TN: TTG#4 -- Salon, Coche, Jasmin, Pape-Clement

[jrufusj]

TTG#4 (SALON, COCHE, JASMIN, PAPE CLEMENT, HSS, YQUEM, JOLY...) - Rico's Kitchen (1/27/2006)

The Tokyo Tasting Group gathered Friday night for its fourth event at Rico's Kitchen in Ebisu. The restaurant did a very nice job of preparing a menu to go with the wines and also with the wine service. As this is just around the corner from my house and office, I'll have to visit again. There were only six of us this time and the theme was a simple bring what you want.

I'm getting senile as I'm having a tough time reassembling the food and wine lineup. Good notes on the wines, but meager on what we ate. Somewhere I'm missing the dish with the giant kaibashira (khi-chogae in Korean, can't remember the species name in Japanese). Apologies for the scrambling.

Welcome Champers

While we all settled and for the first part of a plate of assorted sushi/sashimi/bites, including an oyster, kohada sushi, and uni.

• 1983 Salon Champagne Brut Blanc de Blancs Le Mesnil - France, Champagne, Côte des Blancs, Champagne
  Mature old-gold color with mousse that is still very fine but dissipates quickly. On the nose, begins with a first whiff of very ripe apples that are browning, followed by that Salon trademark of sweet lemon cream. Also shows rich toasted biscuits and a bit of roasted nut. With time, a very maderized sherry element becomes more and more prominent. The palate is a surprise as the wine starts out still taut and tart. With time it settles into a great creamy texture with choco-mocha notes and a nutmeg/cinnamon spice on the finish. Never shows much fruit on the palate. Is recognizably Salon with that great Salon acidity and some trademark notes, but not up to the normal standard. Enjoyable but not fully on form
  

Courtesy Buy from the List

With the last of the amuse and with a Chinese crab soup. The Rochioli was a politeness buy from the list as a thanks to the restaurant for acommodating us. A small gesture for much greater kindness.

• 2004 J. Rochioli Sauvignon Blanc Estate Grown - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
  Light and bright pale yellow. Nose shows grass, grapefruit and a nice sweet depth. It may have been power of suggestion, but I thought I detected a bit of a musky-briny seashell/mineral element as well. This grows in intensity as it sits in the glass, but doesn’t really change in character. On the palate, a surprising degree of body along with melon fruit and a touch of balancing acidity. Medium finish. I’m not a big Cali sauv blanc fan, but this is nice. It was a bit out-of-place in this lineup and suffered for that, but I would be very happy to run into it in most circumstances. I'm not buying it for home, but definitely a restaurant wine list option with fresh seafood.
  

What a Step Up

With kuromutsu in a suppon risotto. But mostly, blissfully, alone. I love food with wine and that is the way I almost always consume it, but this one was happy to be savored on its own. I'm very much on the fence as to whether there was a small degree of advanced age here. It was in great shape, but just left a sneaking impression that it may have moved along a little faster than it should. Is the premature oxidation problem an analog problem? Or is it binary?

• 1996 Coche-Dury Meursault Les Rougeots - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault
  Deep gold color with an enticing movement in the glass; when swirled the wine moves just that tiny bit slower than normal, hinting at real concentration and building real anticipation. First sniff shows some candied/brulée/butterscotch elements, but otherwise there is nothing to indicate any advanced age. There is a lot of nutty, deep, sweet oak but it has integrated well enough at this point that it does not obscure the well-delineated apple, lemon, and even peach fruit. Neither does it block the hint of granite-like mineral on the nose. This just has a tremendous depth of sweetness on the nose, but it never becomes tiring. On the palate, this has a level of concentration and richness that threatens to make dessert wines seem watery. However, that richness is lifted up by good acid and clean freshly sliced fruit. The minerals are much stronger here than on the nose and continue from mid-palate through very long finish, where there is also a lovely floral element. Great size and concentration, stays fresh with good acid and lively fruit, oak never dominates (though I would ideally prefer a bit less of it), minerals and flowers and fruits and such are all there. Only one worry: While there are no oxidation flaws, this should not seem so integrated, developed, and mature at ten years old. Lovely drinking and delicious today, but I have this nagging nervousness about whether it will develop any more and how long it will last. Will we begin to find more of a middle ground on the early oxidation problem? Where some wines are maturing too fast but are still in good shape at this point?
  

And Now to a Red

With walnut, foie gras and duck confit rolled in cabbage and served in a mushroom sauce.

• 1990 Domaine Jasmin Côte-Rôtie - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
  Lightish purple with pinkish tinges at the rim. First impression from the nose is the feminine floral element, then there is a punch of masculine substance with dusty iron. This one-two is followed by sweet berry, a very little hint of meat, and sweet cured tobacco. On the palate, an intriguing tension with a sense of lightness on entry and acid brightness opposed to a bit of remaining tannin in the front of the mouth and deep but pretty dust, meat, and plum that grows as the wine moves through the mouth. On the persistent finish, there is a hint of very light chocolate and spice and a resurgence of the iron. While the flavors and scents were appealing, the real measure of the wine was its tension and balance. It showed the typical Jasmin aspects of dancing acid brightness and floral elegance, but also picked up an element of the ripeness and fruit depth of the vintage. There is the first small hint that, as the youthful sweetness of some of the fruit fades, the iron dust will start to turn to a bit of muddiness especially on the finish. To be safe, drink now while at peak. Probably my favorite producer of Côte-Rôtie and very well priced compared to bigger names.
  

The Bigger Reds

With a simple piece of wagyu.

• 1988 Château Pape Clément - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
  Surprisingly young looking, with a dark ruby/bright purple core, almost solid to the rim. The nose is rich and smooth with ripe cassis, graphite, and a little plummy/earthy Graves note. With time, the fruit remains and earthiness passes over to tobacco. On the palate, there is a little initial tannin, but this is overwhelmingly, pleasantly, and surprisingly smooth and easy. More of the plum and cassis fruit expands in a nicely full mid-palate. With time, the tannins grow but always remain genteel. Acid is there to provide balance and a real sense of lively youth. The finish shows some iron, sweet fruit, and tobacco. Very easy and sexy for the vintage but also well-balanced with acid. Seems bright and lively but has reached an elegant drinkability that seems best of class for a sometimes rough and slow-moving vintage. Only complaint would be that this shows slightly less earthiness and brick than I normally seek from Graves. No sense of the green notes that others have sometimes found.
  
• 2000 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select - USA, California, Napa Valley, Stag's Leap District
  Deep and dark purple, still looking very primary. Nose shows a richness of dark blackberry and very pure cassis fruit wrapped in some vanilla-oak sweetness. With a little more time, this gets into a little bit of choco-coffee spice. On the palate, this is voluptuous with a sweet tannin entry and a load of graphite-accented berries expanding in the mid-palate. Along the way, there is blueberry, blackberry, raspberry – all sweet and delicious but somehow shy of jammy or cloying. Never notice any acid or greenness, but something must be going on underneath to keep this in balance. Tannin and spice come out again on a long and sweetly concentrated finish. A type of wine I very seldom drink and one I’d have a hard time matching with the food I eat. However, this is undeniably delicious in a lip smacking way and a good indicator of why I sometimes prefer “off” vintage wines. Any more ripeness or fruit stuffed into this package might just be too much of a good thing. Matt Kramer describes SLD in general and Shafer SLD/HSS in particular as having a “corseted voluptuosity”. He said it better than I ever could. Great fun to drink.
  

Dessert Time

With cheeses and such. I never thought the moëlleux existed for the '82 vintage, but there it was in front of my eyes. In fact, much more like a sweetish demi-sec than a moëlleux. Like all things with Joly, just when you think you know the facts you learn something new.

• 1982 Nicolas Joly Savennières-Coulée de Serrant Moëlleux Clos de la Coulée de Serrant - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Savennières-Coulée de Serrant
  Yellow tending toward gold, but decidedly lighter than the Yquem. Nose shows a hint of oxidation and leesiness that is somewhat typical of the estate, as well as some ripe fig and apricot fruit and a lacing of honey. The palate has a little viscosity and a little sweetness, but this comes across much more in the demi-sec range than the moëlleux, especially next to the ’01 Yquem. Good bracing acidity and an incredible concentration of liquid extract of minerals. Medium finish with no discernable botrytis. From a lesser year and a controversial producer, there are many people this won’t please but I like it. Distinctive, absolutely of its place, and built for food (cheese especially). Another great shot across the bow of “vintage chart mentality”™ (Kermit Lynch). Need to taste it again without such a stunner in the glass next to it. Joly is a bit like Ponsot, who is a bit like the girl with the curl in the middle of her forehead. When she is good, she is very very good, but when she bad, she is horrid. In this case, we caught Joly’s good side.
  
• 2001 Château d'Yquem - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
  Attractive deep and concentrated yellow. Nose is absolutely bursting with honey, citrus, tropical fruit, stone fruit, brulée, sweet cream. Palate shows all of this and more in an amazingly delineated, detailed, balanced, and quite structured form. How many flavors or aromas are there? Well, how long do you have to sit with it? Every few minutes represents a shifting and swirling of accent that reveals something new. Even the long and concentrated finish evolves as it fades away ever so slowly. Enough conventional notewriting. This is simply too young and intense and packed with goodness to describe that way. This is like a hand grenade with all the chemistry and power and material to overwhelm a large area condensed inside a compact package. However, while the fuse on the grenade lasts ten seconds or less, the fuse on this Yquem is bound to last seventy-five to a hundred years or more. Like a Noah’s Ark of wine, it’s got two of everything. There go the lemons, and the limes, and the apricots… You get the point. Monumental wine with amazing balance and complexity. Believe the hype.
  

Just Can't Quit

In the name of symmetry.

• 1979 Diebolt-Vallois Champagne Brut Blanc de Blancs - France, Champagne, Cramant, Champagne
  Deepening gold with a surprisingly lively and persistent mousse of medium fine bead. On the nose, there is not much maderization or sherry, but there is that advanced dry honey note that signals full maturity or a bit more. Also, shows baked ripe apples, mushrooms, and brie. In the young D-V wines, I always find a very Chardonnay/Burg-like nose. I find the same here, but just barely peeking out from behind the mature Champagne notes. On the palate, the mousse shows more life than expected and there is more of the ripe browned apple, allied with a bit of mineral. All of this turns to dry honey on the finish. A bit tired and a bit past it and a bit devoid of acid, but still a delicious sip for those who like the Vallois style and who like their Champagne mature.
  

Good company, good food, good drinking. Highlights for me were the absolute concentration and purity of the Coche and the Yquem, the balance of ripeness and elegance of the Jasmin, and the hedonistic fun of the HSS. Also, the Pape Clement threw in a damn smooth showing for an '88. If it had a little bit more baked earth, it would be da bomb. The Joly did a great job of representing '82 Loire, but it was lost in more demonstrative company. By all reports, the '79 Diebolt-Vallois is the least of the recently released trio of '76/'79/'85 Vallois wines (and the most mature), but it was good enough that I'm going to have to pick up some of the others.

Posted from CellarTracker

Edited January 30, 2006 by jrufusj (log)

[docsconz]

Nice post. I found the descriptions of the Joly and the Yquem particularly interesting. I didn't even know that Joly made a moulleux from Coulle de Serrant!

[Brad Ballinger]

Nice post. I found the descriptions of the Joly and the Yquem particularly interesting. I didn't even know that Joly made a moulleux from Coulle de Serrant!

←

Yes, but I don't believe in every vintage.

[jrufusj]

The Joly moëlleux is produced in very few vintages. The only ones I've seen previously are the 1995 and the 1959.

There are several stories about why these wines exist. I have no idea which is true.

a) Accidental -- Stuck fermentation

b) Accidental -- Overripeness (leading to either (i) decision to vinify sweet to maintain some balance or (ii) stuck fermentation)

c) Intentional -- Siezing opportunity (but, if so, why only in these years)

A while back, I ran into an '82 Coulée de Serrant labeled as "moëlleux" with a small white stick-on label. Out of curiosity, I picked it up. First, I had never seen it before and had heard that it was only produced in '59 and '95, so I was curious. Second, '82 seemed like an odd year to decide to do a sweet bottling.

I decided to open it for an offline Friday night, hence the note above. As you will see, one of my comments was that I thought it was much more like a demi-sec than a moëlleux.

Today I dug up the original receipt for the purchase. When the UPC was scanned at purchase, the store's inventory system thought it was a demi-sec and that is what was printed on my receipt.

Whatever the background, I won't complain because I was pleased with the wine. But I am curious what the facts are.

Jim

Edited February 1, 2006 by jrufusj (log)

[docsconz]

The Joly moëlleux is produced in very few vintages.  The only ones I've seen previously are the 1995 and the 1959. 

There are several stories about why these wines exist.  I have no idea which is true.

a)  Accidental -- Stuck fermentation

b)  Accidental -- Overripeness (leading to either (i) decision to vinify sweet to maintain some balance or (ii) stuck fermentation)

c)  Intentional -- Siezing opportunity (but, if so, why only in these years)

A while back, I ran into an '82 Coulée de Serrant labeled as "moëlleux" with a small white stick-on label.  Out of curiosity, I picked it up.  First, I had never seen it before and had heard that it was only produced in '59 and '95, so I was curious.  Second, '82 seemed like an odd year to decide to do a sweet bottling.

I decided to open it for an offline Friday night, hence the note above.  As you will see, one of my comments was that I thought it was much more like a demi-sec than a moëlleux.

Today I dug up the original receipt for the purchase.  When the UPC was scanned at purchase, the store's inventory system thought it was a demi-sec and that is what was printed on my receipt.

Whatever the background, I won't complain because I was pleased with the wine.  But I am curious what the facts are.

Jim

←

Interesting story, Jim. Have you ever seen the 1959 available anywhere?

[jrufusj]

I've not seen the '59 for sale. Haven't tasted it either. I've just been told of its existence by someone who had tried it.

I have (obviously) seen the '82 and have also seen the '95 for sale.

Wine-searcher currently shows the '82, '89, and '95 available. I don't have Wine-searcher pro. It may show more choices. (Pro is not worth it for me, as I am in a market where almost no vendors are listed.)

Jim