Dinner at Crooked House Cafe…

Bernard!!!!

House made Rillette
Country Pate
Oyster Leaves with Mignonette (amazing, they taste exactly like fresh oysters)
Escargots in Pernod and garlic wine

Veggie Paella with Ice lettuce and Chantrelles
Seafood Cassoulet
Lamb loin, wrapped in lamb sausage en croute
Veal skirt steak with béchamel and Chantrelles

Cheese plate

Wines:
NV Michel Turgy Brut Reserve Selection
2009 Clos Cibonne Rose de Tibouren Speciale
1999 Nikolaihof Riesling Steiner Hund
1999 Dom. Chevillon Nuits St. George 1er Les Roncieres
2009 Dom. Chevillon Nuits St. George 1er Les Perrieres
1998 Grange de Peres Coteaux du Languedoc Rouge

Tasted:
2009 Evening Land Chardonnay Mad Hatter
2009 Evening Land Chardonnay La Source
2009 Evening Land Chardonnay White Queen
2009 Evening Land Pinot Noir La Source

Followed by whiskey at the Westside…

Vosne-Romanee (Nov. 2008)

Pre-pours:
1. 1997 Chat. Beaucastel Chateauneuf-de-Pape Blanc
Guessed: Chenin (Loire)

2. 2004 Cotat Mont Damnes Sancerre
Guessed: Savennieres

3. 1998 Dauvissat 1er Vaillons Chablis
Guessed: White Burg, probably Chablis

4. 1997 Dom. Baumard Savennieres Tres Speciale
Guessed: Chenin

Vosne-Romanee Tasting:
A. 1995 Dom. d’Arlot V-R 1er Les Suchots (1/1)
Smokey, some hot alcohol, bright rasp, gets more and more pretty as it fleshes out, gains in weight and intensity with time, lots of smokey roses

B. 1996 Dom. Leroy V-R 1er Les Beaux Monts (6/6)
Darker and brooding, incredibly rich rasp/pepperoni, getting more ashy, leaner in mouth and thinner mouthfeel than expected, high acid but just ashy all the way through

C. 1997 Dom. Drouhin V-R 1er Les Petits Monts (4/4)
Higher toned, more leafy, orange pekoe tea, incredibly gobby fruit, spicy but showing a bit of alcohol

D. 1993 Dom. Rion V-R AOC (3/3)
Rasp tea, gaining in smokey pekoe/gunpowder tea, rich almost jammy, but elements of band-aid, tomato, a bit like a chat de pape?

E. 2002 Hudelot-Noellat V-R 1er Les Malconsorts (5/5)
More earthy and leafy, then coffee notes here, thinner than expected by nose, a pretty dramatic water-line, a more watery

F. 2002 Hudelot-Noellat V-R 1er Les Malconsorts (2/2)
Tannic yet brighter than others, pretty, really floral, esp roses and hibiscus, then coffee as an undertone

Post-Pours:
1. 2002 Dom. Breton Bourgeuil Clos Senechal

2. 1994 Evesham Wood Pinot Noir

3. 2005 Jack (ass) from Francis Tannanhil

Desserts:
1. 1999 Anselmi I Capitelli (Passito of Gargenega)

2. 1993 Felsina Vin Santo

3. 1999 Dom. Baumard Le Vert de L’Or (Loire Verdehlo)

4. 2005 Kerpen Riesling Wehlener Sonnenheur Auslese ***

Corton Rouge (April 2008)

Pre-pours:
2002 Dom. Chablisienne Monte de Tonniere

Corton Rouge Tasting:
A. 1996 Prince Florent de Merode Corton-Renards (4/4)
Lighter, more bricked, kumquats, more coffee in mouth, slightly sweet, briney, light rosehips, tarragon later

B. 1988 Dom. Giroud Corton (2/1)
Cleaner and brighter, cherry nose, darker hued, some meatiness, bright orange orange and lemon peel in mouth, spicy herbs and cooking spices, lingering citrus acid

C. 2002 Price Florent de Merode Corton (5/6)
Highertoned red fruit, some alcohol, a little poo and a little pepperoni, more flabby in the mouth, grassy in nose, some sulfur meatiness in mouth, jarring acid

D. 1993 Beaux-Freres (3/5)
Back to more chocolate, brooding, brighter cherry in mouth, cocoa powder and some braesola meatiness, gains in orange and almost pineapple acid, green beans?

E. 2001 Chandon de Brailles Corton Les Bressandes (6/2)
Caramelized orange blossoms, beef stick and cherry cough drops, weird orange?, big acid but herby character, back to tarragon again

F. 1996 Bouchard Le Corton (1/3)
More galore of everything, esp cherries, indian spices, big tannins, most young tasting and tight now, really lingering acid, cinnamon hots, red leaf lettuce

Post-pours:
1. 2004 Fourrier gevery-Chambertin1er Clos St. Jacques V.V.

2. 2004 Las Madres Syrah: pretty terrible, almost late harvest

Dessert:
1. 1992 J.J. Cristoffle-Prum Riesling Urziger Wurzgarten Auslese

2. 1999 Gunderloch Riesling Ruthenberg Auslese Goldkapsule

3. 1996 Disznoko Tokaji Aszu 5 Puttonyos

4. 1977 Quarles Harris Vintage port

Chambolle-Musigny (Aug. 2008)

A. 2002 Barthod Les Chatelots (5/5)

B. 2002 Dom. Fournier 1er Les Gruenchers V.V. (4/4)

C. 2004 Mugnier Les Fuees (6/6)

D. 2002 Roumier 1er Les Cras (2/3)

E. 2002 St. Innocent White Rose (1/1)

F. 2000 Bertheau Bonnes Mares Grand Cru (3/2)

Alsace Riesling 1998 to 2004

Mixed Red Burgundy – Beach Trip

A. 1997 Potel Charmes-Chambertin (1/1)

B. 2002 Dom. Maume Gevery-Chambertin (4/4)

C. 1999 Comte-Armand Pommard Clos Epeneaux (3/2)

D. 2002 Mugneret Echezeaux (2/3)

E. 2002 Faiveley Latricieres-Chambertin (5/5)

Post-pours:
1. 2008 Ventura Vina Caneiro

2. 1999 Leon Baarral AOC
Guess: obviously Bandol

Dessert:
1. 1999 Nespoli Recioto di Sangiovese de Emilia-Romania

Chablis – Mixed Vintages

A. 2001 Dauvissat Les Clos (3/4)

B. 1999 Raveneau Butteaux (6/5)

C. 1997 Dauvissat La Foret (2/1)

D. 2002 Raveneau Le Blanchot (5/3)

E. 2003 Dom. De la Roche Le Blanchot (1/2)

F. 2005 DeMoor Rosette (4/6)

Gruner Veltliner Smaragd or Equivalent

Grand Cru Burgundy at the Beach with Duck two ways (Beach trip 2011)

Pre-pour: Blanc de Blanc Champagne with Tune Poke Nachos
1. NV Jean Milan

2. 1996 A. Margaine Special Club

3. Michel Turgy Selection Grand Cru (15 years of blending)

4. 1998 Pierre Gimmonet Special Club

Grand Cru Burgundy Tasting:
A. 1996 Rapet Clos de la Roche (2/1)
Pretty, pretty red fruits, some leather and tea leaf, like the red fruit aspect to this, I find it beguiling, love that it is a contrast to everything else here, some dr pepper aspects?

B. 1998 Pierre Demoy Chambertin (1/2)
Think this is mine…, smells funky and a bit of graphite, big nose and lots of big tannins, lots of cocoa coffee and orange acid, ton of graphite a bit unyielding on the graphite-like tannins, huge acid underneath, turns a corner then becomes deep and dense and delicious

C. 1995 Faiveley Chambertin Clos du Beze (5/5)
Big citric acid over baked/dried raspberries and porchinis, drying tannins in the end, shows integrity but the tannins are just not giving up, chalky minerals and Xmas spices

D. 1996 Florent de Merode Corton-Renardes (4/4)
To me this is really floral and pretty, great acid over cocoa powder, good length on the end, seems middle of the road in the mix here, pretty smooth tannins comparatively

E. 1996 Dom. Rousseau Clos de Beze (3/3)
Truffles! Big mushrooms and some sweat, nutmeg and cinnamon, some asparagus, charred oak, sweat, green tea and wet leaves, gets more gym as it opens but still a powerful beast

Rose Champagne at the Beach with Cataplana (Beach trip 2011)

Pre-pour:
1. NV J.L. Vergnon Blanc de Blanc Grand Cru

Rose Tasting:
A. 2007 Vouette et Sorbet Saignee de Sorbet Extra-Brut (5/5)
Darkest in hue, very sweet fruit, almost red rose rather than champagne, very meaty with ton of blood orange acid, kinda like Tahitian treat!?

B. NV Vilmart Cuvee Rubis 1er (2/1)
Seems like most lees time, more brioches than any here, lots of baked berries, long disgorgement, more herbal

C. NV Jean Milan (4/4)
Wild berries, intensely blood orange acid and strawberries, little stinky initially but a very intense nose, zingy! Almost tastes like a red burg!

D. NV Margaine (Disgorgement 2010) (1/2)
Barest pinkish hue, actually much more intense than the color belies, great length to this and amazing length.

E. NV Vilmart Cuvee Rubis 1er (Yes, same as B) (3/3)
Yummy salmon color, guessing Neil’s, good weight with a meaty mid palate, gets really pretty with food

Post-pour:
1. 2000 Tondonia Rioja Blanco

2. Vergano Americano

3. Vergano Luli