Labor Day Weekend Brunch at Essex

Essex Restaurant (New York, NY)
Tasted Sunday, September 4, 2005 by corporatepunkrocker with 643 views

Introduction

From an original group of ten, attrition brought us down in numbers to a mere four. However, those who attended enjoyed a 2 1/2 hour brunch in a trendy setting with Dave, Essex restaurant's co-owner graciously hosting and occasionally sharing in the festivities.

Flight 1 (4 Notes)

  • 1994 Hartford / Hartford Court Pinot Noir Dutton-Sanchietti Vineyard 90 Points

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

    Unmistakably Pinot. I was relieved that (at least in my opinion) this wine was not over the hill. No orange-bricking on the rim, no funky nose, just straight up Pinot, typical subtleties and smoothness. Certainly a lightweight relative to the heavier cabs which came later, and shorter on the finish, but tasty in its own right.

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  • 2001 Woodward Canyon Cabernet Sauvignon Artist Series 87 Points

    USA, Washington

    Generously provided gratis by the restaurant, none of us had any knowledge about this wine. For me, this was standard no frills cab. Nothing enticing or edgy, just straight-forward fruit with a decent finish. The one oustanding quality was its deep purple hue - a beautiful shade. Perhaps I am not familiar enough with Washington state terroir to coment fairly on this one. I believe Patrick and Victor shared these sentiments though it was Christina's wine of the day.

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  • 1995 Joseph Phelps Insignia 92 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    It is difficult to tell whether our tastebuds were responding to our expectations or to the actual juice. However, the Insignia showed good plumminess albeit less extracted fruit than we had anticipated. In fact, it was surprisingly tame. This may have been due to a storage mishap the day before. Nonetheless, the finish was strong and smooth and the wine complemented our burgers very well.

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  • 1995 Clos Mogador Priorat 95 Points

    Spain, Catalunya, Priorat

    Spicy, spicy and did I mention spicy? This was the clear crowd favorite which really brought out the flavors in the burgers three of the four of us were dining on. It is also worked quite well with the Monchego cheese I enjoyed. Quite complex, this wine seemed to swirl on its own in the mouth eventually giving way to a rather clingy finish. After tasting this wine, we stopped pouring all of the others. 'nuff said!

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Closing

Verdict: Burgers and Priorat - a winning combination!

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