Magnum Mania for a 30th birthday celebration at Fort Tilden, NYC

The first saber of the day,  Billecart-Salmon Extra Brut NV in magnum

The gorgeous weather for the beginning of fall this month inspired me to bring everyone to the beach for a mid september birthday celebration.  I figured if I'm turning 30 I might as well make it that much more ridiculous and get everyone together on the idea of bringing magnums instead of normal format wine bottles.  Hey, we are already illegally drinking on the beach so lets just say fuck it and start sabering some big ass bottles of champy. 

The beach was Fort Tilden, an old military base, now hidden gem for beaches in New York City.  You really don't feel like you are just minutes from Brooklyn and New York. 

Liz Nicholson, Sommelier at Marea NYC, came in with the heavy hitter magnum of 2009 Leflaive ''Les Folatieres". First opened it was big, with strong fruit and oak present, but quickly morphed after we let it open up for a couple of hours into a much more mineral driven long drinking chardonnay.  Great stuff (And thanks to the police for the help).

Nick Leplant, moments before the sabering of a Ferrari magnum

Flawless Victory

Champagne of the day, shout out to James Obrien of Maialino for the Jacques Lassaigne Blanc de Blanc

Will Edwards of Elan, NYC with a sick magnum of Madiran 1996, made from 100% Tannat, delicious.

Thanks to Blake Noyes for the fly ass photography (far right kimono) and thanks to all these beautiful people!

Friday bringing more Leflaive to the table

Had a couple of Leflaive white burgundy wines this friday... The Puligny-Montrachet 2003 ''Les Pucelles'' was showing an unusual weak side.  There was not much expression here, tasted almost watered down.. mineral, citrus and some toasted notes but a weak finish and a bit of a disapointment..

Later in the evening a superior Grand Cru from Leflaive made an appearance in the dining room...
Domaine Leflaive Chevalier-Montrachet 2004 Grand Cru was showing ages ahead of the ''Les Pucelles'' with an incredible complexity.
The 2004 harvest (ending on Oct. 3rd) took place a month later than the 2003 harvest (ending on Sept. 5th) in which the grapes suffered through some scorching summer heat.
Although tough to compare these two wines (sourced from different vineyards) I have had other great experiences with the 2004 vintage from Leflaive's Puligny-Montrachet. 

The Leflaive website says the 2004 Grand Crus shouldn't be enjoyed before 2012.  I would beg to differ as this wine is already exploding with action...long, toasty, and mineral deliciousness!

19 year old Chardonnay!

Posting quickly about some nice wines tasted last night including 
Domaine Leflaive Bienvenues-Batard-Montrachet 1992!
19 year old Chardonnay from Burgundy. Amazing shit... layers of honey, citrus, toasted almonds, sauternes-like characteristics...longevity for days.. lasting over 5 minutes on the palate.

1999 Puligny-Montrachet, non c'è male!

Domaine Leflaive, Puligny-Montrachet ''Les Pucelles'' 1999


Was excited to try this wine tonight, and to see how this 1999 Puligny-Montrachet held up after 12 years in the cellar.  The Grand Cru Montrachet vineyard (of 8 hectares divided between Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet) can age very well and is considered the greatest land for making age worthy dry white wine in the world.  I'm a believer after tasting the 1995 Domaine Ramonet Montrachet last year which may have been the best shit I have ever drank as far as white wine is concerned.  But how about some vin from the Puligny side of things?  This wine was quite enjoyable, a bit passed it's peak but still with some life in the acidity, complex layers, gun flint, and a smoothness to it.  Although a bit oxidized and not having the lifespan in the cellar like some Grand Cru's do, it poured out a damn pleasing glass of old white wine.

right bank love...bond style

lots of tasting of incredible wines this week at the castle... some beautiful right bank action, a little meursault, cote-rotie, and right as i wanted to give up on california, a napa valley wine that gave me some hope... working at a Relais Chateau may be turning me into a french wine whore, but it is quite an exciting opportunity... here are five divine wines i discovered this week.

 

 

Chateau L'Evangile Pomerol 1985

Merlot dominant with a small percentage of Cabernet Franc
RP 95
WS 92
($250-$300)

Starting with the small pomerol area of only 1,846 acres (compared to medoc of 40,199 acres).
Everyone agrees there is lots of earth truffle and definitely smoke all over this wine.  When I drank it, it was giving off the most unique spicy hot pepper/peperoncino notes.  heaps of smoke, some leather, tobacco. The nose and palate being very similar.  Beautifully balanced, stimulating, intriguing....

 tonight i tasted two wines together...this 1992 napa, and a cheateau angelus....

Dalla Valle Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 1992

First produced in 1986
Blendid with a small amount of Cabernet Franc
Aged in 50% to 60% new french oak barrels
($130-$200)

I could sum this wine up in one word, rye.... I felt like i was standing outside of a rye bread factory tasting this wine.  in a good way. beautiful rye nose.. a little on the palate as well, nice fruits acidity... not too Napa'd out. Some good earth..
So many Napa wines I found have a lack of interesting or enjoyable components for my palate...
this wine gets all my respect....enjoying Calfornia on this one...

Chateau Angelus St-Emilion 1995

RP 95
WS 94
Merlot dominant with a small percentage of Cabernet Franc
($220-$280)

A deep wine, palate staining dark cherry, attractive manure notes for sure. very enjoyable and to put it simply do bianchi style, poop and fruit in a glass!

Sommelier Luc Chevalier reminded me of a Casino Royale scene with a 1982 Chateau Angèlus....

Vesper Lynd, and James Bond enjoying a Chateau Angelus, on the train to Montenegrò.

 Domaine Leflaive Meursault 1er Cru Sous Le Dos De Ane 2004
100% Chardonnay
($120-$150)

This beautiful wine reminded me of tasting the 2005 DRC Montrachet, in the sense of how much your getting from this bottle for a hundred dollars, compared to dropping bank on a DRC... but we wont get into that!

This nose full of that beautiful burnt hair complexity that I describe my burgundy white wines with. Some hazelnuts, long, flinty, mineraly... the fruit not coming out so much at the moment, but beautiful and elegant nonetheless.

E. Guigal Cote-Rotie Brune Et Blonde 2003

RP 93
WS 92
($70-$80)

This wine not nearly as complex as the reviews I have seen for it.  Boat load of Acidity which makes it not so enjoyable without food.  Some fruit is there, and a nice mushroom element coming out.

below i included a shot i took of the main room as you arrive into blantyre..

Main Room. Blantyre Castle, Lenox Massachusetts.