Bivio e Bovio

Is there anything better than wine and food crafted simply & deliciously from the purest ingredients available? I think not, especially when we are talking about pizza and Barolo. I don’t know about you, but for me, pizza is first and foremost about the dough. It is the foundation of the pizza and when it comes together in harmony with the other main ingredients such as San Marzano tomatoes, homemade mozzarella, fresh basil leaves and a fine extra virgin olive oil, it transports you to culinary heaven.

For the second time in a week we went to Bivio Pizzeria Napoletana in Little Falls, NJ. And for the second time in a week we savored the wonderful pizzas crafted by Tomasso Colao, who is the owner along with his wife Jackie.

Before opening Bivio, Mr. Colao befriended Anthony Mangieri, proprieter of Una Pizza Napoletana, formerly of NYC and now San Francisco and learned all he could about making pizza dough. Mr. Mangieri makes his dough with the aid (I hope this is the right word) of a starter dough. I am a bit fuzzy here, but as I understand it, in lieu of adding yeast to the day’s dough production a piece of “mother dough” is added allowing the dough to “rise naturally”. Whatever the case is, the resulting dough is amazing and produces an incredible pizza. For a video of Mr. Mangieri making his dough and pizza click here.

Mr. Calao has been feeding his pizza dough his “mother culture” (the foundation of his pizzas) daily for 6 years. The pies are baked in a custom-built brick oven made in Naples, Italy.

The pizza that emerges from the oven is a thing of beauty. It is comprised of a puffy, sporadically charred blistery crust that is neither crisp nor soggy but has the tenderness reminiscent of a great loaf of Italian bread and is the perfect setting for the limited number of toppings available to compliment it.

The menu lists 5 pizzas plus two daily special pizzas, and 3 salads along with one salad special. My favorites are the Marghrita made with San Marzano tomatoes, bufala mozzarella, fresh basil, extra virgin olive oil and sea salt and the same pizza with the addition of Italian sausage.

While I love an ice cold beer with my pizza, pizza this good deserves a great wine and a 1996 Bovio Barolo Vigna Gattera was a perfect match on this evening. A traditionally made, great old world wine that is singing at the moment. An earthy bouquet greets the nose in an almost intoxicating fashion. On the palate there is an explosion of pure fruit with a finish that is pure elegance. A wine full of soul as was the pizza. $75 at De-Vino Wine Boutique in NYC.

Ah, but let us not forget dessert. We enjoyed homemade cannelloni and Italian Orange Cheesecake that were the ideal compliments to our espresso.

I would be remiss if I did not mention that the staff is courteous, friendly and very professional. Only open for dinner Tuesday through Saturday. Reservations for 5 or more accepted. BYOB.

Until next time,

Saluté

Great Wines Under $40

Someone once said that anyone can buy a good wine at $300 - $500 a bottle, but to find a good wine for less than $40, now there’s a challenge. Fortunately there are many great wines out there that are in this price range. These wines are made by artisan wine makers who have crafted some of the most delicious wines I have ever tasted. Each of these wines boasts a very reasonable price tag, especially in relation to the quality of wine in the bottle. They all occupy space in my cellar.

As you know I am a traditionalist when it comes to wine, and so it should come as no surprise that the ensuing wines fall into that category. They tantalize the palate with their purity and balance and finish with elegance. Simply put they are delicious, inexpensive and possess soul. The only down side is they may not be that easy to find as most wine shops probably do not carry them. If you subscribe to Wine-Searcher.com, I suggest you avail yourself of this resource if you are interested in purchasing them. You will be glad you did.

Touraine is a Loire Valley appellation around the city of Tours, France. Pineau d'Aunis, also known as Chenin Noir is the red grape variety around Touraine and Anjou. The vineyards of Clos Roche Blanche were planted on the Touraine hills bordering the Cher River by the Roussel family at the end of the 19th century and have remained in the family since. Organically farmed, the grapes are hand-harvested. The must is handled by gravity at all stages. The wine then ages on its lees, is bottled by gravity by hand without filtration to avoid mechanical manipulation that would unsettle it. Instead of using sulfur at bottling, the bottles are blanketed with CO2. The resulting wines are a terrific expression of the grape, the land and the climate, i.e. terroir. I have recently tried two of the wines from this amazing producer and they are destined to occupy space in my cellar for years to come.

2010 Clos Roche Blanche Touraine Pineau D'Aunis Rosé. This is quite simply one of the most delicious Rosé wines I have ever tasted. It possesses a cloudy pink hue and is dry & peppery on the palate, similar to Grenache. The wine is completely round and must be tasted to appreciate, and at $20 a bottle is a fantastic value. Equally impressive is the 2010 Clos Roche Blanche Touraine L'Arpent Rouge. This is a wine filled with terroir. Upon opening you are met with a bouquet that is pure barnyard. After about 20 minutes in the glass the barnyard is replaced by a peppery & earthy bouquet, also reminiscent of Grenache. Delicious, and also only $20 a bottle. Both of these wines are full of soul.

The Jura is a small and relatively obscure wine region in eastern France, between Burgundy and the Swiss border. Its geographical isolation has helped it to remain a rare bastion of traditional winemaking techniques, and today it produces some of the most distinctive wines in the world. Reds from the Jura are often light-bodied, earthy, berried, and reminiscent of the village wines of Burgundy (though here they are made of local grapes like Poulsard and Trousseau) and are best appreciated if served with a slight chill on them. Arbois is a small commune in the Jura and produces some of the best wines of the Jura. Jacques Puffeney is one of the superstars of the Jura (among his colleagues he is known as the “the Pope of Arbois.” His wines are fantastic. The 2006 Jacques Puffeney Arbois Poulsard M, a blend of Pinot Noir, Trousseau & Poulsard, is an elegant, light red wine that is delicious. A perfect accompaniment to pizza, eggplant ptarmigan or spaghetti and meatballs. $24.

Philippe Bornard is another superstar of the Arbois. His 2006 Arbois Pupillin Melon le Rouge Queue is a spectacular white from the area. A blend of Melon and Malbec grapes the wine is stunning. The wine has wonderful complexity and balance and is fresh and pristinely pure on the palate with a hint of viscosity. The wine keeps evolving in the glass during the course of sipping it. Whenever I drink this wine I am reminded of the difference between enjoying and experiencing a wine.

My favorite white wine grape is Chenin Blanc. A grape of high acidity it is used to make spectacular still wines, sparkling wines and well-balanced dessert wines. In the hands of master traditional producers such as Gaston Huet and Francois Pinon these wines will rock your world. The wines hail from the Vouvray district of the Loire Valley in France. They are made to contain a percentage of residual sugar, which means fermentation is stopped before all the sugar is converted to alcohol. The resulting wines rather than being "sweet" have a beautifully integrated sweetness that seduces the palate. One of the beauties of these wines is that they can be enjoyed young (when they are inexpensive) or kept for 50+ years (when their value has increased by 10 to 30 fold) in the cellar. Here are some of my favorites that are drinking well now and will for decades to come.

2009 Francois Pinon Vouvray Silex Noir $22
2009 Francois Pinon Vouvray Cuvée Tradition $22
Francois Pinon NV Touraine Brut Rose $19
2009 Huet Lieu Demi Sec $36

The red wines of Burgundy (Pinot Noir) continue to occupy more and more space in my cellar. They are for me they a wonderful expression of feminine elegance in a glass. Grand & Premier Cru Burgundies command a big price tag. Fortunately there are the Bourgogne and Villages levels of these wines, which are meant to be drunk earlier and are very affordable. They are usually made of the grapes that do not make it into the Grand & Premier Cru bottlings, but are crafted as the higher priced wines are. Here are a few from top producers that are worth trying. One note, do not worry about the year so much in as much if these producers make a wine in any given vintage it will be very good.

2007 Joseph Drouhin Chorey-les Beaune Villages Red $15
2004 Denis Bachelet Bourgogne Rouge $21
2009 Faiveley Ladoix $25
2006 Camille Giroud Marsannay Les Longeroles $30

Occupying even more space in my cellar are the red wines of Piedmonte, Italy. While Barbaresco and Barolo are the superstars of the region, do not over look the Barberas, Dolcettos and Arneis (white) made from top producers. Give these a try.

2007 Flavio Roddolo Dolcetto d’Alba at $17 is one of the best Dolcetto’s I have ever tasted. Pure & earthy with a long silky finish.

2007 Bartolo Mascarello Dolcetto d’Alba. From the master Barolo producer, this is a beautiful wine for under $25.

2004 Ada Nada Barbaresco Elisa, $36, along with Produttori Barbaresco, $35, these wines represent some of the greatest values for Nebiolo you will ever find.

The white wine grape of Piedmont is Arneis. It is most commonly found in the hills of Roero, northwest of Alba. Arneis wines are dry, full bodied, crisp and delightful to drink. Two of the best producers of Arneis are Bruno Giacosa and Ceretto. Ceretto’s Arneis Blange has a slight bit of spritz upon opening, and is very clean and soft on the palate. It is my wife’s favorite wine and has been for many years. $20.

Giacosa’s Rorero Arneis is also very clean and crisp on the palate. The wine has more complexity than the Ceretto and is my favorite Arneis. A bit more expensive at about $30 a bottle.

The following shops carry some, if not all of these wines.
Chambers Street Wines, NYC
New York Wine Warehouse, NYC
Wine Legend, Livingston, NJ
De-Vino Wine Boutique, NYC
ShopRite Liquors, West Caldwell, NJ

Until next time,

Saluté

"Life’s too short to drink bad wine"!

Lunch at Maialino

I love Maialino. It is another fantastic dinning spot by Danny Meyer (Union Square Café, 11 Madison Park, Gramercy Tavern, etc.), Maialino is a Roman-style trattoria located in the Gramercy Park Hotel on Lexington Ave. in NYC. Executive Chef Nick Anderer prepares wonderful classic Roman dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner. To compliment the food there is a fantastic and very reasonably priced Italian wine list to enhance your dinning experience.

Along with good friends Cosmo and Gabrio I had another memorable meal there a couple of weeks ago. We began with Fried Baccala (Cod) and Trippa alla Trasteverina. I cannot go to Maialino without ordering the Baccala. Lightly battered and fried to perfection it is simply delicious. While I am not a fan of tripe, I tried a bit of Gabrio’s and I must admit it was very good. Made with Pecorino and mint, Gabrio enjoyed every morsel of it. BTW, when in season the fried artichokes ala Judea with anchovy sauce are an absolute must.

For pasta we licked our chops over the Tonnarelli Cacio e Pepe and Malfatti al Maialino.

Calcio e Pepe is a very traditional Roman pasta dish made simply with Pecorino cheese and coarse black pepper. The texture and spiciness of this pasta is incredible. Each bite threw a party in our mouths. A link to chef Anderer's recipe for this great dish is an the bottom of this post.

The party continued with the Malfatti, large homemade pasta squares, sauced with braised suckling pig (from the leg) and Arugula. This was magnificent. Perfectly sauced with perfectly al dente Malfatti, this is a pasta I will never forget and will be sure to return to it when I next visit Maiailino. No description can do it the justice it deserves; it must be tasted to be appreciated. I have yet to be disappointed by a pasta dish here. In the past I have enjoyed such Roman classics as Spaghetti Carbonara (Italian version of bacon and eggs) and Bucatini alla Amatriciana.

Gabrio, owner of DeVino Wine Boutique in NYC, is one of the most knowledgeable wine people I know and so we deferred to his selections. To accompany the pasta dishes he selected a 2006 Marion Valpociella. Gabrio had introduced me to Marion Amarones a few years ago (the 2001 is simply magnificent) and I was impressed with their purity, balance and elegance. This was my first taste of Marion Vapolicella and I was equally impressed. The wine was terrific. A traditionally made wine with great balance and purity. Like their Amarone, it was a wine with soul. I guess this is not surprising when you consider that Celestino Gaspari who was the wine maker at Quintarelli for 20 years makes the Marion wines. It is the closest to a Quintarelli Amarone and Valpolicella than any other Amarone or Valpolicella I have tasted. And it sells for a fraction of the price. $64 on the wine list. An absolute bargain. Available at DeVino.

Onward to our main courses which we also shared (after all we are trying to mind our waistlines, well at least Gabrio and I are). We devoured a Porchetta Panino. Succulent and tender pork, served on a freshly made Ciabatta roll along with a bowl of pork Jus to dip it in, man oh man oh man it just does not get better than this. From the Jus to the mouth to cries of ecstasy around the table, this was decadently moist and delicious.

We also shared a plate of Pollo alla Diavola (Peppered Chicken, Arugula & Chili Vinaigrette). Another simple yet divine preparation, the chicken was perfectly cooked, moist and had just the right amount of spice on the palate. We enjoyed a delicious side dish of sautéed Italian Broad Beans with the chicken.

For these entrées Gabrio selected a 1995 Felsina Chianti Classico Riserva. Located in the heart of Chianti Classico, I have always enjoyed the wines of this legendary producter. I had not tasted the wine in a few years and so this was a treat. The wine soared from the glass, danced on the palate and finished with a velvet elegance. It is drinking beautifully right now and should continue to do so for at least 5 years. It was round and delicious. $86 on the wine list, another great bargain. Available at DeVino, NYC.

We finished with espresso and drove home with a huge smile on our faces.

For a copy of chef Anderer’s Cacio e Pepe recipe click here.

Until next time,

Saluté

Louie's Lunch, New Haven, Ct.

A couple of years ago the Travel Channel had a 2-hour segment on, if my memory is correct, the 100 best fast food restaurants in America. Louie’s Lunch in New Haven, Connecticut was declared #1. Louie's claim is that Louie’s Lunch is the birthplace of the hamburger. According to their web site, “One day in 1900, a gentleman hurriedly walked into Louis' Lunch and told proprietor Louis Lassen he was in a rush and wanted something he could eat on the run. In an instant, Louis placed his own blend of ground steak trimmings between two slices of toast and sent the gentleman on his way. And so, the most recognizable American sandwich was born”.

Since the Internet reviews I read ranged from bad to amazing I knew I had to drive up to New Haven and check this out for myself. My good friend Mario and I made the 90 minute drive on Thursday to check it out.

Before I tell you my experience some additional information is necessary. The only option at Louie’s is a hamburger or cheeseburger. The only toppings available are a slice of tomato and/or cooked onion. NO KETCHSUP OR MUSTARD OR MAYO IS PROVIDED OR ALLOWED. The burgers are made from a blend of beef that is freshly ground daily on the premises.

They are cooked in cast iron vertical ovens that date back to 1900. The same ovens used then are used today. The cheese used for the cheeseburger is a cheese spread that is applied to the toast the burgers are served on. That’s right I said toast. Good old-fashioned white bread toast. Remember this is the birthplace of the hamburger, when it was created there was no such thing as a hamburger bun, all that was available was white bread, and Louie toasted it. The burgers are cooked medium rare, but you can order them to any cooked wellness you desire. We had ours as Louie suggests, medium with cheese, tomato & onions (the works as it is known). The only sides available are potato chips or potato salad.

So how were they? Drum roll please!!! THE BEST CHEESEBURGER I HAVE EVER HAD, AND I HAVE HAD SOME GREAT CHEESEBURGERS IN MY TIME!!! The burger was thick, incredibly juicy and greaseless.

The white toast was the perfect compliment. And while I always eat my burgers with ketchup, this burger did not need it. We opted for the potato salad and again I was blown away. This was my mother’s potato salad, not some store bought, mass produced goo. It was made with chopped hard-boiled eggs just like mom did. Potatoes were perfectly cooked and the salad was perfectly seasoned. It was the perfect compliment to the burger. While I would have loved an ice cold Becks Beer to wash the burger down with, I had to settle for diet birch beer. Icy cold, it filled the bill.

Louie’s is a very, very small place (300 – 400 square ft. would be my guess) with only two employees. One takes your order and collects your money while Louie’s grandson, the current proprietor, makes the burgers. Since there are only 3 burger ovens be prepared to wait about 30 minutes to get your burger. But the wait is worth it. Nibble on your potato salad while you wait and you will be happy as a lark.

For a video of Louie’s Lunch click here.

By the way, readers of this blog know that I do not pay attention to point or star ratings so I will not give one. I will however tell you that the most coveted rating in the world a restaurant can receive is a 3 star Michelin rating. A 3 star Michelin rating, according to Michelin, means that the dining experience is worth buying an airline ticket to go to the restaurant. Now I am not suggesting this, but if you are in the New Haven area it is definitely worth a detour. And if you are like me a 90-minute trip for an incredible burger experience is well worth it.

Bon Apetito,

Mark

Exquisite Food & Elegant Wines

With friends Tony & Jack, I went to an outstanding wine dinner at Culin Ariane on Wednesday night. The event was the collaboration of Ariane & Michael Duarte, Culin Ariane’s owners, Doug Polaner, president of Polaner Selections and Sharon Sevrens, owner of Amanti Vino in Montclair. This team did an extraordinary job. I have lauded Ariane’s cooking in this space on many previous occasions. Once again she showed why she was a contestant on the popular cooking show “Top Chef” and why reservations at her restaurant are amongst the hottest tickets in town.

Polaner Selections, a wine importer and distributor in NJ & NY (perhaps elsewhere also), sports a prodigious portfolio of traditional style producers. Alongside the better-known giants such as Giuseppe Mascarello, Giacomo Conterno, & Gaston Huet are upcoming stars such as Cedric Bouchard and Lignier-Michelot. Doug himself is a young, articulate, passionate and knowledgeable wine guy.

Sharon Severns, Amanti Vino owner, supplied the wines for last night. Sharon, a customer of Polaner, shares Doug’s passion about wine and her spiffy, well-stocked wine shop in the heart of Montclair was recently voted best wine shop in Suburban Essex County.

The wine theme for the evening centered on Sharon & Doug’s passion for traditionally made Champagne, Burgundy and Barolo. As I share this same passion, I knew I was in for a great tasting. I was not disappointed.

While we found our seats and met other attendees we sipped a 2009 Cedric Bouchard Inforescence “Val Vilaine” Champagne, made from 100% Pinot Noir. This was my first experience with his champagne, and to say I was impressed would be a gross understatement. It was sheer elegance with tiny bubbles. The wine tantalized the palate and nose. The wine was drop dead gorgeous, and kept evolving as the night progressed. This is a Champagne that gets better (bubbles replaced with threads of silk) as it sits in your glass. As Doug explained this young maverick of a wine maker does not follow the usual convention of blending different grapes from different vineyards as well as the juice from different vintages to make champagne. Rather his champagnes are made from a single varietal (Pinot Noir or Chardonnay), from a single vineyard, and single vintage cuveés. To quote the Polaner web site “Each wine is made only from juice from the first pressing, fermented only with indigenous yeast and handled meticulously in the cellar to guarantee the finest wines possible”. I understand that this champagne is his entry level offering, so I am looking forward to trying some of his other champagnes. $65

The dinner began with a remarkable dish; Butter Poached Lobster with Corn Flan. I apologize for not taking a picture of this, as it was as spectacular to look at as it was to eat. Perfectly cooked and seasoned, the lobster and corn flan played together in harmony like a piano duet by Ferrante & Teicher. With this we drank 2008 Fontaine Gagnard Chassagne Montrachet “La Broudriotte. A 1er Cru Chardonnay wine from a great producer. This wine however, in my opinion, needs more cellar time. At the moment it is dominated by oak (on both the palate & nose) and is very acidic. Given a few more years of cellar aging, this should turn out to be an excellent wine. It was my least favorite wine of the evening. $80

The next course was Roasted Forest Mushrooms with Polenta, Truffle Oil, Parmesan Fondue. I am a fan of all these ingredients, and while the dish was a bit rich, it was none the less delicious. The wine chosen to pair with this dish was 2009 Morey St.-Denis “En Rue de Vergy” from Lignier-Michelot, another producer that was new to me. This wine knocked my socks off. The purity, balance and finish of this wine soared on the palate. This wine was a great example of the feminine elegance found in Pinot Noir wines from Burgundy. If it was the only wine I drank all night, I would have been happy… no make that ecstatic. 2009 was a terrific vintage in Burgundy and readers will do well to add wines from the vintage to their cellars. Especially wines of this quality at well under $100 a bottle. The domaine has only been estate bottling and selling their wines for the past 9 years. Yes it is a hidden gem. Currently the wine only qualifies for a Villages level designation, although efforts are underway to get it elevated to 1er cru. The wine is drinking beautifully now and will age well for at least 15 to 20 yeas. $60

The entrée consisted of Seared Duck Breast & Duck Confit with Almond Wild Rice. As I am not a fan of duck, Ariane was kind enough to make me chicken. She has told me about her buttermilk-fried chicken in the past and so she made it for me instead of the duck. Except for a breading that was on the salty side, the chicken was moist, tender and delicious. I enjoyed it immensely. 2005 Domaine Michel Gaunoux Pommard “Rugiens” 1er Cru accompanied the entrées. The terroir of the Cote de Beaune soared from the glass upon sampling its bouquet and continued on the palate with the first sip. Old world purity in spades, its finish was soft and elegant. To really appreciate this wine I would give it at least 5 more years of cellar aging, and then drink it over the next 50 years. $90

We were also treated to a tiny bit of this same wine from the 1999 vintage. It was spectacular. 1999 was a great vintage in Burgundy and this wine certainly attests to that. Again beautifully elegant and pure with a gorgeous earthy bouquet. This too will benefit from cellar time. $120

The final course of the evening was a cheese plate that was comprised of blue cheese, aged Gouda and another cheese, the name of which escapes me at the moment. The wine however I will remember for a long time, 2004 Roagna Barbaresco “Pajè” from Piedmont, Italy. I am a huge fan of Roagna wines and they occupy a fair amount of space in my cellar. This was my first taste of the 2004 and it was spectacular. From the Paje vineyard, Roagna made 3 Barbarescos in 2004. The normale, Pajè, as well as a Pajè Riserva and a Crichët Pajè Riserva, both of which I can not wait to try. For many, myself included, it was the wine of the night. The Nebbiolo grape, like the Pinot Noir grape, produces wines that soar with feminine elegance. I would think that is why Burgundy lovers also love Barolo and Barbaresco. This wine is drinking beautifully now and will continue to do so for many years to come. a bargain at $70.

All the wines are available at Amanti Vino.

Until next time,

Saluté

Northern Rhone Tasting

A couple of my good wine drinking friends, Emil & Howard, are part of a small (5 guys) wine group. They meet once a month at a BYOB restaurant with one of the members in charge of bringing the evening’s wines. I have been graciously invited a few times over the past year, but alas I was unable to attend until last night, and I am glad I did.

Howard was in charge of the wines last night and brought 5 wines from the Northern Rhone. We enjoyed these wines over dinner at Scalini Fideli Ristorante in Chatham, NJ. The restaurant does have a full bar and wine list, but as I understand it they allow customers to bring their own wine during the week. As I was a guest, I don't know if there is a corkage fee assed per bottle. I suggest you check with them to get the facts about bringing your own wine.

I have not been to Scalini in many years as I found the food, while good, to be a bit rich for my taste. I was glad to give it another try last night. For my appetizer I had a terrific pan-seared foie gras over roasted apples. It was delicious and went very well with the 1999 Jean Louis Chave Hermitage Blanc. JL Chave is an icon in the Northern Rhone and his wines are superbly crafted. This Marsanne (80%) & Roussanne (20%) blend was delicious. Chave uses only old oak or stainless steel for aging and as a result the wine possessed great purity and balance and finished with power and elegance. This wine, in my opinion, has another 20 years of enjoyable drinking. This was my first experience with the 1999. I am glad I have a few bottles in my cellar. At between $120 - $150 a bottle, while a bit pricey, it is well worth the indulgence. I rated this the #2 wine of the evening.

A 1993 Chapoutier Ermitage le Pavillon also went superbly with my foie gras. Crafted by yet another great Northern Rhone wine maker, this 100% Syrah comes from a small granite soiled 4-hectare plot. Yields are tiny and typically only about 600 cases are made annually. The nose upon opening would have made any farmer smile broadly as it was pure barnyard. On the palate it was soft, complex and balanced. The wine kept evolving in the glass over the next hour with the barnyard bouquet retiring and replaced by an enticing earthiness, while on the palate the wine took on a soaring elegance with a gorgeous finish. I rated this the #3 wine of the evening. This will also hit your pocketbook for about $120, a bargain in my opinion for an 18-year-old beauty.

For my main course I had Papparadelle pasta with a veal osso buco ragu, which was good but the addition of Mascarpone cheese, unneeded in my opinion, took the richness of the dish over the top. With our main courses we had 3 more Northern Rhone Syrahs. The next wine was a 1999 Guigal Cote Rotie Chateau d’Ampuis. This wine is made from grapes from six hillside vineyards of the d”Ampuis property. (La Garde, La Clos, La Grande Plantee, La Pommiere, Pavillon Rouge, and Le Moulin). The wine is aged in both barrel and large foudre for 30 months prior to bottling. There are approximately 3,000 cases produced annually. While the wine is aged in new oak for 42 months, the oak is very well integrated. The wine had good balance and nice complexity, but in my opinion not worth the $200 price tag. I rated this the #4 wine of the evening.

The next wine of the evening was 2003 Delas Freres Cote Rotie la Landonne. This was definitely more modern in style with oak dominating the wine. Perhaps the reason can be found on their importer’s website which states that Delas wines are made by “a panel of experts headed by winemaker Jacques Grange . Together, the team makes wines that have been heralded for their intensity of flavor and excellent value." Perhaps there are too many cooks in the kitchen? At about $200 a bottle I think the team needs to reconsider the words “excellent value”. The wine was overshadowed by the other wines. Everyone was of the opinion that it was the #5 wine of the evening.

The final wine of the evening was a 1997 JL Chave Hermitage. Wow! Consensus had it as the wine of the evening. This wine absolutely soared from the glass. Nothing more to say than it was full of terroir, balanced and outright delicious. As Jeff so aptly put it, this was a wine with soul. This will set you back about $200. A small price to pay for such soul.

Howard you did a great job. I thoroughly enjoyed the evening. Drinking great wines with friends, old and new, is surely one of life’s finer moments. Thanks again for inviting me.

Until next time,

Saluté

Joe Dressner

The wine world was saddened with the passing of Joe Dresner from a brain tumor on Saturday night. Joe was the founder of Louis/Dressner Selections based in NYC. The Louis/Dresnner Selections name may be familiar to some of you and not to others. Joe Dressner was extremely passionate about Old World wines, and as you know if you read this blog regularly, I share the same passion. While I never met the man (oh how I wish I had) I am a huge fan of his portfolio of wine producers. In fact my cellar contains more than 20 cases from 15 of his producers. Eric Asimov, wine writer for the NY Times, wrote an excellent article about Joe in today’s Times. You can read the article here. Alice Fiering also wrote a moving piece about him on her blog. You can read it here.

I first learned about Joe Dressner in Alice Fiering’s book “The Battle for Love and Wine or How I Saved the World From Parkerization”. Her segment on Joe made me sit up and pay attention. As someone who was just beginning to discover wines that were made as a pure expression of the grape, soil and climate of the region, I started to purchase some of his wines and was richly rewarded with how good wines can be when they are produced this way. I would encourage you to consider trying them. One warning however, if you do, they will begin to occupy space in your cellar ( a very good thing if you are serious about wine). Here are a few of my favorites from the Dressner portfolio.

Teobaldo Cappellano Barolo. Baldo, as he was known until his untimely death last year, was one of Piedmont’s iconic old world wine makers. His Barolos are beautifully crafted expressions of the Nebbiolo grape. His Dolcetto and Barabara are equally expressive of their grapes. His wines are reasonably priced and would be a great addition to any cellar. I had the good fortune to visit with Baldo at his estate in 2008. It is a highlight of my wine experiences.

Another Piedmont icon is Luca Roagna. Like Cappellano his Barolos and Barbarescos are gorgeous expressions of pure Nebbiolo. Also reasonably priced for wine of this quality, if you are a fan of Nebbiolo his wines are a must.

Stanislao Radikon from the Friuli Venezia region of Italy at the Slovanian border is another completely natural wine maker. His white or “orange wines” such as Ribolla Gialla & Oslavje (white blend) are stunningly pure and balanced on the palate and provide a remarkable drinking experience. At about $45 a bottle, they represent a fantastic bargain.

The most recent Louis Dressner wines that I tried (and purchased) were a rosé, Clos Roche Blanche Touraine Pineau D'Aunis Rosé, and a red wine, Clos Roche Blanche Touraine L'Arpent Rouge from Clos Roche Blanche from the Loire region of France. To say these wines impressed me would be an understatement. The rosé is one of the best I have ever tasted, pure and peppery on the palate with a wonderfully dry finish. The red exhibited a peppery Grenache-like palate that was also very pure and balanced on the palate. The grape in both of these wines is Pineau D’Aunis, also known as Chinon Noir, a red wine grape variety that is grown primarily in the Loire Valley around Anjou and Touraine. The price, hold on to your hat, $20 a bottle. Unbelievable for wine of this quality.

Other Dressner selections that I own and enjoy include Francois Pinon, Olga Raffault, Bernard Baudry, Domaine de Moor and Dard & Ribo. All are in the $20 to $40 price range. I encourage you to check them out and the rest of the portfolio at Louis/Dressner Selections. I promise you, you will be glad you did. Many of these wines can be purchased at Chambers Street Wines in NYC.

Joe, you will be missed, but I am sure your legacy and portfolio will continue on under the guidance of your family and partner.

My heartfelt condolences to his family and may his soul rest in peace.

Saluté