Terroir Tales

Vegas round 2

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Tonight was Bouchon. OK, l'Atelier was nice, but Bouchon, well, it's better.

Duck confit was sublime, chateau monpertuis counoise, delicious. Roasted chicken, perfect. Game over.

Espresso at illy in the palazzo, Mmmmmmmm.

I might need a gelato.

Vegas encore

New content, what's this?? 3 days in Vegas, that's what this is. So rather than a narrative, I feel like making lists:

Good:

• A night at Wynn's encore and one at the Venetian for $105 each. Thanks hotwire!
• Drunken noodles with crispy duck at lotus of siam, so good I had it twice!
• Northern style pork larb (same as above)
• The duck confit dish (shredded confit topped with truffled potatoes and potato confit) at L'atelier du Joel Robuchon. Holy smokes this was good, and perfect with the 2005 L&A Lignier MSD. In the top 5 of dish/wine matches ever, easily.
• The butter and bread - same place. French butter from normandy. Outstanding.
• The croissant jambon fromage from Bouchon bakery. A great way to start a good day, with a delicious double espresso. 

Eh:

• The foie gras torchon at robuchon's place. Maybe I was off, but the foie (with trimbach yellow label gewurtz) didn't sing like it usually does. it was nice, but I didn't enjoy it like I had hoped.
• The "caille" dish, quail stuffed with foie. This was quite good, but no fireworks like the confit dish.
• The griffins maduro robusto for the walk back to the Venetian. It was enjoyable, but a bit strong for me. Yeah, it's a maduro, I know - so bad choice on my part if I wanted mild. Still.
• The Issan beef jerky at lotus of siam.
•  No mangos for mango sticky rice? Come on.
•  2007 Willi Schaefer GD Kab. Nice enough wine, but lacking the zippy acidity in the mouth that makes you want more, and more, and more.
• 2007 hexamer "quartzit". See above. The 2001 and 2002 were just plain better and more fun to drink.

Boo:

• The prices at L'Atelier. Too much.
• The wine list at L'Atelier. Too much, and too loaded at the high end. Nothing from Beaujolais. No cheaper burgs.
• The Kir royale at l'Atelier. Nice champagne (Bruno Paillard Brut) but too much cassis. Maybe it's me, but I like my Kir Royale to be just darker in color and slightly sweeter than Billecart's Rose. This was too much like FRV100 or Bugey Cerdon for my taste.

A little Tallent in Bloomington

earlier this week, we were in Bloomington, IL and ended up eating dinner at the same place two nights in a row. It was (website appears to be down at the moment). THe first night, I had a lovely summer squash soup that really was the essence of summery taste, followed by "pork 3 ways", which was tenderloins, surrounded by rillettes and wrapped in bacon. It was served over a creamed fresh corn. Absolutely delicious. Trung had the "chef's daily foie preparation" - with caramelized peaches and brioche. Simply delicious. He put a little kosher salt under the foie gras, which really set off the heavyness of the liver. I really like a touch of salt with my foie gras, I find it brings out the taste better than some of the more sweet accompaniments which often overwhelm, in my book. Night 2 was time for the tasting menu: "BLT Risotto" - probably the best course, in my book. A great idea, and perfectly executed. "Heirloom Tomato panzanella" - A very nice artful salad, with delicious tomatoes. "Pasta course" - goat cheese ravioli with a tomato sauce and some other stuff. The chef flavored the tomato sauce with a little mint, which struck me as a little strange at first, but it grew on me over time. I also liked this course a lot. duck course - duck breast, nicely cooked, with a red wine reduction. Simpler and more traditional than the previous courses, but very nice. steak and potatoes - I'm not really a steak and potatoes guy, this was my least favorite course. The potatoes were nice, with a truffle oil over the top. Dessert - a nice berry cake, with sweet corn ice cream over the top. The ice cream was outstanding. A nice Espresso to finish. Wines were a Pierre Peters NV Brut and a glass of Langmeil Shiraz with the steak. A lovely restaurant and I'd even drive from Indianapolis to eat there.

Two

Had two tastes tonight....red was 2004 Giacosa "Valmaggiore" Nebbiolo D'Alba. It really sang with the garlicky spinach and grilled asparagus wrapped in ham at dinnertime. WOW. If this is the "simple" 2004 from Giacosa, I can't imagine what the white labels taste like - let alone the reds from 2004!  Slightly less good with the pasta with homemade ragu (I even ground the beef!) but still tasty. After dinner by itself, it started to get a little tighter, and less fun. By midnight, when I killed the dregs - it was not singing a happy tune. Tighter and less interesting - it seemed to have closed up over time. I would suspect the food/non food difference, but when I first pulled out the cork while cooking it sure sang too. Seems like a wine that wants time.

Next was a Fritz Haag 2005 Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr GK Auslese. (#9, if anyone's playing AP# bingo at home). I remember drinking apricot nectar as a kid. This obviously didn't have the same viscosity or "goo", but it was all apricot all the time. Maybe I'm the problem, but this didn't sing to me. I've never had a Haag that opened my eyes. I just don't understand them, I guess. It's funny, I feel similarly about Reinhold Haart, who some smart people also love. My sweet spot seems to be from Bernkastel north, I guess. Pretty sad that I love German Riesling, but I only really dig the wines from a 15 mile stretch of the Mosel, and the Saar and Ruwer valleys. Am I really being prejudiced, or are my tastes that specific? Maybe someone should force me to do a blind tasting and that way I might debunk my prejudices withe real data? After all, there was a time I hated Gewurtztraminer, too. However, I still hate Grenache with a passion. I don't see that changing. 

The summer of the wine book....a couple of thoughts

Seems like there are quite a few wine books that have just hit the shelves, in the same sort of model as Kermit Lynch's "Adventures on the Wine Route", a book that I did quite enjoy and have now read twice. While Kermit's book contained some marketing propaganda, it also had some very vivid and memorable scene constructs where I could paint a mental image of the scene. One of the things I like so much about travelling to France is that it is different.....unapologetically different. You have special moments where you think "that's SO french", and that makes the trip for me. Kermit's book had a few moments that made me think the same way and therefore I was really drawn to the book for that experience.

So I bought 3 new books - Neal Rosenthal's book, Alice Feiring's book and Sergio Esposito's book. Neal and Sergio are importers, Alice is a writer.

The first one I read was the Sergio Esposito book "Passion on the Vine, a Memoir of food, wine and family in the heart of Italy". I really liked this book. Much in the way that Kermit's book gave me that "French" feeling, this book gave me an "Italian" feeling. I've never been to Italy (other than passing through) - an omission I must remedy soon. However, I picked up some of the things that seem uniquely Italian in the book...Large dinners, family, simple fresh ingredients a sense of history, and a love for living and experiencing each moment. Several moments made me smile, and I buzzed through the book very quickly. Definitely one I'd recommend to people who might share the same thoughts on the value of culture and tradition.

Then came the Alice Feiring book "The Battle for Wine and Love or How I saved the World from Parkerization". I know Alice's vinous preferences and agenda from posts on Wine Therapy.

and I do share a number of her feelings on wine styles and the direction of the "wine industry" today. The Dard & Ribo love I'm not so sure about - since it seems all of mine have been cooked in transit to Boston - and bottles sampled in France have struck me as decent, but not other-worldly.

Anyway, I didn't really like Alice's book. It consists of a bunch of stories/anecdotes from her personal experience, learning about the wine world. But if I had to pick a word to describe the book, it would be "whiney". She tells some funny stories, but at the end, I didn't feel like I had taken anything away from the book other than a laugh or two.

Next up, Neal Rosenthal.

Not food and wine....

But a little racing! First race of the season, NHMS. Probably the last race until July, too. Hopefully by then, I'll have my own in-car DVR going. I'm in the yellow car that starts in front and to the left of the car taking the video. Fun race. I started 5th, ended 2nd to the Black Mini. You can see the silver Triumph GT6 sitting in the grass just after the waving yellow at Turn 1. He spun right in front of me, I almost couldn't avoid him.

An absolutely delicious Oregon Pinot

I'm firmly in the camp that Pinot Noir shouldn't taste like Syrah, so if you like Sea Smoke, etc - this isn't a wine for you. However, last week, I opened a 2006 McKinlay Willamette Valley Pinot Noir and it was truly delicious. light in color - in fact lighter than the Sine Qua Non "Rose"s - and 12.5% alcohol listed on the label. Light, crisp and clean with Pinot Noir character - and only $16! I see K and L has it - I got mine from Storyteller Wine in Portland.

This is a perfect summer wine, and it's even CHEAPER than the Tempier Rose (another perfect summer wine)!

Burgundy - how simple yet how confusing

Over the last week, I've opened some "simple" Burgundy. First was the 1999 Ghislaine Barthod "Les Bon Batons" and then the 2005 Domaine Truchot-Martin Bourgogne. Now both are simple AOC Borgogne, not Premier Cru, not Grand Cru, just the lowest (and cheapest) 100% Pinot Noir wines that each producer would sell. They may produce a "Passetoutgrains" which may include Gamay, but I've never seen it from either of these producers. In any event, the wines were of course different - the Barthod was round and full of juicy berry fruit while the Truchot had more tannin and a more cherry-like character. This makes sense since M Truchot's holdings include land in Gevrey-Chambertin and Morey-St-Denis (sterner appelations) while Mme Barthod's land is mostly in Chambolle-Musigny which is often described as more "feminine". Plus the Barthod was a 1999 so it had some time to soften a little too.

In any event, neither wine goes for more than $30. And both were absolutely delicious. I've paid a lot more for a lot less, in Burgundy. And therein lies the trap of the wines. The risk/reward can be awful, especially when you buy from less consistent producers than the two I have mentioned. But I've never had a bad wine (or even a sub-standard wine) from either of these producers. Who else would I put on the same list? Mugnier, for sure. But I'm having trouble thinking of another. Domaine de Romanee-Conti would, I'm sure, belong for some people - but I've had exactly one bottle of their wine (out of my price range). Other producers I've liked are d'Angerville, Paul Pernot, Ecard, Lignier, Simon Bize, Henri Gouges, Vogue and even some wines from Jadot, Drouhin and Faiveley. However, I've also had some lousy wines from each of these producers, so I can't say that I consistently like their wine.

So I guess buying Burgundy would be like owning a vintage Ferrari race car. When all is in order, there's nothing that compares. But it's damn frustrating and expensive getting between those moments.

Of course, all references to Burgundy (and Ferraris) above should only be pictured in red. Because that's the only way a Ferrari (and a Burgundy) should be!

Delicious Morgon

2005 Descombes Morgon is just lovely. Berries and earth, will get better with age but simply delicious now. Went really well with a philosophical discussion of work with a former colleague. I was a little thrown off because it seems to have been made in Vermont, but imported by Louis/Dressner. Well, I guess Vermont is a little "different" isn't it?

What's been good?

A 1999 Barthod "Les Bons Batons" was outstanding after an hour in the glass and really made me sad that I didn't buy more, since her wines are now prohibitively expensive. I've also been really digging the "New/Old wave" white wines, like Gravner, Radikon, Coenobium (Bea), and some unpronouncable producers with lots of consonants. Served at room temperature, they are really expressive. Food-wise (this is a food blog, too!), Queso de Mano from Haystack Mountain really was outstanding.

We went to a dinner at a friend's house and they served Cassoulet, which I had never had the pleasure of trying before. It was very yummy. Seems like quite the project to cook, but maybe it's a restaurant meal? With the Cassoulet and delicious sides, we had some wine. The whites were great, but the reds were a little lacking, due to the portugese menace. We had a mini-vertical of Coenobium (2005 and 2006) which was hard to get a handle on, due to the different temperatures, but both were very drinkable and a good deal at the pricing I've seen in the low $20s. A 1990 JJ Prum "Graacher Himmelreich" Spatlese was perfect, just as all old Prum is. A 1997 Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt "Kaseler Nies'chen"  Spatlese was also delicious. There was a Veuve Clicquot vintage champagne with some age that was nice. I'm sure notes will be made in the usual places.

On another night, a 1997 Max Ferd Richter Spatlese (VIneyard unknown) and a 1993 J Christoffel Jr. Spatlese that had been in the fridge, open for over 3 weeks, both seemed better than when first opened. Or maybe it was just a better day for the taster.

I tried to make Pho...that's definitely a restaurant dish. WAY too much effort to make at home for something that costs $7 at a restaurant!

Nothing new...

I haven't eaten or had anything good to drink for a couple of weeks, as I've had the Flu and now I jsut can't taste anything. So my highlights have been Nyquil and really spicy Pho (about the only thing I can taste).

I hope to be better soon!

TerroirSF - I hope these guys do well

After a bit of furor on Wine Therapy and on Vinography, I decided to pay Terroir a visit last week. I had been meaning to stop by for some time, and happened to be in the Bay Area and free for an evening so I stopped on over. It was a Wednesday evening, so I guess the cool kids weren't out. In short, I really liked Terroir. It seemed to be a perfect place for a group of 4-5 people, some good conversation and a little vinous exploration. They had an exceptionally interesting list of wines, both in bottles or by the glass. I did not try the salumi, but the cheeses were just excellent, and I am pretty jaded when it comes to cheese. Over the course of the evening, I tasted a cheese made in CA from milk flown in from Holland - and learned about a Scotch made in Burgundy. I made a bit of a mistake because I bought a bottle of Herve Souhaut's Souterrone and ordered it, although I was alone. I should have spent some time exploring the interesting by-the-glass selection. Anyway, Radikon, Tempier, Mas de Daumas Gassac back to 1981 (White and Red), some de Montille burgs, lots of Musar, and a bunch of wines I haven't seen on shelves or only rarely. I also saw a lot of interesting producers that I wasn't familiar with. What an interesting selection! I wanted to open one of everything.

The 2 bartenders/owners that were there were very interesting to talk to. They both had previously worked at restaurants in the city and were very passionate and knowledgable about Natural wines. The place struck me as a true "French" wine bar - minimal "fluff" and all about the wines - as opposed to the wine bars I have come across in the US which tend to have a lot longer list, but a lot more plonk. I'm not sure minimalist will become "cool" in the US, but I hope it does. Right now, it seems that a wine bar needs an element of "slick" that Terroir doesn't have, or seem to want to have.

I hope the place survives and does well. I'll head by as often as I can. I''d recommend that anyone who wants to learn something new about wine do the same. And bring friends, so you aren't drinking a whole bottle solo!

Find some other nice notes on Terroir here: http://spume.wordpress.com/2007/12/12/naturals-not-in-it-or-in-search-of-clean-wine/ and here: http://oldworldoldschool.blogspot.com/2008/01/puzelat-pda-and-other-fun-stuff-at.html and here: http://oldworldoldschool.blogspot.com/2007/12/terroir-natural-wine-bar.html. 

Strip mall chinese?

In San Ramon tonight, eating tea-smoked duck and drinking 1998 Chave estate St. Joe. I don't have my ladies with me but I am doing OK without them tonight. I wanted to eat at Terroir or Bar Tartine, but maybe next time. Had a cup of blue bottle espresso today and it rocked. What is it about their coffee??

Craigie Street Bistrot - "Chef's Whim"

Deciding to stay off the roads for "amateur night" has become an annual tradition for us, so we thought the Saturday before might be a nice night for a good meal out. Sadly, Gilson's Lyceum was fully booked when we called. Their December menu looked very nice, January isn't as nice for us. So we made reservations for dinner at Craigie Street Bistro which we had wanted to try for some time.

They were extremely accommodating to my allergies and Carla's love of things from the sea..allowing us to do 2 different tasting menus. Uncommon flexibility, very much appreciated.

So here's the menu:

Assiette of Nantucket Bay scallops au Cru with Chiogga Beets, oroblanco, Asian Pear, pine nut vinaigrette, salmon roe (for Carla)

Two Cured Meats: Banyuls-Cured Duck Breast , Fennel and Pepper cured Lardo, Banyuls Vinegar reduction (for me)

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Fresh Wellfleet Clams with Squid, potato and Cabbage noodles, squid ink-dashi sauce, bowfin caviar (for Carla)

Fresh Ricotta Gnocchi with Savory Beet Jus and Mustard Oil (for me)

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Fresh Florida Frog Legs a la Meuniere with Roasted Chicories, bacon emulsion (for both)

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Potage of Gillfeather Turnips, CSB rabbit sausage, slow-cooked farm fres egg, honshimeji mushrooms, Brussels Sprout leaves (for both)

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Slow-roasted Organic Veal Sweetbreads, Kohlrabi, pickled peanuts, caramelized endive puree, maple-aigre doux (for both)

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Ancho Chile and Spice crusted Sika Venison with yellow chanterelle mushrooms, wild rice, prunes, winter vegetables and persimmon puree (for both)

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Pear Sorbet with cajetas caramel

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Warm Sweet white corn grits with demerera brulee, hazelnuts, dried fruit compote, canela ice cream

and

Gingerbread Pain Perdu

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CSB Hot Cocoa with Ancho Chile and Cardamom

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Whew! To drink, we had a 2004 Domaine de Belliviere "L'Effraie" through the Sweetbread course (mistake...the sweetbreads were too much for the wine, although the wine was good with all the courses to that point and outstanding with the Frog Legs. With the Venison, we had a 2006 Thevenet Morgon VV.

Thoughts on the food:

1. Very nice, well prepared, we'd go again. Probably wouldn't do the tasting menu again (too much food and $$), but good to do it once.

2. Carla loved the Scallop dish, although she was initially scared by the "au Cru" part. She found the squid ink-dashi broth to be too fishy and that ruined the second dish for her. Her favorite was the Venison course and she found the Goat''s milk caramel very interesting and was searching for an application of same.

3. I liked everything, but my favorite was probably the venison as well - or the gnocchi. Both were outstanding.

4. I was a little bummed that we didn't get any porky stuff - I really was interested in the "Crispy Pork Jowl Croutons" and the "Pork 3-ways" that were on the regular menu, but it was a "Chef's Whim" after all and so you try what you get - and nothing was a letdown, I just kept hoping for pork!

A good night out and a fun restaurant that will be on the list when our foodie friends come to town.   

2002 Champagne

I opened a 2002 Philippe Gonet & Fils Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs (Le Mesnil sur Oger) tonight. I found it at K&L in Redwood City and was very interested to try it because this is one of the producers that Carla and I visited on our honeymoon. Well, it wasn't profound champagne and at the $49.99 pricetag, I'm not going to rush out for more...but it was perfectly servicable young Blanc de Blancs. Good yeasty nose, light in the mouth, acidic/mineral finish. It reminded us of the week that Carla discovered Tums. Will this grow into something worthwhile, maybe. I'd wager on no. It won't ever blow your socks off, I do not believe. I'd put it in the Pierre Peters category more than the Salon category. But on the other hand, we both decided that we don't drink enough champagne. I need to find a good $30 bottle to have on hand. Cheers!

A Foodie Thanksgiving

I've always thought looked at Thnaksgiving as my favorite holiday, believe it or not...There's just something appropriate about pausing in the fall to think about (and give thanks) for all the accomplishments of the summer and year that has past. All the hockey lessons, walks in the woods, races won (and lost), dinners eaten, sails taken, potties trained, stories read, "why"s answered, drives hit into the woods (and into the fog, to land who knows where), and so on and so on. And then you add in some good food...what could be better? Well, at least the poor food starts out with such promise, and then oops...the bird is dry, the gravy is too salty and the lumps aren't gibbies, the veggies come from a box and the cranberry still has the shape (and taste) of the can it came in.

Why? What about getting together  a bunch of people who can cook, and give them a palette (not palate or pallet...but those are welcome at the party too) composed of the "normal" fare, and see what happens.

Well, it happened very well. We had steak tips with jerk and zin marinate, we had cornbread dressing, we had homemade cranberry (I think), we had a fresh fennel salad, we had turkey leg confit, we had sweet potato pie, we had brie en croute, homemade spring rolls, a cheese plate, an oyster casserole, and Ming Tsai's Grilled Turkey Breast with 4-bean salad and fried rice, and a whole bunch of good (and interesting) wine. Wines I particularly liked were a 2002 d'Angerville Pommard (some felt it was too shrill, but I loved it); a 1994 Phelps "Insignia" - which was nice with dinner, but really fell apart the next day;  a 2001 Saarstein Auction Auslese, of course a 2000 Allemand sans-soufre was yummy, and a 1989 cleanskin bottle of Foreau Vouvray Molleaux Reserve which was apparently bottled by Pmac without a front or back label, but didn't seem to suffer a bit. You know you are eating with a bunch of wine geeks when they know the wine from only the neck label that has only the vintage and a little artistic filigree. The Gaston Chiquet "Cuis" NV Brut and the 1996 Pierre Peters were good ways to start and the Joly wine (whatever it was) was delicious. And there was a 1994 Clos Ste Hune that didn't suck too much either. Good friends, good times, good food, good wine. Might be an annual tradition to help us all get through the "actual" festivities.   

Good Gibbets, rancid gravy

We discovered a very nice restaurant in Groton tonight: Gibbet Hill Grille. Although the waitress suggested that their specialty was steak, we didn't go for the hunk of cow because it seems less and less appealing to us. Carla had a Butternut Squash and Apple Bisque which was delightful and really carried the squash flavor with the apple only there for a little sweetness. Then she had a "special" salad with fresh greens, cranberries, walnuts and goat cheese crumbles and a little grilled chicken. She loved it. I had a side salad and then a really nice deconstructed shepherds pie with lamb and beef in a tasty brown sauce with some beans and corn, around a root veggie puree. Very tasty food, we'll probably go back. It seems to be a solid choice for dining with my parents as well, but I wouldn't call it a "oldster's" place by any means.

So what's the rancid gravy? The wine list. Carla managed to find a "Dr L" Riesling by the glass, but other than that, there was a lot of Cali Cab, Merlot, some Pinot, a few zins and blends and a couple of Aussies. In general, your standard restaurant list (see link above, for details). Prices were a little high, but not out of the "normal" range in Boston and the burbs. I drank ice water, and more ice water. Then I came home and had a really nice glass of 2001 Sella "Bramaterra". Now I realize a glass of Bramaterra will never end up on a restaurant list in MA, especially since it's not distributed in our fine Commonwealth but it sure would have tasted good with my dinner. Do I subscribe to the "Universal Taste"...no. And I recognize that. But if I was in the mood for beer, I could have had an IPA or a Stout, or a Pilsner or my choice of a very varied list of fine beers. And if Gibbett hill had been in CA, or OR or NYC, or Philadelphia, or DC, or a bunch of other places, I could have had my Bramaterra with my meal. Or a glass of Jasmin, or a glass of Chave...or whatever I wanted. But not in MA. And it's a shame.

OK, enough grousing...   

Pho - Slurp! Mmmmm.

Yummy hot tasty and such defined flavors with the Thai Basil, a squirt of the hot sauce and an iced coffee. Perfect for a cool fall day. Why the pho didn't I find this sooner?

Is there a wine match?

Cafe Rouge - Berkeley

Went solo tonight to cafe rouge in berkeley. Very nice and highly recommended. I started with a cheese souffle that was light and fluffy yet tasty (cheddar) and was served in a pool of a cream. Main course was chicken with an OUTSTANDING (apologies to David RAINES) chanterelle gratin. The chicken was perfectly cooked, but not as flavorful as the best chicken of all time - Poulet de Bresse at Table du Gourmet in Alsace. The 2 flutes of Agrapart BdB had yummy flavor, crisp acidity and went very well with the food. Huckleberry Pot de Creme and Decaf espresso to finish.

It's a bigger space than Chapeau, and the crowd is different, but the food was just as good if a little less "developed". I'll certainly be back. Got to try Chez Panisse one of these times, though.

Adult Raspberry Lime Rickeys!!

Of course it's the wrong season, but....

1 shot Hangar One Fraser River Raspberry vodka

1 crushed lime

fill with Sprite/7-up and ice

mmmm

Good and Bad?

Herve Souhaut Sainte Epire from 2005 is excellent, bright pure vital Syrah from the Northern Rhone, St. Joseph to be precise. His VDP Syrah is also very nice and a decent bargain. These are "natural" wines, though, so buy and cellar at risk. These wines are imported by Jenny and Francois and seem to be available at Astor in NYC but not in MA (yet).

A whole bunch of wines at the Perry bachelor-fest really sang, including the Giacosa, the Beaucastel, the Juge and the 2 bubblies. I wasn't terribly thrilled by the Chardonnays (not my thing), the Chignin, and the Guigal was awful. The food at Troquet is always good, but Chris' list is looking a little sparser than I remember. It's got to be hard to maintain such a diverse, deep and well priced list. I would have liked to try the Essencia that Tim brought, but I was so full at that point, I couldn't bring myself to even take a sip. The Montecristo really hit the spot up in the woods. Tasty, and it seemed to keep the bugs away. Joe posted notes everywhere (WT, WLDG, eGobs, etc)

At LimeRock last weekend, a 2004 Domaine les Bruyeres Corzes went well with just-grilled Cheese Brats.

sum sum Summertime

What's been good? A 2005 Vollenweider Kabinett was nice, if a little fat for a Kabinett. A 1994 Schloss Saarstein Spatlese was nice in a lime kind of way. a 1995 Jaboulet "Les Jumelles" Cote Rotie was better than I expected it to be, which isn't saying much. It had a little character - enough that I might have guess it's origin blind - but certainly nothing I'd run out and buy again, unless I was looking for a dilute northern Rhone.

Other good things: Ramps, in a little bacon fat and dijon Mustard; the "Bellini Iced Tea" at Olive Garden (yes, believe it or not); Patron Margaritas with Citronge and Patron Silver; the truffle fries at Capital Grille; grilled Asparagus with Proscuitto; Halloumi, grilled on a pita with a nice tomato, Blue Bottle Espresso (and even a Starbucks ristretto, when they know what you are talking about).

Strange event of the spring: I went looking for frisee for a salad. Went to 3 different stores that usually have it (Idlewild Farms, Whole Foods in Fresh Pond and even Russos) and got nothing. Strange that nobody in the southern hemisphere is growing frisee for us?

What else is new? Race season has gotten of to a less-than-great start...First race was a DNF because the new exhaust seperated and was dangling under the car. A test day at Lime Rock went well, but the next race at NHIS was a complete washout - rained three days straight. Chris' new "hot" motor has turned out to be significantly less than how it was advertised, and we're off to VIR in 2 weeks.

Live and direct from Ampuis

I read a few things about 2004 and 2005 from the Northern Rhone, but I guess by now I should know not to read "things". Over the last 2 days, I've tasted a whole mess of 2004 and 2005 cornas and Cote Rotie, as well as a few 2006s. My general impression is that 2005 is an excellent vintage - comparable to 1999 in terms of developing powerful, intense wines with excellent balance. 2004 and 2006 are what I'd call more "classic" vintages, comparable to 2001, which I like a lot.

Stephane Ogier and the Jamet brothers made the most "deep" 2004s I tasted, while Robert Jasmin's 2004 shows his typical elegant violet nose and classy presence. The Gaillard "Clos du Cuminialle" is excellent, too bad the NBW version "cuvee unique" will be overoaked.

The 2005 whites are good and seemed to sell through quickly here at the show. I found them a little heavy and flabby, but I think my tastes don't really match the typical Northern Rhone white. I look for good acidity and that seems to be the exception rather than the rule.

From 2005, the reds are huge. The Belle Helene will be a crazy monster. Even the Jasmin struck me as a big wine. The Rose Pourpre might be too big. And from Cornas??? Picture a black and purple King Kong. Wow.

Ferry building Farmers Market

I found myself in the Bay area on a Saturday morning so I decided to make a trip to the Ferry Building Farmers market. This was a good decision. I wandered around, got several cups of Blue Bottle coffee, one warm, one iced - bought some excellent beef jerky and sausages at Fatted Calf, tried countless interesting fresh and dried fruits, nuts and vegetables, and cheeses, had two really good carnitas tacos, and really enjoyed the experience. I really think it's wonderful that Northern California has such a strong culture of celebrating fresh food and artisanal ingredients. I really wish that Boston could develop a similar vibe. There are certainly some wonderful experiences to be had in the Boston food "scene", like Formaggio Kitchen and Russos - but what about farmers markets? I went by Haymarket a while ago (I'm not sure it's even still there after the Big Dig) and all I smelled was rot. Farmer's markets shouldn't smell of rot. We can also get more than our fair share of fresh seafood - but maybe I was too idealogical, but it really seems to me like the pride of artistry isn't here like in Northern CA. I got the feeling that every vendor at every booth at the Ferry Building market was convinced that what they were selling was the best quality, freshest version of that item that could be found anywhere. I just don't get that feeling here, except in the seafood markets. Maybe it's just me. 

Mr. Keller really likes his sous vide machine

As I enjoy the long walk (the length of the strip) back to my hotel, I am thinking about the meal at bouchon.

Pretty darn good. In fact, perfect bistro food.

I started with a kir royale. Pretty much a perfect kir royale.

Then, pork belly with pickled cherries over lentils.

For the main course: short ribs (beef) over mushrooms.

For dessert; chocolate mousse and decaf espresso

Wine: 04 oupia minervois

Compluicated, fussy food? No. Simple food, perfectly prepared. And a lot of sous vide. Very french and well worth experiencing.

OK, so maybe everything on eBob isn't all bad.

I finally overcame my prejudice against "everything eBOB" and opened an account with www.cellartracker.com. Then I had some tremendous help from several great elves to catalog and enter all my wine into the database, inch-by-inch, bottle-by-bottle. Thanks, guys. I really appreciate all the effort!

Anyway, everything is now entered and cellartracker is a great program. I had no way of knowing that my cellar was over 45% Riesling! That alone made me smile. I can also find out fun facts like that we have more Willi Schaefer wine than any other producer in the cellar. Somehow, that makes me laugh a hearty laugh. Those who have met Willi will understand. Next most popular is JJ Prum. I've never met Manfred or his apparently lovely daughter, so I have no idea how to react to this news. Ironically, M-S-R producers also occupy the next 5 top slots before we get to the Rhone and Thierry Allemand and Chave.

There are a few funny features to Cellartracker, though. It will calculate "valuation" based on a mix of Winebid data and user entries. Who knew that 2001 JJ Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Spatlese was worth over $100/bottle? Or that Schloss Saarstein made an Auslese in 2001 that is worth nearly $200/bottle!! I think someone is a little more proud of their cellar contents than they should be.

In any event, I highly recommend cellartracker, it has improved my life. Maybe.

Maya in San Francisco

reviews on Chowhound were mixed but the menu looked interesting so I decided to give it a try. I was very happy I did. Margaritas were nice, the Quesadilla was different...more like what most other places would call an empanada in shape and form but filled with cheese and peppers. My main course of steak with a side of a Manchego/Huitlacoche "enchilada" was excellent but didn't enlighten me as to the taste of huitlacoche, which I had hoped it would.  Overall, pricey ($70 for 3 courses and 2 margaritas) but worth trying.

mooching some Chave

Larry and I happened to have the luck of going to a restaurant where the next table was doing a Chave Vertical, and we were offered mooch samples...how could we say no?? I'm sure there will be notes on eBob but since I'm also sure my impressions will be different so here goes...

(All Rouge)

1978 - earth and sticks, good now but this bottle might be seeing the backside of the hill. Pleasant, though - for those who can deal with the lack of fruit.

1988 - tasted with the 1989, more funk and mushroomy earth but delicious.

1989 - near perfect for me. Just outstanding wine. Drinking great now or hold a while, it's all good.

1990 - More blocky than the 1989, showing a little more oak(?). The "tasting table" loved this, I thought it was good but I'd take the 1989 and probably the 1988 over it.

1995 - Unresolved, tight and fruity. Seems like it has the stuff but I wouldn't touch it for a while.

1996 - More resolved than the 1995 but still a little primary for me. Probably not one for the ages but it will be fine in a few years.

1998 - not tasted

2001 - A little thinner and more astringent than the 1995/1996 pair, and showing more acidity. Definitely needs time.

2003 - This wine made us laugh out loud. It's not Chave, it's not Hermitage. It could have been made anywhere. Who took my Chave wintergreen and replaced it with Aussie chocolate, caramel and buttered popcorn? This would have fit in well with last weeks tasting that included Shafer "Relentless" and some other scary wines. Truly frightening. Run away.

In all, very enjoyable and much better than the wines we picked off the list ...1990 JJ Prum Spatlese was nice, but not outstanding - and 1993 Paul Pernot "Les Carelles" was interesting but not anywhere near in the Chave's league.

Thank you, Josh! It was great to be able to try all of those wines together.

Interesting new magazine....

www.edibleboston.net

I just picked up the first issue (free at a farmstand) and it's very good in an www.artofeating.com sort of way. It's a quarterly. Both food and wine...things I can relate to.

Also, Boston Restaurant week is actually 2 weeks this year, starting August 13. Watch www.restaurantweekboston.com and get your reservations in early!!

Ice Cream makes you happy

Today wasn't the best travel day. Parking at Logan was full so I was diverted to parking in Chelsea (yes, Chelsea, on the other side of the bridge) and missed my flight to DEN and on to SEA. Rerouted through Cincinnati and on to SEA. Sat at the gate at Logan for over an hour due to "ATC" so we missed the connection to SEA and I get to spend the night in Cincinnati (well, Ft. Mitchell, KY to be exact). But as the shuttle pulled into the lot, I saw a Graeters sign. mmmm...Graeters.. www.graeters.com. We have a pretty good ice cream place at home, Kimball Farm, but I must say, Graeters is better. Somehow, that sweet, creamy, cold stuff made the night seem better and I enjoyed the walk back to the hotel with my banana frappe (they call it a milkshake here for some reason). Strawberry chip (a seasonal flavor) is highly recommended as well. Thanks, Bob.