A good friend of mine, a senior member of the cocktail cognoscenti, has been on a bit of a Stinger kick recently. And since we've been kicking it together recently, I have lately indulged in more than a few minty ends to boozy evenings. The Stinger is a drink with a long history, dating back to the 19th century. It's cataloged in Tom Bullock's Ideal Bartender (circa 1917), one of our favorite historical references. You've also seen it recently on Mad Men.
A stinger is a mixture of Cognac and White Creme de Menthe, classically in equal proportions, shaken and poured as a frappe over crushed ice in a coup. It's certainly a festive way to end the evening, but I must admit that I am left wanting, especially if the Stinger is drunk earlier in the night. I need a little more structure. All that cool mint calls to me for a counterpoint.
Fernet Branca makes an exciting and bracing counterpoint. The bitter herbs of Fernet are classically combined with mint, including in Branca's own product Branca Menta. These are wonderful digestivi. The firm, herbaceous, bitter-herb qualities of Branca provide a whole new structure to the Stinger. We call it the Sting Operation.
Friday evening, Sting Operations will be offered for $9. We will pass light hors d'oeuvres from 6:30 and the most tasteful cocktail enthusiasts of The Garden State will be in attendance, as is their custom. We hope to see you there.
Estimated retail price: $200 per bottle We will pour an ounce for $10
Tonight, we're going to depart just a bit from the "spirits" theme of the spirits project. Instead we are going to pour a wine that has been fortified with brandy. The island of Madeira is a Portuguese possession off the coast of Africa. It's fortified wines are legendary. Because the process of making Madeira involves both oxidation and heating, the wines are the most stable and age-worthy in the world.
D’Oliveira is one of the greatest of the classic Madeira shippers, and one of the few to survive from the pre-phylloxera era. Founded in 1820, and today housed in cellars that date from 1619, this small jewel of a company is still owned by the same family, who were once highly important growers in the parish of São Martinho.
Its stocks of old wines have grown over time, either through marriage with other wine-producing families, or by the purchase of other old firms. But the foundation for its unparalleled library of ancient vintages was laid by wines made by the family itself, from its legendary vineyards in São Martinho. Here is a rare Terrantez from 1977 in perfect condition.
Tonight, I will open one bottle of this glorious elixir at precisely 6:30. When it's gone, it's gone. Come and drink a bit of history for $10!
Next Week in The Spirits Project: Glen Grant 32 Year 1975
Spring keeps trying to pop out of the ground. We're enjoying spring ramps in the dining room on several dishes and we're pickling some for later in the year. We pickle the white part near the base and make a pesto from the green part above. The pesto will be on the menu tomorrow evening in Catherine Lombardi.
Morels are still a week or so away. When they arrive in appropriate quantity and quality, we'll announce our Morel Tasting Menu in Stage Left and liberally toss them with various pasta, spring peas and mint in Catherine Lombardi. Stay tuned!
You may remember that the Paul Hobbs Wine Dinner in January of this year was a huge success. In 2008, Robert Parker named the eight most influential winemakers in the world; Paul was among them. Ray Isle recently asked Parker how he felt about that assessment today. Robert Parker:
"It’s interesting that all the people I listed as the most influential wine consultants in 2008 have actually increased their influence...as well as the number of their clients, and that’s good news for the wine consumer. Anything associated with their names is of undeniably high, high quality."
Yea, we agree. In fact, we first said that in 1993.
Though we are Paul's favorite, even we had some difficulty securing sufficient wine for this year's dinner. He is in great demand, and his wines for this and next vintage at least, are in short supply. So we've decided to open our cellar to offer to our email list the opportunity to purchase some Hobbs wine for home.
All wines are limited and subject to availability. To order call 732-828-4444 ext 200: We're handling the Hobbs stuff personally.
All wines by Paul Hobbs: 10% Discount on a Case
Chardonnay 'Ritchie Vineyard' 2010; Paul Hobbs; Russian River Valley, Sonoma, California, USA
$80.00
Pinot Noir 2011; Paul Hobbs, Russian River
$55.00
Chardonnay “Marchiori Vineyard” 2011; Bramare; Mendoza, Argentina
$43.50
Cabernet Sauvignon “Marchiori“ 2010; Bramare; Mendoza, Argentina
$75.00
Malbec “Rebon” 2010; Bramare; Mendoza, Argentina
$75.00
“Volturno” 2009; Cobos; Mendoza, Argentina (3 bottles limit)
$220.00
Malbec 2009; Cobos; Mendoza, Argentina
$185.00
Malbec 'Cobos-Marchiori Vineyard' 2008 Mendoza Valley, Argentina
$200.00
Malbec "Marchiori Vineyard" 2009, Bramare, Mendoza, Argentina
$94.00
Malbec 'Valle de Uco' 2010; Bramare; Mendoza Valley, Argentina
$45.00
Chardonnay 2010; Paul Hobbs; Russian River (extremely limited)
People often ask how many wines we offer on our list and how we choose them. The answer to the first question is 769 (at the moment). The answer to the second question is: We fall in love with them. If we don't fall in love with them, they don't get on the list. That's how it started and that's how it is today.
I'm a lucky fellow. You see, for Mark and me, this is still a journey about doing what we love. And what we love is finding the most extraordinary food and wine and spirits in the world and bringing them to you. When we opened our doors back in 1992, people were drinking very narrowly: just a few grape varieties from just a few very established regions and everybody wanted to know the darned Parker score.
Our original 75-bottle wine list contained grower Champagnes, German Riesling, Rhone Whites, Cassis Blanc, Bandol Rose and White Bordeaux. We were off-roading and enough of you came along for the ride that we're here 21 years later and grown exponentially. Thanks for that. Our mission and our passion remain the same.
The wine world is much bigger today than it was twenty years ago. In many ways too, the bar has been raised. Advances in technology and the knowledge-base have really reduced the amount of truly terrible wine out there. It could be argued that they have increased the amount of mediocre wines or even just "average" or even "good" wines. That's good, I guess, but these wines hold no interest. There is a term in the wine industry: "Correct." If a wine is correct, that means it is absent flaws. You have a right to a wine that is correct, but merely correct is just plain boring to me.
Some wines have soul. But great wines and spirits and cocktails make you stop for a moment and say "Wow! What the heck is that?" Life is very short. Wine should be great-- really great-- and interesting. I mean, why else should we be drinking it? It's not vegetables that you need for health (although we know wine is healthy). You drink wine for pleasure and if you are someplace where the wine is blah and boring, I say, have a Coke!
So we choose the wines for our lists only if Mark and I both agree that the wine is indeed correct, but also makes us say "wow." We taste thousands upon thousands of wines every year which we do not buy. Every single one of those 769 bottles would make us say "wow." It is our hope (and our bet) that they do the same for you.
People always ask me, "What's new?" on this ever-evolving wine list. Here are 29 wines from this spring tasting season that made me say Wow!
New White Wines
Chardonnay 'Kali Hart' 2011; Talbott; Monterey, California, USA
$35.00
Verdicchio 2011; Colonnara; dei Castelli di Jesi Classico, Marche, Italy
$35.00
Moscato d'Asti 'Vigneto Biancospino' 2012; La Spinetta; Piedmont, Italy
$37.00
Soave 'La Frosca' 2010; Gini; Veneto, Italy
$45.00
Chardonnay 2009; Smith-Madrone; Napa, California, USA
$70.00
Chardonnay 2009; Ramey; Sonoma Coast, Sonoma, California, USA
$75.00
Chardonnay 2010; Ramey; Russian River Valley, Sonoma, California, USA
$79.00
Pessac-Leognan 2007; Chateau Larrivet Haut Brion; Bordeaux, France
$99.00
St-Emilion 2005; Chateau Angelique de Monbousquet; Bordeaux, France
$179.00
Sauternes 2004; Chateau Suduiraut; Bordeaux, France
$199.00
New Red Wines
Malbec 'Roble' 2010; Valle Las Acequias; Mendoza Valley, Argentina
$35.00
Cabernet Franc 'Le Rubis' 2011; Domaine de Juchepie; Anjou, Loire, France
$50.00
Priorat 'Embruix' 2009; Vall Llach; Spain
$50.00
Zinfandel 'Juvenile' 2011; Turley; California, USA
$55.00
Invisible Man 'Cabernet Sauvignon - Shiraz' 2010; Cimicky & Son; Barossa, Australia
$59.00
Merlot 'Frediani Vineyard' 2010; Selene; Napa, California, USA
$75.00
Tannat 'Laborum' 2009; El Porvenir de Los Andes; Salta, Argentina
$75.00
Cabernet Franc 2009; Cultivar; Oak Knoll, Napa, California, USA
$89.00
Cabernet Sauvignon 2007; Smith-Madrone; Spring Mountain District, Napa, California, USA
$89.00
Zinfandel 'Duarte' 2011; Turley; Contra Costa County, California, USA
$89.00
Pinot Noir 'Keefer Ranch' 2011; Failla; Russian River Valley, Sonoma, California, USA
$95.00
Amarone 'Vigneto di Campo delle Strie' 2006; Tenuta Chiccheri; Veneto, Italy
$109.00
Barbaresco 'Paje' 2007; Roagna; Piedmont, Italy
$145.00
Cabernet Sauvignon 2006; Corison; Napa, California, USA
The Rob Roy is increasingly popular. It's basically a Manhattan with Scotch instead of bourbon or rye. It has a different name, because the Scotch changes it's character completely. The Famous Grouse is our house Scotch and it's excellent in a Rob Roy. It's older, darker, deeper, less edgy cousin Black Grouse also makes a fine Rob Roy. We're recommending Dale DeGroff bitters in all of our Rob Roys these days in lieu of the traditional Angostura. Now just like a Manhattan, you can have your Rob Roy the standard way with sweet vermouth. You can have a Dry Rob Roy, with dry vermouth, not my favorite. Or you can have a Perfect Rob Roy with both dry and sweet vermouth, which I highly recommend.
Friday evening, Rob Roys made with Famous or Black Grouse will be $8 and $9 respectively. A Rob Roy made with any other Scotch (be as decadent as you like) will be 30% off whatever the price would otherwise have been. Yes, that's right: That means you can have one made with Royal Salute for just $100! That would be an extravagance, but if you've got that on your bucket list, now is the time! We will pass light hors d'oeuvres from 6:30 and the most tasteful cocktail enthusiasts of The Garden State will be in attendance, as is their custom. We hope to see you there.
Estimated retail price: $250 per bottle We will pour an ounce PLUS an ounce of contemporary bottling for comparison for $10
There's a ton of debate about how a finished spirit changes in the bottle. For a long time, conventional wisdom has held that it does not. I have been fortunate enough to have drunk several bottles of spirits that have been in the bottle more than 50 or even 100 years old. (Remember, when you buy a very old whisky or brandy, it's usually not been in the bottle very long; it's a current bottling of older spirits.) Of course, the debate is made even more interesting by the fact that houses may or may not change the style of their blend or even their distillate over time.
We've come across an antique bottle of Crown Royal Scotch. The tax stamp lets us know it was brought into America in 1957, so that's 46 years this bottle has been waiting for you to come drink it! Tonight's the night! We're going to offer one ounce of Crown Royal (1957 Bottling) next to one contemporary bottle of Crown Royal. Now THIS should be interesting.
Tonight, I will open one bottle of this glorious elixir at precisely 6:30. When it's gone, it's gone. Come and drink a bit of history for $10!
Fun fact about this bottle: It predates the metric system in America. This
bottle was known as "A Fifth." You might be
confused because on the label, by law, a fifth would have to say, "Size:
4/5ths of a Quart." So why is it called a fifth? Because it's a fifth
of a gallon, which is not stated anywhere on the bottle. So do you
think the metric system is a good idea? It certainly makes the math
easier!
We first encountered Byron Kosuge's pinot noir a few years back. We were entranced then, and we've been entranced by every vintage since. Byron's late father grew up on a farm in Colorado before moving to California to become a university Biochemist. He grew up in Davis, California. The first fifteen years of his winemaking career were spent making his mark, as winemaker at Saintsbury in Carneros.
After leaving Saintsbury in 2001, he has really come into his own and makes world-class Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, both for himself and as a consultant for others.
In his own words: "I could never be a “rock star” winemaker... I’m most comfortable knocking around in the vineyard or the cellar, trying to improve my craft, and turning out modest amounts of interesting, expressive, and, hopefully, memorable wine. The kind of wine I want to drink myself."
We disagree. Come hear the music.
Byron Kosuge will be at Stage Left Friday May 17 to host a dinner with his wines and our great food.
George Hendry is one of the smartest men making wine anywhere. I'm not saying that just because he is a nuclear physicist and he's lived on and farmed The Hendry Ranch his entire life. It's born of in his phenomenal wines year after year. George Hendry is one of only two winemakers we invite to come visit us every year. Come to our tasting and wine dinner. On Tuesday, May 7, George will be here. We will host a walk-around tasting from 6-7, and then sit down to a fabulous dinner with the man himself.
Hors d'Oeuvres Tasting
Tuna with Chanterelles and Wagyu Beef Pinot Noir 2010
Gnocchi
Oxtail, Spring Peas and Mint Zinfandel, 'Blocks 7
& 22' 2010
Zinfandel, 'Blocks 28' 2010
Lamb Shanks White Beans, Rosemary
& Pine
Hendry Red (Meritage Blend) 2008
Butterscotch Pot De Crème With
Single-Malt Scotch Marshmallows
Coffee
It's not often that I write you about a specific bottle of wine. But I just love this cabernet franc from the Anjou region of The Loire Valley so very very much that I have to share it with you.
Now you know I'm not one to put much stock in labels, but come on! Look at it; this thing is fantastic.
More importantly, so is the wine.
The Loire is one of the two major areas where cabernet franc is grown in France. In The Loire, it can be bright and lively and briskly mineral. This particular wine is from very old cabernet franc vines on mostly slate soils.
It's a lively, beautiful, spicy, racy red, unlike anything I've had before. It's just zippy and fantastic. You open a bottle with a friend and...poof...it's gone! It's inky black. The nose is of fresh black plums, blackberries and pencil lead. On the palate it's full of fruit and dried flowers and the finish as dried fruit, coffee and cocoa and just goes on for a long, long time.
It's phenomenal. Perfect for Easter Dinner. Perfect just because. Just perfect.
Le Rubis is available by the quartino in both restaurants at $16; it's available to take home at $24 per bottle with 10% off on a full case. To purchase, call 732-828-4444.
