Eleven Madison Park

11 Madison Ave,

New York, NY 10010

(212) 889-0905

December 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! 

Food:

Hors d’œuvres

Diver Scallop; En Chaud-Froid with Leeks and Black Truffles    

John Dory; Glazed with Coconut, Ginger and Madras Curry   

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 

Wine:

NV	Cédric Bouchard Blanc de Noirs Inflorescence Val Vilaine (2005)	90
2005	Boxler Riesling Grand Cru Sommerberg	93
2005	Marquis D’Angerville Volnay Champans	94
1985	Marcel Juge Cornas Cuvée C	91

--Antonio Galloni