CHAMPAGNE!!! (feat '96 Krug and '96 Salon)!!!

[Full disclosure: The company for whom I work, K&L Wine Merchants, hosted a large champagne tasting yesterday under a tent outside their Hollywood store. While I will be reviewing some champagnes (I did not get to all of them), I have decided to hold off on reviewing K&L's direct imports (DI's), with the exception of two spectacular standouts. While I love the DI champagnes, which are mainly very small growers of terrific quality wines, I thought it best to avoid the conflict of interest inherent in reviewing a large amount of stuff that my store sells exclusively on the west coast. Sorry for the long, sober disclosure, just trying to sneak in a touch of professionalism on these pages. Now back to the usual irreverent content.]

Oh boy, oh boy, so much champagne and so little time. After becoming acquainted with our sister store in Hollywood, admiring the layout, saying hi to the few LA staff I know, greeting the bigwigs and their children (all roughly in that order), Marla (aka Marley Marl) and I got down to the seriously fun business at hand: attempting to taste nearly 50 champagnes.

As usual, I am not going to list a whole bunch of tasting notes here. Too tedious. Let's just condense into a few categories.

SURPRISINGLY GOOD

Laurent Perrier 'Grand Siecle Cuvee Alexandra' Brut Rose 1997 - I am not a big LP fan. Further, I will say flat out that I found very little to no pleasure in some of the other offerings from this large house. This rose, though, offered up a delicate copper color, with salmon tints, and a surprisingly true to Pinot Noir flavor. It was simultaneously silky and refined, red fruited and savory. The bead was as lazy and laid-back as a Grateful Dead cover band. Very enjoyable rose, for a price....

Deutz Classic Brut was bright, appley, clean, and the most enjoyable bottle I have had of this competent but unremarkable, red-headed stepchild to Louis Roederer.

1998 Gosset 'Celebris'- Very rich and tropical, with mango notes on the nose. Creamy and soft on the palate, with a fine bead, good intensity of flavors and length on the palate.

2000 Roederer 'Cristal' Brut - OK, I know this is not close to as good as it once was and I'm sacrificing geek cred here (not to mention potentially irking Mr. S. Carter) by reviewing Cristal, but oh well. My tasting note indicated a shy nose, not revealing too much, with an anonymous palate, though not as anonymous as expected. Judging by such brilliantly revealing notes, this must have been towards the end of the event. Nonethelesss, I do remember the wine having good acidity and tasting better than expected. Obviously way over-priced for the quality, but there are many, many wines that are equally (or more) overpriced that I would have a tough time drinking if they were offered to me (pick a cult Napa Cab, certain Bdx, 100 pts shiraz, etc.) I will happily drink Cristal if someone offers it to me.

KILLER DI'S

Tarlant 'Cuvee Louis' - I have had this wine on several occasions in the past few months, and each time it duly impresses. 50-50 chard and PN from Oueilly, aged 13 months in oak and then 7 years on the lees. This is is a blend of '96 and '97, which is probably why I like it so much! A rich, powerful nose of citrus and hazlenuts leads to an equally rich, layered palate, with a hint of red currants sneaking through, excellent acidity, and a perfect balance of brawn and beauty. Mmm, mmm, mmm...for $45 this is one of the best wine values I have ever had. It blows away lots of more expensive champagne, and hangs in with all but the best of tete de cuvees.

1996 Fleury Brut Vintage - From Champagne's first biodynamic producer, the 6% acidity in this wine is something fierce! As it opens up though, the wine begins to tone itself down and show so much complexity. Interestingly, this RD release is 80% PN and 20% Chard, though it's the chard that seems to dominate currently. Meyer lemon and bread dough on the nose lead to a wine of great balance. It's another citrus and hazlenut number, with SERIOUS LENGTH. Five years from now this will be one hell of a drink. In 10+ years it will be phenomenal. My hunch is that this wine is not too far behind '96 Krug and Salon in terms of complexity and ageability. For drinking now, I'd actually prefer this to the Salon as I think that the latter, as brilliant as it is, is tight, tight tight. I need to buy some '96 Fleury and take a cue from Ron Popeil - set it and forget it.

'96 KRUG AND '96 SALON

1996 is the best vintage ever in Champagne. I have had quite a bit of experience with the 1928's over the years, and I can confidently say that 1996 is without a doubt the superior vintage. OK, I joke, I joke.

1996 Krug Vintage Brut - While at first the nose is reticent, it opens up to reveal an ever changing array of aromas. Vinography's aroma wheel couldn't even cover all of these aromas engulfing my olfactories. My first observation upon taking a sip of this amazing nectar was the soft, caressing texture. Rich lemon curd flavors were upfront, leading to bread dough and a touch of Carr's wheat biscuit on the finish, which was predictably long. I was very impressed by how well integrated this Champagne already is in its youth. Surely it's one to age for 1-2 decades plus. But so delicious right now. A special treat, and absolutely worth the cost. As an aside (albeit an important aside), this is the last Krug Champagne prior to LVMH control of the house.

1996 Salon Blanc de Blancs - What a different animal from the powerhouse Krug! 100% Chardonnay from the grand cru village of Mesnil. Impeccably pure, with boundless energy and intense minerality, '96 Salon is the most elegant and exciting expression of Chardonnay I have ever, and possibly will ever taste. One of my colleagues in blog land said he would happily drink this now. I would too, if it weren't on my dime...if it were, I'd be sure to put it away for a decade. It's a real tough one to pick a wine of the vintage between this and the Krug. But if I were forced to answer that question under duress, I'd probably have to go with the Salon just for its dazzling purity and electrifying character.

Thanks to all the staff at K&L in Hollywood for working so hard to make this event a sucess. Special thanks to Kerri and Gary for the red carpet reception! A hearty thanks as well to the hard-working staff for allowing me to slack off and drink champagne, and not giving me a hard time for doing so.

Sushi at Sasabune

Last night I ate what at times was some of the tastiest, freshest sushi I have ever had in the States. Nevertheless, it was a bit uneven. My friend Barry and I went to one of LA's best sushi spots, run by the former number 2 for what many consider LA's best sushi - Nozawa. Though the fish was incredibly fresh, I must say that other elements of the restaurant detracted seriously from the experience: the first floor cafeteria in an office high rise space, the awkward, rushed service, and most notably the appallingly bad beverage program. I'm not asking for a wine geek list a la Blue Ribbon inSoHo, but at least some variety of quality wines and sakes to complement the quality of the fish would be a start. This list seriously was on the level of a B grade neighborhood sushi joint in Washington, DC, if that gives you any idea of how bad it was. I ordered a Hitachino Nest white ale - which was delicious - but still I'd have ordered bottle of wine or champagne if there were anything good to order.

Given Barry's enthusiasm for the freshness of the fish, we decided to only eat sushi. We started with some yellowtail and compache, the former was incredibly fresh and meaty, the latter thinner, a bit more toothsome and an acquired taste. Afterwards we had the famous red snapper, which was butter soft, tender, and tossed lightly with scallio, chiles, and ponzu, nestled against lightly vinegared, warm rice. Every bit as good as Barry said it would be. Though in my mind two other pieces of sushi gave the red snapper a run for its money. Bonito, aka skipjack, was so fresh and butter-soft, I wondered how long ago it had been caught. Black cod, however, was a bit disappointing. Usually it is another standout, but last night it had been seared with what tasted like a bit of hoisin sauce. Not only was it served piping hot, scalding the roof of my mouth, but much of the subtlety and delicacy of this fish was lost in its preparation. Toro was just ok, and the chilled toro (consisting of cold, minced toro with some scallion) was also so-so. The tamago (egg sushi) was the best I've ever had - slightly sweet as usual, but with an unusual, mushroom like woodsiness and complexity that I have never found in this type of sushi. Another stunner was the sweet shrimp, which was as tender, sweet, and pleasantly sticky as other examples I have had, but also much larger. We finished off with some halibut which, while not a highlight, was very good. The tab was very reasonable considering the quality and freshness of our sushi.

To recap: If you're in LA, you should check out Sasabune, but if you want to drink wine I would bring your own. Definitely order the red snapper, bonito, sweet shrimp and tamago; it is probably worth the risk to order the black cod as well, though it might be worth asking how it is prepared on that evening. Overall, the fish here is second only to what I had at Bar Masa a few years ago. Warning: They close early! Last seating might be by 9pm or so (?) Make a reservation before dining here.



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EPMD - Crossover

It was only a matter of time before I put some EPMD on Old World Old School. Before Eric Sermon was making hits for everyone and jumping out windows, he was one half of EMPD, one of the greatest hip-hop duos of all time.

From the US to the white cliffs of dover/ strictly underground funk keep the crossover.

Bernal Heights to Santa Monica

This morning I woke up feeling good - the air was fresh, gray and heavy with moisture, a classic San Francisco morning. Of course I was also on day 2 of my extended four day weekend, packing for a short trip down to LA. As a newcomer to San Francisco and a relatively impartial observer, I can definitely see advantages to both sides of the age old southern California (read: LA) vs northern California (San Francisco) debate. Perhaps to be further explored in another post. For now I would just like to share a few things which made me happy today:

LA ALTENA SERVES FRESH JUICE

I went to my new favorite burrito joint for a breakfast burrito, and discovered that they make fresh squeezed jugo de naranja and jugo de zanahoria. That's house-made carrot juice and OJ! As a fan of the 50-50 orange and anything else, I went for the same here - a perfect blend of sweet orange juice and pulp with the thinner, pulp-free but slightly foaming carrot juice. So yeah, La Alteña makes their own juice. Si no sabias, ya lo sabes....

A TERRIFIC TWO SONG BLOCK ON KISS 98.1FM

In fact, one of the strongest 2 songs played back-to-back I've heard on the radio in a while - which reminds me - look out for a new feature highlighting Bay Area radio in the coming weeks on this site. First tune, the classic 'I'm still waiting,' with its simple, understated, but beautiful leading piano melody and heartfelt harmonies. And then, Hall and Oates followed with a slightly more superficial, but positively funky (well, in a Hall and Oates kinda way) variation on the relationship song - "I can't go for that.' No can do....

WINDMILLS ON I-580

I love windmills. They provide clean energy and are aesthetically pleasing, especially when placed in long rows with other windmills. Riding the bus in Spain, particularly from Sevilla to Madrid, you will see many, many windmills, which must be the reason I enjoy seeing them in the States.

UNIBROUE FIN DE MONDE TRIPLE FERMENTED BEER

It was very hard for me to believe that this is 9% abv. It is full-bodied and rich, but without much of the bitterness, either due to excessive malt or hops, that plagues so many beers these days. Mmm... - real canadian beer.

Bike Repair and Co-op Champagne

I have just begun cleaning up and restoring an early 60's Bianchi Gran Sport (similar to the one above) with some help from the good folks at the Bike Kitchen. I know next to nothing about bikes, but look forward to learning a bit via the restoration process. This one is a classic! Emerald green frame, all original Campagnolo components, original Bianchi leather seat (looks like a Brooks), and other assorted things that bike geeks who have seen this have pointed out: chrome on headset, Bianchi badge on front, dual wing nut tire releases. So if the bike doesn't ride well and I need to sell it, I at least have some components that collectors will more than willingly take off my hands.

Step one is rust removal - there is some serious accumulated rust on the wheels, pedals and other spots. This bici (velo for the franco-frenchies) has not seen any road in over 40 years! As scrubbing off rust with a brillo pad is tough work, my friend Josh, who helps to run the Bike Kitchen and also buys wine for Bi-Rite market, offered me a blind taste of something with bubbles in a tiny dixie cup. I guessed big house champagne with a good bit of PN in it. It was fine - definitely champagne and of ok quality but not at all exciting. And I was right - 1997 Palmes d'or from Feuillate. Apparently, vintage co-op champagne tastes like non-vintage NM bubbly from an ok house. Regardless, it felt good to take an occasional break from the brillo pad and sip some champanskoyo.

Step 2 is an overhaul of the bike, which I am told could mean a lot of things depending on what we find. What I am excited about is that, after replacing the tires, I should be able to ride the bike as is. And then slowly tackling the overhaul.

Yep - moving to SF is gradually turning me into a bike geek.

Old school Funk - TOP 10 songs in the rotation at work

Muzak is better than no music, but it seems that we have a need for some more varied programming on the ever popular old school funk channel at work. Here is a sampling of some of the songs I hear every week, sometimes a few times in the same day:

"Bustin' Loose" - the classic Chuck Brown funk song (pre go-go Chuck)
"Strawberry Letter 23" - the Brothers Johnson version, which was, if I recall correctly, used a few years back in a Special K cereal commerical. Too bad we don't have the Shuggie Otis original, which is far superior.
"Lips like Candy" - Man this song is annoying. I hope I don't hear it for a while.
"You Dropped a Bomb on Me"- Frankie Beverly and Maze at their early electro best.
"Superstition" - A little Stevie will never get old, even if it's as heavily in the rotation as this track.
"The Big Payback" - James Brown, godfather of soul. This jam has obviously been sampled quite a bit as well.
"Love Roller Coaster" - Ohio Players. Just slightly less often played would be "Skin Tight"
"The Revolution will not be Televised" - Gil Scott Heron. I often want to go through the shop preaching that the revolution will not be Parkerized, will not be Parkerized, will not be parkerized.
"Hollywood Swingin'" - Kool & The Gang. James Brown's favorite funk band. This used to be very heavily in the mix, not quite as much recently, but holding steady with 1 play every week
"Genius of Love" - Tom Tom Club dancefloor filler, 100% pure, unadulterated fun, natural fun!

And once again, Les Cretes

As much as I liked their Torrette, I was looking forward to trying their Chardonnay. My expectation was that it would not lack for acidity, be very mineral and maybe even be built for some mid-term (5-7 years) cellaring. Sadly, it does not appear to be so.

The 2006 Les Cretes Chardonnay, from Val d'Aoste, is perfectly sound, decently made, fruity, boring Chardonnay. I give it credit for not being a Planeta international oak bomb chard, but the flavors in this wine are nonetheless rounded, pear and apple flavors - very similar to many Chards I've had from the Languedoc. I tried a second bottle which had been opened earlier, and it did come across as being a bit more mineral, with perhaps a little more acidity and nerve. Still, not quite what I expected.

Oh well. There is always Chablis and Chardonnay from the Jura....