannin, alcohol and wood. This beauty is one of the top Insignias produced over recent years. It should age easily for 20+ years.

2007 Hundred Acre Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Ark Vineyard. Parker 100! A perfect wine, the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Ark Vineyard (1,300 – 1,400 cases) from Howell Mountain is one of the great efforts from this high elevation terroir. It offers notes of burning embers, black raspberries, blueberries and flowers, a full-bodied opulence, wonderful intensity, but the wine is not weighty or overripe. Fleshy and voluptuous with terrific floral notes, it should drink well for 15-20 years.

Arnie’s rare 2005 Levy & McClellan Red. VM 94. Deep medium ruby. Complex, expressive nose offers black raspberry, licorice, brown spices, mocha, smoke, minerals and nutty oak. Wonderfully lush and creamy-sweet for the year, with Graves-like mineral, gravel and smoky notes (from barrel this wine struck me as brooding and Latour-like but today its fruit character is more red). Ripe, harmonious acidity and broad, lush tannins make this cabernet remarkably presentable-not to mention long on personality-for a 2005, but it also has the structure for an extended evolution in bottle. Even in 2005, this young vineyard on volcanic soil produced just over two tons of fruit per acre, according to Bob Levy.

Have a few wines!

Overall, another fun evening. Lots of great wine, company, and food. What more can you ask?

For more LA dining reviews click here,

or more crazy Hedonist dinners here!

Toss me down another chunk of yak!

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By: agavin
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Yazawa – Marble or Meat?

Jul25

Restaurant: Yazawa

Location: 9669 S Santa Monica Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90210. (310) 275-2914

Date: July 12, 2016 & April 25, 2019

Cuisine: Wagyu Yakiniku

Rating: Like eating silk and gold

_

Totoraku, the ultimate Japanese Korean BBQ place evidently has a new challenger in town.

Yazawa is branch of a Japanese restaurant spun out from a super high end butcher. They serve up a variety of Yakiniku (Japanese take on KBBQ) done primarily with genuine A-5 Black Wagyu cows from Japan. The frontage is located on tony Little Santa Monica deep in Beverly Hills.

The interior soars upward with high ceilings, but doesn’t offer very many tables.
In fact, they all conform to this standard fairly small 4 top configuration.

The menu, which takes a bit of time to explain the cow.

For wine tonight, as there were four of us, and the corkage steps up after 4 bottles, we just opened one each — but they were good ones:

Larry brought: 1996 Lynch Bages. Parker 90-93. The 1996 exhibits a dark plum/ruby/purple color that is just beginning to lighten at the edge, surprisingly velvety tannins and a classic Pauillac bouquet of lead pencil shavings, cedarwood, black currants, sweet cherries and spice box. This medium to full-bodied, elegant, savory, broad wine is still five years away from full maturity. It should continue to drink well for another 10-15 years.

From my cellar: 1996 Mouton-Rothschild. Parker 94-96. This estate’s staff believes that the 1996 Mouton-Rothschild is very complex. I agree that among the first-growths, this wine is showing surprising forwardness and complexity in its aromatics. It possesses an exuberant, flamboyant bouquet of roasted coffee, cassis, smoky oak, and soy sauce. The impressive 1996 Mouton-Rothschild offers impressive aromas of black currants, framboise, coffee, and new saddle leather. This full-bodied, ripe, rich, concentrated, superbly balanced wine is paradoxical in the sense that the aromatics suggest a far more evolved wine than the flavors reveal. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2030. By the way, the 1996 blend consists of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, and 8% Cabernet Franc.

Erick brought: 1989 Mouton-Rothschild. Parker 90-92. Considering the vintages and the estate, Mouton’s performances in 1989 and 1990 are puzzling. I have tasted these wines multiple times since my last reviews appeared in print. The 1989 Mouton-Rothschild is the superior wine, but in no sense is this a compelling wine if compared to the Moutons produced in 1995, 1986, and 1982. The 1989 displays a dark ruby color that is already beginning to reveal significant lightening at the edge. The bouquet is surprisingly evolved, offering up scents of cedar, sweet black fruits, lead pencil, and toasty oak. This elegant, medium-bodied restrained wine is beautifully made, stylish, and not dissimilar to the 1985. It is an excellent to outstanding Mouton that should be close to full maturity in 4-5 years; it will drink well for 15-20.

Walker brought: 1989 Penfolds Grange. Parker 93. A very hedonistic, almost decadent style of Grange, this blend of 91% Shiraz and 9% Cabernet Sauvignon from three grape sources – Kalimna in the Barossa, Penfolds’ other sources in the Barossa, and McLaren Vale – is a gorgeously opulent, almost Pomerol-like Grange with an over-ripe characteristic to the fruit. Cherry liqueur intermixed with cranberry and cassis presented in a seductive, full-bodied, very soft, forward style is truly not the classic Grange in the sense of having huge structure and massive concentration, but this wine is loaded, very corpulent, and fleshy. The wine is going to last for up to two decades, but it will be uncommonly succulent and delicious to drink young, as it was several months ago. Among the young vintages of Grange, this is perhaps the most flattering wine that they have produced over the last 20 years, at least for such a relatively young wine. Anticipated maturity: now-2018.

Wagyu toro sushi. This is raw beef nigiri style. And because of the vinegared sushi rice it pretty much tasted like toro!

After the above ala carte item, we ordered the $200 a person “level 4” Omakase, then followed with some more ala carte in the form of carbs.

Trio of wagyu apps.

Tataki “Ponzu Sauce.” Thin sliced seared wagyu with onion slice. Tender little beef bits.

Wagyu Bresola. Dry aged and salted. With the truffle salt this was bright, salty, and had a bit of an “Italian” flavor.

Uni Wagyu Tartar / Truffles. Raw wagyu topped with uni and truffle.

Mix this puppy up and the uni stands in the same way that the raw egg usually would. Certainly a rich little concoction.

7U1A9344
In April of 2019, the trio was slightly different.
7U1A9345
Wagyu on a toast.
7U1A9350
The tartare with uni, pretty much the same as before.
7U1A9354
And Wagyu short rib with polenta.
7U1A9340
Yazawa Garden Salad (4/26/19). Red Lettuce, Sweet Snap Pea, Bell Peppers, Broccoli and Yazawa dressing. This was a nice salad, probably mostly because of the zesty Japanese dressing.

Meat plate 1. And so begin the cuts of wagyu, ready to grill up. There is one piece each, served in pairs with a light sweet sauce, a “bbq” sauce that is pretty standard for yakaniku (slightly sweet soy), and a egg sauce (more on that later).

First up is the Ranboso (round) from the cow’s rump.

This is then cooked (very fast, just seconds a side) on the very smooth gas BBQ.

Flipped about 4-5 seconds later — then another 4 seconds then into the sauce. So soft and tender!

Next cut is the Jyo-Kalbi (chuckeye/rib eye). Notice how the fat runs in a different direction. A little more beefy and intense. Some really great beef.

Out comes this whipped egg/milk sweet sauce.

And Yazawa’s signature cut, the Yazawa-yaki! It’s a super thin cut sirloin, marinated.

The staff are required to cook this one (other cuts you can do it, or they can). The cutis so thin that we would probably just turn it into beef scraps.

It is then rolled and dropped into the egg sauce. Pretty amazing, with a sukiyaki-like flavor and tons of rich beefiness.

Plate 3.

Maki-loin (rib eye). A very evenly marbled cut.
Nakaniku (rump). This is down below the tail, sort of cow ass. Look at that fat striping! And cooked it was ridiculously soft and unctuous. I actually preferred the leaner cuts.

Plate 4.

Misuji (brisket). Not like Mom’s BBQ brisket!

Zabujan (chuck eye). Up under the shoulders with a heavy diagonal marbling. Nice and tender and a bit more beefy.

Then another signature cut, the Chateau Briand (center cut filet).

Look at that candy-striping.

And from the front.

On the grill. This was one incredible piece of “steak.”

We placed an ala carte order of tongue too.

On the grill. Good stuff, but this cut wasn’t super different than other good tongue I’ve had.

After all that meat we decided to “fill up” on some carb dishes.

Japanese Wagyu curry rice. Minced Japanese wagyu curry rice with an egg. This was certainly the best curry rice I’ve had — and I love curry rice. The egg upped the richness but it was the depth of flavor of the curry itself that won out. I just missed the red pickles.

Uni Gyu Toro Don Bowl. Minced raw Japanese Wagyu on rice with uni and pickles.

A very interesting umami taste. Great stuff.

Yazawa special rice. Umami rice topped with ginger and Japanese Wagyu, served in a very hot clay pot.

They mix it up for us.
This is a teapot filled with dashi and some wasabi.
Tons of garlic in there. Optionally, you pour some dashi in to up the umami factor. Pretty incredible like that.

Cold Tan Tan Noodle. Sesame and chile ramen. Since I’m such a dan dan fiend, I figured I’d try this. Not like Chinese dan dan at al. Pleasant enough, with a touch of heat and a cool sesame vibe, but not the hot nutty intensity I was looking for. Still, that would have been weird.

White chocolate semi-freddo with berries. My favorite, light and fluffy and delicious.

Macha green tea ice cream with crunchies.

Almond panna cotta.
Special tea at the end.

The service at Yazawa was absolutely first rate. Not only did they explain the menu in detail, and cook some of the meat (they will cook however much or little as you like), but they were highly attentive, changing out the grill after every course and the like. Colin, who helped us, was highly knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and like a wagyu evangelist.

The food itself was uniformly excellent. All the meat was super fresh and “clean” (if super rich as well). The taste was lovely, although different, richer, and less beefy than Totoraku. Is it better? Just different, as this is just such a different type of meat. Both are fabulous.

The atmosphere was nice, but the format is a bit rigid with their fixed 4 person tables. And those tables don’t have much extra space at that. I had to keep my wines on a seat, my camera between me and the next guy, and constantly juggle around my (only) two wine glasses and other stuff. They need larger tables for our kinds of groups and they need MUCH larger tables with multiple grills for parties larger than 4. It’s also a general restaurant, and therefore doesn’t offer the “taking over the house” factor that is one of Totoraku’s many charms.

The wine thing at Yazawa is weird. There are nice beers and sake, but the red wine selection is tiny. Not too great too. And oddly, looking around, we saw only one other table with any red wine at all — and just one glass! Most of the tables were Asian women, which is a bit odd for such a meat focused place. This combines with a very rigid corkage policy. Thankfully they don’t limit the number of bottles brought in, but they have an escalating corkage of $35/$35/$50/$50/$70/$80 and then maybe even more. I’m not one of those that argues for no corkage at fine restaurants. The $35×2/$50 would be steep but fine, but going above $50 is always insulting. And to boot, they don’t have anything on their list! A $50 corkage is a flat $50 of profit to the restaurant. It’s way more lucrative than any wine on the list under a $100. Why complain? Why try to massage the system to irritate or exclude “wine guys”? It just doesn’t make sense. And for a restaurant that specializes in high end meat? What better excuse to drink first growths and the like?

Overall, Yazawa was so tasty that I’d certainly go back. It’s expensive but way more repeatable than the high end tempura. But we are limited to 4 people by the tables and the wine rules, so it only fits certain circumstances.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Related posts:

  1. More Meat at Totoraku
  2. Totoraku Double Meat Madness
  3. Spear your Meat
  4. Meat under the Moon
  5. More Meat – Chi Spacca
By: agavin
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