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Another Amali BYO dinner
Amali in NYC
Tasted June 15, 2018 by MC2 Wines with 499 views
Introduction
Always a fun gathering of folks. No official theme, but lots of great wine. As always, Amali was a fabulous host.
Flight 1 - Bubbles (and whites) (3 notes)
In addition to these there were two white burgundies which I unfortunately didn't capture.
Paired with:
FLUKE CRUDO
kumquat, sunflower seeds, jalapeño, fennel pollen
LOCAL BURRATA
heirloom celery, strawberries, white balsamic, black pepper
BIBB LETTUCE SALAD
Breakfast radish, snow peas, sunflower seeds, avocado dressing
White - Sparkling
2013 Marc Hébrart Champagne Premier Cru Special Club
First set of bubbles and drank over conversation so unfortunately not a lot of notes on this one. It's an all Pinot Noir which I typically quite like. Remember thinking it was nice, easy champagne. Perhaps a touch bitter, but in a good way.
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Rosé - Sparkling
2012 Marguet Champagne Grand Cru Ambonnay Rosé
Upon first opening, I was not impressed at all. There was almost a mustiness to this wine that needed to blow off a bit. With a bit of air though, this turned into quite a nice rose set of bubbles. Lots of wild strawberry notes. Maybe a touch herbal and tea leaves. Very enjoyable.
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White - Sparkling
N.V. Savart Champagne Premier Cru l'Ouverture Brut
There's almost a sweetness to these bubbles which I find fun (it's def a dry champagne). Lots of the apple flavor which I tend to like, but almost a touch honeyed. Tasty.
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Flight 2 - Reds (aka the main event) (15 notes)
Paired with:
TAGLIATELLE BOLOGNESE
Grana padano
GRILLED BERKSHIRE PORK LOIN
creamy polenta, broccoli rabe, chili flake
HAPPY VALLEY FARMS GRASS FED BEEF
Puntarelle, Sauce choron, potato, anchovy butter | M/P
(and then, because there was a lot of wine, also some desserts):
COFFEE BRULEE
Milk gelato, cocoa nib tuile
LAUREL PANNA COTTA
Macerated strawberries, white balsamic
SEMOLINA CAKE
Blood orange and campari, mascarpone
CHOCOLATE TORTE
candied walnuts, vanilla gelato
Red
1966 C.V.N.E. (Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España) Rioja Viña Real Reserva Especial
This was just totally spot on and singing. Yum! Lots of fig and a bit spicey and also just a touch pretty to it. Well balanced. Drinking well now, but no hurry - this has lots of legs left. Really delicious.
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Red
1964 Château Lafite Rothschild
This was a touch of a flyer as it always is with old wine. Brought two bottles. One was definitely flawed. Funny because it only showed at the end, but the aftertaste was awful. The second was actually quite nice. Almost a touch jammy (as far as old world Bordeaux can be jammy). Nice fruit. Hint of sweet. Pretty tasty. And really right in the right spot I think to drink. So basically a wine that you buy for your kids to drink.
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Red
1978 Château Margaux
My WOTN. This was just lovely. Really delicious. It starts off more floral and dried potpourri but in the glass opens to some lovely red fruits and really just an elegance to it. When we did a first growth taste off about a month ago Margaux was a favorite of mine and it continues to be so.
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Red
2001 Cerbaiola (Salvioni) Brunello di Montalcino
Sometimes you hit a wine and it's just right in that optimal drinking window when everything is pulled together and singing in line. This wine felt like that for me last night. Lovely black fruits, just a touch of almost sweetness to them like the blackberries were still ripe and right off the bush. Good structure. Oak well integrated and holds the wine together well. Very lovely.
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Red
1986 Château Gruaud Larose
Again that old library that I got about a month ago when we had this. Definitely a cigar smoker sitting in there with the tobacco and more so the smokiness coming through. Lovely old aged Bordeaux which is a flavor profile I've come to very much appreciate.
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Red
2001 Soldera (Az. Agr. Case Basse) Brunello di Montalcino Riserva
This is a beautiful lovely wine that we committed infanticide with. Tannins quite strong and the oak quite prevalent and just felt like it needed some more time to pull itself together. It's got some lovely stuffing. I like the spice notes that peeked through. Personally not sure the CT drinking window is right - I'd prob wait more like 10 years (2028) to pop a bottle if we had one.
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Red
1999 Château Léoville Las Cases
This is a baby still with many more years ahead of it. Some leather and cigar but both taste 'new' if that makes any sense. Needs a bit of time to mellow and age. Good though.
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Red
1998 Antinori Solaia
The freshest this wine has ever tasted to me. It's still got the fruit and then still that smokey cigar overlay. It's quite nice. Drinking well. This bottle had many years left although given previous experience with the wine I know that can vary a lot.
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Red
2003 BOND St. Eden
The St Eden is one of my favorites in the BOND line-up. This was out of magnum. Sometimes when you are drinking tons of old world and you get a new world it feels awkward and out of place and just overdone. Not so with this wine which showed all of the best side of old world but then had that lovely new world fruit which was right in balance. Love the way it complimented the spice notes. One of my favorites of the night. Still young - it was opening up the whole time and I went back to revisit a few times during the evening.
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Red
2004 Dominio Pingus Ribera del Duero Flor de Pingus
Very very young. In retrospect we probably should have decanted this. It had a bit of that 'just out of the bottle' gangliness (made up word - but think a newborn colt as they are trying to find their feet) that happens in wine. Peppery which I always enjoy. Give it some time.
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Red
1998 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
Back to back with the '95. This one was a bit more open and ready for business. Lots of library and crackling pages. Fruit a touch faded and maybe just poking through here or there. Nice and tasty though. Good aged Bordeaux.
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Comments (2)
Red
1995 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
Still just too young. This wine wasn't ready to give very much. Was more evident given the '98 right before that was in a nice happy spot. Would hold these for many more years. It's just a quiet phase right now.
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Red
2001 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Turque
Officially it's still infanticide, but man I like this wine. Young LaLa's always show the oak and this was no different, but on top of that you get this great plum and fig and slightly meaty and just interesting wine that is really quite tasty. One of my favorites.
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Red
2002 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage
Also very young. This is pure animal. A bit all over the place, but the rawness of this wine is I think what most folks love about it. I like the wine, but somehow miss the 'ah ha' moment that some get. After the La Turque the difference in oak comes through. This was nice though. Opened and decanted for a few hours before pouring and suspect that helped the flavors jump out a bit more.
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Red
2006 Buoncristiani Cabernet Sauvignon The Core
Last wine of the night in what was mostly an old world line-up. Often in those circumstances I find whatever world comes second just feels a bit more like an extreme of that style. In this case, the heavier fruit and darkness stood out a bit more (although having had the wine back in Feb, this is a pretty big and intense wine). A bit jarring to switch. For me I'd still want to see some more years to see if it might calm down a touch. A wine that jumps out of the glass at you.
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Flight 3 - Post party - Somm Time (4 notes)
Always like my visits to this bar which is really pretty close to our apt. Nice and interesting selection and the mark-ups are not exorbitant compared to NYC. Fun times.
White - Sparkling
N.V. Jean Milan Champagne Grand Cru Grande Reserve 1864 Blanc de Blancs
A resetting of the palatte most of the way into the night which was fairly shot so unfortunately not a lot of good notes on this. Other than to say I quite enjoyed it. More in the interesting category of bubbles which is to say it wasn't just a straight brioche style.
Red
2014 Domaine Auguste Clape Cornas Renaissance
Yum yum yum. Northern Rhone and I are in the middle of a love affair. As the previous note mentioned, this is much too young. Opened and decanted for a bit before pouring. But man is it good. There's a power and an elegance that you don't always see together but seems to come through. More savory notes coming forward, but hints of black fruits poking through. Very enjoyable.
Red
2006 Château Angélus
Have struggled a bit with this producer where I always expect it to be better. This might have been the break through bottle. As previous note mentioned, this is actually reasonably approachable. Opened and decanted and served. I haven't had a lot of '06 Bordeaux, but I haven't liked almost any that I have. This was quite nice though. It wasn't a blow you away wine, but it was a good Bordeaux with a hint of age notes and still a nice freshness. Balanced and tasty.
Spirits
N.V. Amara Amaro d'Arancia Rossa
Not a very detailed note. End of the evening and a nice comp from the bar. It reminded me a bit of those wines where they make them stewed with herbs and spices. This had some of that character. Only a few sips though as 30% at the end of the level of night this was was a guaranteed tough next morning.
Closing
For me, the WOTN was prob the '78 Margaux although there were very strong showings by the '64 Lafite (second bottle), '01 La Turque, '66 CUNE, and '03 BOND. All in all a really great wine night.
Overall, very fun night with some great company. Looking forward to the next one!