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Jadot at Petrossian

Mar20

Restaurant: Petrossian Beverly Hills [1, 2, 3, 4]

Location: 321 Robertson Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90048. (310) 271-6300

Date: February 4, 2020

Cuisine: Caviar +

Rating: Amazing night!

Tonight’s dinner chronicles yet another masterly winemaker dinner hosted by Liz Lee of Sage Society. This time around it celebrates the diverse and excellent wines of Louis Jadot with winemaker Frédéric Barnier. This is actually at least the third time I’ve dined with Frédéric, the first being years ago at Bouchon and the second (also a Sage event) at Republique.

This time around we are back at another favorite Liz haunt, the awesome Petrossian Beverly Hills.

Petrossian has been importing caviar for a long time and has a high end restaurant — surprisingly excellent — tucked away inside their Beverly Hills location.

They are located on Robertson.

We begin with a Champagne I have been opening a lot of myself:

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

Caviar with crème fraiche on blinis — had about 5 of these.

Smoked salmon and tuna with crème fraiche on toast.

Our hostess Liz Lee in the center and Jadot master winemaker Frédéric Barnier on the left.

Flight 0a: 2018 Barrel Whites

2018 J.A. Ferret Pouilly-Fuissé Clos des Prouges Tête de Cru. BH 90-92. Subtle wood influence frames pungent citrus and petrol-suffused aromas. The dense, powerful and palate coating broad-shouldered flavors possess impressive volume on the more complex and persistent if slightly warm finish. (Drink starting 2024)

2018 Louis Jadot Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaume. 89 points. From barrel sample that was assembled in the fall and shipped to the US then. Ripe and fleshy for Chablis. Plenty of apple character start-to-finish. Good density for its level. Should drink well young. 88-89 point potential.

2018 Louis Jadot Chablis Grand Cru Blanchot. 89 points. From barrel sample that was assembled in the fall and shipped to the US then. Also lots of ripe orchard fruit, less classic start, then firmer and more tart middle through finish. Very good length. Needs time to fully harmonize. 89-92 point potential.

2018 Louis Jadot Meursault 1er Cru Charmes. agavin 91. Very tropical and different. Lovely right now, but wonder how it will age.

2018 Louis Jadot Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeot Clos de la Chapelle Domaine du Duc de Magenta. 91 points. From barrel sample that was assembled in the fall and shipped to the US then. Lots of apple throughout, some lemon and lemon curd. Intriguing combination of ripe and tart, with a long, leaner, minerally finish. Very good length. 89-91 point potential.

2018 Louis Jadot Corton-Charlemagne Domaine des Héritiers Louis Jadot. 92 points. Walk around tasting. From barrel sample that was assembled in the fall and shipped to the US then. Dense and rich but with so much coiled energy in reserve. Very good density and length. 92-93 point potential.

Flight 0b: 2018 Barrel Reds

2018 Louis Jadot Beaune 1er Cru Clos des Ursules Domaine des Héritiers Louis Jadot. 91 points. Walk around tasting. From barrel sample that was assembled in the fall and shipped to the US then. More red vs black fruit coming across as ripe, but with just enough elegant tannins and acidity in the background for harmony already. Another very successful vintage for this cuvee, with 91-93 point potential.

2018 Louis Jadot Volnay 1er Cru Clos de la Barre. agavin 93. Very elegant and ripe.

2018 Louis Jadot Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St. Jacques. 95 points. Year in, year out, a favourite from the Jadot stable. This seems to be the hypothetical blend of the Estournelles and Lavaux but by only taking the good elements of each. There’s a balance of rich fruit and tart-red-fruited-acidity here, as well as a convincing dose of rusty earthiness. The palate is more layered, silky, and complex. Very delicious already.

2018 Louis Jadot Corton-Pougets Domaine des Héritiers Louis Jadot. 93 points. From barrel sample that was assembled in the fall and shipped to the US then. Lots here with combination of ripe red and black cherry and a meatiness that I enjoy, but makes it seem background. But that’s young Corton.

2018 Louis Jadot Clos Vougeot. 92 points. From barrel sample that was assembled in the fall and shipped to the US then. Lots here but very tannic and angular, so impossible to fairly assess this young, this quickly.

2018 Louis Jadot Echezeaux. 91-94 points. From barrel sample that was assembled in the fall and shipped to the US then. A complex array of red cherry and berry on nose and palate with good power, but elegant textures already emerging. Good+ length. 91-94 point potential.

The lineup of 2018s.

Then we moved over into the dining room.

Liz likes to make sure there is a unique (labeled) glass for every wine.

The gang of us around the table.

Our special menu.

Flight 1: 2017 whites

2017 Louis Jadot Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatières. BH 90-93. An expressive, ripe and fresh nose of white peach, pear and lavender displays discreet hints of wood and a trace of the exotic. There is good richness to the delicious and generously proportioned middle weight flavors that possess plenty of palate coating dry extract before terminating in a saline and mineral-suffused finish. This is really quite good and more classic than it usually is. (Drink starting 2025)

2017 Louis Jadot Meursault 1er Cru Les Genevrières. VM 90-92. The 2017 Meursault Les Genevrières 1er Cru comes from a single parcel of 50-year-old vines that tends to suffer a lot of millerandage and is often one of the first plots picked. It has quite a powerful bouquet of citrus fruit infused with touches of licorice, maybe just missing the precision of the best wines that I have tasted from this vineyard by Jadot in the past. The voluminous palate is well balanced with crisp acidity and touches of tropical fruit such as passion fruit and guava, and creamy-textured toward the finish. There is a lot of pleasure to be found in this Meursault, if not the intellect of the Charmes this year. (DIAM GC closure) (Drink between 2020-2030)

2017 Louis Jadot Bâtard-Montrachet. BH 92-95. A less elegant and slightly more wood-influenced nose offers up restrained aromas of essence of white flowers that includes rose petal, lavender and acacia blossom as well as discreet citrus nuances. There is both more volume and richness to the large-scaled, intense and powerful flavors that evidence seriously good punch and power on the muscular and wonderfully long finish. This is an impressive built-to-age Bâtard. (Drink starting 2029)

Lobster Salad w/ Truffle Mache. Lots of lobster. Nice bright flavors and interesting textural components. We had crunch from the crisp like thing (texture similar to a spring-roll shell), differing crunch from the radish, soft lobster and stringy greens.

Flight 2: Old Whites

1990 Louis Jadot Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatières.

1991 Louis Jadot Meursault 1er Cru Gouttes d’Or. JG 90. It has been quite a while since I last tasted a 1991 white Burgundy, but the ’91 Goutte d’Or from Maison Jadot was drinking very well indeed and was impressive enough that I may keep an eye out for other white options from this vintage. The deep, complex and mature nose offers up scents of almond, citrus blossoms, apple, passion fruit, a touch of honey, incipient notes of nutskin and a beautifully complex base of soil. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and still beautifully balanced, with a fine core of fruit, gentle, framing acids, superb soil signature and lovely length and grip on the complex and classy finish. Fine juice and a total surprise for a 1991 Meursault! (Drink between 2012-2020)

1994 Louis Jadot Corton-Charlemagne Domaine des Héritiers Louis Jadot. VM 96. The 1994 Corton-Charlemagne surprises for its richness, density and power. Butter, dried apricots, tangerine and mango are alive in the glass. The presence of botrytis, which is high in 1994, is very much felt in the wine’s viscosity and pure textural richness. With time in the glass, though, the wine freshens up considerably as mineral notes become vivid. The 1994 remains bright, focused and quite youthful. Today, it is simply magnificent. Frankly, the 1994 is simply magnificent. (Drink between 2013-2024)

1986 Louis Jadot Bâtard-Montrachet. 95 points. This bottle was in pristine condition and the color was spot on deep yellow (not deep gold). The nose offered apples, hazelnuts, and macaroons.

Scallop w/ Trout Roe & Pine Nuts

Flight 3: 2012-2014 Reds

2014 Louis Jadot Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots. BH 92. A highly restrained if not mute nose grudgingly displays notes of spice and brooding dark berries, earth and floral hints. There is by contrast excellent richness and volume to the velvety and supple yet serious middle weight plus flavors that display strikingly good persistence on the sappy and beautifully well-balanced if moderately austere finish. This has tightened up considerably since I last reviewed it from barrel and it seems relatively clear that this is going to require at least a modicum of patience but when it arrives at its peak, it should be lovely. Recommended. (Drink starting 2026)

2014 Louis Jadot Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St. Jacques. VM 93.5. Good bright medium red Aromas of raspberry, rose petal, minerals and crushed stone convey a very sexy, slightly high-toned liqueur-like quality Dense, fine-grained and taut, displaying piquant mineral energy and mouthwatering acidity to its flavors of raspberry, cherry and blood orange Really compelling inner-mouth tension here This firmly tannic, classic 2014 finishes with lovely rising floral length I would not be at all surprised if a decade of cellaring brought an even higher score (Drink between 2025-2037)

2014 Louis Jadot Chapelle-Chambertin. VM 95. Bright, dark red Ineffable floral and pepper topnotes to the aromas of black raspberry, tart cherry, licorice, menthol and spices At once savory and sweet; incredibly dense, refined wine with uncommon creaminess and concentration to its flavors of red and black fruits, minerals and herbs Superb old-vines thickness and silky depth here, but also with terrific definition, spine and energy Finishes with outstanding rising length A treat to taste today but this almost liqueur-like wine should go on for 20+ years A great performance in this cooler vintage (Drink between 2025-2040)

2012 Louis Jadot Clos St. Denis. BH 93-95. Here the nose is quite similar to that of the Clos de la Roche save for the fact that it’s spicier. There is a silky texture to the detailed and sleekly muscular medium-bodied flavors that are not as powerful though the refinement of a classic Clos St. Denis is explicitly in evidence on the hugely long finish. In a word, this is terrific. (Drink starting 2030)

Black Truffle Pasta with Parmesan Foam. Amazing dish. I could have eaten several of these. Just a really lovely creamy truffle pasta.

The glasses multiply like bunnies.

Flight 4: 80s Reds

1985 Louis Jadot Beaune 1er Cru Clos des Ursules Domaine des Héritiers Louis Jadot. BH 90. Just a bit of bricking in evidence. The expressive, pretty and solidly complex nose has now gone completely secondary (though not tertiary as there is no sous bois) and complements the precise, intense and lightly mineral-suffused middle weight flavors that possess good length and depth. This is drinking perfectly now and about the only nit is a touch of gas so be sure to decant for 15 minutes or so to allow it to dissipate. (Drink starting 2009)

1989 Louis Jadot Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots.

1985 Louis Jadot Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St. Jacques. JG 94. The 1985 Clos St. Jacques from Maison Jadot is a beautiful example of the vintage that has just now begun to truly blossom and is drinking very well indeed. The deep and beautiful nose offers up scents of cherries, red plums, woodsmoke, summer truffles, a beautifully complex base of soil, fresh herbs, a touch of sweet nutskin and just a bit of cedar. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and beautifully delineated, with a fine core of fruit, lovely complexity and very good acidity for the vintage. The finish is very long, shows just a bit of melting tannin and is beautifully balanced and classy. It is interesting to see how this wine has evolved, as it was quite black fruity for much of the first twenty-odd years of its life, but is now blossoming into a beautifully red fruity example of Clos St. Jacques. Lovely juice. (Drink between 2012-2050)

Quail w/ Potato Nest. I was initially skeptical about this dish. Not as to pairing, Liz always gets that perfect, but to the the idea of this “ball of quail.” It turned out to be amazing. Sort of like a western shrimp ball, but with quail, sauce, and offset by the nice crunchy nest.

Flight 5: Special Old Reds

1988 Louis Jadot Chambertin-Clos de Bèze. BH 91. Mix of primary and secondary fruit aromas plus strong notes of earth and underbrush are followed by nicely complex, slightly edgy, medium weight flavors that offer good length. This is still firm on the backend but not hard and it’s drinking very well now though it will easily hold for another decade or more.

agavin: this bottle was fabulous, more like 96 points.

1978 Louis Jadot Bonnes Mares. agavin 94. Very nice as well.

Duck Consomme w/ Duck Confit. Okay, I didn’t know what to expect. But here we have a lovely pressed square of duck with a consommé added tableside.

The finished dish. Lovely and delicious.

Drinking Continues

Cheeses. Papillon Basque & Beaufort.

The white lineup.

The red lineup.

When Liz sets up a dinner, she really endeavors to get everything right.

Food was some of the best in town for wine tastings. Really light, fresh, and delectable.

Wines were just off the chart good at this dinner. Just blockbusters and nothing flawed at all. This offered a great perspective on Jadot as it traveled the gamut of ages, giving a glimpse of 2018, showing off recent vintages like 2017 and 2014, and then delving into mature wines of both colors.

Service was great. Having our own Somm ensured that — and we had unique stems for everything. Petrossian really took care of us too.

Amazing night.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
Comments (0)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Caviar, Frédéric Barnier, Frederick Barnier, Jadot, Liz Lee, Maison Louis Jadot, Red Burgundy, Sage Society, White Burgundy, winemaker dinner

Billecart Republique

Nov13

Restaurant: Republique [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12]

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

Date: October 4, 2019

Cuisine: Modern Bistro French

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

This Sage Society dinner is like a return an old favorite as in the “old days” (a few years ago) they did most of their dinners here at Republique. Tonight is a special custom dinner featuring the wines of Champagne house Billecart-Salmon and a custom Walter Manzke menu designed by Walter and Sage Society chief Liz Lee. Additionally, Antoine Roland-Billecart is in the house to guide us through the epic wine tasting!

Still doing great even after 5 or so years.

We are, of course, in the private room. Way better than downstairs at this very loud but very good restaurant.

The somm for the evening gives some introductions…

The name speaks for itself.

Our starter wine was NV Billecart-Salmon Champagne Brut Réserve. JG 92. This particular bottle of Brut Réserve had been in my cellar since 2008, and it has aged beautifully and was drinking very well when opened this past spring. The excellent nose wafts from the glass in a mélange of apple, peach, warm bread, a touch of ginger, a lovely base of soil and plenty of upper register smokiness. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bdoied, complex and still rock solid at the core, with fine mousse, bright acids and lovely length and grip on the wide open, complex and classy finish. This particular release of Brut Réserve had been particularly steely out of the blocks, which is why I tucked some away to see how it evolved with bottle age. Yet again, a pretty strong argument for treating non-vintage Brut bottlings like other fine wines and cellar them for some time before starting to drink them! (Drink between 2014-2025).

Our special menu tonight.

NV Billecart-Salmon Champagne Extra Brut. JG 92+. Billecart-Salmon has been producing their Millésime bottlings as Extra Brut since the 2000 vintage. The 2006, which is comprised of a blend of seventy-five percent pinot noir and twenty-five percent chardonnay was twenty percent barrel fermented in this vintage, and received a very modest dosage of three grams per liter. The wine is very fine, offering up a bright and classy bouquet of baked peaches and apples, pain grillé, almonds, a touch of citrus peel, lovely minerality and a nice dollop of fresh-baked bread in the upper register. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and rock solid at the core, with refined mousse, bright acids and fine length and grip on the wide open and classy finish. Fine juice, and like a lot of 2006s, it is already drinking very well indeed. (Drink between 2014-2035)

2007 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Extra Brut. 91 points. Fine bubbles, light yellow, this is pretty good, ultra elegant & finesse.

2008 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Extra Brut.

agavin: to my taste, the extra brut is a little “too brut”.

Caviar Flight.

Here paired with the champagne.

And the descriptions of the individual caviar.

Antoine Roland-Billecart of Billecart-Salmon gives an impassioned speech.

NV Billecart-Salmon Champagne Brut Réserve. JG 92. This particular bottle of Brut Réserve had been in my cellar since 2008, and it has aged beautifully and was drinking very well when opened this past spring. The excellent nose wafts from the glass in a mélange of apple, peach, warm bread, a touch of ginger, a lovely base of soil and plenty of upper register smokiness. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bdoied, complex and still rock solid at the core, with fine mousse, bright acids and lovely length and grip on the wide open, complex and classy finish. This particular release of Brut Réserve had been particularly steely out of the blocks, which is why I tucked some away to see how it evolved with bottle age. Yet again, a pretty strong argument for treating non-vintage Brut bottlings like other fine wines and cellar them for some time before starting to drink them! (Drink between 2014-2025)

NV Billecart-Salmon Champagne Brut Sous Bois. VM 92. Bright yellow. Pungent orchard fruit and lemon curd scents are complemented by suggestions of vanilla, anise and smoky minerals. Toasty and silky in texture, offering juicy pear and tangerine flavors plus a deeper suggestion of candied fig on the back half. Closes sappy, focused and long, with repeating smokiness and strong mineral cut.

NV Billecart-Salmon Champagne Brut Sous Bois (disgorged 2014). I loved this one.
Mushroom Tarte Flambe. Delicious. Crispy cracker like base covered in flame broiled cheese and mushrooms. Like an oversized passing hors d’oeuvre.

NV Billecart-Salmon Champagne Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru. 92 points. Very good. Nice nose showing citrus and good richness, with some vanilla and a touch of pastry cream. On the palate, lovely acidity, fine mousse, more citrus and some chalk. Clean finish.

2007 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Cuvée Louis Brut Blanc de Blancs. 94 points. Light straw, refined bubbles. Crisp, with lemon and lemon curd, some creaminess paired with a nice chalkiness. (Would be easy to drink all day).

2006 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Cuvée Louis Brut Blanc de Blancs. 93 points. Incredible balance on this bubbly. Sweeter mature and ripe yellow fruit, creme brulee, nuttiness, yet also a lemon tart and herbal character. Quite impressed. Medium sized bubbles on the mouthfeel. This is a solid champers, rather youthful with a very long and large history ahead.

1999 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Cuvée Louis Brut Blanc de Blancs. 97 points.

Spot Prawns (with roe). Perfectly cooked and juicy. Only problem was that I impaled the sensitive area under my tongue with a crispy leg and had to extract it from my flesh with my fingers! Still worth it!

Margarita’s Baguette and Normandy Butter. The reason many of us go to Republique, this is some serious temptation to the low carb diet!

2006 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Cuvée Nicolas-François Billecart. 93 points. Pinot Noir dominant flavors and aromas, as the house style dictates, but also showing a linear Chardonnay brightness. Very good now.

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. (Drink between 2018-2042)

1999 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Cuvée Nicolas-François Billecart. VM 93. Bright yellow-gold. An exotically perfumed bouquet evokes fresh pear, iodine, white flowers and toasted brioche, with gingery spice and mineral notes adding vibrancy. Rich and weighty but quite lithe and focused, offering sappy orchard and citrus fruit flavors and a chalky mineral nuance on the back half. Closes on a smoky note, with excellent focus and lingering floral character. L422345 16273.

Dover Sole.

Filleted with a cauliflower mash. This is a “simple” fish prep but in Walter’s very capable hands is scrumptious.

2002 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Les Clos Saint-Hilaire. 96 points. Great.

1999 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Les Clos Saint-Hilaire. VM 96. Billecart’s 1999 Le Clos Saint-Hilaire is exotic and beguiling. Constantly changing in the glass, the 1999 offers exquisite aromatics, silky and a real sense of underlying phenolic structure. Crushed rose petals, licorice, smoke, game and tobacco add nuance as the wine opens up. With time in the glass, the personality of these Pinot vines becomes more and more expressive. The 1999 was bottled with no dosage, but that would be impossible to ascertain in a blind tasting. (Drink between 2016-2024)

Pork Belly Caviar. This dish apparently won on some kind of cooking show that Walter was on. It was rich, rich beyond belief. A cube of fatty steamed pork bellow, butter, some kind of puree, more butter, and caviar. Woah! Delicious too but I had to sit quietly for a few minutes to let my arteries recover.

1996 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Cuvée Nicolas-François Billecart. BH 95. An absolutely sensational nose that is floral, spicy, yeasty and citrusy with exceptionally subtle hints of red berries that can also be found on the wonderfully fresh and still beautifully youthful flavors that are crisp, precise and layered. If there is a nit, the finish is perhaps not quite as long as one might hope for but as this ages and “relaxes”, the length will come. A potentially great wine and all it needs is a bit more time in bottle.

1998 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Cuvée Nicolas-François Billecart. VM 94. The 1998 Cuveé Nicolas François Billecart (60% Pinot, 40% Chardonnay) is another beautiful wine. The aromas are especially captivating and highly suggestive of Pinot, but the Chardonnay seems to take center stage on the palate, where the fruit is highly expressive. Like the Bland de Blancs, the wine saw 50% malolactic fermentation and only 5% of the wine was aged in oak as the estate was in its early days of using oak and wisely chose a moderate approach. (Drink between 2013-2018)

1990 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Grande Cuvée. VM 95. Pale amber color. Extraordinary, ineffable nose of baked bread, oatmeal, toast, game, quinine, roasted nuts and ginger ale. Full-bodied, thick and utterly seamless, with superb, integrated acidity giving it great verve. Conveys a sensation of palate-gripping extract. Extremely long, slowly expanding finish throws off notes of pepper, ginger and nutmeg. Every time I returned to this wonderful Champagne I liked it more. (Robert Chadderdon Selections, New York, NY)

agavin: this might have been my WOTN. Amazing bottle.

White Truffle Risotto. Simple and perfect. Stunning creamy risotto with real fresh in season white truffles.

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.

2006 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Cuvée Elisabeth Salmon. VM 94+. The 2006 Rosé Cuvée Elisabeth Salmon is powerful, intense and also classically austere in its make up. Crushed flowers, mint, red berries and cranberries are all finely sketched. The 2006 finishes with striking mineral-driven precision, and while it doesn’t have the opulence or exuberance of the 2002, it is still a very pretty and appealing Champagne. The Elisabeth Salmon is 50% Pinot Noir and 50% Chardonnay, with about 8% still Pinot Noir. Dosage is 6 grams per liter. (Drink between 2018-2031)

2007 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Cuvée Elisabeth Salmon. 92 points. Pink, slightly orange. Delicate bubbles. Hints of rose petal, and a touch of strawberry. Medium body, well balanced.

Chicken. That over simplifies the matter. There are mushrooms and reduction here. Delicious bird.

Cheese. The one course that was a let down. Actually rather lame — but we can forgive them after 7 perfect courses above.

My notes.

And the wine lineup.

Another amazing Sage Society dinner. Many of Sage’s wine maker dinners, all those that Liz puts together herself, are like this one, pulling out all the stops. This was a LOT of food — even for me — and the dishes were all custom for the wine and spectacular. And there was so much great champagne, really showing off both the house style and the very varied objectives of each cuvee. Quite educational too.

Too bad Erick handed me his cold that night (via the loaf of bread we shared) because I was sick the whole next week :-).

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
Comments (3)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Antoine Roland-Billecart, Billecart-Salmon, Champagne, Liz Lee, pork, République, Sage Society, Walter Manzke, Wine, winemaker dinner

Burgundy at Bouchon – Jadot

Mar13

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

Location: 235 NORTH CANON DRIVE | BEVERLY HILLS, CA 90210 | 310.271.9910

Date: March 4, 2013

Cuisine: French Bistro

Rating: Good, but expensive

Through my recent Burgundy aficionado dinners I was hooked up with a series of winemaker dinners that Wally’s Wine and Spirits throws. These seem to be at Bouchon and feature great wines from a particular winemaker as well as an intimate opportunity to meet the winemaker himself.

This particular dinner features Jadot, which is a solid traditionalist B+ Burgundy house that I buy very frequently as they offer a wide range of wines from all over Burgundy (150 in total) and very good value. In general, their reds are better than their whites.

With regard to Bouchon. In the last three-four years there’s been a bit of a French Food revival in Southern California, but the emphasis has been on Bistro fare. Of course this is consistent with the post-recession trend toward less formal restaurants anyway. Bouchon is the small-chain spawn for Thomas Keller, the highly acclaimed chef of The French Laundry.

The Beverly Hills space is very pretty. Check out the bar (both raw and booze). Lobsters oversee the diners.

The elegant dining room has a very spacious, even Parisian feel.

For the special wine dinner tonight we have the private room.

And a special (i.e. limited) menu.

Amuses

The non-vintage Brut Reserve offers orange, sweet spice, and yeast aromas. Light to medium-bodied and delicate, this refined wine has floral flavors intermingled with touches of citrus.

Little puff pastries filled with Gruyère cheese.

Country pate with corchicons.

Salmon pate.

Goat cheese and beet tartlet.

Flight 1: Whites

The only non-Jadot wine of the evening. The 2007 Mugnier Nuits St. Georges “Clos de la Maréchale” 1er. Burghound 89, “An expressive nose of green apple, white flower and lemon zest aromas trimmed in a deft touch of wood merges into rich, clean and beautifully detailed middle weight flavors that possess a fine sense of underlying tension and punch on the layered and very dry finish that lingers nicely. Lovely and balanced.”

1999 Jadot Meursault Les Genevrieres. Burghound 91, “This just oozes minerality and spice from an expressive, forward nose offering fresh herbs and citrus that continues on to the rich, nicely powerful and generous medium weight flavors and long, intense and detailed finish. While this remains entirely primary, it is sufficiently forward to suggest that it will not need much more time to approach peak drinkability.”

The 1990 Jadot Puligny-Montrachet Les Folatieres.

2007 Jadot Corton-Charlemagne. Burghound 94, “A strikingly complex nose that possess excellent breadth to the ripe, pure and airy aromas of white flower, spice, green apple and subtle pear aromas that complement to perfection the big-bodied, rich and mouth coating flavors built on a base of fine minerality, all wrapped in a sappy and mouth coating finish that oozes dry extract. This is really a lovely effort with a chiseled and driving finale of superb persistence though note that while patience will be required, there is sufficient mid-palate sap that the finishing austerity is not forbidding. A “wow” wine.”

And the same wine, but 1997 Jadot Corton-Charlemagne. Burghound 90, “Very expressive, broad and rich aromas of minerals and green apples followed by rich, full, medium weight flavors and excellent acidity in the context of the vintage. This is brighter and more vibrant than most ’97s and though the flavors are quite forward, this should age gracefully for some years to come.”

Truth is, this was younger, fresher, and better than the 2007. Probably the magnum helped.

2002 Jadot Batard-Montrachet. Burghound 93, “This is a huge wine with full-on, expressive aromas of white flowers and fresh citrus extract followed by huge, oily, almost viscous broad and deep flavors that display extremely impressive and fine acid/fruit balance and length that is hard to believe. This is a powerful, precise, almost painfully intense Bâtard that is altogether imposing in its sheer size and power yet it never lapses into heaviness. A genuinely great effort.”

The have good bread here.

Frisée aux Lardons et Oeuf Poché. Frisée lettuce, lardons, poached Jidori egg with bacon vinaigrette & toasted brioche.

Confit de Canard. Duck leg confit, French green lentils, a matignon of root vegetables & red wine vinegar duck jus.

Very tasty. All that duck fat had saturated into the lentils and made them delicious.

Flight 2: Reds

1990 Jadot Corton-Pougets. Burghound 92, “A ripe and now mostly secondary nose of earth, spice, leather and hints of animale lead to rich yet elegant flavors underpinned by still noticeable but not hard tannins and a mineral-infused finish that offers admirable length and depth. This is aging beautifully and while ripe, the balance is such that the wine should continue to hold at this level for years though I don’t forsee much if any additional improvement from here. In short, a very successful ’90.”

2000 Jadot Corton-Pougets. Burgound 88-91, “Stylistically closer to the Grèves with even better richness and power though it is not quite as complex and does not deliver the same level of finesse. Somewhat animale in character though not at all rustic. Very fine and quite long and not quite as structured as the other two Corton grands crus.”

2005 Jadot Clos Vougeot. Burghound 92-94, “A reserved and notably ripe earth-infused nose of red and dark berry fruit that possess a subtlesauvage character leads to Cistercian caliber youthfully austere flavors that are big, structured, well muscled and powerful and while not raw, it’s clear that this will need time to settle down and find their center. This is not an elegant wine but the potential is considerable and I especially like the bold character. A wine that will last 3 to 4 decades.”

This was from my cellar, but unfortunately it was way too young. It should be great wine in 10+ years :-).

ad hoc Fried Chicken. Wedge salad with roasted cauliflower & biscuits with gravy.

The best fried chicken I’ve had in years. Really really good! Not exactly light though.

The “light” salad that comes with the chicken.

Steak Frites. Herb roasted, caramelized shallots, maître d’hôtel butter or sauce Béarnaise served with French fries.

Flight 3: Reds

1989 Jadot Vosne-Romanee Les Suchots. Very nice, but I couldn’t find any reviews.

And the wine of the evening: the 1990 Jadot Chambertin Clos de Beze.

Parker 96, “It will be interesting to follow the evolution of the 1990 Bonnes Mares, Chambertin-Clos de Beze, and Chambertin. All are magnificent examples of not only the heights red burgundy can achieve, but also of the thrilling quality of the 1990 vintage. The Chambertin-Clos de Beze gets my nod as the wine in the Jadot portfolio that should hit the highest peak in quality and pleasure. It needs at least 5-7 years in the cellar, and has the potential to last for 25 or more years. The color is a saturated dark ruby/purple, and the closed nose offers sweet, jammy aromas framed by noticeable smoky new oak. The magnificent richness, highly structured and delineated style, as well as the explosively rich finish, all make for a show-stopping impression.”

Burghound 91, “From a bottle in the big Chambertin and Clos de Bèze tasting: Somewhat stewed, roasted fruit nose cut with very ripe earth and pungent, very ripe plum/prune notes. The flavors are big, very structured and intense but without sufficient mid-palate sap to completely buffer than and thus this finishes with an edgy, dry, slightly astringent quality. Perfectly good but not better and I found this wine a bit perplexing because the 1990 Clos St. Jacques is a really beautiful effort. 88/2005-12 Note: from a bottle tasted in October of ’04 – While the aromatics are certainly quite ripe, indeed even slightly roasted, this bottle delivered much more youthful, balanced, intense and savory flavors that displayed only a touch of the finishing astringency of the above example. While not destined to be a genuinely great wine, it’s certainly a fine effort.”

Really drinking great tonight (me says).

Selection de Fromages Artisanaux. Selection of artisanal cheeses with honeycomb, candied nuts, cranberry currant campagne & walnut bread.

The bread part.

A very fun evening. I was surprised how good the food was. Not modern or innovative per se (haha) but really very tasty. And there were some great wines plus the interesting opportunity to meet the winemaker and hear his perspective. He was very nice and extremely gracious.

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