Sunday Nights, Set Your Sights on Compass

Well, it’s Restaurant Week in NYC, but don’t worry if you miss it. You can still get awesome nosh at a sleek Upper West Side spot for a cool $35. The prix fix menu at Compass restores one’s faith in fine dining on a budget. A few friends and I recently feasted on decadently rich mushroom soup, beautiful striped sea bass, and crunchy-creamy chocolate-peanut butter torte. But the coup de grace was that on Sunday nights, bottles of wine are half price! Their wine list is a wondrous: France is well represented, there are pages of California pours, and much, much more. Unfortunately, that wonderful wine list could ruin your budget meal, even at half price. Turning to my favorite Burgundy, Gevrey-Chambertin, I realized I could get the $300 bottle for only $150 that night. Still a little rich for my blood. So, here is my suggestion. Our quartet enjoyed a little gem of a Beaujolais, a 2005 Morgon, that had good fruit, elegant structure, and was thoroughly enjoyable with the bass. We drank two half-priced bottles, basically paying $46 for one and getting the other for free.
We felt thoroughly pampered, despite ordering off the prix fixe. There was a tasty amuse-bouche of lamb to start and four Lilleputian desserts--from a little cube of home-made marshmallow to tiny cookies--to finish. As we lounged at the table and waited for the check, we were shocked to receive yet another gift…each couple received a bag with two muffins. As our waiter explained, “And here’s something for tomorrow.” The next day, my friends and I all marveled at the delightful muffin that extended the pleasure of our visit to Compass.

WBW #41 Friuli Venezia

This varietal from northeast Italy was a real eye-opener. So much richer and fruitier than many of the crisp yet bland Pinot Grigios I've had. The aroma was very rich, full of ripe apricot. The flavor was equally lively. The Vigna Traversa Ribolla Gialla I tried was bursting with fruit, had very nice acidity and a long finish. Very satisfying and refreshing. This 2006 was about $16. Thanks for the topic!

That Extra Bottle

My family threw a big party over the holidays, and a lot of our guests brought wine. Which resulted in me having a bottle of Yellow Tail Chardonnay left over. I wasn’t going to hold on to that one (unlike the bottle of Chablis from a friend who knows my taste better). I decided that my book club meeting was the perfect place to unload, I mean, share the bottle. We discussed Suite Francaise, a beautifully written tale of the Nazi occupation of France. As we analyzed the complex story of more than a dozen different characters, we enjoyed the kinds of snacks that make bookclub a good place to come hungry: nacho dip, cheese and crackers, one-bite cupcakes, Oreos with peppermint cream, a full box of Russell Stover Chocolates. The hostess was charming, but no oenophile: she handed me the corkscrew to open the bottle. It was amazing how a little wine relaxed the ladies and enlivened the conversation. The Yellow Tail tasted fine. And on a night like this, the wine didn’t have to be expensive or complicated or nuanced. It just had to be there. Now, if I could only unload that extra beer

Wine Blogging Wednesday 40-- Petite Sirah, mais Grand Fruit

Pardon my French--I met with my local language group last night, Les Francophones. And speaking of language, I'd love to have the inconsistency in Sirah and Syrah explained. But onto the wine. I had tried Petite Syrah before and remembered that I was struck by its intense berry elements, and this bottle confirmed my impression of the varietal. I had a 2005 Petite Sirah Paso Robles from Courtney Benham (as the label says, "a member of the Martin Ray Family of Fine Wines.") This young, sassy pour was, in a word, BERRYLICIOUS. A smidgeon of tannin helped balance out the huge blackberry fruit. This bottle came in well south of $20 and was quite enjoyable. I had a pork casserole (much better than it sounds) and the huge fruit did dominate a bit. Despite this mis-match, I really enjoyed the wine. I've been drinking a lot of Bordeaux lately, and it was fun to mix things up with something completely different. Thanks for the topic; it was great to drink PS again.

Wine Blogging Wednesday - Silver Burgundy

Here's my first foray into the WBW world. I was already pretty familiar with the whites of the Macon, so I decided to try a red Burgundy from the area. No small feat! My local wine shop, Total Wine, has a nice red Burgundy selection, but not outside that golden slope. (I was happily surprised by their extensive Beaujolais choices). After nearly giving up, I spied one that fit the bill. I took home a 2005 Chateau de la Tour de L'Ange, a Bourgogne Pinot Noir, for $13.99. It was bottled at the chateau in Charnay les Macon, and is Appellation Bourgogne - Pinot Controlee. It's a 2005, very light, high acid, fruit forward. On the nose, I got a lot of strawberry. No finish to speak of, but it was a nice quaffable bottle I enjoyed with mild cheese. On their bilingual web site I learned that the wine can be drunk young or aged ten years. That's my report--cheers to all the other WBW bloggers...

Bordeaux Wine Harvest—September 22-23

As a traveler who normally shies away from group tours, I’m happy to report that this weekend was a resounding success:
Day One—We assemble for a morning lesson & tasting at the Bordeaux Wine School taught by the cheerful and articulate Jane Anson, a writer for Decanter. Our small group includes a writer and photographer from the U.K.’s Daily Telegraph , adding to the glamour of the trip.
We spend the day in the vineyards of Sauternes, learning about the noble rot that turns plump grapes into shriveled gems of sweetness. After a hearty three course lunch in a charming village restaurant, we tour another vineyard. Then we head home to briefly rest before an alfresco dinner in the stone-paved courtyard of Bordeaux’s elegant Museum of Decorative Arts. There we enjoy a little bites of cheese, meat, seafood, and dessert, all paired expertly with Bordeaux wines. The weather is fine, the food and wine are heaven, and the company is delightful.
Day Two—We rise early to ride through the mists of the Medoc while being entertained by our driver, Henri, a former sommelier to the French prime minister. We meet Marie Lurton, a member of the world-famous Lurton wine family, who challenges us to: Guess the Bordeaux Blend! I wrongly estimate that there is more Cab in a 2006 that turned out to be dominated by Merlot. It’s fun, educational, and alcoholic—what more could you ask of a game?
En route to the next stop, we have our first sighting of the harvest. The air is festive and the pickers include dreadlocked youths pitching grape bunches good-naturedly at each other. Then it’s on to Chateau Paloumey, where winemaker and owner Martine Cazeneuve takes us into the vines to show us how to read the sugar content of grapes with a refractometer.
We lunch at her beautiful, art-filled chateau (the building is more modern California than old world, but is called a chateau nonetheless). The scene: a high-ceiling room with stark white walls, unique china, custom printed menus that detail all the wines we drink, conversations in French, English, and a lot of franglais.
Full of blanquet de veau plus multiple glasses of rose, red, and white wine, we head back to the city of Bordeaux, sated and happy. So, cheers to the Lucien Gabillaud and Cornelia Blume of Vitivinitour for a wonderful weekend.

Chateau Mouton Rothschild

Bordeaux encompasses a vast area in southwest France. The wide Garonne river separates this region into a right bank, where the wines tend to be dominated by Merlot, and a left bank, where they’re heavy on the Cabernet Sauvignon. A world-class destination for any wine lover, Chateau Mouton Rothschild is located in Pauillac, a left bank town.
The Chateau welcomes visitors with tours in both French and English. I was thrilled to get a last minute spot on an English tour, but I’d recommend reserving a spot at least a month in advance, especially in the summer.
The Chateau is tucked away from the main road, and I overshot it before spying the discreet sign, and following the directions for “visites”. About a dozen Yanks & Brits congregated in the modern lobby before being ushered into a small theater. We watched a short film detailing the history of Mouton and the family’s wine empire, which includes holdings in California and South America. The film was narrated by none other than the Baroness, who runs the whole show. We spied her elegant home on the property and got a peek at her two private wine cellars, where she has more than 200,000 bottles at her disposal. Oh, to be a guest at her parties!
Bordeaux has been making wine for centuries, and, many would say the world’s best wines are made here. To understand the significance of these chateau, you need a little history. In the world’s fair of 1855, Napoleon called upon wine makers of France to classify their wines according to quality so he could present his nation’s finest offerings. The winemakers of Burgundy and Champagne declined, unable to agree upon a ranking. But in Bordeaux, the winemakers classified their wines purely according to price. The result is the historic classification of 1855, a ranking of the top 57 wines, broken into five categories, from “first growth” (the best) to “fifth growth” (still pretty darned good). The ranking stood firm until 1973, when then minister of culture Jacques Chirac agreed to elevate Chateau Mouton Rothschild from a second to a first growth.
In addition to this distinction, Mouton Rothschild is known for its beautiful labels. Each year an artist is invited to create the label for the wine. Picasso is among the famous painters who have left their mark on the bottle.
Our charming guide Audrey Castelmerac, led us on the tour through the cellars, the impressive art museum (a gift from the Baron to his wife for her birthday!), and outside among sample vineyards. Then we happily followed her into the tasting room.
What is it like to taste a wine that will be great in 20 years? It’s like meeting a stranger and knowing you can be happy together for decades. Who can see the future of a young wine and divine the greatness within? Well, that’s what the Robert Parkers of the world can do….As for me, as I tasted the 2006 Mouton Rothschild, I enjoyed its rich fruit, its full aroma. But, could I tell by my tastebuds that we were enjoying a wine that would sell for 430 euros? Sadly, no. I’d love to come back in 20 years and taste the ‘06 again, enjoying all the complexity, the lovely layering of flavors that would have developed.