5th Somewhat Annual Blind Bubbly Dinner
Riverpark, NYC
Tasted Monday, December 9, 2013 by Vinotas with 464 views
Introduction
Almost every year, we hold a Blind Bubbly dinner around the holidays, both to celebrate and to figure out what to buy for the festivities. This year, we held it at Riverpark in NYC, where the food, service and stemware were excellent. Monday free BYO certainly didn't hurt either. But the restaurant was gracious and inviting, and I would happily go back (the fried chicken was insanely good). I did not take notes so these are mainly impressions from the dinner as I was too busy having fun. But isn't that what wine is supposed to be about?
Flight 1 - Flight 1 (3 Notes)
Flight 2 - Flight 2 (3 Notes)
Flight 3 - Flight 3 (3 Notes)
Flight 4 - Flight 4 (1 Note)
Closing
This 5th edition of our Blind Bubbly Dinner was a rousing success thanks to the generosity of all who attended and to the attention to detail paid to everything by Riverpark. Overall, we were very happy with both the meal and the wines. A few stood out among their peers, and one, the Rose, wasn't very good. As I like low-dosage Champagnes, I liked these both with and without food, though a few folks found them to be too austere without a dish to balance them out. Then again, I like my Champagnes to be painful, so YMMV.
Cheers!
NV Benoît Lahaye Champagne Naturessence
France, Champagne
Wow, right from the first sniff to the last sip, this was absolutely gorgeous. Lemony minerals filled the air above the liquid, with a crystalline purity that made me want to inject this straight into my veins. Superbly elegant and austere but pretty at the same time, with bracingly tart acidity making it almost painful without food, ending with a long cleansing finish. Then again, I like my Champagnes painful, so YMMV. Wow, I loved this wine.
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NV Tarlant Champagne Cuvée Louis
France, Champagne
Right off the bat, you can tell this was fermented in oak. As I am somewhat oakaphobe, I found it a little distracting at first, however the purity and intensity of the fruit did help to balance out the wood as it breathed. The nose and palate were extremely similar, with baked apples, yeast, toffee, minerals and slight oxydative notes on a round frame ending in a long, tart finish. I think if this had been tasted alone, I would have liked it a lot more. However, this was alongside some truly killer and pure bubblies, which outclassed it somewhat.
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NV Vouette et Sorbée Champagne Saignée de Sorbée Extra Brut
France, Champagne
Whoa, not sure what was going on with this bottle. If this is the way it's supposed to taste, then no thanks. If there was something wrong with it, then I might try it again if someone brings it. This smelled of old red wine, candied syrupy cherries and dust. The palate was similar, seemingly slightly disjointed, with more candied cherries wrapped around an earthy core and a mid-length finish. Upon further reflection, I think there might have been a flaw here, but not sure.
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