BYOB Diner @ Restaurant De Eendracht

Like last year, restaurant “De Eendracht” in Rotterdam hosted us and thanks go out to Sommelier Ward for assisting us and patron/chef Pepijn & crew for cooking us a great dinner. Their food is modern and eclectic, but they use nothing but the best local products, the majority of which is grown under their own supervision.

The following wines were tasted over the course of dinner. All notes are from memory, which explains their hazines ..... TN Mike de Lange

• NV Georges Laval Champagne Premier Cru Brut Nature Cumières

  France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru

  This was quite extracted, but far from cumbersome due to its creamy lifting mousse, decent autolytic expression and very good depth of flavour. Maturation on small -partially new- oak barrels was in evidence through a touch of cream, but still this Champagne slipped down remarkably easy ..... TN Mike de Lange

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• NV Marc Hébrart Champagne Premier Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut

  France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru

  Less substantial although more elegant –but that is Jean-Paul’s style– yet no lack of flavour intensity here either, imparted by Oiry & Chouilly grapes and a dash of Mareuil-sûr-Aÿ for structure. The third disgorgement of this bottling that I have tasted, this wine continues to impress and has excellent value. ..... TN Mike de Lange

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• NV Marc Hébrart Champagne Premier Cru Brut Rosé

  France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru

  This two-thirds Pinot Noir + Chardonnay assemblage has more substance to it than de previous Champagne. Here too, the Mareuil Pinot adds structure to this versatile wine which I like to drink on its own as much as with a variety of dishes. ..... TN Mike de Lange

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• NV Jacquesson & Fils Champagne Memoire du XX siècle Brut

  France, Champagne

  Quite a rare cuvee from previous century vintages and a privilege to sample. A clearly evolved nose and flavours satisfy the intellectual taster, but this is not for everyone as became evident immediately. If aged Champagne floats your boat and you happen to come across a few bottles, do not hesitate ...... TN Mike de Lange

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• 2005 Long Shadows Wineries Riesling Poet's Leap

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley

  A pronounced and typically diesel-infused Riesling nose leads the way to medium-bodied, honeyed mid-palate flavours of stone fruits over a pebbly base. A hint of RS balances medium-plus acidity. Decent length. ..... TN Mike de Lange

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• 2006 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Blanc

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  My first encounter with this wine and I now understand its appeal. If there has been any new oak during the upbringing it has integrated well, as this wine is quite creamy and flowery on the nose; indeed not without elegance despite its 14,5% alcohol. Serve cool!
  Quite broad on the palate as well and decidedly full-bodied with again honeyed flavours of confected fruits. It carries its weight well and from what I’ve been told these wines age impressively. I’d have to conclude that they must do so on their balance, because acidity was no more than medium here. Of course, tasting through a slew of Raveneaux might slant one’s palate somewhat ..... TN Mike de Lange

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• 2008 Domaine de la Grange des Pères Vin de Pays de l'Hérault Blanc

  France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, Vin de Pays de l'Hérault

  I’m not known for my love of Southern French whites, but this was quite good and very interesting to taste in the context of the Chave, since they both contain a high percentage of Roussanne. This too had quite a honeyed nose and more punch, but was less refined. Well balanced at 13,5% alcohol, this had pleasing medium-plus acidity and a nice spicy tang to its extracted mid-palate flavours of honeyed quince and sweet sherbets. None too shabby on the finish either; both in length and intensity. ..... TN Mike de Lange

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• 2006 Domaine Michel Lafarge Volnay 1er Cru Les Caillerets

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru

  After a 10 hour double decant, this wine showed quite a refined and typical nose of cooked ham, red flowers & fruits. In contrast, the medium tannins of the Lafargian kind were grippy, somewhat coarse and highlighted by medium-double-plus acidity. Barry –who brought it– was very unhappy about this wine, but truth be told it suffered in comparison somewhat to the other reds served. In my opinion, there is sufficiently good material present to balance out the tannins once they soften in a minimum of seven years from now. ..... TN mike de Lange

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• 2010 Domaine Ponsot Corton Cuvée du Bourdon

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru

  Hands down winner of the “most surprising wine of the day” award, its nose was borderline jammy but not quite, thanks to an infusion of cretaceous minerals. Lushly textured (!!) on the medium-plus bodied mid-palate, where veritable buckets of sève buffer its structure into oblivion and I doubt whether anyone would be able to guess its origins in a blind tasting. Of course, the 14% alcohol would most likely prohibit one from pounding this wine, but it sure invites the taster to do so. ..... TN Mike de Lange

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• 2007 Sine Qua Non Syrah Labels

  USA, California, Central Coast

  I was actually quite excited to taste this wine, as I’ve been reading about SQN for over a decade. One sniff took me back instantly to a time, when I was an unhappy sommelier on various cruise ships who cursed all the “domestic jammy swill” I had to flog every night. Having grown up somewhat since then, this wine was actually quite balanced in the grand scheme of things, with reasonably well-integrated luxurious new oak notes and even a modicum of varietal typicity. It didn’t suffer from excess heat or lack of freshness either. I would not seek this out –nor be prepared to pay the entry fee– but it sure was interesting to taste. ..... TN Mike de Lange

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• 2007 Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Le Serre Nuove

  Italy, Tuscany, Bolgheri

  Unfortunately, I only had a sip of this wine and that happened during the latter stages of dinner when I had lost the ability to focus somewhat. As a card-carrying member of the “strictly non-adulterated Sangiovese” league, I seem to remember that I was quite taken with the refreshing Italian acidity and overall balance this wine displayed. I just now learned that there is actually no Sangiovese in the blend at all, which removes that objection altogether. I could actually drink this, but could think of quite few Sangiovese-based wines in its price-range that I would probably prefer. ..... TN Mike de Lange

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• 1977 Graham Porto Vintage

  Portugal, Douro, Porto

  Decanted about two hours beforehand, this started out aggressively volatile to the point where it invoked images of the glue sniffers I remember hanging out with during my adolescence. Unlike those guys however, this Port cleaned up its act and turned into a well-aged but surprisingly fresh red-fruited fortified wine, which was not at all hot, or even overly sweet for that matter. ..... TN Mike de Lange

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