2014 New York Wine Experience Trip
New York City, NY
Tasted Tuesday, October 14, 2014 - Tuesday, October 21, 2014 by La Cave d'Argent with 4,641 views
Introduction
Having always wanted to attend the Wine Spectator’s New York Wine Experience, we decided that the 34th annual edition would be the one to disrupt our inertia. While the event took place Thursday, October 16 through Saturday, October 18, we arrived a few days early and stayed a few days late in order to enjoy the sights, sounds and tastes of the Big Apple.
Flight 1 - Tuesday, October 14, 2014 (1 Note)
We arrived in the late afternoon and checked into our hotel, the Marriott Marquis. The Marriott was chosen because it is the hotel where the Wine Spectator event was held. This is a 48-story structure which is optimally located within Times Square and within a few steps of Broadway theatres. The hotel is nicely appointed, albeit a bit confusing to navigate (multiple computer-directed elevators, lobby on the 8th floor, etc.). On the 48th floor is a slowly revolving, circular restaurant and bar (“The View”), which is a fun place to have a drink but does not appear to be anything more than a tourist trap for their buffet dinner (which did not look to be anything particularly special).
Walking throughout Times Square and experiencing its “energy,” we had our first dining experience at Rue 57 (60 West 57th Street; http://www.rue57.com). This is a French Bistro-type restaurant with classic dishes such as steak frites, French onion soup and steak tartare. That said, it also offers dishes such as specialty steaks, delicious salads and “comfort foods” (sirloin burgers, homemade chicken noodle soup, etc.). They even offer sushi!
My wife had a generous and flavorful beet salad while I started with a blue cheese wedge salad with smoked applewood bacon which was crisp and beautifully balanced. Next was the steak frites for my wife and a grilled sirloin burger for me. We “compared notes” by tasting each other’s entrée, concluding that both were extremely well-done. The steak was a tender, lean sirloin and the burger was bursting with flavor. Both plates were generous in quantity and the accompanying fries were crisp, perfectly seasoned and absolutely irresistible (especially when dipped into the béarnaise sauce which came with my wife’s steak). From the wine list, we ordered a red blend from Hedges Family Estate. While it was a pleasant match with our beef dishes, it was otherwise fairly pedestrian.
Flight 2 - Wednesday, October 15, 2014 (2 Notes)
Lunch at Bar Americain (152 West 52nd Street; http://www.baramericain.com) was followed by a matinée showing of Jersey Boys. The restaurant, a Bobbly Flay operation, was a culinary delight…the perfect precursor to a phenomenal Broadway production. We began with shellfish cocktails. They were served in three distinct clear glass bowls which had the appearance of super-sized shot glasses. The presentation of these cocktails was only surpassed by the flavors delivered from each glass (lobster-avocado, shrimp tomatillo and crab-coconut).
My wife chose an entrée of Big Island tacos, prepared with grilled mahi-mahi and served in flour tortillas with papaya cabbage slaw, Boston lettuce, pineapple salsa, pickeled onions and hot red pepper sauce. I could not resist ordering the steak tartare, prepared with mustard sauce and cornichons, served with garlic toast. We greatly enjoyed our respective dishes, both of which paired well with the Pouilly-Fuissé, which was ordered in half-bottle format from the restaurant’s wine list.
Dinner followed in the early evening at db Bistro Moderne (55 West 44th Street; http://www.dbbistro.com/nyc) prior to viewing the Broadway production of Kinky Boots. db Bistro Moderne is Daniel Boulud’s contemporary French bistro under the direction of executive chef Brian Loiacono. The restaurant serves updated bistro classics with a modern twist. We began our culinary adventure with a highly creative dish which belongs in the “modern twist” category…ravioli stuffed with mascarpone, ricotta, shaved white truffle and egg yolk (served on warm slate), presented with three additional grams of shaved white truffle on the top and white truffle butter sauce on the side. Thereafter, my wife enjoyed beautifully crisp-skinned duck confit served with kale, baby carrots, mixed mushrooms and Fresno peppers, while I was wowed with bacon crusted halibut, served with spaghetti squash, black trumpet mushrooms and hollandaise.
While the various dishes at db Bistro Moderne are not inexpensive, they are reasonably priced when one considers the creativity and overall quality. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the restaurant’s wine offerings, virtually all of which are grossly overpriced. An “inexpensive” option (at $80) was the 2012 Bourgogne Vézelay from Domaine Montanet-Thoden, which served as a reasonably good partner to the food.
Flight 3 - Thursday, October 16, 2014 (35 Notes)
Lunch at Le Bernardin (155 West 51st Street; http://www.le-bernardin.com) was a much anticipated meal, and the restaurant did not disappoint. The décor, service, food (and wines) were all top-echelon. Aldo Sohm, Le Bernardin's wine director, has built a list with impressive breadth and depthh. Parenthetically, he also has his own wine bar, "Aldo Sohm Wine Bar," in midtown Manhattan (151 West 51st Street; http://www.aldosohmwinebar.com). We began with smoked salmon rillette, which was served with thin toast. The flavors of the salmon and crispiness of the toast were a winning combination.
My wife and I took different paths for our second course. She went with one of Chef Ripert's signature tuna dishes, consisting of layers of pounded yellowfin, foie gras, toasted baguette, chives and extra-virgin olive oil. I elected to go with the wild salmon tartare, prepared with harissa aioli, saffron pickeled shallots and charred lemon vinaigrette. As always, we "compared notes" by tasting each other's dish. The verdict was unanimous...these two dishes were nothing short of sensational. Both paired well with the Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Puligny-Montrachet Champs-Gain, which was purchased from the wine list in half-bottle format.
Our third courses were equally impressive. My wife had Sautéed Dover Sole with almond-pistachio barberry golden basmati with a Chardonnay-shallot emulsion spoon onto the dish tableside. I ordered the crispy black bass with wood ear mushrooms and water chestnuts. Black truffle hot and sour pot au feu was then spooned over the dish tableside.
Last, but certainly not least, were the desserts (both of which paired very well with the Kracher Cuvée Beerenauslese). My better half enjoyed a dish of roasted figs, warm mascarpone-almond cake, jalapeño and vanilla ice cream. When perusing the menu, I was intrigued by the description of what was to be the most original, unique and delicious desserts which I have ever tasted: kataifi filled squash cremeux, bourbon sabayon, candied cranberry and spiced ice cream. As visually beautiful as it was delicious!
The Critics' Choice Grand Tasting (night one) was truly a grand event for an oenophile. Nearly every great estate was represented and the wines available for sampling were an embarrassment of riches. The first hour of tasting was set aside for those who had purchased the entire three-day package of events. Thereafter, the tasting was opened to those who purchased tickets for the single evening. Although a bit hectic, it was such a treat to be able to chat with and taste the wine of legends such as Angelo Gaja! Pacing onself, spitting, pouring out excess and taking breaks to enjoy the delicious food were mandatory in order to maximally enjoy the night's festivities.
Flight 4 - Friday, October 17, 2014 (Morning) (18 Notes)
Following a continental breakfast which included an egg white and spinach frittata (my favorite), we proceeded to the seminar portion of the Wine Experience program. Seated in a large ballroom with good acoustics, excellent visuals (including two jumbo video screens) and some of the wine world's most influential people, it was a shame that at least one attendee was not clued in about the taboo of wearing cologne or perfume to a wine tasting event! While we were in our initial seats, a gentleman arrived and sat down next to my wife. The Old Spice after-shave was so pungent that we immediately moved. We found seats which were a bit less optimal from a visual standpoint but were ideal from an olfactory aspect.
A terse (but touching) opening speech by Marvin Shanken (publisher of the Wine Spectator) was fun to witness, as he asked participants how many years they had attended the event. Three had attended for more than 30 years; all were promised free admission to the event for next year.
The opening program was entitled "Benchmark Burgundy." Moderated by Bruce Sanderson (Wine Spectator senior editor), it included brief talks by representatives from four top-echelon white Burgundy producers. These speakers included Luc Bouchard (William Fèvre), Bruno Colin (Bruno Colin), Frédéric Barnier (Louis Jadot) and Jean Soubeyrand (Olivier Leflaive). All gave nice, focused presentations which were easily comprehended while being delivered with classic, "thick" French accents. The audience (including myself) soaked it up! As far as the wines, the notes below speak for themselves. They were all terrific, especially the Fèvre Bougros.
The next presentation came from Larry Turley (as they poured his Rattlesnake Ridge Zinfandel). It quickly became apparent that Dr. Turley is a man of multiple talents. Not only is he a great wine producer and emergency room physician, but he is also a tremendous speaker who could easily make top dollar in any comedy club. Relaxed, well-spoken, informative and hysterically funny, he is the real deal in front of a microphone. There were numerous funny lines...perhaps my favorite was when he put up a photo of his expansive winery on the video screen, saying that the bank calls it "collateral." This immediately followed a screen shot of his business card, listing his title as 'Debtor."
Following Larry Turley's shtick, four Chilean producers were introduced by moderator Kim Marcus. These included Aurelio Montes (Viña Montes), Isabel Guilisati (Viña Concha y Toro), Michel Friou (Viña Almaviva) and Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle (Lapostolle). Each gave nice descriptions of their terroir, winery operations and the wine being presented for tasting. All had been given Wine Spectator scores in the 94-96 range, including 2008 Wine-of-the-Year status to the 2005 Clos Apalta. The wines were all excellent, although my palate was not quite as enthusiastic as those of the Wine Spectator editors.
Bruno Prats, former owner of Château Cos d'Estournel (who was forced to sell the property as a result of French estate tax concerns), gave the ensuing presentation about his project in Portugal, Prats & Symington. This was simultaneous with a tasting of his Douro Chryseia 2011, which was underwhelming to my palate.
By far, the highlight of the day (and the entire event) was the subsequent presentation by Phillippe Guigal, who was introduced by Wine Spectator senior editor James Molesworth. Concise, informative, entertaining and spot-on in his analysis, his speech was almost as big of a hit as his wines. I was personally impressed by his courage to speak his mind about his aversion to "biodynamic" winemaking. He stated that his winery always attempts to produce wine in as pure and simple a fashion as possible, but qualified it by saying that technology should be used when indicated. He then made the analogy that he personally does not desire to take antibiotics, but would do so if he had an infection that would warrant it. This was in direct contrast to the previous commentary of Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle...vive la difference!
The Guigal presentation concluded the morning session. Attendees were then treated to a decadent lunch which included three courses and (yes, not a misprint) 19 different Italian wines per each 10-person table! The wines were all from top-flight producers (spanning several appellations) and for this taster it was a bit overwhelming. I accordingly chose to focus on the Pio Cesare Barolo 2010 and the Michele Chiarlo Barolo Cerequio 2010, the notes for which are listed below. These two wines paired beautifully with the food, which included a first course of Vitello Tonnato (roasted and chilled veal in a light tuna sauce served with a rocket salad and castelvetrano olives), a main course of porcini-dusted chicken (served with gigante beans, broccoli rabe and Madeira Jus) and a dessert course of baked plum and ricotta torta (served with almond zabaglione).
Flight 5 - Friday, October 17, 2014 (Afternoon) (10 Notes)
The afternoon session (moderated by Wine Spectator senior editor James Laube) began with a tasting of four 2012 Napa Cabernets from the To Kalon vineyard. Producers included Paul Hobbs (Paul Hobbs), Tor Kenward (Tor), Mark Carter (Carter) and Fred Schrader (Schrader). Although all from the same vintage, the grape sources were from different blocks within this vineyard, which is widely considered to be a California "First Growth." The wines were spectacular but very different from one another. Perhaps the most interesting part of the discussion (stoked by James Laube) were the financial aspects of purchasing grapes from this very expensive vineyard. The producers reluctantly conceded that Andy Beckstoffer is playing the music and they are dancing to the tune.
Next up was a Bordeaux legend, Jean-Michel Cazes of Château Lynch-Bages. An amazing speaker, he captivated the attendees with his personal history at the château and the magic of opening old bottles. He used the analogy of "letting the genie out of the bottle" when uncorking such bottles, emphasizing that doing so is essentially "unlocking history." Concurrently, tasters were treated to the 2000 Lynch...what Jean-Michel would refer to as an "infant" which will hold up for another 50 years.
The final session of the afternoon was the beginning of a two-day countdown of the top 10 Wine Spectator wines of 2013. The first five were included in this session, beginning with #10 and ending with #6. Winery representatives were John Ware (Quilceda Creek), Randy Lewis (Lewis), Marc Perrin (Château de Beaucastel), Laurence Féraud (Domaine du Pegau) and Elena Mascarello (Giuseppe Mascarello & Figlio). All of the wines proved themselves to be worthy of their status in the Wine Spectator rankings. A special treat for my wife and me was to meet and chat with Laurence Féraud, whose winemaking skills are only overshadowed by her lovliness and humility.
Flight 6 - Friday, October 17, 2014 (Evening) (19 Notes)
This was night two of the Critics' Choice Grand Tasting. Having learned from the previous night, we spent the time "catching up," visiting the producers whose wines we were unable to access on the previous night. Confident an experienced, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. As the notes show, the wines were generally very impressive and memorable. My favorite part of the evening was meeting Andrew Vingiello (A.P. Vin), having previously enjoyed so many of his wines and communicating with him in the online wine forums. Very gregarious and personable, he is the "real deal" not only as a winemaker but also as a person. 
Flight 7 - Saturday, October 18, 2014 (Morning) (18 Notes)
Had I known that the morning session would have been like this, I would have sprung rather than dragged out of bed. The seminars began with a presentation of Wine Spectator's winning video of the year, a well-made piece from a Virginia Winery about the salvation of the Norton grape. It is definitely worth watching (http://www.winespectator.com/videovoting).
The video award presentation was followed by an interesting but very clinical description of the Marcassin operation. It began with John Wetlaufer talking about the vineyard and its terroir, highlighting the marine-inluenced, cool climate location and the "near" dry-farming of the property. John seemed to be in his element, although there was no humor or anything other than vineyard management in his speech. Helen Turley followed. Definitely a "challenged" speaker, her oratory skills were the antithesis to those of her brother. Reading her speech from a piece of paper, she showed no eye contact and seemed absolutely frozen in time (even though she was not on the podium, just at the panel table on the stage). I actually felt sorry for her until I tasted her wine. This is a woman who may not be a great speaker but is a virtuoso in the art of making wine! Her 2009 Marcassin Vineyard Pinot Noir was ethereal. I liken Helen to a world-class cardiac surgeon who is a genius, but lacking in bedside manner...I would still want that surgeon to cut on me if necessary.
The next session requires few written words, other than the title: "Tignanello and Solaia: How Antinori Redefined Tuscany." The wines were presented and thoroughly discussed by a man who is beyond legendary status...Piero Antinori. Like his new-release wines, he remains youthful and vibrant. An excellent speaker, Piero beautifully dissected the 1997, 2004 and 2007 vintages and further delineated the differences between Tignanello (roughly 80% Sangiovese and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon) and Solaia (roughly 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Sangiovese). What a privilege to listen to him while tasting his amazing wines. Priceless! An unexpected treat was when, at the beginning of the Antinori session, Tor Kenward walked in and sat at the space next me. We chatted about the wines (and food dishes) of the remaining morning session. Tor does not just make good wine...he is a great guy with a superb sense of wine and food pairing.
I never would have thought that Matt Kramer's session would have been a worthy successor to the Antinori tasting. No disrespect intended. I always knew that Matt could write and I had heard that he was a very good speaker. That said, a speech and tasting about three Portuguese still wines from the Douro??? C'mon, I wouldn't have wished that job on any wine writer. How wrong I was!!! Matt is not only a great speaker, but the wines which he presented were all of amazing quality. Pointing out that Americans should not be intimidated to visit Portugal just because they don't know how to speak Portuguese, he noted that even the Portuguese people don't know how to speak Portuguese! This elicited a howl of laughter from the audience. He went on to point out that the Portuguese people seem to all speak American English, even though (throughout history) Britain had far more interaction with Portugal than the Yanks. In summary, the session was a real source of entertainment and a real eye-opener for this oenophile.
Matt Kramer's session was followed by a very entertaining wine and food "contest" which was organized by Wine Spectator executive editor Thomas Matthews. The panel included Eric Ripert (Le Bernardin, NYC), Emeril Lagasse (Emeril's, New Orleans), Danny Meyer (Union Square Hospitality Group, NYC) and José Andrés (Bazaar, Washington, D.C.). Each had prepared one dish which was paired with with two wines. One wine was selected by a chef who had not prepared the dish, while the other wine was selected by Tom Matthews. The chefs (and the attendees) then voted as to which wine they preferred with the dish. The dishes were magnificent, as were the wine pairings. The "sparring" (all in good fun) was hysterical. These four could literally have been booked at the Comedy Store!!! Throughout the competition and joking, it was apparent how much respect the chefs/restaurateur had for each other. After the session, the chefs were more than willing to spend time for photos with the attendees. How lucky was I when Jean-Michel Cazes asked if he could cut in front of me to chat with Eric Ripert? I gladly agreed, but made him pay the price of a photo with my mug. In summary, this was probably my favorite seminar of all...there should be laws about having this much fun!
Flight 8 - Saturday, October 18, 2014 (Afternoon) (17 Notes)
Following the morning session attendees were treated to a lunch which featured the wines of Washington State. Having a son who attends college in Washington, my wife and I were well-aware of the great wines being produced in the state. As was the case with the Italian luncheon on the previous day, there were more wines (this time 12) on the table than those which I had the capacity to sample. I was able to taste two whites and five reds, with very favorable impressions.
The first course was a plate of shaved young vegetables with endive, radicchio and greens, served with bleu cheese whip, blackcurrants and licorice honey. The Abeja Chardonnay and Cougar Crest Viognier were excellent matches with this dish.
The next course was a short rib braised with Washington State red wine, served with traditional red cabbage, sour cream-smashed potato and jus. The meat was perfectly cooked, moist and delicious. It fell apart easily with the fork and was well-complimented by all five of the red wines.
The dessert course, a Washington State apple and blackberry tart (served with fresh cream) was nothing short of decadent. It was visually enticing and incredibly tasty. I felt guilty after devouring it, but would not have passed on the experience if I was presented with the opportunity again.
After the great lunch, the attendees were treated to a vertical of Masi Amorones. The tasting was moderated by Alison Napjus, Wine Spectator senior editor. Rafael Boscaini (Masi owner and marketing manager) led a lively discussion of four vintages of four different bottlings. His finest moment with the crowd was when he joked about how fun-loving his family members were (while showing a photo of his scowling family members, the second image below).
The next session was a single-wine tasting of 2007 Bodega Catena Zapata Malbec Mendoza Adrianna Vineyard, as described by the Argentinian legend Nicolás Catena himself. His photos and description of the high-altitude vineyard (named after his youngest daughter) from which the grapes came all made sense when the wine was tasted. Even more special was being able to meet his eldest daughter, Laura, who is now carrying the winery's torch. Like myself, Laura received her medical degree at Stanford. It was a delight to speak with her about the "old days."
The final session of the afternoon was the second half of the Wine Spectator top ten countdown. The moderator was Havey Steiman, Wine Spectator editor-at-large. Participants included John Kongsgaard (Kongsgaard), Chris Cooney (Hewitt), Grace Evenstad (Domaine Serene), Stephan von Neipperg (Château Canon-la-Gaffelière) and Victor Urrutia (CVNE). All presentations were concise and classy. Especially enjoyable was the touching presentation by Chris Cooney, who pointed out the importance of priorities (while showing photos of his cute young triplets). Parenthetically, God threw away the mold after He made Stephan von Neipperg...the man is a modern-day Clark Gable who gave a talk that was hysterically funny. Everyone loved him, especially the women who watched him stroll to the podium in his red pants and double-breasted navy blue blazer.
Flight 9 - Saturday, October 18, 2014 (Evening) (6 Notes)
The Wine Spectator Grand Banquet began with a Champagne reception which included the following Champagnes, not all of which I was able to taste:
Bollinger Brut Champagne Special Cuvée NV
Charles Heidsieck Brut Champagne Reserve NV
Dom Pérignon Brut Champagne 2004
Henriot Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne NV
Krug Brut Champagne Grand Cuvée NV
Louis Roederer Brut Champagne Premier en magnum NV
Perrier-Jouët Brut Champagne Grand Brut NV
Taittinger Brut Champagne La Françoise NV
I immediately went for the Krug, moved to the Dom and closed with the Roederer. All were excellent and were a perfect prelude to the upcoming dinner. This reception was a lot of fun. The large room had easels along the wall areas, each with a large photograph of a Wine Spectator Grand Award-winning restaurant. We were able to mingle and chat with many wonderful people, including Stephan von Neipperg and his lovely wife, Sigweis.
The party then moved to the Grand Ballroom for the dinner and presentations. Marven Shanken opened with a brief speech, thanking those involved for putting on such a spectacular event. He pointed out that, given the scale of the event, the Marriott Marquis is the only venue with the capacity and capability to pull it off. I would have to agree with that statement. While the hotel itself is a somewhat business-oriented facility (nicely appointed but without some of the amenities of hotels such as the Plaza or Palace), they did an absolutely superb job with respect to the entire Wine Spectator event. I was amazed at how they meticulously handled thousands and thousands of wine glasses, wine bottles, wine flight pours, food courses, etc. They were truly a well-oiled machine and it is not surprising to me why the Wine Spectator returns to the Marriott year after year.
As was the case with the Champagne reception, we were able to meet many wonderful people at the dinner. Seated at our table were Lamberto Frescobaldi and his son Vittorio, as well as Geoff Labitzke, M.W. (Director of Sales and Marketing for Kistler).
The dinner's first course consisted of petite kale, spinach and spice-fried quinoa with shaved hard goat cheese, pickled figs, smoked bacon and apple cider vinaigrette. It was paired with Peter Michael Sauvignon Blanc Knights Valley L'Apres-Midi 2013. The dish and wine made beautiful music together.
The next course consisted of escargot and potato gnocchi with white truffle, watercress, herb crumble and bordelaise reduction. This was paired with Peter Michael Chardonnnay Knights Valley Ma Belle-Fille 2012, which was, again, a great match.
Herb-crusted rack of lamb was the main course, served with minted fava beans, peas morel, orange-glazed carrots, creamy polenta and thyme jus. This dish was delicious and was nicely paired with Peter Michael Les Pavots Knights Valley 2008.
Dessert was described as "Raspberry Revolution," a raspberry mousse dome filled with raspberry jelly, chocolate blackout cake and raspberry sorbet.
Dinner was followed by a presentation of the six new Grand Award-winning restaurants. We were obviously most enthused about Studio in Laguna Beach, a restaurant about which I have previously written, most recently last June (shortly before the restaurant was given the award; https://www.cellartracker.com/event.asp?iEvent=25229&searchId=5BC83277&UISource=list). Next was the award ceremony to Victor Urrutia of CVNE (Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España), who produced the Wine Spectator Wine of the Year for 2014.
Sir Peter Michael was subsequently presented with the Wine Spectator Distinguished Service Award. Oenophiles are already aware of Peter Michael's accomplishments in the wine business. I was even more impressed to learn about his philanthropic efforts. Through his charitable foundation (the Peter Michael Foundation), he and his family have donated more than $15 million, much of which has gone to developing new imaging technologies to fight prostate cancer. A very deserved award indeed!
The remainder of the evening was spent rocking to Chicago. They were fantastic...the dance floor stayed packed throughout their lengthy show!
Flight 10 - Sunday, October 19, 2014 (2 Notes)
After a good night's sleep and a morning Starbucks infusion, we visited the Museum of Modern Art. My wife, who volunteers as a an art literacy teacher at a local elementary school, particularly enjoyed this part of our trip.
Next on the schedule was another Broadway play, this one being It's Only a Play (starring Matthew Broderick, Nathan Lane, F. Murray Abraham, Stockard Channing and Megan Mullally). For those visiting (or living in) New York, this is a must-see play. We laughed almost continuously throughout the 2+ hour production. The writing and acting were superb. It will be hard to count all of the Tony awards that this one is going to win. A well-placed bet would be a Tony to Nathan Lane for best actor.
Dinner at Marea followed (240 Central Park South; http://www.marea-nyc.com). This two-star Michelin restaurant, under the direction of chef Michael White, is firing on all cylinders. We elected the four-course, prix fixe option. Beverage Director Francesco Grosso has assembled an impressive wine list. While the emphasis is (understandably) weighted toward Italian wines, it also has nice breadth, offering a wide variety of domestic and international wines. We left the wine selection to our sommelier (Alexander), who brought us the Ellergrub Immich-Batterieberg (750cc) and the Antoniolo Gattinara (375 cc). Both proved to be excellent selections for our multiple courses.
My wife began with a tasting of three crudos: "dentice" (crisp-skinned Pacific snapper and tonnato), "sgombro" (Pacific jack mackerel, tomato, fennel, trout roe and tiny potato chip) and "maccarello" (Pacific horse mackerel, fennel, cucumber, citrus and basil). The presentation was stunning and the three-dish plate was delicious.
I elected to have the "astice" (Nova Scotia lobster, eggplant al funghetto and basil). This was a knockout which paired extremely well with the Ellergrub.
For course number two, my wife chose the fusilli with red wine braised octopus and bone marrow. I chose the risotto, with lobster, halibut fin and sea urchin. Both wines complemented these dishes equally well.
For our main courses, we elected the "branzino" (wild striped bass, thumbelina carrots, endive, capers, brown butter, orange and hazelnuts) and the "spada" (grilled swordfish, cauliower, cucumber and himrod grape sotto aceto). These dishes were spectacular. The presentations were so beautiful, the fish so fresh and the flavors so complex!
I am not a "dessert person," but the desserts at Marea were irresistable. My wife ordered the "crostata" (market grapes, ricotta, honey and pistachio gelato). I ordered the "semifreddo" (milk chocolate, hazelnut, caramel and banana). The flavors were ethereal...I am embarrassed to admit that I ate my entire dessert and half of my wife's. Kudos to executive pastry chef Robert Truitt and pastry chef Francis Joven!
Flight 11 - Monday, October 20, 2014 (4 Notes)
This was a day reserved for seeing some of the sights of New York City. Our plans were very ambitious, but we simply could not leave Ground Zero and the 9/11 Memorial Museum. Our wine tasting group lost a wonderful friend and oenophile on that day, Tim Ward. We have done blind tastings on Fridays at Vintage Wines, Ltd. (San Diego) for 25 years. Tim was an active participant each Friday and was a great guy. He was at the tasting on the Friday before 9/11, excited about seeing his girlfriend, Linda, in Boston over the weekend. I got the impression that he would be staying in Boston for the week, but he informed me that he would be returning on Tuesday and would be seeing us as usual on the following Friday. Sadly, his return flight was United 175, the plane that slammed into the south tower. He has been sorely missed. The 9/11 Memorial Museum evoked so many emotions. Sadness and anger...yes. But pride in America and hope for the future were what I left with, viewing how New Yorkers have re-built the World Trade Center despite the devastating blow that they took. It showed me the resiliancy of this country. Overall it was very uplifting.
We returned to our hotel, composed ourselves, and subsequently dined at Gramercy Tavern (42 East 20th Street http://www.gramercytavern.com). This was definitely an uplifting experience. The restaurant is not necessarily small, but has a cozy feeling that is endearing. The food, wine and service were superb. Chef Michael Anthony was in the kitchen and it showed. This restaurant, while not inexpensive, is well worth seeking out.
We both elected to have the six-course tasting menu. Courtesy of the chef, we began with an amuse-bouche of marinated mushrooms with calimari. This was a small and light but very tasty dish which provided a nice opening act.
The dinner proceeded with Alaskan king crab. This was a beautiful presentation! The crab was mixed with apples, squash and yuzu. The citrus element of the dish was delicious and paired nicely with the 2010 Rois Mages Rully Les Cailloux, which was ordered in 750 cc format from the restaurant's wine list.
Following the crab was a delightful dish of Montauk pearl oyster chowder, with fingerling potatos, celery root and trout roe. The flavors were complex and the textures (especially the "pop" of the trout roe in the mouth) were amazing. This dish was complemented nicely by the acidity of the white Burgundy.
Baked halibut with cauliflower, capers and anchovy aioli constituted the next dish. The fish was superbly cooked, although the vegetables were a bit too salty for my taste. As was the case for the crab, the Rully was an excellent match.
We switched to a red wine for the next dish, choosing the 2001 R. López de Heredia Viña Tondonia Rioja Riserva (in 375 cc format) as a sidekick to the squid ink tagliatelle with lobster, bell peppers and tomato confit. The wine was decanted and showed little sediment. Although it probably would have benefitted from additional aeration prior to this dish, it still showed well.
By the time the next course was served, the Rioja had opened up and was strutting its stuff. It was a great match with the duck breast and bacon, with mushrooms, leeks and hazelnuts.
The chef subsequently sent a honeycrisp apple consommé with pomegranate seeds and pomegranate juice foam. Served in the equivalent of a shot glass, it was a refreshing palate-cleanser prior to dessert.
For dessert, my wife and I "parted" with respect to our selections. She chose the pear panna cotta, with vanilla tapioca pudding and Sherry granite. I elected to have three cheeses (Casatica/water buffalo from Italy, Pavé Cardinal/goat from France and Colston-Bassett Stilton/cow from England). Courtesy of Chef Anthony, we were treated to two distinct "stickies," Château de Cérons Grand Enclos 2005 and Elderton Barossa Botrytis Sémillon 2011. Both were excellent. The former paired best with the pear, while the latter (seeming to be a bit sweeter) was a perfect match with the cheeses.
Flight 12 - Monday, October 20, 2014 (Late Evening) (1 Note)
After dinner, we visited The Skylark (211B West Broadway; http://www.theskylarknyc.com). This is a 30th floor, rooftop bar and lounge which is beautifully appointed, having both indoor and outdoor areas. We were met by floor and event manager Charles Lopez, who gave us a personal tour of the facility. A perfect celebratory venue for private parties (including Mick Jagger's summer birthday party), it has panoramic views which are breathtaking.
While walking the city during the day, we couldn't resist stopping at Maslow 6 Wine Shop, located in the lower Manhattan TriBeCa area (211B West Broadway; https://www.maslow6.com/) and buying a bottle of 2012 Morey-Coffinet Chassage-Montrachet Les Chaumes. After returning to our room in the late evening, we enjoyed a glass while looking over the lights of Broadway. What a great way to end a great day!
Flight 13 - Tuesday, October 21, 2014
This being the final day of our trip, we decided to "prep" ourselves early so that we could then enjoy something that we had talked about during the preceding week. As such, we packed our bags and were fully ready for our ride to the airport. This gave us some stress-free time to get some authentic New York pizza. Based upon the advice of more than one native, we dined for lunch at Bella Vita Brick Oven Pizza & Italian Restaurant (211 West 43rd Street). This is a cozy "Italian joint" in the heart of the Broadway district, very close to our hotel. We started with "Insalata Italiana" (red leaf and romaine lettuce, roasted peppers, black olives, carrots, tomatoes, anchovies, mozzarella and Italian dressing). It was a delicious prelude to our decadent pizza orders, which include a full, freshly made pie of pepperoni, sun-dried tomatoes, kalamata olives, basil and ricotta. My wife additionally ordered a single slice which was adorned with pepperoni, jalapeño and red onions. We had no wine nor any other alcoholic beverages with our meal. While we definitely enjoyed the pizza, we both agreed that we have had better versions in California.
Closing
As I type these closing notes while on a plane headed back to San Diego, I can view the beautiful city that we just visted.
What can I say about New York? It is a remarkable city, unique in so many ways. The "energy" is unlike anything I have ever experienced. We so enjoyed our stay and were treated so graciously by New Yorkers in general.
As far as the Wine Spectator New York Wine Experience, we had high expectations going in. These expectations were exceeded in every way. Marvin Shanken and the entire Wine Spectator staff should be commended for such an amazing, well-coordinated event. I have no idea how they handled the logistics of it all, but it was truly an "experience" which will not be forgotten. We can't wait until next year!
2011 Hedges Family Estate Red Mountain 82 Points
USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain
(10/14/2014)
This deep ruby wine is a blend of 44% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 16% Syrah, 4% Malbec and 3% Cabernet Franc. While it offers a nice nose of black currant fruit, tarragon and lavender, it fails to excite on the palate. The wine is fresh, has flavors mirroring the nose, nicely integrated alcohol (listed as 13.5%) and light sweet tannins. Unfortunately, the middle palate is hollow, the mouth texture watery and the finish clipped. While “serviceable” as a restaurant meal accompaniment, this wine is very ordinary and unexciting. Drink now-2017.
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