TN: Atlanta OL at Cooks and Soldiers, a few 1995 right bankers and more
Posted: Sun Jun 07, 2015 9:17 pm
I was in Atlanta for some meetings and with help from one of the locals whom I've known online for over 20 years since the Prodigy BB days, we put together a group of 5 for dinner at Cooks and Soldiers. This is a Basque small plates place that's been open about 7 months. Corkage is $15 with some flexibility for larger events if you talk to management. The glassware is fine, the service is great and the food even better. We found excellent matches to the wide variety of wines we brought. We were clearly having enough fun (not in a disruptive way) to prompt the owner to stop by and join in our wine chatter for a while.
First some bubbles:
NV Briceland Vineyards Brut - USA, California, North Coast, Humboldt County (6/6/2015)
ATL offline at Cooks and Soldiers. Light yellow color. Fresh, crisp clean fruit and minerally acidity, medium body, bright medium length finish. Very good-excellent, opened my eyes to what can be done with sparklers from this area.
2002 Pol Roger Champagne Brut Vintage - France, Champagne (6/6/2015)
ATL offline at Cooks and Soldiers. Light yellow color. Yeast, fresh baked bread, almonds on nose, medium body, richer than the Briceland, excellent balance/acidity, medium-long finish. Excellent-outstanding.
Then some Chards and a Sauvignon Blanc. The SB was a Rochioli but I didn't capture the year. It was excellent, nice crisp fruit but not too grassy or grapefruity.
2005 Louis Jadot Corton-Charlemagne Domaine des Héritiers Louis Jadot - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru (6/6/2015)
ATL offline at Cooks and Soldiers. Light gold. Takes some time to show its stuff but as it approaches room temperature it takes off. Lemon, almond, smoky oak on the nose. Pure fruit and stony minerality, great balance, power and finish. Outstanding.
2007 Rhys Chardonnay Alpine Vineyard - USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains (6/6/2015)
ATL offline at Cooks and Soldiers. Light gold color. Intense nose of crisp fruit with smoked bacon, great balance, medium body, nice complex mix of minerally/Stoney fruit and smoky/earthy notes, this was a stunning match with the tuna. More accessible out of the gate than the 2005 Jadot Cordon-Charlemagne tasted with it, but as the Jadot warmed and got some air it caught up. Obviously two very different wines but each outstanding in their own right. Ultimately I was more impressed with the Rhys because it was a new experience for me while the Jadot was not. Outstanding.
Then on to the Bordeaux, mostly 1995 right bankers:
1995 Château Angélus - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru (6/6/2015)
ATL offline at Cooks and Soldiers. I think this was pop and pour but not sure. Dark red core, slight lightening at rim. Less giving at first than the 1995 L'Evangile, it was a fuller-bodied wine and over the course of a few hours started to broaden on the palate and develop some early complexity. Plenty of tannin on the finish, this should be cellared another 5 years. Excellent with potential for outstanding.
1995 Château L'Eglise-Clinet - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol (6/6/2015)
ATL offline at Cooks and Soldiers. Dark red core, minimal lightening at rim. Pretty sure this one was slow-oxed and double decanted, it still took a while to open up and was still improving a couple of hours later. Blackberry,plum, smoke and earth on the nose, full-bodied with tannins more apparent than in the other 1995s open, still well-balanced and at the end of the evening it was starting to catch up to the Angelus and L'Evangile. Excellent-outstanding, this will be even better in 5-10 years.
1995 Château L'Evangile - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol (6/6/2015)
ATL offline at Cooks and Soldiers. Cellared since release, perfect cork and fill. Pop and pour, then enjoyed over 3 hours. Dark red core, lightening at rim. Cassis, plum, and a hint of soy and iodine on the nose initially. Medium body, lush ripe fruit and a bit of earthy forest floor complexity comes forward after the iodine dissipates. Holds well over 3 hours, still has room for improvement and additional complexity with further cellaring. Outstanding.
1995 Château La Gaffelière - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru (6/6/2015)
ATL offline at Cooks and Soldiers. Pop and pour and enjoyed over 3 hours. Dark red core, a little bricking at rim. Plum and cassis nose, medium body, more rustic than the 1995 L'Evangile or 1995 Angelus with less intensity, it improved with air. Very good to excellent.
1996 Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac (6/6/2015)
ATL offline at Cooks and Soldiers. I think this may have been slow-oxed prior to serving but not sure. Dark red to rim. Full-bodied, bigger than the 1995 right bankers we had that night, it took a while to open up but when it did it gave the '95 Angelus and L'Evangile a run for their money as WOTN. Destined for more complexity and even greater days ahead, try again in 5+ years. Outstanding.
It was a wonderful evening and an opportunity to make some great new friends.
I highly recommend Cooks and Soldiers in Atlanta. Great place for foodies and wine enthusiasts.
First some bubbles:
NV Briceland Vineyards Brut - USA, California, North Coast, Humboldt County (6/6/2015)
ATL offline at Cooks and Soldiers. Light yellow color. Fresh, crisp clean fruit and minerally acidity, medium body, bright medium length finish. Very good-excellent, opened my eyes to what can be done with sparklers from this area.
2002 Pol Roger Champagne Brut Vintage - France, Champagne (6/6/2015)
ATL offline at Cooks and Soldiers. Light yellow color. Yeast, fresh baked bread, almonds on nose, medium body, richer than the Briceland, excellent balance/acidity, medium-long finish. Excellent-outstanding.
Then some Chards and a Sauvignon Blanc. The SB was a Rochioli but I didn't capture the year. It was excellent, nice crisp fruit but not too grassy or grapefruity.
2005 Louis Jadot Corton-Charlemagne Domaine des Héritiers Louis Jadot - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru (6/6/2015)
ATL offline at Cooks and Soldiers. Light gold. Takes some time to show its stuff but as it approaches room temperature it takes off. Lemon, almond, smoky oak on the nose. Pure fruit and stony minerality, great balance, power and finish. Outstanding.
2007 Rhys Chardonnay Alpine Vineyard - USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains (6/6/2015)
ATL offline at Cooks and Soldiers. Light gold color. Intense nose of crisp fruit with smoked bacon, great balance, medium body, nice complex mix of minerally/Stoney fruit and smoky/earthy notes, this was a stunning match with the tuna. More accessible out of the gate than the 2005 Jadot Cordon-Charlemagne tasted with it, but as the Jadot warmed and got some air it caught up. Obviously two very different wines but each outstanding in their own right. Ultimately I was more impressed with the Rhys because it was a new experience for me while the Jadot was not. Outstanding.
Then on to the Bordeaux, mostly 1995 right bankers:
1995 Château Angélus - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru (6/6/2015)
ATL offline at Cooks and Soldiers. I think this was pop and pour but not sure. Dark red core, slight lightening at rim. Less giving at first than the 1995 L'Evangile, it was a fuller-bodied wine and over the course of a few hours started to broaden on the palate and develop some early complexity. Plenty of tannin on the finish, this should be cellared another 5 years. Excellent with potential for outstanding.
1995 Château L'Eglise-Clinet - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol (6/6/2015)
ATL offline at Cooks and Soldiers. Dark red core, minimal lightening at rim. Pretty sure this one was slow-oxed and double decanted, it still took a while to open up and was still improving a couple of hours later. Blackberry,plum, smoke and earth on the nose, full-bodied with tannins more apparent than in the other 1995s open, still well-balanced and at the end of the evening it was starting to catch up to the Angelus and L'Evangile. Excellent-outstanding, this will be even better in 5-10 years.
1995 Château L'Evangile - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol (6/6/2015)
ATL offline at Cooks and Soldiers. Cellared since release, perfect cork and fill. Pop and pour, then enjoyed over 3 hours. Dark red core, lightening at rim. Cassis, plum, and a hint of soy and iodine on the nose initially. Medium body, lush ripe fruit and a bit of earthy forest floor complexity comes forward after the iodine dissipates. Holds well over 3 hours, still has room for improvement and additional complexity with further cellaring. Outstanding.
1995 Château La Gaffelière - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru (6/6/2015)
ATL offline at Cooks and Soldiers. Pop and pour and enjoyed over 3 hours. Dark red core, a little bricking at rim. Plum and cassis nose, medium body, more rustic than the 1995 L'Evangile or 1995 Angelus with less intensity, it improved with air. Very good to excellent.
1996 Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac (6/6/2015)
ATL offline at Cooks and Soldiers. I think this may have been slow-oxed prior to serving but not sure. Dark red to rim. Full-bodied, bigger than the 1995 right bankers we had that night, it took a while to open up but when it did it gave the '95 Angelus and L'Evangile a run for their money as WOTN. Destined for more complexity and even greater days ahead, try again in 5+ years. Outstanding.
It was a wonderful evening and an opportunity to make some great new friends.
I highly recommend Cooks and Soldiers in Atlanta. Great place for foodies and wine enthusiasts.