Recap: a delightful dinner at Houseman featuring wines from the Côte de Beaune
by Max Goldberg Liu
September 23, 2021
It was a warm summer evening last Tuesday when we gathered at Houseman on Greenwich St. close to our office for a dinner around the wines of the Côte de Beaune. With one of the larger groups we’ve hosted in a while, it was an ultra-convivial atmosphere at the table.
After starting with a magnum of Delamotte Blanc de Blancs, we dug into the wines:
Flight 1:
Domaine Etienne Sauzet, Puligny-Montrachet 2017
Domaine de la Pousse d’Or, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Le Cailleret 2018
Domaine Génot-Boulanger, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatières 2015
Paired with: Grilled bluefin, roasted peppers, herbs
The Génot Folatières was the star of the show, although the Sauzet held its own despite its more humble appellation. Chef Ned Baldwin is also a fisherman, and his skill with a rod and in the kitchen were both on display with this dish featuring beautiful bluefin tuna that he caught himself.
Flight 2:
Olivier Leflaive, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Abbaye de Morgeot 2017
Domaine Lamy-Pillot, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeot 2016
Domaine Bernard Moreau, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeot 2011
Paired with: Medallions of muraski potato, vegan miso butter, thinly sliced scallion, fried and chopped cashews, cilantro, gochugaru oil
The wines of flight 2 were a bit richer, as expected with Chassagne-Montrachet, and were an unexpectedly great pairing with this creative (and vegan!) dish showcasing Muraski potato, a Japanese variety of sweet potato with a distinct nutty flavor. We all loved it.
Flight 3:
Domaine de Montille, Volnay 1er Cru Les Taillepieds 2017
Bouchard Père & Fils, Volnay 1er Cru Les Caillerets “Ancienne Cuvée Carnot” 2012
Domaine Génot-Boulanger, Pommard 1er Cru Clos Blanc 2017
Domaine de Montille, Pommard 1er Cru Les Pezerolles 2012
Paired with: Lightly smoked duck breast, roasted plum, cippolini onion, granola, plum gastrique
Onto the reds: all four showed very well - both Volnays showcased the village’s trademark elegance and silkiness, while the light color and high-toned aromatics of the Génot Pommard Clos Blanc highlighted the fact that Pommard isn’t always a burly brute of a wine.
Flight 4:
Olivier Leflaive, Meursault 1er Cru Le Poruzot 2017
Maison Louis Jadot, Meursault 1er Cru Charmes 2017
Domaine Ballot-Millot, Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières 2017
Paired with a selection of cheeses from Anne Saxelby
As we often like to do, we finished with some whites, in this case a trio of Meursault 1er Crus from 2017. All three were knockouts (the Perrières most of all, showing why it can be considered a Premier Cru Plus…), and were a great way to end the meal with some perfectly aged cheeses from affineuse de fromage Anne Saxelby.
We greatly enjoyed this tour of the Côte de Beaune - stay tuned for the corresponding tour of the Côte de Nuits, to be announced soon!