What We Drank (6/23/09)

This week's What We Drank is pretty diverse, with a couple New York wines, a classic chardonnay from Burgundy and one of least-flavorful beers in the world. Sadly that beer is my contribution.

From Bryan Calandrelli: Louis Jadot 1999 Le Montrachet

Having Old World wine geek friends has its benefits too these days. This is a bottle I would never have swooned over and it's a wine that my New World attention span wouldn't have recognized over any of the other of those Jadot selections on the shelf. It takes an educated eye to pick out this vineyard, Montrachet, and realize that its perhaps one of the most respected white wine vineyards in the world.

This was heavenly with tempting aromas of green apple and buttered toast. What made this wine so memorable had to be its seamless balance, weight and mouth-feel. I can only describe the texture as silk drapery in a weightless environment. Sounds silly, but this wine just felt perfect. Who knows when I'll get to taste another wine with such pedigree and worth.

From Evan Dawson: McGregor Vineyards 1991 Late Harvest Gewurztraminer

Some restaurants show real interest in the local wine scene. Some even carry a wide-ranging library. At the Village Tavern in Hammondsport, we enjoyed three Finger Lakes bottles that were more than a decade old: a '98 McGregor Black Russian, a '93 Dr. Frank semi-dry Riesling, and a '91 McGregor late-harvest Gewurztraminer.

The aged whites were nearly orange in color and, while on the way toward Oxidation Town, they were still obstinately showing their gorgeous aged qualities. We were loathe to even finish the Dr. Frank, as we didn't want to extinguish the beautiful wine created by winemaker Peter Bell. And when the general manager brought a bottle of the late-harvest Gewurztraminer -- on the house! -- we were gratified but harbored low expectations. Lo and behold, like the Riesling that preceded it, this bottle was still slaying. But the biggest surprise was the '98 Black Russian, which didn't even hint at rust-colored edges in the glass. It simply looked young. The Village Tavern wine list is one to be admired, and there will soon be a video post to further explain their philosophy.

From Jason Feulner: Heart & Hands Winery 2007 Brut Rose

Upon a visit to Heart and Hands Winery on Cayuga Lake, owner and winemaker Tom Higgins suggested to me that his 2007 Brut Rose (100% pinot noir) would pair well with fresh local strawberries and an Arbor Hill cabernet sauvignon chocolate sauce (which he sells in the tasting room). I purchased some strawberries down the road and brought all the ingredients home for a delightful dessert pairing to share with my wife.

The brut rose itself tasted of strawberry with strong honey notes and a bit of cherry, backed by refreshing acidity. The Arbor Hill chocolate wine sauce, also made in the Finger Lakes, was very good and certainly worth a try for those who like a bright chocloate accompaniment to their fruits or dessert.

From Sasha Smith: Beaux Frères 2006 "Beaux Frères Vineyard" Pinot Noir

After last week’s Jeremiah Weed episode, I wanted to class it up a bit this time around. Fortunately I was able to do so—and on someone else’s dime. (See, classy.)

On Saturday I helped a friend throw a BBQ to benefit a charity he started. He snuck a few choice bottles out of his cellar and we dipped into them throughout the afternoon. I’m not going to strain credulity here and say that the 2004 Kistler Pinot Noir plus potato salad represents a magical food wine pairing, or that the char of a Costco burger really brings out the smokiness of the 2006 Boekenhoutskloof Chocolate Block, an intense Rhone blend from the Western Cape. But I can say that all the wines were very, very good, particularly the 2002 Beaux Frères Pinot Noir Beaux Frères Vineyard, which I liked best of all: silky elegance and red fruit, with a lovely thread of acidity racing through it. And guess what? It didn’t taste half bad with a hot dog.

From Lenn Thompson: Michelob Ultra

For Father's Day, Nena bought me a ticket to attend what was supposed to be the final round of the 2009 U.S. Open on Sunday. That was exciting enough, but then I remembered that Long Island wines would be served at the tournament. Even better, I thought, I won't have to drink crappy beer or wine.

Unfortunately, those local wines (and other Long Island-grown ingredients) were not available to the average fan. I walked all over the course, from concession stand to concession stand, looking for them.

I have a friend who was lucky enough to be in a corporate tent. He got to drink the Bridge Vineyard wines. Obviously it was great to have the local wines served, but it sure would have been nice (and more in line with the spirit of Schummer's press conference) had the wines been available more widely. Sadly, I had to drink this crap all day.

Comments

[Jason Feulner]

Is Michelob Ultra a special Long Island micro brew?

You should have treated yourself to a straightforward Budweiser. Why torture yourself with alcohol-laden water?

[Lenn Thompson]

Jason: This is a simple one...I'm doughy enough as it is. If I have to drink something that tastes terrible, I might as well go for the lowest-calorie option.