Jay Selman was in NYC for the James Beard awards (he won for his GrapeRadio podcast) and a small group of us met him for dinner.
Dinner wines were 2001 Raveneau 1er Cru Montee de Tonnerre and 2000 Fevre Grand Cru Le Clos - these two wines could not have been more different from each other. At first, the Raveneau smelled like an oaky California Chardonnay while the Fevre was pure Chablis. I kept returning to the nose on the Raveneau and, with time, that oakiness left but was replaced with a cheesy, funky nose. A couple of sips told me to hold back on this and drink the Fevre with the oysters. The Fevre was quiet, understated, and delicate. Some light citrus and minerals on the nose and palate, with a soft and lingering finish. The Raveneau kept saying, "try me, try me," while the Fevre stayed quietly in the background, knowing that it would be chosen. Interesting contrast.
1993 Deinhard Ruppertsberger Spiess Riesling Spatlese - I always feel assaulted by the initial whiff of diesel on older Rieslings. This was no exception, but some fragrant green apple appeared, a little bit of sweetness and a plate of linguica and merguez sausage showed me a wine to enjoy.
2000 Follin-Arbelet Romanee St. Vivant - in a word, "gorgeous" - black cherry nose with more cherries on the palate, a little peppery, a satisfying finish. Yes, there were some holes, it showed the vintage, but the tannins were smooth and drank very well. I loved it.
1998 Jamet Cote Rotie - lots of olive juice on the nose, but not obtrusive. Upon pondering the bottle, it was discussed that some aspects of the wine showed its youth, i.e. hefty tannins, but there was some fading of the fruit that would be present in a wine on its downslide. Perhaps, not the best example of a 1998 Jamet, but certainly not the worst.
1990 Chave Hermitage Rouge - wow! herbs, dark fruit, tremendous concentration, long cherry finish - a complete package, with lots of life left, and a treat to drink this wine.
1995 Rayas Chateauneuf du Pape - impressive, expressive, meaty and earthy. The fruit is intertwined with herbs and spices - a beauty and competes with a 1990 Clos de Papes, which has been my all time favorite CdP.
2001 Pierre Usseglio Mon Aieul - clearly too young in this company. Super ripe with dark fruit on the nose. More of the same on the palate with cocoa and licorice. Too much of a good thing and certainly outclassed by the Rayas.
A return to the Raveneau with the cheese course still showed an atypical Chablis and I didn't know what to make of it.
1999 Klein Constantia Muscat Vin de Constance - I hate it when I really like a sweet wine, but my palate is dying from the embarassment of riches to which it was previously treated. This is lovely and fresh tasting. A hint of orange blossom with nice acidity - a wine for contemplation, but, alas, not last night.