Marina and I had the pleasure of sharing an 8-person communal table with other wine-and-food enthusiasts at a Private BYOB Dinner hosted by a local restaurant, Eleven Madison Park. For this private dinner, the chef went out of his nouvelle French norm and prepared a terrific rustic Burgundian dishes, served family-style. In addition to grower champagne which I failed to take notes on, the following were the wines that were BYOB’d and shared at our table.
2001 Dauvissat La Forest – mineral, not as acidic as the bottle I’ve had 2 months ago, good balance, stones, complemented a terrific pate en croute dish. B+.
1996 Dujac Gevrey-Chambertin Aux Combottes 1er Cru – young, slight roughness on the palate, earthy, good underlying red fruit. B+
1996 Dujac Grand Cru Clos de la Roche – finesse, silky, classic with elegance, earth and fruit, complex nose with slight sulfur and leather, long lingering finish. Very good. A-
1990 Jadot Beaune Clos des Urseles 1er Cru – leafy, earthy nose. Sweet and ripe but with the earthy notes, soft mouthfeel, tartness at the finish, still rustic. Good balance. My unqualified opinion favors drinking within the next 5 years. B+
2003 Sine Qua Non Omega, Shea Vineyards – coffee and confection on the nose, big and yet to some degree did not seem OTT, because it simply is so delicious - like eating a freshly-baked chocolate croissant. Wow! A-
1982 Produtorri del Barbaresco, Piedmont – Fresh-tasting, some candied notes, bath soap (someone else on the table noted “lysol”) on the nose, big and tannic, high acidity but with lot’s of red fruit. B+
1979 Produtorri del Barbaresco Montefico, Piedmont – soft, mature but with more good years, smooth, some acidity, layers of red and black fruit, not as dense as the other Barbaresco and almost Burgundy-like, especially good with Boeuf Bourguignon. I like this. A-
1970 Produtorri del Barbaresco Ovello, Piedmont– leather and meat on the nose, cloudy with brick-like color, some sour cherries and blackberries, quite short on the finish. I think this wine is on its last leg. B