Going Over New Amsterdam's Wall: An Injection of Great Stuff

A great birthday week-end with great company, wine, and food.

Arriving late to NYC, my father and I went to the Veritas, where we had their delicious salad crab and roasted chicken. At 75$ the bottle, the Clos St Jean was a bargain. Regretfully for others, we drunk the last two bottles available.

• 2008 Clos Saint Jean Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes 96 Points

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  (3/28/2012)

  On the first night, this Clos St Jean Vieilles Vignes 2008 offered a very straightforward ripped fruit. On the second night, although the alcohol showed up, there was more finesse to it. Clos St-Jean did a great job in 2008 and I am looking forward to popping the Deus and Combes in a few years.

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Some of the finest wines of the week-end were obviously served here. We beautifully dinned at the Veritas. The market crudo offered the best clams I have ever had, that is something considering I spent most of my childhood's summers on the Costa Brava, Spain, eating shell fish.

• 2002 Dom Pérignon Champagne 97 Points

  France, Champagne

  (3/29/2012)

  This Dom Perignon 2002 was very awesome Champagne showing delicates notes of lime and citrus intermixed with an amazingly structured body. Its final was its most interesting part in that it was similar to some great Chardonnays.
  97-98

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• 2005 Aubert Chardonnay Lauren Estate Vineyard 98 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

  (3/29/2012)

  This was a wine I loved for its straightforward greatness. It had a very fat and tasty nose of candied lime and citrus. The mouth was full of mango, pear and caramel.

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• 2003 Domaine du Pégau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée 98 Points

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  (3/29/2012)

  Pegau's Reservée always has this particular nose I love. In the 2003, this nose is amplified ten times. This wine had an awesome, traditional structure of quintessential spices, guarrigues.
  97-100

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Wow! What an incredible dinning experience; I was blown away by their constant excellency over each step of this dinner. The wine list was impressive and displayed great values. It must be said that the Ferrand showed extremely well on the SLOW BAKED BLACK SEA BASS WITH SARAWAK PEPPER, Pommes Dauphine, Satur Farm Stuffed Leeks, Syrah Sauce.

• NV Pierre Paillard Champagne Daniel Brut 93 Points

  France, Champagne

  (3/30/2012)

  This N.V., actually arising from the 2007's harvest, Champagne was a tremendous value. Being sold for 95$ at the Daniel's, it had everything to appeal us. Very printanier, this Champagne had a nose full of green apples without displaying any disturbing acidity. The delicate, fine bubbles were well integrated, although they lost most of their intensity with time. This was a great pick!

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• 1999 Domaine de Ferrand Châteauneuf-du-Pape 98 Points

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  (3/30/2012)

  Another great pick from The Daniel's wine list, this 95$ wine couldn't have performed better. Its delicate first nose displayed so much boysenberries, smashed strawberries, and raspberries that I actually was impressed this could come from a 1999. A melting pot of red berries and fruits, its mouth has conserved the vitality of a young Ferrand. While entering in the third nose, I encountered something new, similar to wood but with the provencal touch of guarrigues: I called it 'guarrigue séchée''. Through this impeccable finale appeared touches of lapsang souchong and cinnamon. If this wine had more concentration, it would deserve a perfect score.

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We took an aperitif in our suite with some yummy Serano from Dean & Deluca, SoHo. Back at The Veritas, we had some delicious beef in trilogy followed by the incredible roasted label rouge chicken..

• 1998 Veuve Clicquot Champagne Brut La Grande Dame by Riva 94 Points

  France, Champagne

  (3/31/2012)

  This is a beautiful, yet expensive, champagne with a delicate finish. Its mature nose showed plenty of wood and sweet bitterness.

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• 2010 Domaine Huet Vouvray Sec Le Mont 91 Points

  France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray

  (3/31/2012)

  A very mineral nose with inserts of chalk. The mouth was delicate and sweet, yet dominantly mineral.

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• 2001 Domaine de la Janasse Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes 99 Points

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  (3/31/2012)

  It is always a pleasure to taste a Janasse Vieilles Vignes from a top-vintage. This 2001's nose was an insertion of ginger and pepper into a confit of black berries. The second nose, which lasted way after I put the glass back on the table, starred some additional spices. This wine displayed a profound grenat dress with very fat legs-ironically, the label asserted this as a desert wine-. Its bombastic mouth kicks the tannins out of sensibility to display plenty of velvet, red berries, and anise. Janasse is to me, alongside Clos-St-jean, Chateauneuf-du-Pape's greatest domain.

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Great stuff!