<a target="_blank" href="http://elevenmadisonpark.com">Eleven Madison Park</a> 

11 Madison Ave, 

New York, NY 10010 

(212) 889-0905December 2008 

Eleven Madison Park has become one of my favorite
restaurants in New York, as just about every meal I have had here has been
absolutely brilliant. This was no exception. We opted for the Late Fall Tasting
Menu, which was superb. Among the dishes that were especially notable were the
Diver Scallop, Nova Scotia Lobster and Black Angus Beef.

We started with a bottle of Cédric Bouchard’s NV Blanc de Noirs Inflorescence Val Vilaine,
which though not officially declared, is 2005 juice. The wine was initially
quite reticent, but it opened up nicely with air, even if it wasn’t quite as
explosive as the 2006 I reviewed previous.

I find myself often attracted to Riesling at Eleven Madison,
as the variety seems particularly well-suited to Chef Daniel Humm’s cuisine. Boxler’s 2005 Riesling Grand Cru Sommerberg
was sublime, especially in the way it paired with our fish courses. This rich,
textured white revealed tons of class in its jasmine, white peaches, minerals
and lime peel. The wine showed tons of length, with pretty notes of minerals
and smoke that lingered on the finish. It was a terrific bottle.

The 2005 Volnay
Champans from Marquis D’Angerville was initially tight as a drum, but the
purity of fruit, structure, richness and finesse of the tannins were clearly
those of a great wine. Patience is required here, but the wine was still
enjoyable and offered a lovely counterpoint to the lobster course.

The next bottle was served blind. Initially rather funky on
the nose, this red nevertheless showed tons of dark plums, spices and
earthiness in a rustic, yet pleasing style. The wine was impressive for its
length, and as I would later fully appreciate, its freshness, considering its
age. The dark, baritone register worked beautifully with the hearty richness of
the Black Angus beef and its short rib. I initially thought Côte-Rôtie but
should have known better based on the wine’s rustic, powerful personality. The
bottled turned out to be the 1985 Cornas
Cuvée C from Marcel Juge.
Although I was close on the region, I was way off in terms of vintage. This was
an incredibly youthful, dense wine considering its 23 years of age!&nbsp;

Food:

Hors d’œuvres

Diver Scallop; En Chaud-Froid with Leeks and Black
Truffles&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 

John Dory; Glazed with Coconut, Ginger and Madras Curry&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 

Nova Scotia Lobster; Orange Butter Poached with Star Anise,
Dried Figs and Wild Mushroom Sabayon 

Black Angus Beef; Glazed Short Rib and Tenderloin with
Jerusalem Artichokes 

Caraibe Chocolate; Gateaux with Coffee and Piedmontese
Hazelnut Sorbet

Mignardises&nbsp;

Wine:

<table>
 <tbody><tr>
 <td>
 NV
 </td>
 <td>
 &nbsp;Cédric Bouchard
 Blanc de Noirs Inflorescence Val Vilaine (2005)
 </td>
 <td>
 90
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 2005
 </td>
 <td>
 Boxler Riesling Grand Cru Sommerberg
 </td>
 <td>
 93
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 2005
 </td>
 <td>
 Marquis D’Angerville Volnay Champans
 </td>
 <td>
 94
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1985
 </td>
 <td>
 Marcel Juge Cornas Cuvée C 
 </td>
 <td>
 91</td></tr></tbody></table>

--Antonio Galloni

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