Usually shindigging with a larger crowd of wine geeks, Amy and I suddenly found ourselves without plans for NYE this past year. Fortunately, as we were skimming local papers and trying to decide whether NYE with a Barbershop Quartet was preferable to Whaling Songs, I received an e-mail from Rey and Juliette Fortney, who were similarly positioned.
A hasty plan was formed with the promise of a night with “just a few nibbles” and some wine. I whipped up two dishes for the evening: mushrooms stuffed with Crème Fraiche and King Crab, along with mussels on toasts. Arriving at the Fortney’s, it was apparent that Rey’s definition of “just a few nibbles” is on a much grander scale than most. In addition to the dishes I brought, Rey and Juliette provided a beautiful tray of homemade sushi, maki, sashimi, a number of cheeses, a lump of pate, artichoke and crab dip, seared beef, jumbo shrimp, seafood and seaweed salads, four different tarts… you get the idea.
It was obvious that we had our work cut out for us, and we quickly establish an eat-rest-eat routine with cycling shifts.
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Just what could fit on the table.
We kicked off the wines with two Chardonnay, one new world and one old world.
2000 Raveneau Chablis “Vaillons” 1er Cru: The nose of this Chablis was stingy for the duration of the night. The palate was similarly austere with a lean, acid-driven palate that showed hints of minerality despite the larger presence of lemongrass. Well made, though a bit dull. A few years may help.
1994 Kalin Chardonnay “LD”: This was the first time (that I remember) tasting a Kalin Cellars wine. Contrasting the Chablis, this was a generous wine with layers of interest. There were things going on in this bottle that, had I not tasted it myself, I would have most likely assumed contradictory. It was like Chardonnay on LSD at a laser Floyd show. Spiciness swirled with creaminess in a Technicolor haze while pulses of pineapple sweetness flashed before a floral curtain call. Trippy! In many cases I find that a higher acid wine served alongside a lower (not “low” in this case, just “lower“) acid wine has the tendency to make the latter seem flabby and unappealing, but in this case the Kalin just made the Raveneau appear that much shriller and monolithic. Granted, the Kalin was at a different stage in life, but this just furthers my feelings on Chablis in general. I can’t wait to try some of Kalin’s other bottles.
As we paced ourselves through the deliberate eating, we reminisced on NYE of the past. Six years ago, my first New Year’s with the guys, I brought a 1979 Yquem; because of this Rey and Juliette were initially under the impression that I must be some sort of trust-fund recipient, rather than a stupid kid with a credit card. In reference to the idea that I came from Old Money, I stated “Oh yeah, the Portuguese are rolling in the dough” to which Juliette quickly snapped “Yeah, the Portuguese are rolling the in the dough --- the FRIED dough.”
Et tu, Juliette? I can forgive you, but the internet never forgets…
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Juliette doodles a picture of Fried Dough in my notes with the proper of "fried doof"... just in case I'd forget.
Both Amy and Juliette were swimming in “Hanger: One” Mandarin vodka martinis with blood apple slices, so Rey and I went straight to a few reds.
1998 Geantet -Pansiot Charmes-Chambertin: Another first for me, this producer made a powerful impression on Rey and I. Actually, powerful is just how I’d describe it. Very good, though not great(!), the distinction of this bottle came from a surprising amount of burliness, like expecting a poodle and finding a mastiff. This firm presence was not of the tacky modernist sort, just straight fruit tannin and rich nuances. I was impressed with the judicious amount of new oak and natural acidity as well. While achieving harmony despite the strength, this wine needs time to unfurl.
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Vodka never looked so good.
1998 Chateau Fortia Chateauneuf-du-pape: Something’s… something’s not right here. Definitely off. Rey trots downstairs and returned with-
1998 Domaine Monpertuis Chateauneuf-du-pape “Cuvee Tradition”: A sniff and taste of this wine show it to be a bit further along than either Rey or I expected. There was a touch of tomato notes that made me think it may have been exposed to a bit of heat at some point, not enough to spoil, just enough to prematurely expose it. I’m not positive about this, though. Has anyone else had the 98 Monpertuis recently? The advancement of this wine may have actually helped how it showed, since everything was rather approachable and pleasant.
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The boys get their swirl on.
Somehow the topic turned to a joke about “Boo Berry” cereal. Everyone laughed including Amy. I called her out saying that she was too young and didn’t even know what Boo Berry was. Amy’s exact reply was:
“Yes I do. Boo Berry is like Chount Cockular!”
Hmmmm… I’m not sure who this “Chount Cockular” is, but I suddenly made a New Year’s resolution to pay more attention to Amy’s cereal selections.
1996 Billecart-Salmon “Cuvee Elizabeth”: Exactly two years ago I was able to taste this Champagne on the night Amy and I became engaged. On that New Year‘s Eve, this bottle just began to open up as we were finishing it, displaying a superb amount of depth, complexity and elegance. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the available funds to buy this at the time, even though Chamber’s Street had it for a very nice price. Two years later, Rey was gracious enough to open one of his bottles for sharing. Given my earlier experience, I suggested that we decant this bottle. This was a statement scoffed at by the ladies, and I do realize that, while possibly enabling the wine to taste better, I was being a bit of a tool by suggesting we decant the toasting Champagne. As with the first bottle, this wine was a tightly coiled beauty. There were hints of brilliance hiding behind and between the speeding bubbles of this glass, like a happy memory that flirts just at the edge of your recall. Time. More time. I just hope to be there when the ball drops for this wine.
Wrapping up the night was a half bottle of 1989 Rieussec Sauternes. I don’t remember drinking this particular vintage of Rieussec before, and it was quite nice. There was a bit more acidity and lower sweetness present than in other vintages. Additionally, the more restrained sweetness allowed the spicy clove and ginger notes to come to the forefront. Drinking excellently now, though probably well-stored bottles will continue for a while yet.
The ladies have gotten a hold of my notebook and are doodling in it and defiling it with profanities once again. Is nothing sacred? Ah well, I sighed as I looked at the food which we ate a respectable 65% of, and wondered if it was too late for Whaling Songs in Rockport…
In all seriousness, my gratitude to the Fortney’s for inviting us over on such short notice and preparing such a feast. Any year is a good one to be filled with friends.
Best,
Joe
p.s. In case you think I was making the whole thing up about the ladies, here's some more proof.
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A doodle showing me and Amy at the top next to the shrimp(?). My figure is saying "I kissed 33 girls" (in reference to a story about a NYE past which landed me in the dog house) and Amy's says "I love you!" in response.
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This picture again shows a doodle of me with an afro saying "I love wine" below another quote which says "Don't f@ck with me bitch!" and "Chount Cockular: 1,2,3 Ah ah ah"
(ok, you caught me... my new years wasn't that great...)
Excellent notes, as always.