Paul got a reservation at the hard to get Don Angie in Greenwich Village, so a nice small group (4) gathered on a lovely spring day.
2012 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne
Again, just a stunning vintage of Comtes, bright and focused with pear, brioche and chalk. Bright and lively, laser sharp but with generosity too.Elegant and long A/A-
2012 Pol Roger Champagne
Rich and nice, apple with caraway seed and lemon zest, elegant mousse. A-/B+
Stuffed Garlic Flatbread
2016 Valentini Trebbiano d’Abruzzo
Citrus and anise with saline notes, big but refreshing. A-/B+
“Tonnato Vitello” spicy Veal Tartare with tuna carpaccio
Chrysanthemum Salad
BBQ calamari with pepperoni fried rice and labneh
1998 G. Conterno Cascina Francia Barolo
Wow, this is in a good place, raspberry and rose petal, tannins in background, very floral with more air. Textbook young maturity Barolo. A-
1999 G. Conterno Cascina Francia Barolo
Pretty reticent and grumpy. A bit hard to judge in shutdown stage but all the raw materials are there.
Stracchino Gnocchi-Broccoli Rabe, Crispy Garlic, Sharp Provolone
Sourdough Pasta Chicken Cacciatore with Nduja & Sicilian Olives
2001 G. Conterno Cascina Francia Barolo
This is so young, despite some time in decanter before returning to bottle this is still pretty tannic. But there’s nice balance underneath, with cherries, tar, and orange zest, long finish. B/B- for current consumption, will expect it to get into the As
2003 Cappellano Pie Franco Barolo
Drinking quite nicely, shows the 2003 ripeness with a hint of kirsch but in no way is this a cartoonish 2003. Moderate tannins, ripe red fruit with a little grilled meat/quail note, some balsam and spice. A success for the vintage. B+
Shell Steak al Limone
Lasagna (sausage Bolognese, whipped Robiolina)
Charred Broccolini with black garlic aglio e olio, Pecorino, & hazelnuts
Food was delicious, service was superb, company was fantastic.
Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C drinkable. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a party where it was the only choice. Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.