This is a continuation of my prior article for the 2024 Wine Spectator NY Wine Experience. Saturday morning started with the showing of my award-winning video, “I JUST WANT A ZINFANDEL.” I was presented with an Oscar-type statuette as the first inductee into the Wine Spectator Video Competition Hall of Fame. It was a fun honor.
348 WINES…
From 21,480 BOTTLES…
Into 60,270 GLASSES…
Over 2 DAYS…
Erwan Faiveley presented his Domaine Faiveley Bâtard-Montrachet 2008 from Burgundy. It was 95 points and sells for $405. Now that’s the way to start the morning! What was most interesting about Mr. Faiveley is that he is the seventh generation! And he shared a lot of documentation from his family’s archives from the early years. It was quite a story.
More Grand Wine Tasting…
We went on to taste wines ranked #4, #3, and #2. For more details, you can find information on the Top Ten wines on the Wine Spectator website. I will however, mention that Catherine Kistler presented the #2 wine – which was the Occidental Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Freestone-Occidental 2021, 91 points, and sells for $65. Catherine was one of the winemakers I spoke with during the grand tasting. Her father is Steve Kistler and he has quite the reputation for producing California Chardonnays and Pinots. Occidental is her project and she is doing it with her dad.
Winemaker Chris Carpenter presented four wines from Lokoya based in Napa –
- Lokoya Spring Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 (96, $500)
- Lokoya Spring Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 (NR, $NA)
- Lokoya Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 (96, $500)
- Lokoya Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 (NR, $NA)
As you can see these wines are crazy expensive. Anytime you deal with mountain vineyards in Napa, they are pricey. It takes a lot of time to age them properly. It was a lot of fun to be able to taste and smell the differences in these “mini-verticals.”
Wine Pairing By Legendary Chefs
The morning session concluded with the highly anticipated annual CHEFS’ CHALLENGE, where four world-renowned chefs each presented a unique dish served to each of us in the audience. Afterward, a different chef selected a wine they felt would pair perfectly with each dish. Wine Spectator Senior Editor Bruce Sanderson also weighed in with his own wine pairing choice. Then, everyone got to vote via a live polling app, with the results displayed on the big screen in real time. It was a fun and interactive experience! The four chefs included:
- Eric Ripert – Le Bernardin/NYC
- Danny Meyer – Union Square Hospitality/NYC
- José Andrés – José Andrés Group/D.C.
- Emeril Lagasse – Emeril’s/New Orleans.
1) Eric Ripert’s Salmon Rillettes
- Emeril’s wine choice – Luis Pato Bruto Rosado Bairrada Espumante Informal 2014 (NR)
- Bruce’s wine choice – Alfred Gratien Brut Champagne Cuvée Paradis 2015 (95 pts, $135)
2) Danny Meyer’s Scallop Crudo
- Eric’s wine choice – Bodegas Forjas del Salnés Albariño Rías Baixas Leirana 2023 (NR)
- Bruce’s wine choice – Grattamacco Vermentino Bolgheri 2022 (91pts, $58)
3) Emeril Lagasse’s Ervilhas com Chouriço
(Tartlet with Portuguese Chorizo Mousse and Green Pea Salad)
- José’s wine choice – Avancia Godello Valdeorras Nobleza Old Vines 2022 (93 pts, $75)
- Bruce’s wine choice – Tolaini Chianti Classico Vallenuova 2022 (93 pts, $30)
4) José Andrés’ Ensaladilla Rusa with Langosta
(Russian Salad with Lobster)
- Danny’s wine choice – Álvaro Castro Quinta da Pellada Primus Branco Dão (NR)
- Bruce’s wine choice – Marqués de Murrieta Rioja White Capellanía 2019 (93 pts, $120)
Frankly, ALL the wines were amazing with these incredible dishes. It was pretty much a split in the voting. This was definitely a highlight of the weekend. Plus, the chefs are so wonderfully entertaining and fun.
After All This Delicious Food… More Food!
And after all that frivolity and food… it was time for lunch! This one was sponsored by the Sonoma County Winegrowers, where they served up a combination of varietals including Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. There were eight different wines to taste during lunch.
And Of Course, More Wine! Naturally.
Following lunch, actor and winemaker Kyle MacLachlan took the stage to present his Cabernet Sauvignon Pursued by Bear Columbia Valley 2021. That wine received 93 points and sells for $70. Kyle’s presentation was another highlight – full of great stories, laughs, and an amazing Washington State Cab Sauvignon.
Then it was time to present the #1 Wine of the Year – Argiano Brunello di Montalcino 2018 with 95 points and sells for $90. (I did find this wine at my local Costco for $60. Just don’t tell anyone.) Bernardino Sani presented his wine with such grace.
The next Wine Star, Prince Robert de Luxembourg, was presented the Distinguished Service Award due to his involvement with several charities. Earlier in his career, Robert was a Hollywood screenwriter but ended up taking over the family wine business that his great-grandfather purchased in 1935. He presented his Château La Mission Haut-Brion 2000, which received 91 points and sells today for about $775. When I was tasting this wine, I was thinking that I was tasting a piece of history.
The afternoon session wrapped up with tasting four E. Guigal wines from the Rhône Valley. This was known as the “La La” Tasting because all four of the wines from different vineyards start with “La” in their names.
- Côte-Rôtie La Mouline 2020 (96, $720)
- Côte-Rôtie La Turque 2020 (96, $720)
- Côte-Rôtie La Reynarde 2020 (NR, $720, an exclusive, unreleased preview of a fourth “La-La” wine to come)
- Côte-Rôtie La Landonne 2020 (97, $720)
And as you can see, the price tags of these wines are outrageous. But when you see the vineyards for each of these wines, you realize just how unusual and virtually impossible it is to harvest the grapes from the vines. All four of these vineyards are located on extremely steep inclines. The soil that these vines are planted in is mostly large rocks, with hardly any actual soil to speak of. Now are the bottles each worth $720? I’ll leave that answer to the professionals…
A True Wine Experience Serves Champagne
The final farewell was a champagne reception where the following Champagnes and sparkling wines were pouring generously –
- Alfred Gratien Brut Rosé Champagne NV (93, $75)
- Bollinger Brut Champagne Special Cuvée NV (93, $95)
- Ca’ del Bosco Extra Brut Franciacorta Cuvée Prestige 45 Edizione NV (91, $45)
- Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve NV (92, $110)
- Domaine Carneros Brut Rosé Carneros Cuvée de la Pompadour NV (93, $47)
- Ferrari Brut Trento Perlé 2017 (91, $51)
- Laurent-Perrier Brut Champagne La Cuvée NV (91, $60)
- Louis Roederer Brut Champagne Collection 245 NV (92, $70)
- Nino Franco Extra Brut Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Nodi 2021 (90, $51)
- Schramsberg J. Schram Noirs North Coast 2014 (94, $140)
- Taittinger Brut Champagne Prélude NV (91, $123)
Additionally, food was served up from multiple award-winning and highly acclaimed restaurants, including Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse, Le Bernardin, Tribeca Grill, Le Gratin by Daniel Boulud, and The Bazaar by José Andrés. And I must mention that the Marriott Marquis Food and Beverage Team did an amazing job handling the wine and food throughout this entire wine experience event.
A Toast To The Sommeliers
One last thing to mention – There is a team of 30 sommeliers from all over the US that taste every bottle before it is poured into our glasses. Many of them have been doing the New York Wine Spectator Experience for upwards of 30+ years. Hmmm, I wonder if I could sign up to be on that team…
I’m incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to attend this wine experience event twice. Both encounters have been absolutely phenomenal. I’ve learned so much and had the chance to connect with some truly amazing people.
Cheers.