Oh Susana!
Sorry, the ancient Stephen Foster hit offers nothing more than the name of our heroine of this tale of humility and redemption, (mine). We’re not comin’ from Alabama nor is there a banjo anywhere near my knee. What the hell is this madman going on about now, you might ask? I thought this was a wine review? Well, yes and yes. Let me get straight to it.
Susana Balbo is without argument the most influential winemaker in South America. We may say the same about the world stage if we include Woman to the title, you decide. The wines she has brought to us this year are an incredible display of talent beginning with the head turning Torrontés ’06, a “Talbott ‘Sleepy Hollow’” of Torrontés if you will. Rich tones of butterscotch with a leesy finish I usually associate with Monterey chard, all in an affordable white wine.
Her gaggle of children, her Crios de Susana Balbo, are entry level wines that are great values as well as benchmark varietal statements. The Rosé of Malbec ’06 is just off-dry and fruit driven, a fine aperitif. The Crios Malbec ‘05 is an elegant, lighter bodied wine with balanced fruit and acidity. The Syrah-Bonarda ’05 is a ripe, complex blend with many layers of fruit that will be appearing soon on a list near you. The Cabernet is perhaps too soft and easy to drink, not much of a complaint I know, but my notes are consistent. Let’s move up the ladder in quality and you will see what I’m talkin’ about….
BenMarco wines are the work of Ms. Balbo’s husband, Pedro Marchevsky, a wizard of vineyard management. A seminar with this couple on the wine production and terroir of Argentina hipped me to some serious efforts goin’ on down yonder. These folks work hard to bring us these great wines. They utilize drip irrigation techniques coupled with computerized management systems to insure these great wines are not an accident but a repeatable occurrence. That means better wine for you and me, salud! The Cabernet Sauvignon ’04 is so drinkable, balanced and fruit forward that this could be a premium pour, say for $12 a glass and everyone goes home happy. The Malbec ’04 is a thick and rich offering with a full and rounded profile. I am however saving my pennies however for the first release of Pedro’s Expresivo ’03, an outrageous blend of old-vine Malbec, Cabernet, Bonarda, Syrah, and Tannat. Yes, he included that monster from the Madiran, Tannat! Why, you might ask, because the grapes have time to ripen here where they struggle to reach acceptable ripeness levels in their homelands. The climate is such that there are up to 70 days between veraison and harvest compared to say 45 days in Bordeaux. Now that’s hang time! That’s what can help make great wine. What’s amusing to me is that this all flies in the face of my predilection for hands-off, organic vineyard management. These vineyards are fine-tuned and micro-managed, no; make that hyper-managed as they are in so arid a land that the vines would be dust without the constant attention of M. Marchevsky and his troops.
The phyloxera louse cannot live in Mendoza, and so we have the only original genetic rootstock from St. Emilion in Bordeaux, (to say nothing of every other variety named in this treatise). Hard to believe but in St. Emilion in 1855 the most important variety was the Malbec grape. The phyloxera infestation devastated Bordeaux and the replanting didn’t include the same ratio. Hey, I’m guessing it’s called Mal-bec, bad nose in French, because of nasty vegetal aromas which come from under ripe Malbec. The nose is not so mal when the grapes are ripe methinks. Back to the present tasting.
The signature wines of Susana Balbo are her Malbec and her Cabernet. The Cabernet Sauvignon’03, a most excellent oeuvre with gorgeous fully ripened fruit flavors supported by the classic structure that the cabernet grape posesses. The Malbec ’05 is a stand out, a must-have wine that proves my point about the ancient rootstock. Sure it’s great we have phyloxera resistant rootstock everywhere to combat that insidious beastie, but I can’t help thinking that we have cut ourselves off from some incredible unique flavors arising from our Frankenstein-in-the-vineyard approach. Hmmm.
Okay, here are four more Argentine winners taken from the VOS selections portfolio (Distributor du Jour, Thanks, Ken). More Malbec is good. Malbec at $7 a glass is better. From the Bodegas del Fin del Mundo in Patagonia, a cool climate region in Southern Argentina, the Postales Malbec ’05 gets a nod from me as a great house pour and garners 88 points for a value non-pareil. Benchmark stuff, really.
La Posta del Vinatero label present single vineyard wines from Luis Reginato of Luca fame. The Bonarda ’04 is thick and sweet, really nice at 87 points. Me, I’m buying the Angel Paulucci Vineyard Malbec ’05 and handing it out as gifts to impress my wine savvy friends.
Luca, run by Laura Catena, produces a very good Chardonnay ’05 from vineyards almost a mile above sea level. The Syrah ’04 is awful nice with an array of super ripe fruit flavors that I highly recommend. 90 points, easy.
My favorite of all these wines has to be the Beso de Dante ’02. It is a Cabernet/Malbec blend that has the rounded elegance of the Malbec married to the backbone, structure and length of the Cabernet. The ‘Kiss’ is a complete wine that for me best expresses the Argentine Acme.
One last winery we ought to mention today and that is Tikal. Owned by Ernesto Catena who seeks to make wines “to provide pleasure rather than provoke contemplation; an expression of emotion rather than intellect.” He surely got me thinkin’ with this mad-ass Bonarda blend called Patriota ’04. I swear the Bonarda was so thick and rich that they had to add 40% Syrah so that it would pour from the bottle, amazing. Tikal‘s Amorio ’05 has won the prize as the #1 Malbec in the New York Times. While it is certainly good it didn’t outshine the tradition-rich Malbec ‘04 of Roberto de la Mota of Mendel Winery, and I couldn’t rate it above the Malbec of Oh Susana herself Balbo, so who you gonna believe? In fact I liked their Jubilo ’04 better. This wine is a blend of Cab, Malbec, and Merlot and though a bit pricey it is outstanding stuff. Great integration of oak with deep, rich lower mid-range tones, satisfy.
I mentioned Mendel Winery and would be remiss if I didn’t include their signature wine made from old-vine Malbec and Cabernet grown in the Lujan de Cuyo, the finest vineyard sites in Mendoza. Unus ’04 is possessed of great elegance, length and longevity. An excellent tribute to Bordeaux that surpasses most current French releases today. Unus is not a show-stopping International styled wine. It is a subtle and understated wine that will reward patience and kind attention.
There you have it friends, a quick over-view of some fine Argentine wines and their provenance. There are many more excellent wines to be had; this is by no means a comprehensive report. Think of it as a core sample from which we can theorize generalities based on our specific observations. No, don’t do that, that’s way too wine geek for me, did I really say that? Let’s just promise to get back together again and talk this out. Take notes or it doesn’t count as homework, thus no points for you. Au revoir, ciao, later. CS 01/07
2006 Torrontés Crios de Susana Balbo Butterscotch notes add depth/complexity 90*
2006 Rosé of Malbec Crios de S. Balbo Great fruit character, off dry, nice 87
2005 Malbec Crios de Susana Balbo Elegant, lighter styled, balanced 86
2005 Syrah/Bonarda Crios de Susana Balbo Thick, rich, ripe and deeply layered 88
2005 Cabernet Crios de Susana Balbo Soft, round, too sweet and easy for me 84
2004 Cabernet BenMarco Plush, ripe, pillowy soft yet firm underneath 89
2004 Malbec Ben Marco Well extracted, voluptuous fruit, balanced 90
2003 Expresivo BenMarco Unique Old World blend that kicks ass, yow 95*
2003 Cabernet Susana Balbo Gorgeous fruit with classic structure 96*
2005 Malbec Susana Balbo Superior fruit with depth and length to age 97*
2005 Postales Malbec Bodegas Fin del Mundo Benchmark wine, now look at the price 88
2004 Bonarda La Posta del Vinatero Thick, rich, sweet and really unique, nice 87
2005 Malbec Vinatero Paulucci Vineyard Overweight, beefy kinda wine 90
2005 Chardonnay Luca Great richness, well delineated, elegante 87
2004 Syrah Luca Super-ripe fruit and great structure will tell 90
2002 Beso de Dante Luca Epitome of great Argentine wine, try this 96
2004 Patriota Tikal Amazing viscous blend of Bonarda and Syrah 89
2005 Amorio Tikal Middle of the road kinda Malbec here 88
2004 Jubilo Tikal Admirable Meritage blend, quite complex 90
2004 Malbec Mendel Winery Traditional exposition, very nicely gaited 89
2004 Unus Mendel winery Great elegance, length and longevity 94
©2007 The Cyber Sommelier
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Working Stiff
Part Three
So if you have not heard, intuited, or surmised, the temple of PALLADIN has sadly, closed its doors. This was due to lackluster attendance no doubt caused by the absence of Jean-Louis, himself. The plug was pulled on a real sleeper of a restaurant. If one was to have come in after the theatre crowd, say, 8 p.m., and ordered a multi-course-tasting menu, you would have received our staff's undivided attention and the full efforts of a world-class kitchen. What I will cover in this article is one of those amazing nights when everything went right and the flavors played, mingled, and raised one another to dizzying heights. The kitchen was on top of their game and rockin', and I was flawless, as every wine was a well-matched winner to the sublime, heavenly cuisine.
What was neither known nor publicized, was the glorious, albeit short, reign of Jean-Louis Dumonet as the executive chef. Maitre Chef de Cuisine de France Dumonet is a gem of a guy, un vrai mec, a mensche, who was charged with the responsibility of preparing the works of Jean-Louis Palladin in a cost effective yet sublime fashion. Not an easy chore, mind you. While most definitely in charge, he is hardly an autocrat or madman on the line. A real joy to work with is how I would sum up my experience. Chef encouraged, challenged, taught and most importantly, fed me. I ate the finest food night after night and was reduced to a groveling neophyte at the feet of a master. Chef Dumonet has a classic palate for wine in addition to his other copious talents. He kept me at the top of my game with helpful insights on service and the fine art of running a restaurant cum laude. The apostles of the kitchen were a fun group of guys for the most part. It was not every night without conflict on the line however, the differences made for, shall we say, active dynamics. Sous-Chef Marcus, was in most instances, responsible for my late night dinner and would always surprise and delight me with whatever was fresh that day. Majeit, at the fish station would gladly give up his professional tips to me during shift drink or upstairs at the TIME LOUNGE, our after-work hangout. Then, there was Omar at the salad and apps station, he was a devout student of red wines and was responsible for turning out those lobster club sandwiches I so admired. Henry, of HenryKatBruce was fun, but I don’t know what he did… He is doing it at a barbecue joint down on Varick Street I’ve heard. Hell, there was damn near a dozen dudes back there at times.
Dégustation Suprème
Here’s the rough outline with the descriptions to follow. It would go something like this…
Ken, our James Dean-esque waiter, has sold a table on the idea of a tasting menu. I then approach the group with an offer to match each course with an appropriate wine. Let us assume that they have chosen wisely and said yes to an eight-course meal with matched wine. I then collect the menus and tell them that the Chef will be in charge from here on whilst I, Monsieur Roland, will be at your service. Then I turn the table back over to Ken. Ken checks for food allergies, phobias and hate lists. I get together with Chef in the kitchen and we start our lists. Below left is what I got from Chef. I noted the wines on the right and we were off.
Canapé Jacquesson, NV Champagne
Gazpacho The Jacq was for both courses as the Canape was small
Melon Clos St. Yves, Savènnieres
Scallops Horse Heaven, Sauvignon Blanc, Chateau Ste.Michelle
John Dory I Colombi, Arneis
Lobster Civet Joe Dobbes, Pinot Noir
Foie Gras Baumard, Quarts de Chaume
Short Ribs La Stèle, Mas de la Dame
Consommé
Dessert Sauternes/Porto
The canapé was the Palladin signature Quail Egg on Brioche with caviar. The Jacquesson, NV Champagne was a perfect foil for the petit but rich canapé. All warm and toasty with a tiny creamy yolk which carried into the characteristic briny notes of the caviar. This warm appetizer was an awesome beginning to an incredible meal. As the canapé was small, I let the champagne ride, refilling if necessary, right into the soup course of the most sublime Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho with Maine crab. The Gazpacho was remarkably light in that Jean-Louis would blend the soup to an extra fine consistency adding olive oil and softened bread. This gave the soup body and airiness at the same time. The sweet meat of the crab with the attendant salty tones of the sea made a truly harmonic statement as they played off of the purée of sweet tomatoes and other vegetables.
The next course was a Clavaillon Melon with Parma Prociutto and crushed black pepper, a pairing that I matched to a 1995 Savènnières from the Clos St. Yves, on account of its light, fresh qualities. Generally an overlooked wine, this responded in a noble fashion. No, not just any melon for us, Jean-Louis specified Clavoillon melon and so that is what we got.
The Pan-seared Sea Scallops with ginger, young scallions & baby vegetables were truly amazing by themselves. But when paired with the 1998 Horse Heaven vineyard, Sauvignon Blanc, from Chateau Ste. Michelle, well, I must say I outdid myself. The clean, acidic, and herbal flavors of the wine complimented the burst of flavor that accompanied the dish. Cascading sheets of flavors from the earth and beyond lent surreality to the sweet, fleshy scallops. More wine!
Ah, the Roasted John Dory, that fish of light and fine-grained flesh, also known as the St. Pierre, was teamed with artichokes and cèpes in a chicken jus. This ethereal yet earthy combo deserved the Arneis of i Colombi, from L'uvaggio di Giacomo, the 1998 vintage. Phil, our GM was totally stricken by this wine and bought the whole NYC consignment, (a sure strategy for a unique wine list). The floral nose gives way to nuts and woody flavors with a slightly bitter finish that played well to the mushrooms, artichokes and the tender, succulent fish. An Italian Gruner Veltliner, if you will.
Next up was the most intriguing Lobster Civet with pearl onions, chanterelles and pancetta in a red wine reduction. This was all the excuse I needed to pull out my Joe Dobbes 1997 Signature Cuvée Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley of Oregon. This wine is probably better today than yesterday and will keep getting better. A beautiful medium-bodied wine with balanced flavors of black and red fruit, yet lean enough to be a great food wine as well. The tender lobster tail was broiled in red wine with shallots and the finely chopped pancetta. Gods, this was good. I have to give the wine another point now in retrospect. Revised up to 90 points.
Chef next decided to go with a course of Roasted Foie Gras with golden farm Peaches. The foie was pan seared and served atop the heated peaches so I again decide to go with another unheralded wine from the Loire Valley. The Domaine Baumard, must be saluted for this 1998 Quarts de Chaume. A sweet and clean wine from Chenin Blanc grapes, there is an amazing purity of flavors here that is refreshing and remarkable despite the sugary nature of the wine. It supports the carmelized fruit flavors of the peaches and cleans the palate for the next bite of the fat fat fat Foie that is so so so so good.
"Red meat must be consumed!" roars the guest. And so it must be time for the Braised Kentucky Short Ribs. Chef has cooked these babies for nigh on five hours. Tender and so flavorful and dense that I must call on the syrah grape for comfort here. I reach for La Stèle 1998, Mas de la Dame from Les Baux de Provence. This wine is a refined take on the syrah grape. More an Hermitage than a rustic offering from the Languedoc, this is a great wine and a good value, and with these fork-tender boneless ribs, damn, one just can't do any better, can one?
A Consommé is brought out next to cleanse and revive the palate. I give the guests a break here and let them sip Pellegrino for a minute or two.
Desserts will be a choice of the signature Banana Banana Banana and the Three Chocolate Feuillantine. These are PALLADIN triple plays for the coup de grace. The Banana job features a caramelized banana tart, banana ice cream and banana flan. The Chocolate experience is white, milk, and dark chocolate wafers mortared with caramel and teamed with a port sorbet with dried cherries and a port reduction sauce drizzled artistically ‘round the plate. The obvious choice here is the Quinta do Infantado Porto of 1985. For chocolate lovers there might be no finer exposition than this. The dried cherries and the port sauce serve only to highlight the subtle chocolate differences. A must taste…
The Banana triptych requires deft handling so reflexively I turn to the 1996 Sauternes from Castelnaut de Suideraut, which has done yeoman service here at Palladin. A good, steady, reliable performing sweet wine for most every non-chocolate dessert on the menu. If the client requested, I could upgrade to the Chateau D'Yquem 1990 in a flash but hey, I didn’t have to.
Whew, this was a good one for me even in retrospect. I hope you enjoyed the virtual nosh. CS 04/01
Scattered are we now.
Chef Palladin has sadly, passed 11/25/01. There is nothing I can say that will assuage our loss. I have but thanks for the opportunity to have served under one of the world's greatest chefs.
Chef Dumonet is now appearing at The Carlyle. He has changed the menu already so go, now. I was all set to tell you about his short but sweet tenure at RHÔNE! They have some fine Viognier on the list, ask Jeffery for help there.
Phil is around the corner from Rhône at PASTIS. He is there 9-5, (doesn’t he wish).Ooops, gone.
Adam is at TAO, only the hottest spot uptown. Temple of Doom meets Apocalypse Now décor is just so surreal.
Mark, Itay and Dennis, the butcher, are downtown at Mad Max,s new place, L’Oursin. Oops, Max just replaced them with cheap imported labor. C’est la guerre.
Mark is now found at Chez Ducasse, yikes! No, he’s back with Chef at Rhône, oi! Now follow the bouncing workers.
Itay is on the line at Bouloud, no less.
Moi, I am still looking for just the right place. I’ll keep you posted.
Arneis '98 Napa L'uvaggio di Giacomo Nice change of pace 85
Champagne, NV Jacquesson et Fils Quintessential house pour na
La Stèle '98 Baux de Provence Mas de la Dame Big flavors and smooth 88*
Pinot Noir '97 Willamette Joe Dobbes Signature Cuvée Top of the line pinot 90*
Porto ’85 Quinta do Infantado Can one doubt JLP? 91*
Quarts du Chaume '98 Domaine Baumard Glorious sweet and neat 93*
Sauternes '96 Castelnau de Suideraut Serviceable if not stellar 86
Sauvignon Blanc '98 Columbia Val Château St. Michelle Horse Heaven Beautifully rendered wine 90*
Savennières '95 Clos St. Yves Refreshing, dry light 85
* denotes a Cellar Selection of the Cyber Sommelier
CARLYLE RESTAURANT
Carlyle Hotel
35 East 76th Street
NYC
212.744.1600
PASTIS
9-11 Little 12th Street
NYC 10014
212.929.4844
RHÔNE
63 Gansevoort St.
New York City 10014
212.367.8440
TAO
42 East 58th Street
New York City 10022
212.888.2288
212.8884148 fax
©2003 all rights reserved The CYBER SOMMELIER™
Part Three
So if you have not heard, intuited, or surmised, the temple of PALLADIN has sadly, closed its doors. This was due to lackluster attendance no doubt caused by the absence of Jean-Louis, himself. The plug was pulled on a real sleeper of a restaurant. If one was to have come in after the theatre crowd, say, 8 p.m., and ordered a multi-course-tasting menu, you would have received our staff's undivided attention and the full efforts of a world-class kitchen. What I will cover in this article is one of those amazing nights when everything went right and the flavors played, mingled, and raised one another to dizzying heights. The kitchen was on top of their game and rockin', and I was flawless, as every wine was a well-matched winner to the sublime, heavenly cuisine.
What was neither known nor publicized, was the glorious, albeit short, reign of Jean-Louis Dumonet as the executive chef. Maitre Chef de Cuisine de France Dumonet is a gem of a guy, un vrai mec, a mensche, who was charged with the responsibility of preparing the works of Jean-Louis Palladin in a cost effective yet sublime fashion. Not an easy chore, mind you. While most definitely in charge, he is hardly an autocrat or madman on the line. A real joy to work with is how I would sum up my experience. Chef encouraged, challenged, taught and most importantly, fed me. I ate the finest food night after night and was reduced to a groveling neophyte at the feet of a master. Chef Dumonet has a classic palate for wine in addition to his other copious talents. He kept me at the top of my game with helpful insights on service and the fine art of running a restaurant cum laude. The apostles of the kitchen were a fun group of guys for the most part. It was not every night without conflict on the line however, the differences made for, shall we say, active dynamics. Sous-Chef Marcus, was in most instances, responsible for my late night dinner and would always surprise and delight me with whatever was fresh that day. Majeit, at the fish station would gladly give up his professional tips to me during shift drink or upstairs at the TIME LOUNGE, our after-work hangout. Then, there was Omar at the salad and apps station, he was a devout student of red wines and was responsible for turning out those lobster club sandwiches I so admired. Henry, of HenryKatBruce was fun, but I don’t know what he did… He is doing it at a barbecue joint down on Varick Street I’ve heard. Hell, there was damn near a dozen dudes back there at times.
Dégustation Suprème
Here’s the rough outline with the descriptions to follow. It would go something like this…
Ken, our James Dean-esque waiter, has sold a table on the idea of a tasting menu. I then approach the group with an offer to match each course with an appropriate wine. Let us assume that they have chosen wisely and said yes to an eight-course meal with matched wine. I then collect the menus and tell them that the Chef will be in charge from here on whilst I, Monsieur Roland, will be at your service. Then I turn the table back over to Ken. Ken checks for food allergies, phobias and hate lists. I get together with Chef in the kitchen and we start our lists. Below left is what I got from Chef. I noted the wines on the right and we were off.
Canapé Jacquesson, NV Champagne
Gazpacho The Jacq was for both courses as the Canape was small
Melon Clos St. Yves, Savènnieres
Scallops Horse Heaven, Sauvignon Blanc, Chateau Ste.Michelle
John Dory I Colombi, Arneis
Lobster Civet Joe Dobbes, Pinot Noir
Foie Gras Baumard, Quarts de Chaume
Short Ribs La Stèle, Mas de la Dame
Consommé
Dessert Sauternes/Porto
The canapé was the Palladin signature Quail Egg on Brioche with caviar. The Jacquesson, NV Champagne was a perfect foil for the petit but rich canapé. All warm and toasty with a tiny creamy yolk which carried into the characteristic briny notes of the caviar. This warm appetizer was an awesome beginning to an incredible meal. As the canapé was small, I let the champagne ride, refilling if necessary, right into the soup course of the most sublime Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho with Maine crab. The Gazpacho was remarkably light in that Jean-Louis would blend the soup to an extra fine consistency adding olive oil and softened bread. This gave the soup body and airiness at the same time. The sweet meat of the crab with the attendant salty tones of the sea made a truly harmonic statement as they played off of the purée of sweet tomatoes and other vegetables.
The next course was a Clavaillon Melon with Parma Prociutto and crushed black pepper, a pairing that I matched to a 1995 Savènnières from the Clos St. Yves, on account of its light, fresh qualities. Generally an overlooked wine, this responded in a noble fashion. No, not just any melon for us, Jean-Louis specified Clavoillon melon and so that is what we got.
The Pan-seared Sea Scallops with ginger, young scallions & baby vegetables were truly amazing by themselves. But when paired with the 1998 Horse Heaven vineyard, Sauvignon Blanc, from Chateau Ste. Michelle, well, I must say I outdid myself. The clean, acidic, and herbal flavors of the wine complimented the burst of flavor that accompanied the dish. Cascading sheets of flavors from the earth and beyond lent surreality to the sweet, fleshy scallops. More wine!
Ah, the Roasted John Dory, that fish of light and fine-grained flesh, also known as the St. Pierre, was teamed with artichokes and cèpes in a chicken jus. This ethereal yet earthy combo deserved the Arneis of i Colombi, from L'uvaggio di Giacomo, the 1998 vintage. Phil, our GM was totally stricken by this wine and bought the whole NYC consignment, (a sure strategy for a unique wine list). The floral nose gives way to nuts and woody flavors with a slightly bitter finish that played well to the mushrooms, artichokes and the tender, succulent fish. An Italian Gruner Veltliner, if you will.
Next up was the most intriguing Lobster Civet with pearl onions, chanterelles and pancetta in a red wine reduction. This was all the excuse I needed to pull out my Joe Dobbes 1997 Signature Cuvée Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley of Oregon. This wine is probably better today than yesterday and will keep getting better. A beautiful medium-bodied wine with balanced flavors of black and red fruit, yet lean enough to be a great food wine as well. The tender lobster tail was broiled in red wine with shallots and the finely chopped pancetta. Gods, this was good. I have to give the wine another point now in retrospect. Revised up to 90 points.
Chef next decided to go with a course of Roasted Foie Gras with golden farm Peaches. The foie was pan seared and served atop the heated peaches so I again decide to go with another unheralded wine from the Loire Valley. The Domaine Baumard, must be saluted for this 1998 Quarts de Chaume. A sweet and clean wine from Chenin Blanc grapes, there is an amazing purity of flavors here that is refreshing and remarkable despite the sugary nature of the wine. It supports the carmelized fruit flavors of the peaches and cleans the palate for the next bite of the fat fat fat Foie that is so so so so good.
"Red meat must be consumed!" roars the guest. And so it must be time for the Braised Kentucky Short Ribs. Chef has cooked these babies for nigh on five hours. Tender and so flavorful and dense that I must call on the syrah grape for comfort here. I reach for La Stèle 1998, Mas de la Dame from Les Baux de Provence. This wine is a refined take on the syrah grape. More an Hermitage than a rustic offering from the Languedoc, this is a great wine and a good value, and with these fork-tender boneless ribs, damn, one just can't do any better, can one?
A Consommé is brought out next to cleanse and revive the palate. I give the guests a break here and let them sip Pellegrino for a minute or two.
Desserts will be a choice of the signature Banana Banana Banana and the Three Chocolate Feuillantine. These are PALLADIN triple plays for the coup de grace. The Banana job features a caramelized banana tart, banana ice cream and banana flan. The Chocolate experience is white, milk, and dark chocolate wafers mortared with caramel and teamed with a port sorbet with dried cherries and a port reduction sauce drizzled artistically ‘round the plate. The obvious choice here is the Quinta do Infantado Porto of 1985. For chocolate lovers there might be no finer exposition than this. The dried cherries and the port sauce serve only to highlight the subtle chocolate differences. A must taste…
The Banana triptych requires deft handling so reflexively I turn to the 1996 Sauternes from Castelnaut de Suideraut, which has done yeoman service here at Palladin. A good, steady, reliable performing sweet wine for most every non-chocolate dessert on the menu. If the client requested, I could upgrade to the Chateau D'Yquem 1990 in a flash but hey, I didn’t have to.
Whew, this was a good one for me even in retrospect. I hope you enjoyed the virtual nosh. CS 04/01
Scattered are we now.
Chef Palladin has sadly, passed 11/25/01. There is nothing I can say that will assuage our loss. I have but thanks for the opportunity to have served under one of the world's greatest chefs.
Chef Dumonet is now appearing at The Carlyle. He has changed the menu already so go, now. I was all set to tell you about his short but sweet tenure at RHÔNE! They have some fine Viognier on the list, ask Jeffery for help there.
Phil is around the corner from Rhône at PASTIS. He is there 9-5, (doesn’t he wish).Ooops, gone.
Adam is at TAO, only the hottest spot uptown. Temple of Doom meets Apocalypse Now décor is just so surreal.
Mark, Itay and Dennis, the butcher, are downtown at Mad Max,s new place, L’Oursin. Oops, Max just replaced them with cheap imported labor. C’est la guerre.
Mark is now found at Chez Ducasse, yikes! No, he’s back with Chef at Rhône, oi! Now follow the bouncing workers.
Itay is on the line at Bouloud, no less.
Moi, I am still looking for just the right place. I’ll keep you posted.
Arneis '98 Napa L'uvaggio di Giacomo Nice change of pace 85
Champagne, NV Jacquesson et Fils Quintessential house pour na
La Stèle '98 Baux de Provence Mas de la Dame Big flavors and smooth 88*
Pinot Noir '97 Willamette Joe Dobbes Signature Cuvée Top of the line pinot 90*
Porto ’85 Quinta do Infantado Can one doubt JLP? 91*
Quarts du Chaume '98 Domaine Baumard Glorious sweet and neat 93*
Sauternes '96 Castelnau de Suideraut Serviceable if not stellar 86
Sauvignon Blanc '98 Columbia Val Château St. Michelle Horse Heaven Beautifully rendered wine 90*
Savennières '95 Clos St. Yves Refreshing, dry light 85
* denotes a Cellar Selection of the Cyber Sommelier
CARLYLE RESTAURANT
Carlyle Hotel
35 East 76th Street
NYC
212.744.1600
PASTIS
9-11 Little 12th Street
NYC 10014
212.929.4844
RHÔNE
63 Gansevoort St.
New York City 10014
212.367.8440
TAO
42 East 58th Street
New York City 10022
212.888.2288
212.8884148 fax
©2003 all rights reserved The CYBER SOMMELIER™
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