Chez Panise and '76 Domaine de Varoilles Charmes-Chambertin

WARNING! THIS POST IS LONG. THOSE WHO ARE NOT FOOD AND WINE GEEKS MAY GET LOST, BORED, CONFUSED, OR ALL OF THE ABOVE. FOODIES WHO ARE NOT WINOS MAY ALSO GET LOST, BORED, CONFUSED OR A COMINATION OF THE THREE. FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO WANT TO AVOID SUCH RISKS, OR WANT TO MINIMIZE YOUR WASTED TIME READING BLOGS, THE FOLLOWING IS AN ULTRA-CONDENSED VERSION OF TODAY'S POST:

1976 Domaine des Varoilles Charmes-Chambertin is an amazing mature burgundy. Chez Panise is still one of the finest restaurants around. Go there!

HERE IS THE ACTUAL POST

Last night I was lucky enough to share an amazing celebratory birthday evening with the lovely Brynna McGee and a few others at Chez Panise. It was something of a first on two accounts: the first time I have been to a restaurant as influential and important as Chez Panise and the first time I have had a perfectly mature, unbelievable red Burgundy. The food, company and wine were all top-notch, and though at the time I was just enjoying the conversation and a great meal, I did not realize the impact and lasting impression the evening will probably have on me.

From the outside, Chez Panise is very much a product of its 1970's Berkeley beginnings. The dark wood building looks like a ski lodge in the Alps. Frank Lloyd Wright architecture also come to mind. Once you enter the restaurant, the more informal cafe is upstairs, and to the right lies the small dining area. I have never been in a restaurant with as relaxed, easy-going and comforting a feel as Chez Panise. Dark wood and a golden amber glow emanating from the distinctive lighting fixtures (there are several different shaped variations, each one framed by a 3 foot square). A beautiful, sprawling floral arrangement and several assorted loaves of bread laid out on a small buffet table greet you as you walk into the dining room area. I wish I could better describe the serenity and beauty of this room, but my limited architectural and design vocabulary are, um...limiting. On to the meal.

We started with a wedge of porcini and roasted onion tart served with rocket salad, paired with a bottle of Francois Chidaine 'Almendra' Montlouis Sur-Loire Brut 1996. The dish was a terrific blend of rich, savory, meaty porcinis and the caramelized flavors of the onion, all on a perfectly crisp pastry (which as Bryna, a baker, pointed out, remained crisp up until the very tip of the slice). The fresh green flavors of the rocket, lightly dressed in olive oil and lemon, was a great foil to the rich savor of the tart. Unfortunately, the Almendra was not the perfect match for this dish. The sparkler, which has been on its lees for 10 years and recently disgorged, proved to be good and dry, a bit too dry to pair well with the tart, which turned out to be sweeter than I had thought it would be. Almendra was still very intriguing and distinctive, in a category all its own. Not my favorite sparkler, but I certainly respect it. Loads of quince and a subtle tropicality on the nose lead to, as I mentioned, a surprisingly dry palate, with some notes of orange zest and a ton of Chenin tuffeau minerality. It tastes like Chenin Blanc, and it tastes like Montlouis Chenin from Chidaine, with bubbles. The perfect pairing for this dish, I think, would have been Chidaine's Montlouis 'Clos Habert' or the Vouvray 'Le Bouchet.' Probably the latter. I really craved a demi-sec to moelleux with this dish.

Next up was tiny, sweet bay scallops in a vegetable broth enhanced by what tasted like fines herbes. A very subtle dish, with the perfectly prepared scallops playing nicely with the very light, herb flavored broth. This dish went slightly better with the Chidaine sparkler, which we were still drinking. The wine seemed to enhance the herbal character of the broth, intensify it slightly. Natalie substituted ricotta gnocchi for the scallops, and they were light, airy and delicious - a bit of an odd combo as they were served in the same broth, but tasty nonetheless. It also proved to be the most compatible dish with our Loire sparkler.

Here is where the meal really got interesting. Our bottle of 1976 Domaine des Varoilles Charmes-Chambertin was opened and poured. What a wine! Its color was a beatiful, well, burgundy. The nose at first was a bit animal, with jamon serrano notes struggling for primacy with tangy mixed berries. Some cocoa powder, roasted coffee, and baking spices emerged as well. Like any great wine, this grand cru burg showed a lot of different flavors on the palate, at times very opposite from each other and unusual to be found together in the same wine. Probably the most vivid thing I remember tasting were notes of cocoa liqueur and dark chocolate. Though the fruit was primarily dark, at one point the wine seemed more high-toned and red fruited. Now that I think about, what was equally memorable about this wine was how mineral it was at times. There is clearly still a fairly long future ahead in this wine - I would say 5 years easy - and it would not surprise me if it were showing well a decade from now.

The Domaine des Varoilles went terrifically with our main course: a grilled rack and loin of Cattail Creek Ranch lamb with braised fennel and potato-tomato gratin. As an aside, my other old burgundy experience of the year, a '71 Jean Grivot village Vosne Romanee, was also served with lamb; mature Cotes de Nuit seems to be tailor-made for lamb. But this lamb was on a whole other level from the simple lamb chops I had grilled. The loin was sliced ultra thin, so it was all the more succulent and delicious, while the chop was a bit gamier and contrasted beautifully with the more refined loin. As for the wine, the Charmes-Chambertin was an entirely different, more complex and profound animal than the village Vosne Romanee from Grivot. No surprises there. What a perfect match - Chez Panise lamb and Charmes Chambertin. I may be eating even more quinoa than usual this month to subsidize, but I would say it's worth it.

After dinner we were served perfectly ripe mission figs, fuyu persimmons and dates grown in Thermal,(sp?) just southeast of LA. Everything was delicious but the standout were the figs - rich, chewy, sweet and truly nature's own caramel. For dessert it was a warm, spiced comice pear served alongside burnt honey ice cream. The pear was perfect: soft and juicy, while retaining its smooth texture and a bit of firmness. The ice cream was also delicious - creamy, dense and just a touch of bitterness from the burnt honey - and went very well with the pear.

I love Chez Panise. Maybe one day I'll move to Berkeley and become a regular. Maybe I could barter wine for a meal. If you have not yet been to the venerable CP, I think you better check it out. I don't gush like this often when it comes to restaurants - you can ask around, I'm a tough critic when it comes to fine dining.

Go to Chez Panise.

The 100 Pull-up workout

I did this after work today, and it's a good way to change up the routine. Probably want to have some experience lifting though, as otherwise it might be difficult. No need to be a protein drink guzzling 150lb dumbell lifting type, just a few years of weightlifting will do. Here is the workout:

Go to the gym. Approach the pull-up bar. Do 100 pull-ups.

Simple enough, right? What I did was do 12, break for 30-40 sec., then 8, then 7, then another 7. Break for a few minutes, then repeat. By the end you'll only be able to do 1 or 2 at a time, and even those will seem impossibly difficult.

Like many others, I go to the gym for health reasons but mainly to raise my energy level at the end of the day before heading home. I don't like to spend more than 45 minutes there, one hour is my absolute limit. This workout took me 45 minutes. I plan on being very sore for a few days. Thanks to W.B. Schwartz for schooling me on the 100 pull-up workout.

No wine stuff today, but I'm looking forward to a dinner at Chez Panise tonight with an OLD burgundy as well as a Prum Wehlener Sonenuhr Auslese vertical Wednesday night. So there will be lots to talk about in the next few days.

FANIA ALL STARS

Nothing like a little Fania to get the day going. The pre-show prep is so fun to watch, and then it leads to one of the more amazing moments in 70's music performances: Fania All-Stars in Africa. Form fitting body suits, big hair, amazing interlocking salsa ritmos, some of the most amazing musicians ever performing together on stage...this video has it all! Big shout out to Chet who introduced me to this incredible DVD. We miss you, Celia!

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.