Essex County Wine Society

THE WINE PRESS

ESSEX COUNTY WINE SOCIETY

August 15, 2008

Dear Fellow Wine Society Members and Fellow Wine Lovers:

The Essex County Wine Society is starting its 36th year. As we mentioned in the Early Summer 2008 letter we have classic mix of new world and old world tastings scheduled for 2008-2009 (see schedule attached).

Our first event is the Fall dinner which will be at Verjus in Maplewood. Owned by Chef Charles Tutino and his wife, Jane Witkin, Verjus serves contemporary French/New American cuisine in an understated dining room decorated with works by local artists.  The “Artful Diner” describes the restaurant as “French bistro fare with an urbane, cosmopolitan flair. Ingredients are impeccably fresh, presentations direct and straightforward…all is in perfect harmony. Mr. Tutino, an alumnus of New York City's La Côte Basque & Capsouto Frères and former instructor at the French Culinary Institute, is quite obviously an intuitive and intelligent chef -- but he cooks from the heart.”

We will be starting with the Henriot Champagne Brut Souverain. Bruce Sanderson’s most recent notes in Wine Spectator indicated “A full, rich, honeyed style, with hints of malt and ginger allied to a lush profile. Finely textured and balanced on the soft side.” The wine will accompany hors d’oeuvres including pastrami-cured salmon, duck liver terrine, and celery root remoulade.

The first course will be filet of sole & scallop mousse en croute, served with the 2005 Chardonnay Newton Unfiltered. In Wine Advocate #174, Robert Parker gave this wine 96 points and wrote, “One of California’s most glorious Chardonnays, and still somewhat under the radar, is the Newton 2005 Chardonnay Unfiltered. The 2005 is fabulous, and one of the best examples of this cuvee made at Newton. Notes of honeysuckle, poached pear, brioche, and white currants are present in this wine, which also exhibits some citrus oil and a subtle influence of new oak. Full-bodied, fleshy, and rich, with super purity and stature, this is a gorgeous Chardonnay…”

The second course, a Daube de Boeuf Arlesienne (braised beef with garlic, caper, tomato, olive, and parsley sauce) should pair well with the 1996 Pichon Longueville Baron from the ECWS cellar.  You may recall that we enjoyed this wine during Dennis Roland’s Pichon Baron vertical two years ago. 1996 is generally considered an early drinking vintage. Robert Parker noted “Pichon Baron's 1996 has turned out to be even better than I thought from cask. The high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend (about 80%) resulted in a wine that has put on weight in the bottle. An opaque purple color is accompanied by beautiful aromas of tobacco, new saddle leather, roasted coffee, and cassis. It is dense, medium to full-bodied…with moderately high tannin, but plenty of sweet fruit, glycerin, and extract to balance out the wine's structure.” James Suckling’s most recent notes indicated “Gorgeous aromas of crushed blackberries, currant and citrus fruit. Full-bodied, with silky tannins and a fruity, herbal aftertaste...Ready to go.”

We will have both an assorted cheese course, and dessert. The cheese will be paired with the 2000 Robert Arnoux Clos Vougeot, a wine that Stephen Tanzer described as “Bright red-ruby. Reduced aromas of black raspberry, mocha, coffee and grilled oak. Fat, sweet and full, with the essential gentleness of the vintage. A big, rich wine with substantial but sweet tannins that spread out to coat the palate.

With dessert we will have the Pedro Ximenez Alvear Solera 1927 – a wine that we also enjoyed at Doug Salthouse’s Spanish tasting a few years ago. Parker scored this wine a 96 and said “The impressive 1927 Pedro Ximenez Solera, from a Solera begun nearly 80 years ago, boasts a dark amber color as well as an extraordinary nose of creme brulee, liquefied nuts, marmalade, and maple syrup. Huge and viscous, yet neither cloyingly sweet nor heavy…”

If you wish to sit with particular members at the dinner, please indicate the names on the attached response form and we will do our best to accommodate you. Please respond by Friday September 5, 2008. Respond more promptly in order to insure your place, as the restaurant has a maximum capacity. If you need directions to the restaurant, please call the restaurant or check their website at www.verjusrestaurant.com.

Please also get your 2008/2009 dues checks ($85.00) in the mail, even if you cannot join us at the Fall Dinner.  The Executive Committee voted to increase annual dues by $10 in the upcoming year, an increase that has already been more than eroded by an increase in the cost of renting the Montclair Women’s Club for our tastings. We would like to get an indication as early as possible as to how many openings we will have for new members for the coming year.

We look forward to seeing all of you on September 14^th. 

Details of the Fall Dinner are as follows:                                         

                                              Date:                     Sunday, September 14, 2008

                                              Reception:             5:00 p.m. 

                                              Dinner:                  6:00 p.m.

                                              Attire:                    Smart casual

                                              Location:               Verjus Restaurant

                                              Address:                1790 Springfield Avenue

                                                                            Maplewood, NJ 07040 

                                              Telephone:            (973) 378-8990

                                              Cost:                      $105.00 members

                                                                            $120.00 non-members & guests

De gustibus non disputandum est (There is no disputing matters of taste),

Gil Bauer

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SIR TOBY BELCH: Does not our life consist of the four elements?

SIR ANDREW: Faith, so they say; but I think it rather consists of eating and drinking.

SIR TOBY BELCH: Thou'rt a scholar; let us therefore eat and drink.

Twelfth Night, Act II, Scene 3, William Shakespeare

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