Robin Meredith

There's nothing like a week in New Orleans to make you a little more flexible where these rules are concerned. I'm not sure I had a meal that didn't combine cheese and fish in some fashion, and my single favorite dish of the entire trip was a magnificent crawfish and wild mushroom gratin (complete with melted cheeses and breadcrumbs) at Brigtsen's. On the other hand, I don't think I had a truly great piece of fish or shellfish the whole time I was there (great preparations, just not great raw materials), and that's where the rub comes in for me - if I've got something decent to show off, I don't want cheese anywhere near it - not in the same preparation, probably not even on the same table. There's something about the simple clarity of fresh fish and shellfish that fights with cheese on a very fundamental level - for me, this even extends to other dairy products, many of which have a tendency to mute surrounding flavors (not something you want to do with some pristine scallops or a great piece of wild striped bass). Bottom line, though - I do think this is more a question of individual taste than basic culinary right and wrong.

Rooting around in the cellar tonight, discovered a handful of bottles of 1990 Michel Juillot Mercurey Clos des Barraults. Quietly muttered "oh s**t", since this is not a wine I would normally expect to evolve in a positive direction for 12+ years. Pulled out a bottle to go with the roast chicken, and miracle of miracles...it's probably not ready yet! Quite a firm structure, with quite a bit of dense fruit underneath. I'm pretty sure it will never really come together, but I'm also sure I don't want to touch another bottle for 2-3 years. Definite potential for improvement, even if it never reaches a truly harmonious state. I guess this is why people love Burgundy - it's a lifelong learning process.

They tried to foist that table off on us, too...after keeping us waiting for 45 minutes. When we insisted on moving, we were told that some regulars request that table every time they come in (inference - "so why were we complaining?"). They did move us, but making a ridiculous assertion like that diminished the graciousness of the gesture. We ended up in a better location, but right next to a woman who got progressively more inebriated and more hostile toward her companion as the night progressed. Bad karma, for sure. Sorry to hear about the shortcomings in the preparation - this dish was simply astonishing during our last visit. The fish, although properly prepared, was almost a non-entity, but that sauce!!!! I don't think I've ever been quite so blown away by the simple art of saucemaking. I also don't recall any vegetable garnishes, which I think would just be a distraction from the simple purity of that sauce.

I used to live half a block away from the uptown location, and I ate there exactly twice. I can vaguely see how it might be fun with a big group, especially in warm weather, since they have an extensive outdoor dining area. The food, however, is at the B/B- level even by suburban Italian standards, and despite the apparent "value" of the large portions and family style service, it ain't exactly cheap - I recall spending $80+ for two people with a mediocre bottle of wine and no dessert, and feeling like it might have been a good value at $45. The place is just phenomenally popular, and must be an absolute money machine for the owners, so what do I know?

2001 Kurt Darting Durkheimer Michelsberg Kabinett Boy, did I love this wine. Huge extract, almost like a Spatlese Trocken. Very broad impact on the palate, maybe a bit monolithic now (just a bit), with a very nice touch of limey acidity emerging on the finish. Purchased from Chambers Street Wines at a typically amazing price (somewhere in the $12 to $14 range), a truly astounding value. Intellectually, I know this wine has the potential to develop some additional complexity in the bottle, but it's hard to pinpoint exactly where and when it might improve - it really is drinking beautifully now (I'm a bit of an acid buff, but even if you're not you would probably find this very approachable). I've got a case, so I'll spread it out over time, but don't be afraid to pick up a bottle for short-term drinking. Side note: Rovani didn't report on these, so they might hang around a bit longer than other offerings.

Sunday lunch was delightful, in a theme very similar to the previous notes: *Phyllo-crusted shrimp and miscellaneous shellfish in a very fresh green sauce (according to our server, composed primary of clam juice, tomato water, parsely, and thyme); *A small square of halibut with beets and a very subtle note of horseradish - solid but lacking fireworks; *Veal loin for my wife and chicken for myself - both accompanied by typical "more butter than potato" purees and subtle vegetable accents and sauces - both very well prepared; *A parade of deserts that started with different sorbet preparations for each of us (clementine for my wife and some sort of raspberry/red wine/yogurt (I think) concoction for me) - neither of which was extraordinary but I love this kind of stuff - followed by the banana/espresso/tropical fruit "parfait" mentioned earlier and the chocolate souffle with no less than five sorbets. With a bottle of Argyle brut and two glasses of nice Oregon Pinot with the meat courses this came in under $200, which is a tremendous bargain in my book - I think I got more pleasure out of this meal than my last visit to Daniel, which was more that twice the price. I normally get hacked off when cuisine at this level doesn't deliver fireworks, but this meal was an exception - even when it wasn't eye-opening, it was fundamentally very satisfying. Side notes - service was distracted, place was deserted, and the room is certainly quite distinctive as previously noted.

Nice notes, Jim. I've got some 1998 Michaud Cuvee Prestige in the cellar that I decided to just forget about for a while to see what might happen. I've had a few eye-opening experiences with older Beaujolais, and this one seemed like it might have enough stuffing to make things interesting. How far would you push it? At this point I'm inclined to let it go through 2006/8.

Jim, It was purchased on release from the Burgundy Wine Company, so I hope the provenance is sound - I will say it showed absolutely no signs of adverse storage or other suboptimal handling. The key phrase here might be "to my taste" - I don't think anyone would call the wine I tasted closed, but some might dispute the suggestion that it's entering the plateau. For context, I think most 1988's are fighting what will ultimately be a losing battle between tannin/acid and fruit, and I think most mid-level 1990's are drinking well now. So my framework might be a bit different. Cheers!

I've found 1988 red burgundy to be a somewhat deadly minefield - my ratio of disappointments to positive experiences is probably somewhere around 10 to 1. 1990 is almost the reverse - one of those ripe, sappy vintages that elevates the quality of lesser wines as well as the more reliable bottlings. Drank the 1995 Roumier Clos de la Bussiere last week, and to my taste it was clearly into early maturity - drinking absolutely beautifully, likely to hold at that level for another 2-3 years. Based on that experience I'd approach the 1988 with caution. So I agree - go for the LeClercs.

I can be a bit of a bloody carnivore, but duck is one of those things (along with lamb and veal) that I think work better if cooked a bit closer to medium rare - at least until some grain starts to emerge in the meat. Undercooked duck breast has kind of a gummy, unappealing texture, IMHO. Duck is also something I tend to avoid in restaurants - probably the result of many cumulative disappointments over the years. If you're curious about how it should taste: *buy a package of boneless duck breasts; *score the skin in a diamond cross-hatch pattern with a sharp knife (I like to make quite a few cuts - maybe about 1/2" between each parallel cut) - this will help the fat render out of the skin (just try not to cut down into the meat); *Saute them over moderate heat (not too high!) starting skin side down. They should cook for quite a while on the skin (8 to 10 minutes?) and a much shorter period after you flip them (only about two to three minutes). You want the skin side to be nice and brown; *Let them rest a bit (3 to 5 minutes under some foil) and serve - I prefer to serve them whole, but restaurants seem to have a compulsive need to slice them. Not sure why it's OK to cook them rare, but they are yummy that way! Have fun.

Received a rabbit "knock-off" from the Sharper Image for Christmas. The foil cutter was useless from day one, and the cork puller itself broke after about a dozen uses. The package also included a genuinely silly battery-operated aeration device - as far as I can tell it uses a telescoping arm that extends down into the bottle and sloshes things around a bit when you press a button (I say "as far as I can tell" 'cause I can't quite bring myself to actually go through this exercise). Definitely scratch the Sharper Image off of the list.

I haven't tasted the 1998, but the 1989 is still pretty tight. This is generally not one of your more opulent CDP's - it could still be going through that youthful, open stage, or it might already be shutting down. I'd base this decision on quantity - if I had a bunch, I might try one now, but if I just had a few I would probably hang on for another 5-7 years. Let us know what you decide.

I'm not sure I'd do this. I love roasting a lot of different things together (both for convenience and for the sheer sensuality of it), but I'd be a little nervous about mixing cabbage flavors up with everything else. One obvious alternative is a separate stovetop braise (I think Marcella Hazan has some nice recipes along these lines in some of her earlier books). You also might want to think about searing or pan-grilling some wedges on the stovetop - this is a technique I picked up from Alfred Portale (he uses it as an accompaniment for one of his signature duck recipes), and it works great. Napa cabbage is especially good for this - just cut into 3/8 to 1/2" thick wedges, leaving the stem intact to hold the slices together, drizzle with a little oil and cook over high heat, preferably in a grill pan (but any good heavy skillet will do). Before too long the sugars in the cabbage will start to caramelize nicely. The end product works really well with rich, meaty pan sauces - and you don't have to worry about funking up your big protein course.

I think choucroute is a great setup for a serious Alsace Riesling - because you're garnishing it with fish you might want to go with something younger and fresher rather than an aged bottle (which could be tough to find anyway). Many of Paul Blanck's wines are made in a somewhat delicate style that could match very well with your main dish (including a generic - non-vineyard designated - Riesling that is quite affordable). The Andlau Riesling from Kreydenweiss might also be a good choice. Why not try an Alsatian sparkling wine with the amuse? These are moderately difficult to find, but very affordable and quite authentic given the context. I think Pierre Sparr makes one of the more available examples. It won't make you forget Champagne, but it might be fun way to start.

How about a big bottle? I think they make great gifts - they are wonderful to pull out for a special occasion, and even many serious collectors won't make the effort to track them down. If Rhone wines are of interest, a magnum of Beaucastel from a recent vintage should come in somewhere around that price point, and it would make a marvelous gift.

That's a great tasting note coming from someone who's "extremely" new to wine! Glad to see more observations on Ontario wines coming through. Regarding your comment about petrol flavors - I love Niagara Peninsula Riesling dearly, but they do seem to be a bit precocious. I didn't get up there to buy any 2000's, but most of my 1999's seem to be evolving quite rapidly, including two of my favorites (Daniel Lenko Reserve and Stoney Ridge Reserve). I have almost a full case of 1997 Early Harvest and Late Harvest Rieslings from Thirty Bench in the cellar, and I'm almost afraid to approach them at this point (nothing worse than finding out you let a bunch of bottles go over the hill on you). Meanwhile, I've been cleaning out some odds and ends from the German section of the cellar recently (mostly from 1990 and 1992), and have yet to find a single bottle that was past its prime (with the exception of one Scheurebe, which I never should have kept that long in the first place). I find this odd, since the Ontario wines seem to have an impressive amount of "grip" in their youth.

Tommy, there were some interesting comments along those lines in the Wine Advocate's coverage of the 2001 vintage in Germany. Rovani reported that up to 15% of the bottles he sampled suffered from cork taint to some degree, way beyond the usual average. He attributes this to the relative delicacy and transparency of German wine, which allows low levels of cork taint that might be concealed by more robust wines to rise to the surface. If this is true (and it seems reasonable to me), it's quite possible that the same sort of thing might happen in Alsace.

Suprised no one has mentioned Australian Shiraz. These wines are technically dry, but they are so rich and fruity that they often convey an impression of sweetness that is relatively unique among red wines. Plus there are many widely available and quite affordable examples - just about anything from Rosemount is worth a try (their Diamond Label Shiraz has started many wine drinking careers over the years), and even the ubiquitous Yellowtail may be worth a try. Good luck.

It's not necessarily traditional, but I think panko might be an interesting alternative for the coating. I'm probably influenced by an amazing paneed rabbit with a panko coating I had in New Orleans a few weeks ago, combined with my primary chicken-fried steak reference point, a Greek coffee shop in Denver that served it for breakfast (yes, with gravy, two eggs, hash browns, and toast) and used more of a crumb-type coating. This would also probably solve Wilfrid's "adhesion" problem - and the crunchiness of the coating might set off the gravy very nicely!

I would drink it up. I've still got some 1989 and 1990 Riesling Cuvee Frederic Emile in the cellar, and the 1989 is already a bit past its prime (the 1990 was peaking the last time I tasted it). Given Gewurztraminer's relatively limited aging potential (at least compared to Riesling), there may not be much potential for further improvement.

I had some in Oaxaca a few years ago - they call it Jamaica (pronounced ha-MY-ka). I remember it being quite well-balanced and refreshing, but leaning more toward "puckery" than sweet. Faced with your recipe, I would be tempted to back off on the sugar.

2001 Basserman-Jordan Forster Jesuitgarten Spatlese This received some favorable comments from David Schildknecht (sp?) in the IWC, and a 1990 Kabinett from this producer tasted a few weeks ago was drinking beautifully, so my expectations were fairly high, but I have to say I don't really connect with this wine. It's undeniably delicious, but no more so than some of the basic Kabinetts and qbA's I've tasted from this vintage, and it seems a bit flabby and one-dimensional. I keep looking for the "grip" I think this wine should have, but I'm coming to the conclusion that it's just not there. Of course, it could pick up some complexity with time, but I'm just not sure there's enough acid here to make that happen. I bought this with an eye toward picking up some quantity for the cellar, but I think I'll probably move on to the next item. $19.99 from The Wine Shop, First Avenue between 82nd and 83rd, NYC.

Boy, does that ever sound familiar. We almost kept right on driving when we got there because the setting was so unlikely. Our last visit was shortly after September 11, 2001 - Helen wrote us a very hearfelt note expressing her sympathies and insisted on giving us a book about Canada to take with us. Once she found out we were in the wine business she recruited her husband to give us a tour of the operation and explain some of their history. Apparently they have been growers for about 40 years, and they were among the first to plant vinifera on the Niagara Peninsula. They just started making wine under their own label within the last few years. The facility is extremely modest, and it was actually quite an inspiration - everyone loves a David and Goliath story, so the fact that their wines are more impressive than some of the palatial estates like Peninsula Ridge just adds to the charm. Definitely a "must-visit" when you're in the area.

If you're looking for some fun reading to go along with your journey, pick up a copy of Smokestack Lightning by Lolis Eric Elie (available from Amazon). He only devotes one chapter to the Carolinas, but he discusses some specific joints in a fair amount of detail, and the rest of the book is a great read. If memory serves, I think he also covers one or two places in Georgia. Have a great trip!

The 1994 Les Cailloux has been drinking beautifully since the day I bought it, and a bottle sampled a few months ago was an absolute delight - atypical (for CDP) bright red cherry notes, deceptively light at first but with a great deal of depth that gradually reveals itself. Structured for the long haul, but delicious right now. I'm still sitting on 1994 Vieux Telegraphe - any recent notes on that one?