David McDuff

Just a little fruit porn from last week's market... I'm looking forward to replenishing tomorrow.

The following notes were recently written up from notes taken during a visit with Pascal Fillioux at the Domaine de la Pouyade in February 2004. La Pouyade A young, 8-year old Cognac named after the Fillioux estate, La Pouyade is aged in recently used casks and diluted to a final 42%. Though not vintage dated, it is always made from the fruit of a single harvest. Very ripe on the palate, it gave fruit forward flavors with hints of almond and praline on the nose. Pascal obviously considers it the casual Cognac in the line, as he prefers it served chilled with a splash of Pellegrino or Perrier. Though Fillioux produces an intermediate Cognac called Cep d’Or, aged in old cask for an average of 13 years, we skipped straight to… Tres Vieux Fillioux’s Tres Vieux bottling represents one of the greatest values in the world of Cognac. It spends approximately two years in new oak before being racked to older barrels for the remainder of its aging cycle. Averaging 25 years of age, the example we tasted that day was a blend of four vintages: 1974, 1976, 1978 and 1979. A beautiful amber orange color preceded a creamy texture, followed by vanilla, butterscotch and orange oil on the palate. Very good length. Pascal mentioned at this juncture that he believes that Cognac is driven by four basic, primary aromas – almond, clove, vanilla and coconut – all of them derived from wood. All other aromas, apparently, are more subtle, more subjective and hint at greater complexity. XO Reserve Until recently, the XO Reserve had been a style produced only for family consumption. Finished at a more powerful 44% and showing intense wood and vanillin aromas combined with a hint of bitterness from wood tannins, it represents a blend of vintages averaging 27 years, all spent in the original new barrels. Pascal considers it a cigar smoker’s cuvée. He should know as he enjoys it as such. Apparently, he was convinced to commercialize it at the behest of some fellow cigar aficionados in the Japanese and US markets; these remain the only countries where the XO is available. Réserve Familiale This is the tête de cuvée of the estate, a blend which averages 50 or more years of age. The bottling we sampled represented a blend of five casks: three from 1948, one from 1945 and one from 1937. Interestingly, Pascal commented that he does not enjoy the ’37 on its own but he feels that it adds tremendous complexity to the final blend. A silky, rich mouthfeel delivered peach, mango, baking spices, orange confit and vanilla but showed none of the heat or edginess of the XO Reserve. Again, purely new oak was chosen to fit the long aging regime. Pascal reiterated that he rarely produces vintage Cognacs, preferring to blend in order to marry the best aspects of multiple casks and multiple years. That said, we would finish the day’s dégustation with a trio of single year Cognacs. “V” 1975 A non-commercialized single cask at 46.5% which, at the time, Pascal expected to eventually become a component of Tres Vieux. Its textures were thinner and leaner with more aggressive aromatics than in the finished Cognacs we’d tasted thus far. Loads of vanillin drove home its intense flavors. “F” 1975 Another non-commercialized single cask, this one at 48%, selected from the same lot, year and row in the chais as the “V.” This spirit showed lighter color in the glass and was even leaner on the palate, yet its aromas were more high-toned and elegant. Very smoky, less vanillin, it was more complex but less powerful than its brother. The differences derived completely from the singular evolution in each barrel. 1924 Vintage Cognac Having been moved from barrel to glass demijohns in 1973, this single year Cognac represented approximately a 50-year barrel aging process. Once a Cognac is moved to demijohn, evolution and development are halted. Very dark amber in color, the nose gave rancio aromas of vanilla and nut oils. In the mouth, it was far less fruity than the younger and blended Cognacs, more smoky, earthy, woody and nutty. Its length, though, was incredible. At the time, this was one of only two vintage Cognacs ever commercialized by the estate, the other being a 1948. These notes were excerpted from a much longer narrative about the estate and their production methods. The full story can be found here: - Le Tour de Cognac: Stage One - Le Tour de Cognac: Stage Two

Katie, I must say, I'm shocked! Seriously, thanks for all the hard work and long hours burning holes in your retinas at the eGullet screen. All the best in whatever path you next take. cheers, David

Today marked the welcome return of our farmers after market day fell on the 4th of July last week. I was plum out of fruit (pun half-intended) and just about out of greens as well, so I headed over at 3:00 to make sure to get the pick of the crop. After a two-week hiatus, lots of new goodies have come into season. Aside from corn, I spotted okra, eggplants, cucumbers, several varieties of squash, plums and yellow peaches. Also, Hillacres Pride is now bringing natural, pasture raised beef to market. I picked up a pound of ground to start. Here are a few of the other things I stuffed into my shopping bag: Fresh onions and the first sweet corn of the season from Blueberry Hill Farm Blueberries and red raspberries, also from the appropriately named Blueberry Hill Two varieties of peaches, plums, sweet peppers and heirloom tomatoes from North Star Orchards Fresh garlic from Willing Hands, grown from seeds provided by Keith Stewart of Keith's Farm at the Union Square Green Market. Now it's time to get cooking!

Bryan, Great post! It's been a couple of years now since I've made it to wd-50 and you've just made me hungry for a return trip.

Chinon “Les Petites Roches,” Charles Joguet 2004 From a typical, elegant vintage, the 2004 Petites Roches showed a bright, transparent ruby tone in the glass, followed by a gentle, medium-bodied approach on the palate. Red currant, raspberry and herbaceous tones followed through on a modest 12.5% alcohol framework. From 30-40 year old vines, culled to 40 hl/ha yields, from six hectares of vineyards planted on gravel and limestone dominated soils near the banks of the Vienne. Made from free-run juice only, this is the most delicate wine produced at Joguet; it is suitable for near-term drinking with charcuterie, chevre and salmon. Chinon “Les Petites Roches,” Charles Joguet 2005 Much darker in the glass than the 2004, semi-opaque and dark cherry red in color, the 2005 visually showed the effects of a warmer, drier vintage. The generous climate in 2005, combined with a long growing season, yielded more physiologically mature tannins, riper flavor, higher alcohol (13.8%) and a finished wine that will continue to develop over the next 4-5 years. Again, pair with charcuterie or classic Touraine pork rillettes but also consider herb roasted chicken or small game birds. Chinon “Cuvée Terroir,” Charles Joguet 2005 Terroir is the basic cuvée of the estate, a young vine wine that blends 70% first run juice from fruit grown mostly on sandy soils spread over 10 hectares of the estate with 30% of vin de presse, juice pressed from the grapes from both the Cuvée Terroir and Les Petites Roches. Clocking in at 14.3 degrees, it is more robust than Petites Roches yet less nuanced, showing bolder, forward fruit and more aggressive tannins and herbaceous flavors – natural side-effects of the utilization of pressed juice. Chinon “Cuvée de la Cure,” Charles Joguet 2005 Bottled in August 2006 following vinification and aging purely in steel, the 2005 Cuvée de la Cure is the first fully organic wine produced at Joguet. It is also a classic example of older-vine, terroir driven Chinon, coming from two single vineyards planted on a soil base of clay and gravel. Displaying a dense, firm structure built on a medium-bodied frame with very linear, pure focus, the wine’s persistent, dusty tannins lend accent to its mineral and red cassis driven flavors. This should keep well for at least 5-7 years, maybe even ten. Chinon “Les Varennes du Grand Clos,” Charles Joguet 2005 The big wine of the night, Les Varennes du Grand Clos sees a longer, hotter alcoholic fermentation than the previous cuvées and is the only wine of the evening to see malolactic fermentation and aging, at least partially, in barrels. Pigeage during fermentation added extra density to the wine’s color and structure. The finished product, bottled in March of this year, shows plush texture combined with muscular grip and sweet-fruited flavors of raspberry, blackberry and licorice. This is Chinon to pair with beef or robust stews… or to forget about in a cool cellar for the next 10-15 years. Chinon “Clos de la Dioterie,” Charles Joguet 1989 If you’ve ever had any doubts about the longevity of Chinon, lay them to rest. At 18 years of age, the ’89 Dioterie is still singing. In the glass, there was no bricking at all, just a pale, limpid ring around the rim of an otherwise translucent ruby bowl. Aromas of clay, red earth and rhubarb were followed by flavors of tobacco, smoke, violets and lilies. These elements combined with silky mouthfeel and still lively acidity to make this the most enthralling wine of the night. * * * The above notes are from a tasting event, held on June 27 at Tria Fermentation School in Philadelphia, with Joguet's winemaker, FX Barc. For a complete write-up of the event, see The Chinons of Charles Joguet.

The market is really beginning to kick into gear now, both in terms of increased patronage and in the context of a richer diversity of seasonal produce. Asparagus has come and gone, strawberries are on the wane, but more and more vegetables and now small berry fruits have arrived each week. And yesterday was the first time I've seen sizeable lines of people queued up to make their selections from the produce farmers. I've been really grooving on the variety of beets (red, golden, white, white stripe) from North Star Orchards, the mustard greens and pink beauty radishes from Willing Hands, the ground buffalo from Backyard Bison and the farm-fresh eggs from Lindenhof Farms. They've all become weekly staples. The newest discoveries this week included: Early season carrots and radish pods from North Star Orchards The carrots have yet to build a high level of sugar or structural density so they're light, tender and have a nice, bright green hint to their flavor profile. I'd never seen radish pods before. As the name suggests, they taste an awful lot like radishes, sort of crossed with the herbaceousness of a string bean. They worked well served raw in a mixed salad last night. Cherries from Fruitwood Orchards Honey Farm I'm not sure of the exact variety here, as the producer labeled them simply as "sweet cherries." They're small, still clustered together as they were picked from the trees and have a nice sugar/acid balance -- not too sweet nor too tangy. The market website has been up and running for a while now and, though it's still not "finished," it does provide a list of weekly availability and has links to our producers and to the market blog.

I was lucky enough, along with some of my fellow eGulleteers, to enjoy Shola's guest appearance at M. And I've finally finished writing up the experience. It's a bit much to post here so check it out: Shola's Guest Chef Series: M I'm already looking forward to Shola's next mystery/guest appearance as well as to a return visit to check out M on a regular night.

Made only in the best years, Fleur de Passion is Diebolt-Vallois' "tête de cuvée," a selection of the oldest vine fruit from the estate’s vineyards in Cramant. Over lunch with three generations of the Diebolt and Vallois families, my group and I had the pleasure of experiencing what one of the best wines of the Côtes des Blancs can offer. <ul><li>1999 Fleur de Passion Displaying an easy, soft, broad character, this vintage was already drinking well. It showed glorious fruit, with ripe flavors of melon, pear and apple. <li>1998 Fleur de Passion (from magnum) Leaner, more tightly wound and less opulent than the 1999. At the same time, it was more exotic in its tones of fruits and spice, was slightly yeastier, finer and brighter in its acidity. <li>1985 Fleur de Passion Jacques Diebolt considers 1985 one of his finest vintages. The wine showed a nose of brioche, fresh hazelnuts and flowers. A bouquet suggesting the early stages of maturity was evident but freshness was still abundant on the palate. Perhaps imagination takes too many liberties but I could clearly smell the chalky soil, just like in the estate's caves, among the wine’s aromas. <li>1976 Fleur de Passion This hailed from the era of Jacques’ father. Though not possessing as much breed as the 1985, the 1976 Fleur was still very fresh, deeply nutty on the nose, dancing on the palate with complexity and lively acidity.</ul> After our repast, as if we needed further convincing as to the beauty and longevity of his wines, Jacques led us down to his family’s bottle storage caves. There he opened for us not one, not two, but three bottles of his grandfather’s production of 1953 vintage Champagne. <ul><li>1953 Fleur de Passion The first bottle Jacques deemed not bad, not great. It was redolent of earth, leaves, mushrooms and toasted hazelnuts. He readily admitted that he’ll sometimes open several bottles before finding a really good one. He hit with bottle two. Fresher and lighter in color, it smelled of forest in the spring, tasted of stones, showed vibrant acidity and finished forever. 1953, he tells us, was a good but not great year, not like 1955, 1959 or 1961…. Still on the hunt for that elusive something special, Jacques disgorged the third bottle. Very similar to but not better than the others, this was less petillant, more oily and nutty on the palate and slightly more evolved. </ul> These notes are extracted from their original context in a larger story about the estate: Grower Champagne: Diebolt-Vallois.

A few of the goodies I picked up at this week's market: Beets (red, white and white-stripe) and purple kohlrabi from North Star Orchards Jersey strawberries from Fruitwood Orchard Honey Farm Red leaf lettuce from Blueberry Hill Farm and fresh, pasture raised eggs from Lindenhof Farm These are some of my first shots with a new digital camera which I'm very much still figuring out, so my apologies for the crude quality....

I'll have to weigh in on the side of the rest of the group here, John. In my experience with any number of inadvertently frozen bottles, the wine, once thawed, has never tasted as it should have. Drinkable, perhaps. Good, no. The idea of freezing leftovers (or a wine that's just not your favorite) for later use in cooking makes perfect sense -- much as does freezing leftover coffee for later use as the cubes in a good iced coffee.

Talula’s Table is now offering a series of cheese “happy hours” on Monday evenings. Held in the shop from 6:30 to 8:00 PM, the classes are typically based on a regional or thematic focus. I’ve been working for the last couple of weeks with Aimee Olexy, resident cheesemonger at Talula’s, to pair wines from Moore Brothers with her panoply of farmstead fromages. More details about the courses as well as the wine selections for this Monday's session can be found at: Wine and Cheese Classes at Talula's Table.

It's frozen, though the birds had been "processed" just two days before market so they're still quite fresh in that sense. I asked about never-frozen poultry and was told that the market officials had asked them to keep things simple and to keep things frozen to please the local health board. I may ask them at next week's market if they'd be able/willing to do fresh birds by special order. Same thing goes for the bison producer. I'll be asking him the same question in the next week or two.

Week Two at the Market Sorry folks, no pictures this week. But I did score some great looking produce. Many of the items I selected this time 'round were repeats from week one. Some things were so good I just had to have them again: - Mustard greens, mixed greens and radishes from Willing Hands Farm - Asparagus and sugar snap peas from Blueberry Hill Farm The sugar snaps were so sweet and tender last week that I just ate them raw. Cooking them wouldn't have made sense. This week's batch, after another week in the sun, is still holding onto the sweetness but has also built up a more mature, vegetal flavor and firmer texture. Just to play the field a bit, I tried the strawberries from Blueberry Hill this week. Dark red, sweet and juicy, they're displaying peak season flavors. If I can make them last another day or two I may just roast some of them along with the rhubarb from Blueberry's stand. Some new items I picked up this week included: - Cabbage and broccoli -- some of the prettiest broccoli I've ever seen -- from North Star Orchard - A whole chicken from the newest producers at the market, Stephen and Axel Linde of Lindenhof Farm in Kirkwood, PA Now I just have to figure out when to enjoy it all.

Bistro Ralph is a fun lunch spot while in Healdsburg. Don't miss the lamb burger. I also very much enjoyed dinner at The Farmhouse Inn, located a few miles up the road in Forestville.

If this was a strictly German tasting, then the audience member who asked this question demonstrated an incredibly large amount of ignorance. Almost all pradikat wines (kabinett, spatlese, auslese, etc.) are labeled with the name of both the village and the vineyard. How much more emphasis on terroir can you get? ← The gentleman that made the statement was called on, by name, by the moderater several times, so I'm sure he was well respected for his opinion. He certainly didn't call on me, so I am the ignorant one! Not to mention that I enjoy swallowing my wine, and had worked the tasting room before sitting in. I believe what he was saying was to adopt France's system of grading a wine, such as Grand Cru, Premier Cru... like that. I don't make a habit of collecting or drinking these wines, so I am the ignorant one, for I've forgotten what its called. It's not something I use often, for I'm a commoner. Although I do recall the story about Mouton Rothschild getting all bent out of shape over it. I can imagine there might be some bad feelings drawn if Germany did something like that as well. It sure would shake up a media frenzy. ← Rather than ignorant, it seems to me that the gentleman in the audience was asking a very leading question. While the current Pradikat system set up by the German wine laws of 1971 makes reference to terroir by citing, as Brad mentions, the village and vineyard of origin, it does not place any assessment of quality on those sites. Rather, quality is based simply and only on the amount of sugar which naturally occurs on the vine. The idea is that a Spätlese is inherently superior to a Kabinett, that an Auslese is automatically better than a Spätlese, simply because the fruit is riper. Site -- terroir -- does not play into the current system at all. In response to the current Pradikat system, there is a strong movement in German wine producing circles, particularly within the VDP, to return -- yes, return -- to a terroir driven system for identifying quality levels of German Riesling. Vineyard sites are being analyzed with regard to special characteristics and natural ability to produce superior vines. And very much along Burgundian lines (moreso than the classification system in Bordeaux), a hierarchy of first and great growth vineyards is being delineated. The wines from these sites, Erstes Gewächs and Grosses Gewächs (First Growth and Great Growth, Premier Cru and Grand Cru) are meant to be expressions of site, first and foremost. While off-dry and sweet wines will certainly continue to be produced from these vineyards, the signature bottlings, those entitled to use the Erstes and Grosses Gewächs terms, will always be fully trocken wines with no mention of the Pradikat system on their labels. * * * * * As for German Riesling from the cook's perspective, there may not be a more versatile wine/vine in terms of its ability to play across an extremely wide range of foods. The off-dry styles, as mentioned by others in this thread, can pair deftly with many Asian cuisines, handling highly aromatic and even spicy preparations. The dry wines, in particular, are great matches to seafood, pork and German-style sausages. The sweet wines, incredibly misunderstood on the US market, can be among the finest, most long-lived wines in the world, can pair predictably well with rich pâtés and terrines, and can provide some of the most pleasurable solo tasting experiences available.

Opening day at the market drew a good crowd, with politicos and local press on hand for the ribbon cutting ceremony, curious passersby and eager shoppers all checking out the scene. Being that it's very early in the growing season, some of the producers had rather limited offerings. Nonetheless, there was plenty of good stuff to get the ball rolling. Today's finds included: - Mustard greens, arugula and radishes from Willing Hands Farm. - Asparagus and sugar snap peas from Blueberry Hill Farm - Early Strawberries from Fruitwood Orchards Honey Farm - Raw alfalfa honey from Fruitwood Orchards Honey Farm - Asian pear butter from North Star Orchard - Bison flank steak and ground buffalo from Backyard Bison I reluctantly held off on the lovely rhubarb at Blueberry Hill and on the bison tongue from Ron at Backyard Bison. Maybe next week....

Bockwurst, bauernwurst and pinkelwurst at Schaller & Weber (2nd Ave. at 86th).

Confirmed producers for the inaugural year at the market include: <ul><li>North Star Orchard: Multiple varieties of apples, pears, plums, peaches, cherries, fruit butters and ciders. <li>Fruitwood Orchards Honey Farm: Local honeys and a variety of fruits and vegetables. <li>Willing Hands Organic Farm: Organic produce. <li>Blueberry Hill Farm: Produce. <li>Pumpkin Ridge Creations: Cut flowers. <li>Hillacres Pride: Cows’ milk cheeses, beef, pork, lamb and poultry. <li>Great Harvest Bread Company <li>Backyard Bison: Burgers, steaks, ribs, roasts and cured meats from locally pastured American Plains Buffalo.</ul> A few more farmers or "time shares" are in the midst of confirming and occasional, seasonal visitors will be added throughout the year. Additional information regarding the mission and scope of the market, as well as links to some of the producers websites, can be found here: Oakmont Farmers Market Update.

Next Wednesday will mark the grand opening of the new Oakmont Farmers' Market, located in the center of Havertown, PA. The market will run every Wednesday, 3:00 - 7:00 PM, from May 23 through November 21. The producer-only market, in its first year, will feature ten vendors offering a wide variety of conventional and organic produce, pastured/grass-fed meats, cheeses, poultry, breads, honey and flowers. Location specifics: Oakmont Municipal Parking Lot 2419 West Darby Road, Havertown, PA 19083 Just northwest of the intersection of Darby & Eagle Roads Opening Ceremony: 3:00 PM, Wednesday May 23rd The market website -- www.OakmontFarmersMarket.org (still under construction) -- will include a blog, FAQs, farm/vendor information and links to local businesses. My hope is that this thread will function much like a miniature version of the Reading Terminal Market discussion. Reviews, finds, photos, announcements about weekly offerings and updates about special events are all encouraged.

Thanks for the recommendation, all. This thread led me to make Michy's the only serious food destination on a recent trip to Miami and it was a pretty resounding success. After a difficult decision making process given the tempting menu, I finally settled on: - Peruvian Style Ceviche - Turks and Caicos Conch, Escargot Style, Garlic, Parsley, Butter - Crispy Sweetbreads, Braised Pork Jowls, Jason’s BBQ Sauce, Fava Beans - Lamb T-Bone, Eggplant-Harissa Terrine, Fruit & Nut Couscous - Pear-Apple Tarte Tatin, Thin, Crispy and Warm, Sabayon Ice Cream, Sea Salted Thyme Caramel Sauce I wasn't a huge fan of the tarte tatin and the conch dish was more a curiosity than something I'd return to; however, the ceviche was excellent and both the sweetbreads and lamb were rocking. Full details of the dining experience (too long to post here) along with some lo-res pics of the dishes can be found at: Miami Dining: Michy's. It's definitely on the must revisit list for my next trip to Miami.

I'll second the recommendation for Schnattl. It may have been the most memorable dining stop of my week in Vienna last fall. Not as posh and haute as Coburg but more comfortable, soulful and satisfying.

Hmm, did I forget to say ripe and lush? Both wines were, particularly The Maiden. Jammy, over-extracted, and bomb-like they were not -- and believe me I've had all too many wines at all levels, not just the cult offerings, that are. To me, the Harlan Estate bottling in particular tasted like it came from somewhere meaningful and, while rich, was not at all over-the-top. And thanks all for the good words. Cheers!

During a visit to Harlan Estate in mid-January, I had the opportunity to taste their 2004's which had just gone through their final racking in preparation for bottling. I've finally gotten around to writing up the visit and thought I'd post the WTN portion. The notes can be found in their full, original context here: Napa: A Day of Contrasts, Part One Harlan's second wine, The Maiden 2004 offers a lush, forward mouthful of plum, raspberry and blueberry fruit with a subtle hint of menthol, all framed by ripe, fine-grained tannins. The wine is built to last but already, before even undergoing its destined sixteen months of pre-release bottle aging, eminently drinkable. Less than 1000 cases of The Maiden are produced each year and it is offered for sale only via the estate’s mailing list. Harlan Estate 2004 is seriously good juice. Black cherry in color and opaque at its core, it shows a lovely tint of ripe cherry red at its rim. The flavors are bigger, more powerful and brooding relative to The Maiden. Its tannins are firmer and more muscular. One senses a serious expression of the Oakville hillside terroir, not loaded up with unwieldy winemaking flourishes. Flavors of concentrated black currant, blackberry and roasted meats prevail, with tremendous length on the finish. Winemaker Bob Levy targets a 20 year peak for this wine, well beyond the current trend for a 5-10 year apogee at most Napa wineries. By contemporary standards, its alcohol content is reasonable at 14.5%; its balance is impeccable.

I've had a couple of very solid meals there over the last couple of months. They're offering a $35 prix fixe three course special on Sundays which is one of the best deals in town. The full details of a recent visit can be found here: Sunday Dinner at Marigold Kitchen