TN: Truffle Dinner, Pinot Tasting, and Piemonte

[jrufusj]

TRUFFLE DINNER, PINOT TASTING, AND PIEMONTE (3X DRC, 2X GAJA, AND MORE) - (12/1/2005)

Friends of ours generously hosted a small gathering.

After a glass of Champagne, there was a flight of six pinots, then we moved on to dinner.

To Begin

• 1996 Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Champagne La Grande Dame - France, Champagne
  Small pointal mousse and a relatively deep straw yellow color. Even on the nose, it is immediately clear that this is a fruit-sweet wine, as the sweet apple and apricot flavors have an almost cloying sweetness reminiscent of horse urine (and that's not necessarily a bad thing). Part of the effect is that this has an oxidative note, which eases with a little time in the glass to reveal more ripe apple, some lemon cream, a bit of sweet-hay grassiness, and a lingering yeasty element. When it hits the palate, it suddenly comes back into balance with a good shot of acid to accompany the sweet fruit. Additionally, there's a healthy prickle from the mousse that helps to keep it fresh. This has very, very full body and a lot of weight. On the finish, it suddenly shows brulée and baked apple. Much heavier than my normal style, but an intriguing version of a very full-bodied Champagne.
  

The Pinots

• 2001 Daniel Schuster Pinot Noir Omihi Hills Vineyard - New Zealand, North Island, Wairarapa
  Light burgundy red, beautifully bright and transparent with a slightly pinkish tinge to the rim. On the nose, this shows a large dose of sweet oak along with super-sweet and very dense berry fruit -- almost a candied white raspberry. Sad to say, this never really shows much more on the nose. On the palate, there is another large dose of sweet oak on entry, followed by currant jam. On the plus side, this does have a moderate degree of acid hiding behind the sweet fruit. Additionally, there's a bit of spice in the background to lend a little interest. The finish is relatively long, but is -- sad to say -- dominated by yet more sweet oak. Overall, this is a pretty simple ripe wine with very slight and easy tannins and just enough acid to balance. Not my style, but a pleasant easy-drinking wine for current consumption. Uh-oh! 45 Minutes and two real burgs later, this is simply overwhelmingly sweet.
  
• 2000 Bannockburn Pinot Noir Geelong - Australia, Victoria
  Lightish plum color, but with some real depth. Solid to rim with quite noticeable viscosity. On the nose, this immediately shows cassia bark and anise along with a little spirity element. There's very little fruit at first, but some classic beetroot and deep plum come out with a little time, as does a bit of sous-bois. With a good dose of time in the glass, there's a shot spice and even a little game. Throughout, there is noticeable but not overly intrusive or sweet oak. On a surprisingly but pleasantly light entry, a nice undercurrent of earthiness accompanies medium deep plum fruit. The mid-palate picks up some weight with cherry fruit that leads to a moderately long finish. Not surprised to learn the the winemaker here is ex-Dujac as this has a seductiveness to the nose and silkiness to the palate that is very Dujac. It simply falls a little short in complexity and depth, but is still a real pleasure. Clearly, the best of the three new world pinots.
  
• 1996 Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir - USA, Oregon, Yamhill County, Willamette Valley
  Lightish red tending toward orange at the rim. The nose shows sour cherry, mushroom, a jarring note of tin, and a pleasant whiff of washed rind cheese. Wait a minute, I think there's a note of VA here, though I can't be sure. In just a flash, the VA note turns to freshly polished old mahogony. On the palate, this is drying up. It shows a light dose of simple plum and cherry fruit, then moves into a short but bright finish. This has good structural balance, but is missing fruit. I am told that this was sweeter and deeper before decanting. Was promising on the nose but has clearly gotten a good start on the slide down.
  
• 2001 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Richebourg - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée
  Medium deep red that is solid to rim. It takes a minute to work through the sweet oak, but once one does there's a tremendous nose in store -- cassis, violet, nutmeg, and allspice along with very deep and sweet plum and blackberry fruit. Throughout is a refreshing current of fresh-turned earth. Incredibly promising on the nose. On entry, there is an immediate cloak of tannin, just eased by very big dark berry fruit. Though this is quite closed up, one is still hit with hints of pepper and mineral. The finish re-emphasizes the oak sweetness, but this is balanced with an overall tautness that is pleasantly bracing. Finally, as the finish goes on and on, this fans out to show just how much may be lurking. Bits and pieces of the nose and palate dirft in and out on this broadening finish. Great balance and breadth with that tautness that keeps it all together promises a helluva wine when it ultimately comes around. Your guess is as good as mine when that will be, but I'd bet on no less than ten more years and probably a good few more.
  
• 1994 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Grands-Echezeaux - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Flagey-Echezeaux
  At first, this seems a little off and might just possibly be corked, but I'm pretty TCA-insensitive so I'm not sure. After 30 minutes, it is seeming even more likely that it is corked and pretty sure that it is off somehow. After dinner (and 5 hours open), this just reeks. Damn corks!
  
• 1988 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Romanée St. Vivant - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée
  Bit of orange flitting through a still relatively deep burgundy color. The nose shows very little fruit, but a pleasant array of leaves, wet earth, and early spring flowers before they bloom. Focus hard and there is some light berry fruit and some spice. (At this point -- comparing the first three wines to this and the Richebourg -- I am reminded just how different oak spice and wine spice are, but also how easy it is to mistake oak spice for complexity when drinking an oaky wine alone.) On the palate, this is still incredibly tight and quite tannic, but it has hidden pleasures -- crunchy berry and sweet cassis chief among them. Every sip is different and the whole wine, including the finish, goes open/close/open/close/etc. The problem is that the open is very short and the close is much longer. This was decanted two hours ago and it is tight as a drum. After dinner (and five hours after opening) the tannins have finally begun to go into remission. The nose has also opened with lovely mushroom, blooming flowers, autumn leaves, and gorgeous berry. The palate is still a bit tighter, but no longer drying. The depth of the underlying fruit is more apparent, though I've still got some question whether the fruit or the tannin will win the ultimate race. Five hours delivered a beautiful nose, but we'll have to wait another ten years or so to see what the palate really has to offer. I'm a fellow who normally prefers older wines to young and RSV to Richebourg, but the 01 Richebourg was the clear winner tonight. We'll see what time has to say.
  

Fried Egg with Burrata, Parmesan, and White Truffles

• 1998 Gaja Langhe Costa Russi - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe
  Pretty deep color suggests richness to come. Nose is initially very closed, but opens up with time (and with the shaved truffles) to reveal a sweet floral scent and -- surprise -- a shot of truffle that I don't think was just power of suggestion. A bit of sweet strawberry accompanies the deeper plum and cherry fruit on the nose. Of course, there's also a big dose of spicy oak sweetness, but even this curmudgeon must admit that a beautiful nose comes through. On the palate, this is much more closed, with fairly tough tannins. However, there's some very pretty and deep plum along with the cherry fruit and the acid required to keep it together. Hard to tell where this will go except to say that this is tough and sexy at the same time. Think Kathleen Turner with a piece and a thousand dollar hairdo. I remain a skeptic that Gaja is worth the money, but this is a good illustration that there can be damn good stuff under the sexy modern styling.
  

Risotto with White Tuffles, Home-made Garganelli with Ragout and Broccoli

• 1998 Aldo e Riccardo Seghesio Barolo Vigneto la Villa - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
  Very, very deep color for nebbiolo. Nose immediately shows that root beer/sassafrass/anise character that I associate with modern Barolo and that I find in every young Clerico wine. There's also what should be there -- some violet floral scent and a bit of tarry scent. There's also a supersweet, superdark plum fruit that hides whatever lighter and brighter fruit may be there. Palate benefits from earth and is surprisingly approachable with soft tannins. Less sweet than the nose, the palate matches surprisingly well with the truffled risotto and the Bolognese-like ragu. A further confirmation that new-style, young Baroli are not on my buying list, but it was quite enjoyable nonetheless and presents reasonable value around $55. My first experience with this producer. Clearly modern, but not entirely over the top as long as one can look past the Barq's.
  

Veal Tagliata with Rucola Salad and Fresh Zuchinni Marinated in Balsamico Vinegarette

• 1997 Gaja Langhe Darmagi - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe
  Very, very deep puple in color, this surprises on the nose as the first impression is almost Loire-like with a clear dose of capsicum and green leaves. (I had never known it, but a peek at a published note indicates a tiny shot of cab franc -- makes sense given the nose.) The green element quickly fades into the background to reveal the core of Bordeaux-style without the complexity. There's plenty of sweet oak and cassis and dark sweet berry along with the requisite cedar/cigar box aromas and just a little smoke, but not a lot more. Then again, this is very young and still quite closed. The palate shows the sweetness and fat of the vintage, with good fruit concentration from entry to a long finish. I just wish there was more to it. I've got no experience with how this ages, so I reserve judgment, but at this point this is just a good, sweet, concentrated cab. Only the green notes hint at something more.
  

Assorted Cheeses, then Amaretto "Bonnet" Chocolate Pudding, Fresh Fruit Tarte, Panna Cotta with Caramel Sauces

• 1999 Château d'Yquem - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
  Very light young Sauternes gold. The nose shows botrytis, but more on the waxy side than the piercing spore-like side. Strong aromas of sweet orange peel, mango, and honey accompany the lanolin-soft, almost textural, lemon brulée core of the nose. The palate has a pleasant dose of acid to balance the sweetness, with both apparent and delicately juxtaposed all the way from entry to medium-length light caramel finish. While this puts on a little weight in the short time it spends in the glass, it is relatively light in body and intensity and hides a bit behind its obvious oak at first. Nonetheless it has the zing and the zest to the honeyed sweetness that make Sauternes what it is. This will never have the amazing combination of size and balance that wines like the '90 and '01 (or so I'm told re the '01) can have, but it does have the balance in spades. I always find younger Sauternes hedonistically enjoyable but a little impenetrable. This was a little more accessible, but will still be much better with time.
  
• 2001 Allegrini Recioto della Valpolicella Classico - Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Recioto della Valpolicella Classico
  Deep and viscous purple. Nose of port minus the spirity element with very deep blackberry, chocolate covered cherry, dark-roasted nuts, and coffee. I'm sure there's oak here, but there's so much luscious sweet fruit that I can't really find it. Absolutely mouthcoating and hedonistic, showing even more sweet berry than the nose but never tipping over the edge as there's just enough of a touch of acid and tannin to keep it all together through an amazingly long, plummy, and creamy chocolate finish. This comes in a 500 ml bottle and that's okay by me. Despite the relatively low alcohol, more than a glass could quickly be too much of a good thing. But that's okay because the one glass is so very guiltily good.
  

Terrific evening, terrific food, and (much) terrific wine. Walter Dal Col of Ristorante Piola (one of my two favorite Italian restaurants in Tokyo) did a beautiful job catering. Thanks to Stephen, Steve, and Lindy.

[Brad Ballinger]

Friends of ours generously hosted a small gathering.

Keep those friends!