How much wine was opened at La Fête du Champagne?

by Max Goldberg Liu
November 7, 2024

With La Fête du Champagne in the rear view mirror, it is always fun to look back at our records from the Gala Dinner to see just how much wine was opened.

We had a full house of 385 guests, and everyone came to party.

Total amount of Champagne at the Gala Dinner
283 bottles
149 magnums
10 jeroboams
4 half bottles
…which is the equivalent of 623 bottles or more than 1.6 bottles per person. Hats off to our amazing team of sommeliers for keeping everything organized and the bubbles flowing!

Most common producers
Krug was very well represented with a total of 32 bottles, 4 half bottles, 7 magnums, and 2 jeroboams
Next was Dom Pérignon, with 16 bottles, 8 magnums, and 1 jeroboam
In third place, Louis Roederer with 13 bottles, 5 magnums, and 1 jeroboam

House/Grower balance
Incredibly, the breakdown between House and Grower was nearly EXACTLY 50/50 - 224 bottles from houses and 222 bottles from growers - a perfect reflection of La Fête’s philosophy!

Oldest wine
A bottle of Louis Roederer Vintage Brut 1928 - did any of you taste it?
Other rare older wines included a bottle of Salon 1955 (!!!), Billecart-Salmon Brut 1966, Dom Pérignon Oenothèque 1969, two magnums of DP 1970, and a jeroboam of Bollinger RD 1979.

Most common vintages
2008: 23 bottles - highlights included a great bottle from the now retired Marie-Noëlle Ledru, multiple bottles of Cristal 2008, and magnums of Billecart-Salmon Elisabeth Salmon
1996: 20 bottles - highlights included Jacques Selosse Millésime, magnums of Tarlant Cuvée Louis from the estate, and Krug Clos du Mesnil

Non-bubbles
Alongside magnums of Burgundy brought by our visiting winemaker friends Antoine Jobard, Thibaud Clerget, Anne Morey, and Marc Bachelet, guests also brought bottles of Sauternes, Sake, and Chartreuse as a change of pace from all the Champagne.

The rest of La Fête
It was an intense week leading up to the Gala Dinner, and at this largest-ever edition of La Fête, we opened a grand total of:
32 Jeroboams
294 Magnums
1,227 Bottles

If you were there with us, you know no one went thirsty. We are now eager for some red wine - on to La Tablée!

Sommelier Scholarship trip to the Northern Rhône - Part 1 - Clusel-Roch

by Max Goldberg Liu
Friday, January 19, 2024

It was a great pleasure to co-lead another trip to the Northern Rhône on behalf of Sommelier Scholarship Fund - the previous trip was in the midst of last July’s heat wave, and this time we got to experience the opposite weather extreme. The vineyard tours were quite chilly, but the cold made for perfect Syrah-drinking.

Our great group of passionate sommelier-scholars included Danny Agusto of Aska (Brooklyn), Laura Madera-Nadal of Pio Pio (San Juan, PR), Cara Patricia of DecantSF (San Francisco), and Matt Turner of Roscioli (NYC).

We began up north in Côte-Rôtie, spending a whole afternoon and evening with the ambitious and tireless Guillaume Clusel at his family estate Maison Clusel-Roch in Verenay. Clusel-Roch is well known for being one of the first three producers in Côte-Rôtie to begin farming organically as early as the 1980’s, no small feat in the ridiculously difficult terrain of the appellation, where much of the plowing has to be done row by row via gas-powered winch. Clusel is also a leading force in the preservation of Côte-Rôtie’s signature low-yielding selection of Syrah called “Serine,” even going so far as to managing their own nursery with cuttings from their 90 year old vines in Les Grandes Places.

Guillaume first had us pile into his van for an extended tour of the Côte Brune, visiting his vines in Champon, Le Plomb, Viallière, and Grandes Places, as well as having a peek at La Landonne. Despite the 20ºF chill and blistering winds, we still saw a few hardy vineyard workers pruning the steep slopes, a testament to the regional vignerons’ intense dedication to the terroir.

Escaping the cold, we then tasted at the domaine. Alongside the estate’s classic Côte-Rôties and Condrieu, Guillaume also enthusiastically works with other grapes and appellations - fun and fruity Gamay from the Coteaux du Lyonnais (“Traboules” and the soon to be retired “Galet”), zippy and mineral Aligoté from Mâcon (La Bergerie), and the slightly exotic yet fresh “Sur Le Mont”, a field blend of Viognier, Roussanne, Altesse, and Clairette planted on the top of Côte-Rôtie (outside of the appellation).

Also not to be missed is Clusel’s Côtes-du-Rhône “Vergers” - which will probably be the best $60 bottle of CDR that you’ll ever find, as it’s from a vineyard that is completely surrounded by Côte-Rôtie and is essentially the same terroir. It was not part of the Côte-Rôtie classification because the original owner was growing fruit trees on the land at the time, and didn’t want to pay the extra tax applied to vineyard land! So today, we are the beneficiaries of that economic decision.

Of course, we mustn’t forget about the reason we were there: the Côte-Rôties. Historically the appellation has focused much more on blending parcels than bottling individual lieux-dits, with the noted exception of Guigal’s “La-Las.” Clusel-Roch has mostly followed suit, with the bulk of the their Côte-Rôtie production in the form of the “Classique” cuvée (now called “Les Schistes”) but since 1990 has bottled their entire parcel of “Les Grandes Places" separately, and since 2009, a portion of “Viallière.” While the two parcels are next to each other on a map, they couldn’t be more different - Grandes Places being relatively flat with deeper soils, and Viallière on an extreme slope with very little topsoil above the iron-rich mica schist. I usually find the Viallière to be more delicate (for Côte-Rôtie), floral, and fine-grained, compared to the Grandes Places which can be dense, chewy, and monolithic in its youth before softening with age. These profiles were readily apparent in the 2022’s and 2023’s that we tasted from barrel with Guillaume and his business partner Gaëlle.

We also tasted each other lieu-dit that is vinified separately - Bonnivières, Champon, Leyat, Côte-Rôzier. Moving forward, Guillaume has made the commitment to bottle a portion of these lieux-dits separately in vintages that produce notable variations between them. Tasting them, I do still think that the Grandes Places and Viallière are a class above, but it will be interesting to follow the new project as it moves along.

With regards to the vintages, the 22’s will be bottled in April, and showed the density and structure of a modern warm vintage. The 23’s are of course very young still but showed a nice core of fruit and freshness on the palate, showing promise in a very difficult vintage marked by major mildew pressure in July.

Tasting all those wines certainly whet our appetites, and we then sat down to a fabulous dinner prepared by Guillaume (who was well-trained by his mother Brigitte, a famously incredible cook) - homemade foie gras terrine paired with Condrieu 2017, 2007, and 1991 (a great pairing for Condrieu), followed by pot au feu paired with a succession of Côte-Rôties - including the superb 2009 Viallière, its first vintage bottled separately - back to 1989 Classique (my and Guillaume’s birth year!), which showed a wonderful mix of black fruit, spice, and a hint of truffle.

A great first day in the Rhône!

Recap: Domaine Didier Fornerol Dinner @ Houseman

by Max Goldberg Liu
Friday, April 28, 2023

We enjoyed a lovely evening last night at Houseman, a fantastic neighborhood restaurant on the border of Hudson Square and Tribeca, which recently ranked #76 on Pete Wells’ list of top 100 restaurants in New York City. The featured vigneron was Didier Fornerol, a grower in the sleepy village of Corgoloin whose wines have attained cult status and surprising rarity despite their humble Côte de Nuits Village appellation.

Corgoloin is the southernmost village in the Côte de Nuits, located just north of Ladoix-Serrigny. Along with its northern neighbor Comblanchien, Corgoloin is famous for the quality of its pinkish marble limestone which has been used as a luxury construction material for centuries, most notably in the Palais Garnier opera house in Paris. Today, the quarries are still active, and one can often hear sounds of blasting and drilling from the vineyards, which perhaps does not make for the most idyllic experience in the vines, but which reminds one of the always-present limestone.

An apocryphal story from the locals explains why Corgoloin and Comblanchien are in the Côte de Nuits Village appellation rather than being AOC villages, despite the high quality of their terroir. When the AOC system was created in the 1930’s, a large percentage of the villages’ total production of wine was purchased by the quarries to hydrate their workers - as much as 3 liters per day per person! This easily accessible market was quite lucrative for Corgoloin and Comblanchien, so rather than apply for AOC status and be subject to the associated scrutiny and bureaucracy, the villages decided to keep the status quo. Of course, it should be noted that Doctor Jules Lavalle’s mid-19th century original classification of the Côte d’Or did not mark any vineyards in the two villages as Premier Cru or Tête de Cru, so who knows…

Didier Fornerol’s estate is around 6 hectares, all in Corgoloin. Most of the vines are Côte de Nuits Villages (a small part of which are planted in Chardonnay) with small bits of Bourgogne Rouge & Blanc, Hautes Côtes de Nuits, and Passetoutgrains. He worked for many years as cellar hand and in the vines at Domaine Jules Belin in Premeaux, which upon being sold to Jean-Pierre de Smet & AXA in 1986, became known by its current name Domaine de l’Arlot. When Jean-Pierre de Smet retired in 2007, he started informally consulting with Didier, who had since returned full time to his family estate (and who amazingly works entirely by himself except during harvest time!) Didier is a talented vigneron and a little sprinkling of Jean-Pierre’s whole cluster savoir-faire from his time at Dujac & l’Arlot has added an immense amount of elegance and finesse to the wines.

They are all made with 100% whole cluster, with only gentle pump-overs, and without much new oak (10% at most). The resulting wines are floral, pure, mineral, delicately-spiced, and intensely aromatic - old-school Burgundy at its finest, without any pretense.

Here are some notes from the dinner:

Apéritif
Bourgogne Blanc 2017 - absolutely delicious - fresh and lively

Pig’s head terrine, parsley salad, grilled bread, fermented pepper mayo
Côte de Nuits Villages Rouge 2018 - rich, primary, solar
Côte de Nuits Villages Rouge 2017 - more vertical, airy, delicate but present tannins
Côte de Nuits Villages Rouge 2016 - a bit closed but elegant cherry fruit
Côte de Nuits Villages Rouge 2014 - acid-driven, much less dense than the other wines

Risotto with ramps, peas and favas
Côte de Nuits Villages Rouge 2011 - not my favorite vintage - a bit stemmy
Côte de Nuits Villages Rouge 2010 - delicious cherry cola character
Côte de Nuits Villages Rouge 2007 - lots of spice, drinking beautifully
Côte de Nuits Villages Rouge 2006 - evolving nicely, showing secondary and some tertiary aromas, tannins well-integrates

Lightly smoked quail, swiss chard, tahini cream
La Rue des Foins is a special parcel selection that was first identified as producing superior fruit in 2008

Côte de Nuits Villages "Rue des Foins" 2017 - bright, lots of finesse. Interesting to compare to the regular cuvée, has more density and color
Côte de Nuits Villages "Rue des Foins" 2016 - crunchy fruit & mineral dust
Côte de Nuits Villages "Rue des Foins" 2015 - deep & complex, lots of concentration and hidden potential

Cheeses from Saxelby
Côte de Nuits Villages "Rue des Foins" 2010 - One of my favorite wines Didier has made. Delicious!
Côte de Nuits Villages "Rue des Foins" 2009 - rich, very impressive length. Also delicious!
Côte de Nuits Villages Blanc 2005 - very impressive freshness for an 18 year old white Burgundy from this appellation! A revelation

What's Pressoir Cooking? Crispy Porchetta

by Max Goldberg Liu
January 11, 2023

Tasked with cooking the main course for a New Year’s Eve dinner party, I wanted to try something different than the typical prime rib or steaks that we usually spring for on special occasions. I’d always wanted to try making a porchetta, the savory rolled Italian pork roast that feeds a crowd - and then some. My go-to recipe source, Serious Eats, came through yet again with a dead-easy version of the dish that omits the often-dry pork shoulder component in favor of the pure succulence and fatty goodness of pork belly.

My local Whole Foods had slabs of rind-on pork belly that were around 12 inches wide, so I ended up making multiple porchettas. I deeply scored the meat-side and rubbed in a flavorful mixture of garlic, red pepper flakes, fresh thyme, ground fennel, and plenty of salt and pepper. Once rolled and tied, I rubbed the skin of each porchetta with a mixture of salt and baking powder which, Serious Eats tells us, lowers the PH of the skin and helps it get as crispy as possible, which definitely worked! After 24 hours in the fridge, the porchettas were ready to roast for 3 hours in a 275º oven, followed by around 25 minutes at 500º to put the final crisp on the skin.

This was seriously one of the best things I’ve ever cooked at home, and the ultra-crispy skin, super flavorful belly meat, and delectable fat made for an awesomely rich New Year’s Eve. We first paired it with a 2015 Barbaresco from Cantina di Glicine, whose acidity and tannin made for a great foil to the pork. A 2019 Côte-Rôtie from Clusel-Roch also paired quite well with it. And while ultimately we ended up hosting fewer people than expected at the dinner, it turns out that leftover porchetta also makes for great sandwiches!

I highly recommend giving this recipe a shot if you like crispy, fatty pork - I can’t overstate how easy it was to do.

All Belly Crispy Porchetta (from Serious eats)

Ingredients:

• 1 whole boneless, rind-on pork belly, about 12 to 15 pounds (5.4 to 6.8kg)

• 2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns

• 3 tablespoons whole fennel seeds

• 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper

• 3 tablespoons finely chopped rosemary, sage, or thyme leaves

• 12 cloves garlic, grated on a microplane grate

• Kosher salt

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

Instructions:

1. Place pork belly skin-side down on a large cutting board. Using a sharp chef's knife, score flesh at an angle using strokes about 1-inch apart. Rotate knife 90 degrees and repeat to create a diamond pattern in the flesh.

2. Toast peppercorns and fennel seeds in a small skillet over medium-high heat until lightly browned and aromatic, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a mortar and pestle or spice grinder and grind until roughly crushed.

3. Season pork liberally with salt, then sprinkle with crushed pepper and fennel, red pepper, chopped herbs, and microplaned garlic. Use your hands to rub the mixture deeply into the cracks and crevices in the meat.

4. Roll belly into a tight log and push to top of cutting board, seam-side down. Cut 12 to 18 lengths of kitchen twine long enough to tie around the pork and lay them down in regular intervals along your cutting board, about 1-inch apart each. Lay rolled pork seam-side down on top of strings. Working from the outermost strings towards the center, tie up roast tightly. Combine 2 tablespoons kosher salt with 2 teaspoons baking powder. Rub mixture over entire surface of pork.

5. If roast is too large and unwieldy, carefully slice in half with a sharp chef's knife. Wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate at least overnight and up to 3 days. If desired, porchetta can also be frozen at this point for future use (see notes).

6. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). Place pork in a V-rack set in a large roasting pan, or if cooking both halves at the same time, on a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet. Place roasting pan in oven and roast until internal temperature of pork reaches 160°F (71°C), about 2 hours, basting with pan drippings every half hour. If you'd like to cook potatoes along with the porchetta, see note. Continue roasting until a knife or skewer inserted into the pork shows very little resistance asides from the outer layer of skin, about 2 hours longer.

7. Increase oven temperature to 500°F (260°C) and continue roasting until completely crisp and blistered, about 20 to 30 minutes longer. Alternatively, you can remove the roast from the oven and tent with foil for up to 2 hours before finishing it in a preheated 500°F oven.

8. Tent with foil and allow to rest for 15 minutes. Slice with a serrated knife into 1-inch thick disks and serve.

Team Lunch at Maison Troisgros

by Max Goldberg Liu
October 14, 2022

Daniel, Jaime, Raj, Edouard, and I found ourselves last Saturday at Maison Troisgros, the Troisgros family’s flagship location in the hamlet of Ouches, around 5 miles from the town of Roanne where the family settled in 1930. The Troisgros moved to Ouches in 2017 following the thorough renovation of an old estate into a remarkable property now called “Les bois sans feuilles” (the leafless woods).

We were there not only for lunch, but also to plan for next May’s “La Paulée des Champs” event with the Troisgros family (let us know if you are interested in attending and would like to be put on the waitlist).

I had been to Troisgros before but only had a coffee, so I was very excited to finally get the full experience, and it did not disappoint!

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The meal began with some snacks in the lounge:

Marinated eggplant on a sablé cracker
Three variations of marinated beets

Both dishes boasted a bracing amount of acidity which I always find to be an appetite-whetting way to start a meal and, unsurprisingly, the quality of the produce and intensity & purity of flavor was just exquisite.

We enjoyed these with a glass of Champagne Jacquesson Cuvée 744.

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We then sat in one of the salons with Michel and his wife Marie-Pierre to avoid the hubbub of the main dining room and to have an effective working lunch.

The first course was a very interesting dish of raw and almost-raw vegetables with squid and a sauce of fresh strawberry juice. Again, the quality and treatment of the vegetables really shone through, although for me, the squid was a bit lost and served mostly as an additional textural component.

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Next was a remarkable dish of pumpkin with caviar, brown butter, and hazelnuts. Like many of Troisgros’ dishes, a deceptively simple presentation belied a complex yet harmonious joining of ingredients.

The earthiness and sweetness of pumpkin married very well with the brine and creaminess of the caviar, an inspired pairing.

Also, as noted by Edouard, the pun with this dish was hard to miss - the butternut squash was dressed with butter and nuts. Perhaps wordplay provided inspiration?

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This was followed by a crispy porcini mushroom that was a perfect early fall treat. A few capers hidden below cut the intense richness and meatiness.

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The main course featured venison with endive, caper leaves, and cacao. Again, the acidity in the caper leaves (first time I’d ever had them) and in the exquisite sauce (not pictured) kept things light and balanced. It’s not hard to see the through line between Jean & Pierre Troisgros, two of the originators of Nouvelle Cuisine which forever lightened French food, Michel (Pierre’s son), and César, who now runs the kitchen in Ouches.

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We finished with two incredible desserts. The first featured the surprising pairing of mushroom and pear and it was one of my favorite desserts I’ve ever tasted, a beautiful distillation of the essence of autumn in the form of a sort of “forest floor” with fresh and cooked mushrooms, poached pear, pear gelée, and crisp cookie “leaves.” Just sweet enough, and an incredibly unique dish.

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The final dessert was simply called Feuille Blanche (white leaf) and married the last wild strawberries of the season with flavors of rice. A little crystalized ginger kept things in check. Just a stunning meal over all, and I can’t wait to get back!

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You might be asking what we drank! Raj generously brought a magnum of Volnay 1er Cru Clos de la Bousse d’Or 1983 from La Pousse d’Or. As you all know, RAJ IS THE MAN, and we all greatly enjoyed the genius of Gérard Potel throughout the entire meal. A great bottle for a great afternoon.

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Michel & Edouard, who matched his shirt to the gorgeous colors of the ivy

In front of the Troisgros’ Citroën truck “La Petite Cuisine” from the 1960’s that served as their food truck and mobile kitchen during the pandemic. Thanks Raj for taking the photo!

Michel & Daniel - friends forever!

What's Pressoir Drinking? Summer Team BBQ

Every summer, Daniel is kind enough to open his home to our team for a little break in the season. In addition to the consistently excellent meal he prepares with Sally, his wife, Daniel also generously opens his cellar. This year again, the wines were superb and as you would imagine, Burgundy oriented, with a couple significant performers from the Loire and Germany.

The festivities started with the most glorious thirst quencher one can dream of on a hot humid day in Brooklyn. Notoriously cherished by Raj, the opening act was from producer Willi Schaefer, in the Mosel. We drank a Graacher Domprobst - the vineyard is planted on a southern exposed slope of slate that the Romans started identifying early on as a precious site. This is still one of the best vineyards in the region. The problem with this low alcohol, mouthwatering Riesling is always how quickly they get drunk as they are so easy and irresistibly delicious. So we moved on to another favorite of ours, Chablis. With no time to waste, we went straight to arguably the best producer in the region, Vincent Dauvissat, of course. The bottle was a 1996 Vaillons in pristine condition. Obviously drier than the German, I found it interesting to compare the minerality between the two wines, especially that smoky, flinty characteristic they share. After a few minutes, I had this revelation that the nose reminded me of one of my favorite desserts, the lemon custard and meringue tart, known in my country as tarte au citron meringuée.

We sat at the table, set up with juicy lamb chops and various grain salads, and opened a magnum of Domaine de l’Arlot Nuits-St-Georges Clos de l’Arlot 2002. Jean-Pierre de Smet, a dear friend of Daniel and more recently each one of us in the team, made that gorgeous wine. After fine tuning his winemaking skills at Domaine Dujac, Jean-Pierre started as the winemaker at Domaine de l’Arlot in 1986 and quickly built the great reputation of this Burgundy estate. Clos de l’Arlot is a vineyard solely owned by the domaine and typically planted with the oldest vines of the property. The jaw-dropping 2002 vintage and the magnum size effect made for a memorable wine moment. We all have had this experience of opening a bottle and after tasting it think, well, it is a bit shy, or muted. This Nuits-St-Georges offered the opposite experience, a cornucopia of complex fruits, both ripe and juicy, with a pitch perfect underlying minerality and more subtle black tea. It was superb, dense and deep.

As you probably know, our team likes to go back to white Burgundy when the cheese hits the table. Victoire, the newest member of our crew, kindly brought a fresh and clean bottle of Meursault Bouches Chères 2011 that her family makes. I was quite impressed with how youthful the wine showed, despite its age. You will note the spelling of the famous Premier Cru Bouchères, poetically refashioned by the producer here.

We finally closed the show with a near meditative and spiritual bottle of Clos de la Coulée de Serrant from 1980. This cult wine is a real gem for a reason. Certified organic and biodynamic since 1981, it was first planted in 1130 by Cistercian monks and has remained a vineyard since! Unapologetically rich, heady with alcohol levels soaring up to 15% plus in some years, the magic of this unique wine is its authenticity as Daniel rightfully pointed out. If you ever wondered what sommeliers mean by modern or traditional style, this is a textbook example of what old school means. No polish, no make up to impress, just the pure and raw personality of Chenin Blanc grown on the schist and quartz slope, bathed in the sun. 1980, Raj’s “vintage” did particularly well for Coulée de Serrant. The wine kept changing on the nose, oscillating between smoky, wet stone minerality and explosive exotic fruits, peach, pineapple and even mango.

We closed out with Daniel’s famous sour cherry pie, a delicious way to end the evening on a sweet note.

This was quite a night to remember, a great opportunity to literally refuel while we are getting ready for a very busy fall program!

The bottle of Rousseau was sadly corked…

Scenes from the Sommelier Scholarship Trip to Champagne

Friday, February 18

You may have seen our announcement that our “Sommelier Scholarship” trips and activities we have been hosting for a number of years are now officially organized under a new 501(c)3 organization called the Sommelier Scholarship Fund.

Our first trip under the umbrella of the new organization is underway in Champagne! Raj has joined Peter Liem and Pascaline Lepeltier in guiding four well-deserving sommelier scholars through the region, visiting some of the top producers.

It is the first trip to Champagne for each of them, and it is such a rewarding experience for us to bring the terroir and winemakers to life for the scholars, who have great passion for the wines that grew through much tasting and studying at home in the US.

This trip’s scholars are:

Femi Oyediran - Graft Wine Bar, Charleston SC
Luis Garcia - Per Se, New York NY
Ryanna Kramer - Frasca Food & Wine, Boulder CO
Dwight Alexander Phyall - Roots Fund Scholar

They are visiting:

Champagne Moussé-Fils, Cuisles
Champagne Tarlant, Oeuilly
Champagne Agrapart, Avize
Champagne Pierre Péters, Le Mesnil sur Oger
Champagne Larmandier-Bernier, Vertus
Champagne Salon / Champagne Delamotte, Le Mesnil sur Oger
Champagne Henriot, Pierry
Champagne Billecart-Salmon, Mareuil-sur-Aÿ
Champagne Philipponnat, Mareuil-sur-Aÿ
Champagne Ruinart, Reims
Champagne Bérêche & Fils, Ludes
Champagne Georges Laval, Cumières
Champagne Chartogne-Taillet, Merfy

Interested in supporting the Sommelier Scholarship Fund? Email us.
The Sommelier Scholarship Fund is a tax-exempt organization under section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code. Your donation is tax deductible as allowed by law.

What's Pressoir Cooking? Choucroute Garnie

by Max Goldberg Liu
December 8, 2021

For those of you who don’t know, Edouard somewhat famously has a healthy obsession with Bœuf Bourguignon - the beef stew that is definitely in the top 5 of French comfort food. This involves frequently ordering the dish at restaurants, debating the pros and cons of different variations, and holding strong opinions on what constitutes a proper bœuf bourguignon and what does not.

I, in turn, have my own obsession with Choucroute Garnie, a dish that I believe is somewhat less associated with French cuisine here in the US but which, despite its regional origins, can now be found in nearly every corner of France.

Directly translating to “dressed sauerkraut,” Choucroute Garnie is essentially a plate of hot sauerkraut that has been warmed with aromatics and spices, topped with a variety of meats, and served with a side of potatoes.

Choucroute might seem out of place in French gastronomy, but it is said that the dish came from Eastern/Central Europe. Major areas of the Germanic regions of Alsace and Lorraine became part of France following the 1648 Treaty of Westphalia, that ended a long period of violence and devastation in Europe caused by the Thirty Years War and Eighty Years War.

While this would certainly not be the last time that Alsace and Lorraine would change hands until the modern day, the regional cuisines would remain firmly entrenched in French culture, particularly in the grand Brasseries, two of which make a particularly good choucroute: Brasserie Lipp in Paris’ 6th Arrondissement, where the dish is crowned with a mammoth glistening pork shank, and Brasserie Georges in Lyon opposite the Gare Perrache, whose massive portion (le plateau de choucroute) with sausages, pork belly, and pork loin can easily feed two (or just one hungry traveler…).

There are not many restaurants, unfortunately, here in New York that serve choucroute, so upon a recent craving, I took it upon myself to try to recreate it at home, which was somewhat easier than expected.

It’s really as simple as braising some high quality sauerkraut with onions, white wine, a little stock, garlic, juniper berries, caraway seeds, cloves, and bay leaf, and topping that with your preferred meats and some boiled potatoes. You can braise the meats with the kraut if you’d like but I thought this quick version was nearly as good. I kept things judicious with only some Schaller & Weber frankfurters and a roasted pork loin but you can go as big or as small as you’d like. Please just avoid Choucroute de la Mer if possible - I am a choucroute purist and believe that fish has no place in a proper choucroute!

The classic wine pairing is an Alsatian white like Riesling, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, or even Gewurtztraminer but it pairs wonderfully with any relatively dry white that isn’t too rich.

Choucroute Garnie Rapide

1 lb boneless pork loin
Kosher salt

3 tablespoons vegetable oil (or lard/duck fat)
1 medium yellow onion
1 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 tied bouquet garnie of 2 crushed garlic cloves, 5-10 dried juniper berries, 1 clove, 1/4 teaspoon caraway seed, 1 bay leaf
2 lbs good quality sauerkraut, drained
1 package natural casing frankfurters (Schaller & Weber makes a great one)
3-5 small Yukon gold potatoes, peeled, halved or quartered, and simmered in salted water until tender

1. Up to 48 hrs before cooking, generously season the pork loin on all sides and keep refrigerated on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet

2. Preheat oven to 250º-300ºF (depending on how well your oven can hold low temperatures). Cook the pork loin in the oven until an instant read thermometer reads 120ºF, around 1 hr. Set aside

3. In a large dutch oven, heat the oil or fat until shimmering. Add onions and cook until soft but not brown.

4. Meanwhile, in a colander, lightly rinse the sauerkraut to your desired level of tang, if necessary.

5. Add wine, bouquet garni of aromatics, and stock to the onions, stir, and cook over medium-high heat for 2 minutes.

6. Add sauerkraut, stir to combine, and lower heat to a bare simmer. Cover and cook for 30 minutes or until much of the liquid has been absorbed and the sauerkraut is deeply aromatic.

7. Preheat a cast iron pan over high heat with neutral oil. Quickly sear all sides of the reserved pork loin and sear, turning until well browned on all sides.

8. Fill a large saucepan with water and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add the frankfurters and simmer until heated through. Remove and keep warm.

9. Season the sauerkraut with salt to your desired level. Place a heaping amount on a warm plate, add 1-2 sausages, 2-3 slices of pork, and a few pieces of potato. Serve with strong Dijon mustard and white wine like Chablis or a dry Alsatian Riesling or Pinot Gris.

The Team Attends La Paulée de Meursault!

DANIEL

On November 22nd I went back to La Paulée de Meursault for the first time since last year’s cancellation. It was a reminder of how wonderful this tradition is.

Not only did I return but I was fortunate to be able to bring several members of the New York Paulée team with me. Unfortunately, I could not get enough tickets for everyone.

The day started with an early train to Beaune from Paris. I kind of felt like we were a pack of campers heading off to camp. Good spirits, lots of anticipation and no concerns were the feelings of the day for me.

The first stop was a late morning aperitif at Domaine des Comtes Lafon. This was an extra special moment as were were siting with Dominique, his mother and his daughter Lea, nephew Pierre and their spouses who represent the next leadership at Lafon There we were with 3 generations sitting in a polite circle in this stately manner where the origins of La Paulee de Meursault started with Dominique’s great grandfather, Comte Jules Lafon.

After a couple of glasses of Meursault Genevrières 2011 we packed our jeroboams., magnums and bottles into the back of someone’s car and headed to the Château de Meursault for the traditional 6 hour “lunch” accompanied by hundreds of different wines brought to the party by almost every grower in the village.

There are rules in Meursault that we don’t have in New York. For example, the sharing starts with younger vintages of Meursault - with an occasional Puligny or Chassagne - but that is slightly frowned upon. The second course progresses to more mature vintages and higher appellations.

Certainly no red wine can be circulated until after the third course. I once found myself scolded by Philippe Ballot, the president of La Paulée de Meursault, for accompanying my guest that year, Eric Rousseau with a magnum of Chambertin 1976 during the second course. The dressing I received was this, “Mon cher Daniel, nous produisons du Meursault rouge aussi mais il ne faut absolument pas le servir avant le troisième plat” My dear Daniel, we also make Meursault red but you must wait for the 3rd course to pour some to your convives. I had to explain this to Eric, who was slightly amused.

Well, we did eventually get to the red wine but not before tasting stellar bottles from Francois Jobard, Comtes Lafon, Roulot, Drouhin and many many more.

The evening continued at an after party at Antoine Jobard’s home that could double as a discotheque, and then dinner at l’Expression and finally nightcaps at La Maison du Colombier.

One might say we were a little extravagant and did not know when to stop, but the “campers” finally surrendered to sleep for an early morning train back to Paris.

I’m sure the tradition in Meursault will continue for many more years and I hope to make the Paulee team trek to it an integral part of our little organization’s traditions as well.

MAX

It was an incredible honor to be invited to this year’s Paulée de Meursault, the 88th edition.

Our delegation consisted of Daniel, Jaime, Edouard, myself, and our guest, the winemaker Benjamin Leroux - a fine group!

We began with an apéritif (as if one really needs one before La Paulée…) at Domaine des Comtes Lafon with Dominique Lafon, his wife Christina and the next generation of Lafon winemakers - Léa and Pierre along with their spouses - as well as Madame Lafon, Dominique’s mother, which made for a rare and special moment. Hosting the pre-game is apparently something of a Lafon tradition.

On to the main event - La Paulée de Meursault was smaller this year in keeping with French regulations on crowd size, but was still a cozy-feeling 400 person affair.

We were seated at a prime table close to the stage, and following a welcome speech from the president of La Paulée de Meursault, Philippe Ballot, the Meursaults flowed.

One mustn’t forget that La Paulée de Meursault has always awarded a literary prize each year to a French writer, and this year’s laureate was Frédéric Beigbeder, a critic, editor, and apparently somewhat of France’s leading literary “bad boy.”

M. Beigbeder lived up to the hype, with a superbly witty and amusing speech shortly into the event, and then performing a stage dive during the grand finale around 6pm.

I have helped organize nine or so Paulées in New York and San Francisco, but it was incredibly gratifying to be a guest at the original event, and to see winemakers and guests walking around sharing bottles with everyone.

Of the countless wines I tasted, five were especially memorable: 

Domaine Roulot, Meursault 1er Cru Perrières 1996
Domaine Roulot, Meursault 1er Cru Charmes 1983
Domaine Jobard, Meursault 1989 (my birth year!)
Domaine des Comtes Lafon, Volnay 1er Cru Santenots du Milieu 1989 en magnum
Domaine Fornerol, Côte de Nuits Village 2015 en jeroboam (this was the vintage where I worked at the domaine and helped vinify the wine - happy to report that it is absolutely delicious!)

Fitting that the best wines at La Paulée de Meursault were all from Meursault!

An (incomplete) list of everything I tasted:

Benjamin Leroux, Meursault 1er Cru Genevrières 2015 en magnum
Champagne Veuve-Cliquot Grande Dame 1989 en magnum
Domaine Fornerol, Côte de Nuits Villages 2015 en jeroboam
Domaine Matrot, Meursault 1er Cru Charmes 2015 en magnum
Domaine Bachelet-Monnot, Saint-Aubin 2017 en magnum
Domaine Faiveley, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 1998
Domaine des Comtes Lafon, Meursault “Clos de la Barre” 2015 en magnum
Domaine Roulot, Meursault 1er Cru Charmes 2010 en magnum
Domaine Henri Boillot, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Clos de la Mouchère monopole 2009 en magnum
Domaine Génot-Boulanger, Meursault 1er Cru Bouchères 2014 en magnum
Domaine Ballot-Millot, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeot 2010 en magnum
Domaine Ballot-Millot, Meursault 1er Cru Genevrières 2015 en magnum
Domaine des Comtes Lafon, Meursault 1er Cru Genevrières 2014
Bouchard Père & Fils, Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru 2009 en jeroboam
Maison Joseph Drouhin, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Folatières 2016 en magnum
Domaine Roulot, Meursault 1er Cru Bouchères 2014 en magnum
Domaine François & Antoine Jobard, Meursault 1er Cru Genevrières 2008 en magnum
Domaine François Jobard, Meursault 1989
Domaine des Comtes Lafon, Meursault 1er Cru Perrières 2011
Champagne Vilmart & Cie, “Grand Cellier” en magnum
Domaine Simon Bize, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 2016 en magnum
Domaine Marquis d’Angerville, Meursault 1er Cru Santenots 2016 mag
Domaine des Comtes Lafon, Meursault 1er Cru Charmes 2010
Domaine Roulot, Meursault 1er Cru Perrieres 1996
Domaine Roulot, Meursault 1er Cru Charmes 1983
Domaine Faiveley, Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Clos de la Maréchale 2001 en jeroboam
Domaine Marquis d’Angerville, Volnay 1er Cru Champans 1990 en magnum
Domaine Faiveley, Corton Grand Cru “Clos des Cortons Faiveley” 1972
Domaine Mugneret-Gibourg, Ruchottes-Chambertin Grand Cru 2009
Domaine des Comtes Lafon, Volnay 1er Cru Santenots du Milieu 1989 en magnum
Domaine Faiveley, Beaune “Hospices de Beaune” 1935

EDOUARD

It is cold and gray in Meursault. A timid but insidious mist of rain freezes our bones on this chilly Monday morning, but we know that a group of joyful bon-vivants is gathering and the comfort of their warm embrace awaits in the XIth century Château de Meursault. We enter the castle at around 12.30 pm, hungry, and thirsty as the singers, “Les Cadets de Bourgogne” finish setting up the stage. The dozen men and woman (yes, singular) choir sings the beauty of Burgundy, its wines and its people in a variety of beautiful harmonies, from joyful and humorous to solemn and emotional. They perform all their hits without a glitch, often inviting the audience to join in the famous “Ban Bourguignon”, a traditional tune that everyone learns to imitate quickly, hands in the air. Attendees take their seats at long tables named for the occasion after Meursault Climats such as “Perrières”, “Charmes” or the witty “Casse-Tete” possibly translatable to “head breaker”. As I sit down, I notice the multiple sets of silverware, announcing the delicious five-course menu about to be served. The foie gras lands and immediately ravishes our palate, primed with several tastes of Meursault people have already started to pour around the room even before any food was served. It is quickly followed by impeccably prepared scallops. Meursault and more white Burgundies are still being poured abundantly. The menu invites us to linger in the seafood world with roasted pike perch and a spicy aioli “a la Bourguignonne”. At this point, I’m thinking “I want red wine now!” Dominique Lafon gives me the green light. Volnay, Nuits-Georges, Gevrey-Chambertin and other scrumptious Pinot Noir start flowing from every corner, matching the color of our wine glasses with our rosy cheeks. Frederic Beigbeder, the satirical, dandy novelist who is being honored for this 88th edition of La Paulée, has just given a hilarious speech, mentioning the glory of Burgundy wines and how it shines on people’s faces- in his story, he’s referring to a toddler who was given wine by her caring mother. Back to the food, a juicy slab of Charolais beef greets our table in a moment of apotheosis. I look at my notebook, I have kept track of the wines I’ve tasted so far, 48. It is slightly less than three years ago where I pinned 65 references. That year, Dominique father Rene Lafon indicated to me that a good average number of wines to taste at La Paulée was about 65. Mission accomplished.

Among my highlights this year, a magnum of Meursault Francois Jobard 1989 (poured by Francois himself), an impressively young Batard Montrachet Pierre Morey 1977, a grandiose Meursault Poruzots Jobard 1982 and a Lafon Meursault Charmes 2010 steal the show. But the party is not over, far from it. Cheese and dessert encourage more Burgundy and even a delicious bottle of Sauternes, a well-received surprise in this ocean of Burgundy.

How many wines, how many Ban Bourguignons or how many people are not enough to define La Paulée. What is unique about this traditional event, is the humility and generosity of its participants, despite the presence of illustrious winemakers pouring some of the finest wines on the planet.   

JAIME

On Monday, Nov 22, I joined Daniel, Max and Edouard on a pilgrimage of sorts to attend La Paulée de Meursault to celebrate the 88th edition of this incredible event.

It was a marathon - starting with a train ride from Paris to Beaune, arriving in Beaune and being scooped up by our friend Charly who will gladly chauffeur you around Beaune when you know you should not be driving, taking us to an apero at Domaine des Comtes Lafon, the main event at the Chateau de Meursault which started at 12pm and ended at sunset. But somehow we managed to keep going with a stop at an after party at Antoine and Charlotte Jobard’s house, to dinner at L’Expression in Beaune and then of course the mandatory stop to end the night at Maison du Colombier. Somewhere along the way I stopped taking notes and lost track of all the amazing wines that I enjoyed, but the faces of our Burgundian friends and their wonderful wines that they shared were unforgettable.

The experience was highlighted by incredible wines (of course), the atmosphere was off the hook, and the unique spirit of sharing that is unmatched at any other wine event. But what struck me was the importance of family, sharing the experience amongst the domaines with their families and teams. We started the day at Domaines de Comtes Lafon where Dominique and his mother, Madame Lafon, invited us into their living room where we were joined by two of Madame Lafon’s grandchildren that now run the domaine - Lea Lafon and Pierre Lafon and their spouses. This was a magical moment that we shared with their family and to top it off they shared a glass of 2013 Meursault Charmes and then 2013 Meursault Perrieres.

At La Paulee de Meursault we were surrounded by other domaines that were there with their families to enjoy the festivities - Anne Morey was with her father Pierre Morey and her mother, Eve and Erwan Faiveley sat at our table together with their winemaker Jerome and a guest, the Jobard family, also at our table, shared with us some of the best wines of the day (and night) poured by both Francois and Antoine Jobard. Other winemakers shared the coveted seats with their teams, spouses and children. These memories will always stay with me and I am sure that the Burgundian winemakers feel the same.

Merci Daniel for sharing this with us.

Pressoir explores Burgundy from NYC

by Max Goldberg Liu
Friday, October 22, 2021

While Daniel, Raj, and Jaime were actually in Burgundy this week, Pressoir explored the region from afar, with an in-person session and a wine dinner.

Wednesday, we discussed the meaning of vintage in Burgundy with a session titled ‘What a difference a year makes’, featuring pairs of wines made by the same producer from the same terroir, just one year apart.

Domaine Ballot-Millot, Meursault 1er Cru Genevrières 2018 + 2017 showcased the subtleties between two warm vintages - the 2018 a bit more massive and rich, the 2017 lighter (though still warm) and showing more acid.

Domaine Hudelot-Baillet, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Charmes 2015 + 2014 offered a comparison between a warmer year and a cooler one, both delicious right now but clearly on different tracks as they age - the 2015 remaining open and generous, the 2014 starting to shut down for a period.

Domaine Henri Gouges, Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Vaucrains 2008 + 2007 were from two much cooler vintages that were not as heralded as others. They proved that a lot of pleasure can be found in the medium-term from these “off” vintages.

The following night, we met at restaurant Houseman for a Pressoir dinner exploring the Côte de Nuits, a month after our successful dinner around the Côte de Beaune.

It can be a bit tricky to find white wines from this northern part of the Côte d’Or but we started with a pair of wines from Domaine Henri Gouges, both made from the extremely rare Pinot Gouges grape, which is a white mutation of Pinot Noir unique to this domaine.

Domaine Henri Gouges, Nuits-Saint-Georges Blanc 2014
Domaine Henri Gouges, Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Clos de la Perrière Blanc 2017

Next up was a horizontal of top red wines from Domaine Hudelot-Baillet in Chambolle-Musigny, which took us on a tour of the village, from the sappy, fruit-driven Charmes, to the more mineral Cras, ending up in the massive, structured Grand Cru of Bonnes-Mares. We don’t often think of pairing reds with fish, but the rich shellfish and tomato broth and fattiness of the lobster and clams in Chef Ned Baldwin’s fish soup was a surprisingly great pairing with the wines.

Domaine Hudelot-Baillet, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Charmes 2017
Domaine Hudelot-Baillet, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Cras 2017
Domaine Hudelot-Baillet, Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru 2017

paired with Soupe de Poisson - robust shellfish/tomato broth with lobster, sea bass, and clams

We followed with a pair of wines from Vosne-Romanée, whose signature silky texture and floral aromatics paired beautifully with delicate ravioli.

Benjamin Leroux, Vosne-Romanée 2018
Domaine Georges Noëllat, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Beaux Monts 2013

paired with mascarpone and ricotta stuffed ravioli with roasted cauliflower, fried capers, and brown butter

This led to a showstopping flight of four Grands Crus from Gevrey-Chambertin - all four were amazingly expressive and vibrant despite their youth, with the whole cluster of Duband and Bize providing a lot of lift and airiness.

Domaine Hubert Lignier, Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru 2018
David Duband, Charmes-Chambertin 2017
Domaine Simon Bize, Latricières-Chambertin 2017
Domaine Jean-Louis Trapet, Latricières-Chambertin 2017

paired with Cook’s Venture braised chicken with creamy yucca, roasted mixed mushrooms, and hazelnuts

We finished with a trio of 2010’s from Gouges, with the Saint-Georges really showing why it was once considered to be a Grand Cru, delivering an amazing amount of complexity and depth.

Domaine Henri Gouges, Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Pruliers 2010
Domaine Henri Gouges, Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Vaucrains 2010
Domaine Henri Gouges, Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Saint Georges 2010

paired with a selection of cheeses from Anne Saxelby

A great evening with friends both old and new - we look forward to the next one!

Recap: a delightful dinner at Houseman featuring wines from the Côte de Beaune

by Max Goldberg Liu
September 23, 2021

It was a warm summer evening last Tuesday when we gathered at Houseman on Greenwich St. close to our office for a dinner around the wines of the Côte de Beaune. With one of the larger groups we’ve hosted in a while, it was an ultra-convivial atmosphere at the table.

After starting with a magnum of Delamotte Blanc de Blancs, we dug into the wines:

Flight 1:

Domaine Etienne Sauzet, Puligny-Montrachet 2017
Domaine de la Pousse d’Or, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Le Cailleret 2018
Domaine Génot-Boulanger, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatières 2015

Paired with: Grilled bluefin, roasted peppers, herbs

The Génot Folatières was the star of the show, although the Sauzet held its own despite its more humble appellation. Chef Ned Baldwin is also a fisherman, and his skill with a rod and in the kitchen were both on display with this dish featuring beautiful bluefin tuna that he caught himself.

Flight 2:

Olivier Leflaive, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Abbaye de Morgeot 2017
Domaine Lamy-Pillot, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeot 2016
Domaine Bernard Moreau, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeot 2011

Paired with: Medallions of muraski potato, vegan miso butter, thinly sliced scallion, fried and chopped cashews, cilantro, gochugaru oil

The wines of flight 2 were a bit richer, as expected with Chassagne-Montrachet, and were an unexpectedly great pairing with this creative (and vegan!) dish showcasing Muraski potato, a Japanese variety of sweet potato with a distinct nutty flavor. We all loved it.

Flight 3:

Domaine de Montille, Volnay 1er Cru Les Taillepieds 2017
Bouchard Père & Fils, Volnay 1er Cru Les Caillerets “Ancienne Cuvée Carnot” 2012
Domaine Génot-Boulanger, Pommard 1er Cru Clos Blanc 2017
Domaine de Montille, Pommard 1er Cru Les Pezerolles 2012

Paired with: Lightly smoked duck breast, roasted plum, cippolini onion, granola, plum gastrique

Onto the reds: all four showed very well - both Volnays showcased the village’s trademark elegance and silkiness, while the light color and high-toned aromatics of the Génot Pommard Clos Blanc highlighted the fact that Pommard isn’t always a burly brute of a wine.

Flight 4:

Olivier Leflaive, Meursault 1er Cru Le Poruzot 2017
Maison Louis Jadot, Meursault 1er Cru Charmes 2017
Domaine Ballot-Millot, Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières 2017

Paired with a selection of cheeses from Anne Saxelby

As we often like to do, we finished with some whites, in this case a trio of Meursault 1er Crus from 2017. All three were knockouts (the Perrières most of all, showing why it can be considered a Premier Cru Plus…), and were a great way to end the meal with some perfectly aged cheeses from affineuse de fromage Anne Saxelby.

We greatly enjoyed this tour of the Côte de Beaune - stay tuned for the corresponding tour of the Côte de Nuits, to be announced soon!

What's Pressoir Cooking? Oven Roasted Cod with Cherry Tomatoes

by Max Goldberg Liu
Wednesday July 21, 2021

For me, summer cooking is all about simplicity and freshness. This one dish recipe couldn’t be any easier to prepare, and transformed ultra fresh cod and beautiful cherry tomatoes from the Grand Army Plaza farmer’s market into a super satisfying weekend lunch. Pre-roasting the tomatoes with oil, vinegar, and honey creates a delicious light sauce. Served over potato purée with some sautéed spinach, it was a great pairing with a bottle of 2018 Chablis from one of my favorite producers not named Dauvissat or Raveneau - Moreau-Naudet.

Recipe from Lidey Heuck, NYT

• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

• ½ cup thinly sliced shallots (about 1 large)

• 2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 2 large cloves)

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for brushing

• 1 tablespoon sherry or red wine vinegar

• 1 teaspoon honey

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

• ½ teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste

• 4 (6-ounce) skin-on mild white fish fillets, such as cod or halibut

• 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest (from about 1/2 lemon)

• Chopped fresh basil, for serving

• Chopped fresh mint, for serving

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the tomatoes, shallots and garlic in a 9-by-13-inch nonreactive baking dish. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, honey, salt and pepper. Pour over the tomatoes and toss to combine. Roast until the tomatoes have collapsed and the shallots are translucent, about 15 minutes.

2. While the tomatoes roast, pat the fish dry with paper towels, brush all over with olive oil, and season generously with salt and pepper.

3. Toss the tomatoes, move them to the sides of the dish and place the fish fillets, evenly spaced, in the center. Roast until the fish is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork, 10 to 12 minutes.

4. Sprinkle the entire dish with the lemon zest, basil and mint. Serve the fish with the tomatoes, spooning any remaining juices on top.

What's Pressoir Drinking? Stéphane Bernaudeau, Vin de France "Les Onglés"

by Max Goldberg Liu
Wednesday May 19, 2021

Our 4-part THIRST for the Loire Valley series prompted some, well, thirst for Chenin Blanc, and this bottle from Anjou wizard Stéphane Bernaudeau was a perfect way to slake it.

From a 2 hectare parcel on schist, Les Onglés may be Stéphane’s “entry” wine but it shows a remarkable amount of personality and complexity, just like the man, who farms his vines biodynamically, by horse, and usually untrained (ie. no wires).

Aromas of lemon oil and spices lead to an almost shocking amount of salinity and precision on the palate, surrounding a core of stone fruit. The minerality is really quite astounding, as is the length. What’s more, the wine is only 11% alcohol and is a perfect example of how some growers and terroirs can achieve one of the hardest feats in wine - creating power and intensity without weight, a phenomenon that was ascribed to the vineyard of Les Amoureuses by Fred Mugnier at La Paulée this year.

Now, it is not quite fair to compare the wines in any capacity, but for me, there is an echo of that same sensation and emotion.

This wine was a perfect pairing with cheese, especially with an Epoisses brought by Justine to lunch.

Stéphane trained with the now legendary Mark Angeli of La Ferme de Sansonnière and is firmly established as a pillar now of the natural/biodynamic school of winemaking in the Anjou region. The wines are extremely limited in production as he only owns 3 hectares of vines, but are available from many of the top NYC retailers like Chambers Street, Flatiron, and Crush. Stéphane also makes an even more limited and rare Chenin from a vineyard called Les Nourissons which has an average vine age of over 110 years - if you find a bottle, definitely snatch it up!

BYO Recap - Popina, 4/26/21

Edouard’s comments

We were really happy to see some of you at Popina to share great Burgundies from Gevrey-Chambertin. The wines really showed well (only one was corked!) but a few of them really caught my attention. For example, I was really impressed with the Duroché Lavaut Saint Jacques 2017. A very seductive wine as I remember Max saying, or simply “delicious” to quote Daniel. I couldn’t agree more with them. It’s a reminder to me that 2017 is showing great now, even at the 1er cru level. The balance is impressive, with velvety tannins and just enough acidity to keep the wine agile and graceful. The fruit quality is evident and jumps out of the glass, suggesting juicy, sweet cherries.

Another bottle I forgot was so good was that Jadot 1997 Clos St Jacques! The vintage is a bit difficult to understand I find, with great heterogeneity among red Burgundies. Some may be a bit faded today but Jadot produced fantastic Pinot Noir that year that are singing these days.

I also was very pleased with both Bruno Clair 2010 and their resolute personalities. Structured for sure, they also offered a very interesting comparison of the 2 sites (Clos St Jacques and Cazetiers). The two vineyards may be neighbors but the Cazetiers, located a bit further from the Combe de Lavaux,was a touch more voluptuous while the Clos St Jacques still had that firmer structure on the palate.

Not mentioning the wines of Domaine Rousseau here is obviously impossible. So yes, of course the famous producer didn’t disappoint and we were lucky to taste three very different vintages. Starting with the concentrated 2012 which I thought could really benefit from another 5 years of bottle aging, at least. The 2011, so often marked by green flavors when made by other producers is more plump chez Rousseau and if that green asparagus profile still exists in the wine, I find that the palate offers more ripe fruit but more importantly an incredible volume with a rich texture. Finally, I was fortunate to revisit the legendary 1985 Clos St Jacques, a wine that I like to compare to the most exquisite symphony, with depth and incredible class. The very first impression was a touch “dirty” but the fruit quickly developed, blooming into a cocktail of violet, cassis, truffle and blackberries. Hard to understand why this wine is so great but as they say: “C’est la faute à Rousseau!”

Champagne Delamotte, Blanc de Blancs NV en magnum
Champagne Egly-Ouriet, Brut Grand Cru Millésime 1999 en magnum
Champagne Ulysse Collin, Les Pierrières
Domaine Leflaive, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatières 1999
Domaine Bruno Clair, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Cazetiers 2010
Domaine Bruno Clair, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos Saint Jacques 2010
Domaine des Varoilles, Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru 2010
Benjamin Leroux, Mazoyères-Chambertin Grand Cru 2012
Maison Louis Jadot, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos Saint Jacques 2017
Maison Louis Jadot, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos Saint Jacques 2010
Maison Louis Jadot, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Lavaux Saint Jacques 1997
Maison Louis Jadot, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos Saint Jacques 1995
Domaine Faiveley, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Cazetiers 2009
Domaine Duroché, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Lavaut-Saint-Jacques 2017
Domaine Duroché, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Lavaut-Saint-Jacques 2018
Michel Magnien, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Cazetiers 2000
Domaine Joseph Roty, Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru 2007
Domaine Sylvie Esmonin, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos Saint Jacques 1999
Domaine Dujac, Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru 2007
Domaine Dujac, Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru 1995
Jean Raphet, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Lavaux-Saint-Jacques 1988
Domaine René Leclerc, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Lavaux-Saint-Jacques 1983
Claude Dugat, Gevrey-Chambertin 2005
Maison Joseph Drouhin, Chambertin Grand Cru 1999
Domaine Fourrier, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Combe aux Moines 2013
Domaine Armand Rousseau, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos Saint Jacques 2012
Domaine Armand Rousseau, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos Saint Jacques 2011
Domaine Armand Rousseau, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos Saint Jacques 1985

What's Pressoir Drinking? Pierre Morey, Montrachet Grand Cru 1985

by Max Goldberg Liu
Wednesday April 28, 2021

I was treated to this remarkable wine last Friday at Grand Cru Selections’ company lunch.

Clearly, Pierre Morey did not make many magnums of Montrachet in 1985 - as you can see in the photo, he put a 75cl label on the magnum and wrote “2x” in pen, which indicates it was not worth a print run for magnum labels! Of course, this is informed by the history and context of this wine…

This was in fact made from Domaine des Comtes Lafon’s parcel of Montrachet, which was on a long-term lease to Pierre Morey up to the late 1980’s. Dominique Lafon had returned to the family estate and began to recover his family vineyards, which had been mostly leased out under his father René Lafon.

Montrachet is rarely a wine you see made in large quantities; this is especially true with the Lafon parcel which is just 0.32 hectares and typically produces low yields of 20-35 hectoliters per hectare.

Is it fair to say that Pierre Morey is one of the most underappreciated winemakers of the Côte de Beaune in the last 40 years? He had a remarkable history as the Regisseur (director) of Domaine Leflaive for many years, working closely with Anne-Claude Leflaive on the first conversions to biodynamics, in addition to making wine under his own label, both with the Lafon parcels, and his own. The wines are superb and long-lived.

This was a stunning Montrachet with a beautiful healthy bright gold color. It was fully mature, with aromas of golden pear, quince paste, crushed rocks, and a hint of white truffle. On the palate it presented the breadth and density that one expects from Montrachet, along with remarkably elegant acidity and structure. With length and persistence that was off-the-charts, I was still tasting it 5 minutes after the last sip! Just a remarkable wine and a reminder of the heights that Burgundy can sometimes achieve!

NEWS FROM THE VINEYARD - a devastating frost hammers much of France

by Max Goldberg Liu
Wednesday April 14, 2021

It has been a rough couple of weeks for vignerons throughout France - not just in regions where frost is not uncommon like Champagne and Burgundy, but also in the Loire, Bordeaux, the Northern Rhône, and even parts of the Southern Rhône.

In Burgundy, the problem was exacerbated by the warm and sunny weather the previous week, which meant more advanced - and vulnerable - buds on the vines. Also, some growers even saw the more dangerous “gelée noir” or “Black Frost” that is different from the more common hoarfrost. Black frost is not technically frost at all, but rather a situation when it is so cold that the plant tissue itself freezes and dies (hence the black necrotic vegetation…). Indeed, it was so cold in many parts of Burgundy and elsewhere that the candles that growers had painstakingly stocked (there was a major shortage across the country) were sometimes completely ineffective in raising the temperatures in certain vineyards above freezing.

As the Côte de Beaune is usually a week or so more advanced than the Côte de Nuits, the damage seems to be greater there, but perhaps not by much.

It is still early to confirm the extent of the damage, and there is always hope that the vines will rebound with a secondary bud-break, although that will also mean a much more complicated growing season - frost-damaged vines often have a tough time with flowering and secondary buds are often more susceptible to funguses and other diseases.

Other winegrowing regions were not spared - Guillaume Clusel in Côte-Rôtie estimates 60% of his Côte-Rôtie vines’ buds are damaged, and 40% in the Coteaux du Lyonnais. In Sancerre, Franck Bailly of Domaine Bailly-Reverdy says that all the villages saw some frost and that he estimates that he lost at least 50% of his crop.

This is clearly the worst frost in recent memory - certainly worse than 2016, with many growers having to ask their parents to comb the distant past for a comparison. Apparently some older winemakers in Burgundy remember 1956 as one such year…

The situation in the Côte de Beaune and Chalonnaise is very grave. And I don’t know if it’s much better in the Côte de Nuits. In sum, it’s much worse than 2016.

- Jean Soubeyrand, Maison Olivier Leflaive

We have indeed been severely affected, particularly with the whites. We spent multiple nights in a row fighting with candles but they were only very slightly effective…

- Jacques Devauges, Domaine des Lambrays

Still, the vigneron spirit will triumph, and so many growers have responded with a positive attitude. They have gone through tough times before and emerged stronger.

This will be tough to get through, but rest assured that we will never give up and that we will do everything we can to make a GREAT but small 2021 vintage.

- Benjamin Leroux

Complicated years happen, but we will continue our work.

- Nathalie Tollot, Domaine Tollot-Beaut

These three freezing nights were indeed a violent ordeal. We fought, but the conditions were too extreme. Even if it is too early to make a realistic assessment, the losses can be quantified from 50 to 100% depending on the sector.

But the vine will endure… and life is beautiful!

- Aubert de Villaine, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti

What's Pressoir Cooking? Spring Lamb Chops, Potato Gratin & Asparagus

by Daniel Johnnes
Wednesday April 7, 2021

A spring meal for 2-3 people

Ingredients
New Zealand baby rack of lamb with 6-10 chops
2-3 sprigs Rosemary
Olive oil
Parsley, chopped
Chive, chopped
1 1/2 -2 lbs Yukon gold potatoes, thinly sliced
1 c. whole milk
1/2 c. half + half
1/2 c. crème fraiche
Optional - nutmeg, onion, gruyere cheese, depending on how you like your gratin
Asparagus for 3
Balsamic vinegar

• Marinate lamb in olive oil with rosemary for a day or two.

• Preheat oven 375 degrees.

• Layer thinly sliced potatoes, with or without skin, in a circular fashion in a casserole. Every two layers add salt & pepper. If you like, add grated gruyere, onions or a touch of ground nutmeg. Pour milk, 1/2 & 1/2 and creme fraiche over, bake at 375 F for an hour or until nicely brown.

• Chop ends off asparagus and peel an inch or so from bottoms. Blanch in boiling water 5-8 minutes or till tender. If green asparagus, plunge into ice cold water to retain color. Drain and dress with olive oil and a touch of balsamic.

In a sauté pan, on medium-high heat, brown chops 3-4 minutes then put in 375 F oven 15 minutes. Take out, let rest another 15 minutes and slice chops apart.

Sprinkle chives and parsley over all.

Wine to match - so many choices! A Clos Rougeard? A Bordeaux? We had a Beaujolais Villages 2018 Bijou from Jules Metras and it fit the bill.

Un bijou pour le printemps. Santé !

A Vine Buds in Burgundy

by Max Goldberg Liu
March 30, 2021

As the warming weather here in New York heralds the end of the winter months, so too do the Burgundians see their vines waking from their winter slumber. The first sign of life in the vineyards is the movement of the sap, which Mongeard-Mugneret so poetically calls “the first tears of the vine.”

While not exactly the same, obviously, we can think of the sap as analogous to the vine’s “blood”, with the two types of the plant’s transport tissue, xylem and phloem, being like veins, arteries, and other vascular systems. (One type of xylem, incidentally, is what we know as “wood”) In the winter months, the vine stores nutrients and starch in its roots. When it senses the soil warming, the vine will begin to push sap up from the roots, expelling any air bubbles from the system from areas where it has been pruned and ensuring healthy nutrition for the coming vegetation and buds.

The buds emerging is another milestone in the vine’s life cycle, but is often a cause for stress as the young fragile buds are particularly susceptible to frost. Paradoxically, it is not the cold itself that damages them, but rather the heat of the sun which is magnified by ice crystals and burns the vegetation. The scenes in recent years of acres upon acres of vines lit by tens of thousands of candles by night to keep the temperature above freezing, followed by the smoky haze of tons of straw being burned at dawn to obscure the sun’s rays should the vineyards frost anyway, are a grim reminder of the perils the vine faces every year. Hats off to their caretakers for their diligent and tireless work and fingers crossed that vintage 2021 is an uneventful one!

What's Pressoir Cooking? Poon Choi for Lunar New Year

by Max Goldberg Liu
Wednesday, February 17, 2021

This is a memory from a Lunar New Year I spent a few years ago in Hong Kong with my father’s side of the family but I find it appropriate to reflect on today!

Lunar New Year is a time to return home and spend time with family. Among the many banquets and feasts we enjoyed during our two weeks in Hong Kong was a meal at home where the centerpiece was a magnificent Poon Choi.

Literally translating to “basin-vegetable,” the apocryphal story of Poon Choi is that the Emperor of China in the late Song Dynasty fled south from Mongol troops to what is now the Guangdong region.

To feed the Emperor (and in some stories his entire army), the locals gathered the most expensive ingredients they could muster and cooked them all together. This means that, despite the name, Poon Choi ironically has a very low vegetable to meat/seafood ratio, though this is not uncommon in Cantonese cuisine!

The size of the dish means that Poon Choi is usually served during special occasions where there can be a lot of people on hand to finish the copious amount of food.

Like so many of the world’s tastiest dishes, Poon Choi is not particularly attractive, and it would seem that all the ingredients put together would not be greater than the sum of their parts but somehow it works beautifully.

Manners dictate that the Poon Choi is eaten in layers, with the more delicate ingredients at the top, like prawns, abalone, poached chicken, and king mushrooms, with braised pork belly, char siu, roast duck, fish balls, rehydrated mushrooms in the middle. The prized bottom layer is the beneficiary of all the sauce and juices that slowly make their way down, with cubes of Chinese radish that absorb all the flavors being the most fought-over delicacy.

The panoply of ingredients makes this somewhat tricky for wine but for me the best pairing of the night was a Saumur Rouge whose peppery flavors and bright acidity made for a reasonably good foil.

Poon Choi is a potent symbol of the communal power of dining together at the table, and we all hope that next Lunar New Year we will be able to share one together!

Happy Year of the Ox and Gong Hei Fat Choi!

Scenes from Burgundy - Daniel, Edouard, & Raj

An old bottle of Clos Saint Jacques from before the 1936 AOC laws

Edouard got the “fève” in the galette des rois and was crowned king for the evening

Brice de la Morandière of Domaine Leflaive

A beautiful old vine in the snow

Tasting at Mugneret-Gibourg

Daniel with Aubert de Villaine and Guillaume d’Angerville at Domaine de la Romanée-Conti - filming for a La Paulée seminar focusing on monopole vineyards

Sylvie Esmonin

Jean-Marie Fourrier

Pierre Morey & his daughter Anne Morey