Welcome to Decanted Redux, a once-per-month bonus edition of Decanted wherein Eater wine editor Talia Baiocchi revisits previously reviewed wine lists to see how they've changed for better, or worse. Today: Momofuku Ssäm Bar and Colicchio & Sons.
Colicchio & Sons
In March 2010 Eater first took a look at the wine list at the newly-minted Colicchio & Sons, chef Tom Colicchio's revamp of Craftsteak. What Eater found was a modern list, full of New World wines you could run your car on with mark-ups that flirted with savagery. It was an easy place to get fleeced.
Two years later, with the help of Thomas Pastuszak—the current Wine Director at the Nomad—the list has done a complete 180. It's gone from a modern list of Crafsteak’s scraps to a classic list that focuses on Champagne, Burgundy, Germany, Austria, and Piemonte. The $1,001 bottle of '01 Chris Ringland Shiraz is long gone. Now, if you you want to spend a grand on wine you'll have the far-better option of spending it on Dominique Lafon's Meursault Charmes from '89 or Giacomo Conterno Barolo Monfortino from '88. On the rest of the list the mark-ups have come way down and the list has gotten far deeper. You can come away happy for under $100 and feel confident throwing down for Burgundy. After Pastuszak left for NoMad in February 2012 the list was passed along to Ryan Mills-Knapp, a veteran of Tribeca Grill. The still-impressive beer program is remains the handy work of Colicchio & Sons manager Chase Rabenn.
A few standouts: Cedric Bouchard Blanc de Noirs Inflorescence Val Vilaine Celles-Sur-Ource $120; Meulenhoff Erdener Treppchen Kabinett 2005 Mosel-Saar-Ruwer $35; Kruger-Rumpf Münsterer Pittersberg Spätlese 1999 Nahe $65; Bloomer Creek Tanzen Dame Morehouse Road Vineyard, First Harvest 2009 Finger Lakes $45; Marsannay Joseph Roty 2001 $69; Terraces du Larzac Les Pensées Mas de L'Ecriture 2004 $62.
Momofuku Ssäm Bar
When Eater first looked at the Momofuku Ssäm Bar wine list one year ago, Theresa Paopao had recently taken over and downsized the once sizeable, and oddly Bordeaux-heavy list down to a more manageable 200 wines. Germany and Austria came to dominate the white section and Bordeaux was ditched for lighter reds that were more compatible with the food. For those looking to go long, there was a reserve list that was full of wines at fair prices and some at bargain bin levels. The one gripe was the brevity of the Champagne portion of the list, considering it's a perfect go to for this type of cuisine.
One year later, she's beefed up the sparkling section a bit, but instead of going heavy on Champagne, she's opted for an affordable, eclectic mix of sparkling wines, from a 100% pinot auxerrois bubbly from Orschwihr in Alsace to sparkling ribolla gialla from I Clivi in Friuli. Rosé is also owning more real estate here with a 11 selections that will eventually increase to 15, with a focus on Germany.
She's added a few new sections as well. In "Baller White" and "Baller Red" you'll find high-end wines that are rotated in from her "Hit List," which is part reserve list and part list of wines with limited stock, priced to move. There are also three new sections for "Family-Style" white, red, and Champagne (i.e. magnums), for those going the bo ssäm route.
While there are lots of small changes to the list, overall it's become far more compatible with the ethos and experience at Ssäm Bar. What is reliable across the Momofuku lists is Paopao's commitment to playfulness and a penchant for off-beat wines under $75 that play nice with the food. Here she compliments that with a small, but often enticing list of high-end wines for those who skew toward the Burgundy and Rhone over the Loire and Languedoc. In short, everyone wins.
A few standouts: 10 Ribolla Gialla, I Clivi 'RBL' Brut Nature, Friuliano, Italy $56; 08 Riesling Kabinett, JJ Prum Graacher Himmelreich, Mosel, Germany $70; Chardonnay, Domaine de la Bongran Cuvee EJ Thevenet, Vire Clesse, Macon, Burgundy, France $75; 10 Roussanne, Jean-Charles Girard-Madoux, Chignin-Bergeron, Savoie, France $48; 10 Trepat, Josep Foraster Montblanc, Conca de Barbera, Spain $46; 07 Xinomavro, Karydas, Naoussa, Greece $55; 04 Chardonnay, Jacques Prieur 1er cru Meursault-Santenots, Meursault, Burgundy, France 216; 97 Pinot Noir, Domaine J-L Trapet Grand Cru Le Chambertin, Gevrey-Chambertin $300.
· All Editions of Decanted [~ENY~]
[Photo]