Inflorescence Blanc de Noirs

Inflorescence Blanc de Noirs Champagne

Not for some time in recent memory have I tasted a champagne with such wine qualities, that if I allowed my self to drift a bit, feel as if I am experiencing world class white burgundy. Light straw color in the glass, with fewer bubbles than in normal Champagne. You are treated to hints of chalk and citrus, minerality, all the while expressing a full-bodied, elegant wine. This bottle is pure finesse and reservedly concentrated, making it as versatile a food wine as you could ever come across.

It is non-vintage, but Mr. Bouchard only crafts his champagne from same year, in effect making this bottling a 2005.Try this with oysters or fried chicken.

ROOSTER SCORE: 94

Fleury Rose de Saignee NV

Fleury Rose de Saignee NVRecently, a close friend/chef asked me to take care of the wine for his first nuptials. Being Galician, the list had to be all Spanish, with the exception of a good champagne rose to make the toast. I usually opt for Billecart-Salmon, but this is too costly. On the lower end, Nicolas Feuillatte, Laurent-Perrier or Lanson would have made fine choices, but for a bit more I was able to secure Fleury, a 100% pinot noir from biodynamically grown grapes.

Jean-Pierre Fleury, Gaultmillau 1993 wine-grower of the year, is the first biodynamic producer in Champagne and the results are fantastic. The wine boasts powerful, yeasty, oatmeal and mineral aromas. The flavors are refreshing and elegant, making for a full-bodied drinking experience.

ROOSTER SCORE: 91

Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Vintage Reserve 1998

Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Vintage Reserve 1998

I've never been a fan of the NV offerings from this house, however the vintage wines are usually good values. This Champagne is a very ripe expression of the house style, with good pinot noir to chardonnay balance, producing a powerful yet reserved mixture that one would expect coming from twenty of its Premier and Grand Cru vineyards. By comparison, the 1996 reserve was much better. Perhaps this could have used more time in the bottle. However, it paired beautifully with seared sea scallops and shitake mushrooms with slab bacon.

ROOSTER SCORE: 90

Chef Mateo on Wine in the NY Times

July 11, 2007

WINES OF THE TIMES

From Catalonia, Tastes Both Old and New

Photo by Luke Drake

By ERIC ASIMOV

AMONG the wine regions that blanket Spain like a patchwork quilt, the names run from the famous, like Rioja, to the fashionable, like Priorat, to the emerging, like Bierzo, to the unknown â€” choose from many.

It’s that unknown quality that makes Spain so exciting for wine lovers who prize a sense of discovery. You are never quite sure what you are going to get. Yes, it could be a wan, insipid wine that deserves never to see the spotlight, even at $8 a bottle. But just as easily it could be something delicious and surprising, a wine that captures your imagination.

Cava Time

Cava Time in the City

July 9, 2007

by Rafael Mateo

In the midst of the first summer heat wave, New Yorkers look for relief in the comfort of the all important air conditioner, or a trip to the shore for cool ocean breeezes. My answer to the humidity is always the same: champagne. As I check my stock, I realize that I won't get through July, much less August, as a champagne budget can prove quite costly. The answer is a very good alternative: Cava, sparkling wine fashioned in the methode-champenoise from Spain.

Chef Mateo