<a target="_blank" href="https://www.marearestaurant.com/">Marea</a>

240 Central Park South

New York, NY 10019

Phone: (212) 582-5100

BY ANTONIO GALLONI | JULY 29, 2022&nbsp;

The Food:

Astice: Nova Scotia Lobster, Burrata, Basil, Eggplant al
Funghetto

Fusilli; Red Wine Braised Octopus, Bone Marrow

Sogliola; Pan-Seared Dover Sole

Bomboloni: Doughnuts, cream sauce

The Wines:

<table>
 <tbody><tr>
 <td>2002
 Roederer Cristal (Magnum)&nbsp;</td>
 <td>100</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>1999 Domaine d'Auvenay
 Puligny-Montrachet Les Folatières 1er Cru&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</td>
 <td>91</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>2010 Domaine J.-F. Coche-Dury
 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru</td>
 <td>99</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>2010 Domaine Comtes Lafon
 Meursault Charmes 1er Cru</td>
 <td>97</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>2010 Domaine Comtes Lafon
 Montrachet Grand Cru</td>
 <td>93</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>1990 Domaine J.-F. Coche-Dury
 Meursault Perrières 1er Cru</td>
 <td>93</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>1990 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Grands
 Echézeaux Grand Cru</td>
 <td>97</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>2008 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Riserva Brunate</td>
 <td>98</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>1989 Haut-Brion</td>
 <td>97</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>1961 Châteaux Margaux</td>
 <td>90</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>1999 Domaine Jacques-Frédéric
 Mugnier Musigny Grand Cru</td>
 <td>98</td>
 </tr></tbody></table>

 This recent dinner at Marea marked a return of sorts to
dining out in New York City and getting together with friends with a bit more
peace of mind than in the prior months. It was the first dinner for this group
since COVID. It felt great to be back at Marea, seated in our usual corner
table with all of our bottles, tucked as far away as possible in order to not
disturb patrons enjoying a nice night out in town. Wine Director Francesco Grosso took care of every detail of service with his typical aplomb.

It’s always special to walk into this space, which was a
temple to Italian wine and food before the Marea days, when Tony May operated
his iconic San Domenico here. Michael White and his Altamarea Group transformed
the location into Marea in 2009 and instantly created a New York City classic
that is consistently packed. White has since moved on, but the team led by Executive
Chef and Marea veteran Lauren DeSteno has not missed a beat. Three dinners over
the last year have all been terrific.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1659107734608-IMG_1047_copy.jpg">Astice: Nova Scotia Lobster, Burrata, Basil, Eggplant al FunghettoI decide to go with the Marea classics, the dishes that
really made the reputation of the restaurant in its early days. There is
something cathartic about this evening, and I really crave that food. The Nova
Scotia lobster and burrata appetizer is delicious. My only critique here is that
it is served too chilled, which really mutes the flavors and takes out all the
lustiness of what really is a terrific combination. The fusilli with octopus
braised in red wine and bone marrow is fabulous. My serving is pretty large,
but I am not complaining. The pasta is cooked perfectly, with the twists of the
fusilli capturing all of the natural goodness of that sauce. 

The Dover Sole is very good. But it could have been great.
Personally, I would prefer to see Dover Sole deboned at the table. I think that
might help keep the meat a bit moister and also help the presentation. I don’t
have a huge sweet tooth, but there are a few things I absolutely can’t resist.
Bomboloni is one of them. Marea’s are divine.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1659107765798-IMG_1065_copy.jpg">Fusilli; Red Wine Braised Octopus, Bone Marrow Roederer’s 2002
Cristal, from magnum, is just off the charts. What else is there to say?
The magnum format is so well-suited to Champagne. As opposed to still wines,
which are just aged in glass, for Champagne, the secondary fermentation takes
place in the glass. I am convinced that is a major part of what makes Champagne
from magnum (or larger) often so compelling. The texture, breadth and overall
pedigree here is just remarkable, with layers of apricot, spice, dried flowers
and citrus confit that continue to build over time. The 2002 is neither old nor
young; it is quite simply eternal. What a great way to start the night. Wow!

Our first white of the evening, the 1999 Puligny-Montrachet Les Folatières 1er Cru from Domaine d'Auvenay is quite rich and heavy. Scents of
crème brulée, apricot, chamomile and spice, along with slightly oxidative
notes, are all signs of a wine that is fully mature. At twenty-three years of
age, for any other grower, I would conclude that the 1999 is simply mature, but
not necessarily premoxed. But for Lalou Bize-Leroy, whose whites typically age
gracefully for decades, this is not a great showing. Whether that is
attributable to the wine itself or to other conditions such as shipping and or
storage is of course impossible to know.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1659107805150-IMG_1080_copy.jpg">Sogliola; Pan-Seared Dover Sole 

Coche-Dury’s 2010
Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru really needs a few hours to open. Several
recent bottles (don’t kill me for that) suggest the 2010 is starting to head
into the early part of its first plateau of maturity, the stage where some of
its youthful angularity starts to soften, the textures open and the aromatics
become more expansive. If I had multiple bottles (I don’t) I would wait on the
2010 and let it settle a bit more. It is very clearly a magnificent, special
wine. Another stellar 2010, the Meursault Charmes 1er Cru from Domaine
Comtes Lafon is off the charts. What a wine. This is an especially great, great
bottle. Then again, I bought it on release in France and brought it back to US
myself. Vibrant and chiseled, the Charmes captures all the magic of a vintage
marked by low yields and bright acids. Citrus, white flowers, mint, slate and
crushed rocks race across the palate, building into the intense,
mineral-stained finish. Magnificent. Sadly, I can’t say the same thing about
Lafon’s 2010 Montrachet Grand Cru.
It shows good depth and power, but is also more advanced than it should be.
Again, trying to understand the ‘why’ is not easy. Our flight of whites
concludes with the 1990 Coche-Dury
Meursault Perrières 1er Cru, a gorgeous wine for readers who enjoy white
Burgundy with bottle age. Now gently softened by time, the 1990 offers up a
compelling mélange of apricot, dried flowers, chamomile and light caramel
touches. I love the richness and weight.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1659107838688-IMG_1090_copy.jpg">Bomboloni: Doughnuts, cream sauce 

The 1990 Grands Echezeaux
is one of my very favorite Domaine de la Romanée-Conti wines. Always a
bomb, the 1990 is damn delicious. The bouquet alone is so alluring. Bright
red-fleshed fruit, crushed berries, spice and mint fill out the layers in a
gorgeous, wonderfully expressive, open-knit GE that is an absolute thrill to
drink. When it is on, and that is most of the time, the 1990 is lights out.
This bottle is tremendous. What a great way to move into the red wines. Beppe
Rinaldi’s 2008 Barolo Riserva Brunate is
quite the surprise. Marea’s Wine Director Francesco Grosso emailed me earlier
in the day to let me know that the bottle that I had delivered had the “Le
Coste’ crossed out. That could only mean one thing. That the 2008 was a very
rare bottle of the pure Brunate Riserva made only for the family and a few
close friends, one of whom I happen to know. These are such rare wines, and I
was so excited to drink the 2008. Captivating Nebbiolo aromatics soar out of
the glass. Translucent and nuanced, with striking delineation and inner
sweetness, the 2008 is simply magical. It is one of the very finest Rinaldi
Barolos I have ever tasted. It’s vibrant, and the energy will ensure several
decades of fabulous drinking.

The 1989 Haut-Brion
is very, very good. All the telltale Haut-Brion signatures of dark fruit,
minerals, herbs, gravel and spice are present, but this bottle is lacking the
textural opulence and depth of the best examples. Readers who have had the 1989
know what an epic wine it usually is. Sadly, the 1961 Margaux is beset by strong notes of game and brett that
dominate. There’s good depth for the 1961, but things never fully come
together. I expected more.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1659107876704-IMG_1152_copy.jpg">A spellbinding bottle of Mugnier’s 1999 Musigny Grand Cru rounds out the
evening. So complex and beguiling, the 1999 is at once light on its feet and
quite deep, with terrific freshness and breathtaking balance. Aeration brings
out further layers of dimension. The 1999 is at times quite cerebral, while in
other moments it is more overtly virile. Like all truly great wines, every
taste reveals a different facet of its personality. What a thrill it is to drink
this with a group of my closest friends.

As great as the wines are, I am once again reminded that
wines are made special by context, in other words the circumstances, places and
people that surround them. This was a truly unforgettable night of food, wine,
friendship and camaraderie. Until next time…© 2022, Vinous. No portion of this article may be copied, shared or re-distributed without prior consent from Vinous. Doing so is not only a violation of our copyright, but also threatens the survival of independent wine criticism.

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