<a target="_blank" href="http://veritas-nyc.com/">Veritas</a>

43 East 20th Street,

New York, NY

Tel. (212) 353-3700

March 2009

This recent dinner at Veritas was superb. Chef Grégory Pugin
prepared an extraordinary menu that went from strength to strength. Before
moving into the dining room we enjoyed a few appetizers at the bar, including
the frog’s legs and steak tartare, which were brilliant. A bottle of Jacques Selosse’s NV Cuvée Origine
(disgorged 10/1999) was spectacular as we contemplated the menu. The
Origine is a solera-style Champagne, started in 1986, that is the pre-cursor to
today’s Substance. This 1999 disgorgement was gorgeous, and also noticeably
fresher than the Substance bottlings today, as at the time, the solera blend
incorporated a set of younger vintages. Perfumed apricots and flowers emerged
with superb grace and elegance from this delicate, layered wine. Roulot’s 2000 Meursault Les Tessons was
full of gunflint, smoke and minerals. It was a pristine, focused Meursault that
paired beautifully with the Lobster Nage, a sublime dish that is one of Chef
Pugin’s signatures.

The Seared Sea Scallop, served atop a spelt risotto with
black truffle, was also sublime. Wine Director Tim Kopec chose Léonard Humbrecht’s 1976 Gewürtztraminer
Vendange Tardive to pair with the scallop. It was an exotic, wild wine
loaded with spice cake and gingerbread notes. Owing largely to its age, this
was not an especially sweet Vendange Tardive yet the wine retained a
full-bodied, unctuous personality and tons of balance.

Two Barolos from Giuseppe
Mascarello offered much insight into an early period in the estate’s
history. The 1957 Barolo was
promising when it was poured, as the color was simply perfect for a wine of its
age. Unfortunately the volatile acidity was quite high, even for a
traditionally-made Barolo, something which was all the more disappointing given
that it was otherwise intact. This floral, ethereal Barolo was fascinating to
contemplate in the glass, but it fell short of being truly outstanding. The 1958 Barolo Riserva, from one of
Piedmont’s most historic vintages, was equally pristine. It was a little deeper
and richer than the ethereal 1957, with tons of ripe fruit and an exotic quality.
Most impressively, the wine appeared to still have plenty of life ahead of it.
Here too, the wine revealed quite of bit of volatile acidity, but there was
also enough fruit to provide a measure of balance. The 1958 was especially
delicious with my veal loin, a beautifully prepared dish accented by morels and
asparagus that captured the essence of spring.

Food:&nbsp;

Lobster Nage; vin jaune, white asparagus, morels

Seared Sea Scallop; spelt risotto and black truffle.

Veal Strip Loin; sage gnocchi, morels, green asparagus, veal
jus 

Artisan Cheeses

Wine:&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

<table>
 <tbody><tr>
 <td>
 NV
 </td>
 <td>
 Jacques Selosse Cuvée Origine
 </td>
 <td>
 94
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 2000
 </td>
 <td>
 Roulot Meursault Les Tessons
 </td>
 <td>
 90
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1976
 </td>
 <td>
 Léonard Humbrecht Gewürtztraminer Vendange Tardive
 </td>
 <td>
 93
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1957
 </td>
 <td>
 Giuseppe Mascarello Barolo
 </td>
 <td>
 89
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1958
 </td>
 <td>
 Giuseppe Mascarello Barolo Riserva
 </td>
 <td>
 92
 </td>
 </tr>
</tbody></table>

&nbsp;[Photo and Credit: Veritas, New York]

--Antonio Galloni

Content

Engage

Vinous

Social