Happy Birthday Al Schmitt! At Misha’s amazing Esplanade Studios in 2017, a NARAS panel celebrating Dr John, and I was lucky enough to be chosen as moderator! Relaxing afterward with Dr John, Al Schmitt, and Elliot Scheiner. Just out of frame was the amazing Roland Guerin. @esplanadestudios@schmitt.al@elliot_scheiner@aka_drjohn #nola
@rolandguerin@rupert_neve #neworleans #neworleansmusic #gumbo #solucky #thankyou #oysters
Saturday night quick dinner- Warm Salmon with a sauce verte, Claybank yellow, wax, flat, and northern beans, Claybank golden potatoes. Seeing the great posts from the 2022 Rhine harvest (#dönnhoff, #drloosen ) made me crave a Prager Steinriegl Riesling Federspiel 2007. Great food and wine match. The Swiss Chard/Thai Basil/Tarragon/Chive/Arugula sauce verte sung with the minerality and acidity of this classic Wachau riesling ! Wonderful acidity still, excellent length and minerality, chalky hints, and bursts of citrus. Regulated to what is now low alcohol this is such drinkable wine. Three clean plates all around!!! #prager #weingutprager #riesling #norwegiansalmon #sauceverte #austrian #austrianwine #austrianriesling #finewines thanks #vinchicago thanks #vinomike
That was fun! Prime S IL strips, wild Chantrelle and oyster mushrooms, trio of Claybank farms beans, roasted Claybank mini russets and goldens, and a small selection of his tomatoes. Old world vs new world ! Patz and Hall ‘02 Sonoma and ‘05 Latour Marsannay. P&H was dark (look at the depth of color still), Cherries, mushroom/earth, slight vanilla (oak), very long, bright acidity still, faded not one bit in the glass. Yes it’s their entry level wine and yes it’s 20 years young. Very nice wine #drpinot! The Latour was actually forgotten about in the cellar and was also in fantastic shape. Frais du Bois, slightly smokey, plenty of length, nice iron and acid, quite deep -showing its North side (next to G.C.) structure. Yes they are a big house, yes it’s a simpler wine, yes it was likely flashed pasteurized, and yes it was quite lovely!!! Happily there are more. #chantrelles #chantrelle #chantrellemushrooms #oystermushrooms #patzandhall #patzhall #sonoma #drpinot #sonomapinotnoir #2002 #louislatour #marsannay #cotedor #côtedor
Dinner just took a very positive spin! Wild Chantrelle and Oyster mushrooms… now to pick wine. #chantrellemushrooms #chantrelles #chantrelle #oystermushrooms
Two out of my Six Favorite LaLandes of 60’s to ‘80s (‘66/70/78/82/86/89). The ‘86 still with a black center, purple tinges, tight and tannic, blackberries, some cream, smoke, lots of acid l, very classic / old school Paulliac, long tight finish. Still a pup, needs time and barely budged over 5 hours after a 2 hr decant… reminds me of the ‘66 25 years ago. Don’t bet against this one! The ‘78 remains a top ‘78 (for me HB usually wins), still just slightly brick at the rim, captivating nose of violets/slight rose hips, rising bread dough, smoke, cassis, vanilla. Rich mouth feel and that elusive “peacocks tail” at the end that we all chase. I’ve blindly mistaken this vintage of PL for Lafite more than once… certainly in its plateau of maturity but in LF and/or cold cellars-plenty of life ahead. Bravo! #pichonlalande #pichonlonguevillecomtessedelalande #pichonlongueville #bordeaux #vintagewine #vintagebordeaux #greatwinesoftheworld #paulliac
Great quartet of vino. ‘86 Margaux (still not ready, tight, fine acidity, red fruit a bit buried still, long tannic finish, smoke, didn’t budge all night! ), ‘98 Conterno Fantino Parussi (plenty of time ahead, deep red fruits, some tar, classic style), ‘98 Bass Phillips Premium (lovely red fruits, beet root, long finish, plenty of acid still, noticeably better after 1-1.5 hours, slightly cloudy, clearly unfined, very Chambolle or even MSD, very, very, good), ‘96 Chapotier CR La Mordorée (really outstanding, very long, sweet red fruits, wildness/sauvage, smoked/grilled meats,herbes de Provence, very mild Brett, complex - WOTN!) Thanks BH for a great tasting!
Our pandemic wind bubble met again. Lovely Brunello Trio. So much awesome wine being made there, and still quite good values. This night it was 3>2>#1 left to right, but as always ymmv! A case could be made for the 2007 as winner, best, most complex nose for sure, the 2010 slightly longer finish. #sanfilippomontalcino #caparzowinery #fulignibrunellodimontalcino #brunellodimontalcino #brunello #italianwine
Do to recent complaints about not posting enough wine, I’ll share some recents. Some good things old(ish), somethings newer, great company and food! The 2005 was remarkably right there (and far from done), the 2009 was excellent- black cherries and Droste cocoa, hints of rising bread dough, entering maturity, and the 2017 lovely with lots of life ahead.
Saturday morning at our own farmers market on Western. Greg brought wild Chanterelles, so I made omelet’s “trail side” Fantastic start to the day! Thanks @claybankfarms ! Tomatoes soooo good as always.
