dlc

Single stuffed dipped in melted 70% Valhrona and cooled. They last about 2 minutes after they cool at my house unless they are hidden.

This is one of the greatest joys of cellaring wine. The serendipity of opening a bottle to check on its progress and finding a wine of great depth and complexity when all the "experts" are advising you to wait on it. P.S. A gentleman who used to be one of the premier collectors in the US used to keep his older whites in a section of his cellar that was 45 degrees.

I have always been in the camp that says consistency is much more important that absolute temperature. This temp. may allow your wines to age a little faster than a cooler temp. I think that this is especially true for white wines. I think that the relative humidity is more important than the absolute temp. Some of the biggest disasters in improperly stored wine I have seen is because of cork degradation because of lack of humidity.

In NY I would second Burgundy Wine Co as a good selection and to find different and hard-to-find wines Royal Wine Merchants. In Nashville, Village Wines is another source with a knowledgeable staff esp. for Burgundy and German.

My wife has always called these the pearls of wisdom. Especially when they are in her glass from the last of a bottle of an old botrytis reisling.

In a tasting a couple of weeks ago with Fritz Hasselbach of Gunderloch, he was bemoaning the same fact as regards cork. This is why he is going to screw top bottles which he thinks is superior to plastic corks. Apparently he was impressed with the research and data coming out of Australia and New Zealand on screw tops

OK - that might come close to perfect! On the subject of near perfect wines last night. 1985 Krug in magnums, 1970 Palmer, & 1976 Y'Quem. We had these with roasted whole fois gras. This was really!!! close to perfection

Does this mean that throughout the life of the wine it is a "perfect " wine or can it be better or worse at different times. I am not trying to rate the reviewer but I think we have all tasted "perfect" wines that were not perfect at the time. Should the inherent qualities of that "perfect" wine always be evident.

Craig, You have hit on the point I hoped to have expressed here. In discussions with my "wine geek" friends I have made similiar points. I have also asked the question that Stone asked . As much as I respedt the abilities of certain reviewers I cannot belive that a wine is always perfect or as Steve has expressed has all the qualities of a perfect wine. Wine is a living and evolving thing and goes through life much as we do. I am usually perfect but not always .

While reading the tasting notes in Michael Broadbent’s new book, the following came to mind. Is a perfect wine always perfect? When we read that Robert Parker or Wine Spectator have given a particular wine a score of 100 points; or Steven Tanzer, Clive Coates, or Underground Wine Journal a 20/20; or even Broadbent giving *****; are we to assume that every time we drink this wine it should exhibit the perfect qualities for a wine of its type? With all of the knowledge and strongly held opinions that have been exhibited on this forum I thought it a natural for discussion. My point here is not to get into a discussion of personalities of the raters or the merits of scoring systems (see previous threads) but of the qualities that describe perfection in wine and how we evaluate them. Do 100 point wines go through dumb stages or are the structure and quality always there? We have all tasted wine that for one reason or another had closed –up only to try again a month later that were terrific. On a Monday night at home with my wife is the wine perfect or only at a tasting or special occasion? Is this wine perfect now and in 3, 5, or 10 years will it still be perfect? I am looking forward to your thoughts.

Could you please give me the name of the importer or where you get them (Rolly Gassman). I have had these in Europe but have not been able to find them in the US. Thanks

Another choice would be a pan seared pork tenderloin, then roasted with apple juice, prunes, and dried apricots; then pureed, strained & used as sauce. Or marinated in honey, balsamic, olive oil, rosemary and sage then grilled.

KatieLoeb Posted on Feb 27 2003, 05:12 PM I also find them spectacular with roasted suckling pig.

guajolote I use a large covered Le Creuset casserole but would love to have one of the hand-painted glazed ones from Alsace. Here is the recipe: To serve 6 to 8 4 sprigs flat-leaf parsley 3 sprigs fresh thyme 1 bay leaf 2 pounds onions, thinly sliced 1 pound pork shoulder, cut into 3-inch cubes 1 pound beef chuck, cut into 3-inch cubes 1 pound lamb shoulder, cut into 3-inch cubes 1 pound carrots, thinly sliced 4 ham hocks 1 head garlic (about 20 cloves), peeled and thinly sliced 2 bottles Riesling, preferably Alsatian Unsalted butter for the baking dish, plus 6 tablespoons unsalted butter 4 pounds waxy-style potatoes, thinly sliced 3 leeks, thinly sliced Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper Small amount of bread dough (optional) 1 large egg, beaten (optional) Equipment: Large, oval earthenware baking dish with lid or large casserole with lid Using a piece of kitchen twine, tie together the parsley, thyme, and bay leaf into a bundle. In a large non-reactive bowl, combine the onions, pork, beef, lamb, carrots, ham hocks, garlic, and herb bundle. Pour in the wine, stir to combine, and let marinate in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter the inside of the baking dish. Strain then separate the meat and vegetables; reserve the wine. In the baking dish, layer half of the vegetables, potatoes, leeks and all the meat, seasoning each layer with salt and pepper, to taste. Repeat with the remaining vegetables, potatoes, and leeks. Pour over the reserved wine from marinade. Dot the top with the 6 tablespoons of butter. Cover the baking dish with the lid. Roll the bread dough, if using, into a rope the circumference of the baking dish. Press the dough rope around the edge of the lid, pressing it slightly to seal. Brush the bread with some of the beaten egg. Bake for 2 1/2 hours. I usually don't do this as I have to peek on occasion. Remove the bread, uncover, and serve immediately. KatieLoeb-- I did not notice the Vaseline but the mineral component was there. I may interest you to know that I followed this with a frisee, lardon salad and a Gouda style goat cheese souflee. With this we had a 1988 Dr. Thanish Bernkastler Dr. Auslese that did have the "eau de Vaseline" component. but the wonderful ripe reisling fruit and the residual sugar carried the salad & cheese wonderfully

I was in an Alsace mood on Saturday and decided to have a Baeckeoffe for Sunday lunch. We drank a 1990 Brand vineyard reisling in magnum from Zind Humbrecht. The color had deepened to a wonderful golden hue and the nose was spectacular. There was loads of ripe reisling fruit with that honeyed undertone that makes you think that this wine will have a significant amount of residual sugar. Then you taste and discover the unctuous but bone-dry wine with a hearty backbone of acidity. The wine was a spectacular match to the Baeckhoeffe and another example of why you should age some of these great wines from Alsace. In rooting around I discovered some Clos Windsbuhl Pinot Blanc mags from the same vintage and can"t wait to try them.

Although from the mid-south I have eaten a couple of times at Judson Grill in the last year. Once was a pre-theater dinner and once at the bar as a single. On both occasions the food was superb. One of my guests was on a delayed flight at the pre-theater dinner and came in late, the staff was so helpful and we all got to the theater on time. I am sure that Telepan knows his way around a kitchen and the front of the house is beyond reproach.

Posted by fresh_a Right on!!! One of my favorites and usually my first meal every time in Paris. I am also a huge fan of Benoit but Balzar has a more brasserie feel.

I realize that this thread is about Loire and Northern Rhones particularly but i have had great success with older vintages of Burgundy and Bordeaux at Royal Wine Merchants in the City. And Al Hotchkiss at the Burgundy Wine Co. used to have some real treats. I can't remember the name of the lady who ran the shop for Al.

The '83 is drinking the best of all the wines listed at this time('85 is another possibility). I think that they will pour it at the dinner instead of the tasting so it will be showcased. When in Nashville at Une Ete du Vin they did a similiar thing.

I was fortunate enought this week to have dinner with Jean Trimbach and taste most of their new releases. We had the following: 1993 Gewurzt. Cuvee des Seigneurs de Ribeaupierre 1996 Pinot Gris Reserve Personelle 1997 Gewurzt. Vendage Tardive 1998 Reisling Cuvee Frederic Emile 1998 Reisling Clos St. Hune 2000 Gewurzt. 2000 Reisling 2000 Reserve Pinot Gris The stars of the night for me were the Frederic Emile and the Pinot Gris Reserve Personelle. The FE had a wonderful typical reisling nose with a touch of botrytis. I thought that is was an older vintage at the first because of the complexity of the nose. I was vinified dry with a wonderful acidity, hints of peaches and apples on the nose and a great match for a caramelized onion and brie tart. I have been a longtime fan of there Pinot Gris and think that the regular bottling is a superb wine at a really good price. I think that the PG Reserve Personelle (almost double the price of the regular bottling) was also showing well. Again great forward fruit with a freshness and acidity that makes this a great food wine. The Clos St. Hune was infanticide. It was closed and very difficult to appreciate at first. By the end of the meal it had opened up and will in 5-6 years be a spectacular wine. I think that Trimbach's metnod of not using oak and bottle aging prior to release is the reason I find a wonderful fresh fruit and crisp acidity in there wines. I believe that this is also why I enjoy the so much with most any type of food

Dave, The Dining Room has just re-opened after a make-over and has a new chef. His first day was like Jan 6 or 7. I have not tried his food yet. The pastry chef is the same though. He is an ace with spun and pulled sugar. I have a friend (recent CIA grad) who just went to work for him. Seeger's is a spot that I have enjoyed but haven't been in 6 months or so. I love the old house and have enjoyed what Gunther has done since his Dining Room days. My notes on the other 2 are at home and will post later but I liked Joel over Bacchanalia. We also liked the bar in the same complex as Bacchanalia but around the back and upstairs. I can't think of the name right now.

marcus Posted on Feb 6 2003, 01:16 PM In general I would agree but I think that there are both vintage and age variations. I believe that the 82 Krug Clos is as good as it gets and is no comparison to the Salon. In 85 I think that the Salon shows up better but the Krug still has the winning hand. In 1990 I think that he Salon is drinking better at the present time

Although I think that the food is stellar at LOS, I am surprised that nobody has mentioned the wines. I think that Bill's selection of Germans is one of the best in the country and a superb match to his food. He will happily guide you towards some real treats.

Tonyfinch See the new user agreement for a post on this subject by FG