WCC Red Burgundy Blind @ Le Quai, Waterford, NY, 4/23/2025

WCC Red Burgundy Blind
@ Le Quai Bistrot Français, Waterford, NY, 4/23/2025

My Albany-area group (the Wine Collectors Club) got together to taste red Burgundy blind at Le Quai Bistrot Français in Waterford just north of Albany, NY. They don't have a website yet, but here is their Facebook page. Dinner began around 7:30pm and ended around 10pm.

The food at Le Quai Bistrot Français is something special. Every dish was special and enhanced the wines. Chef-owner Mo Malih is simply brilliant.

Click on any photo with a border for a larger view of that photo. Some larger photos contain more image as well as much higher resolution and are typically 3-4 MB.

Note that where there are two photos of the same dish, the second in each pair is by Severn. Also, all the bottle photos are by Sev.

General Manager Robert Lizardo (right)
outside the restaurant to welcome us.

The menu and the place setting.

Appetizers
What was listed on the menu as "amuse bouche" turned out to be a incredible collection of appetizers.

Zaalouk (Moroccan smoked eggplant ratatouille), Rabbit Rillette (rabbit meat and duck fat spread).

Escargot Spring Rolls and Country Pâté.

Great Fresh Bread and Butter.

Flight 1
Consommé de Boeuf: Beef Consomé Pot au Feu style. Brunoise of vegetables, and foie gras dumplings.
This was extraordinary. The subtle flavor of the consomé contrasted with the incredible richness of the foie gras.

1999 Bouchard Père et Fils Beaune 1er Cru Beaune du Château - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Beaune 1er Cru
[Double-decanted for 21 hours.] Lovely mature nose of dried cherries. Quite mature in the mouth, but still showing some nice cherries on the finish. Drink up or give it a lot less air. (88 points)
2013 Henri Jouan Morey St. Denis 1er Cru Clos Sorbé - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Morey St. Denis 1er Cru
[Double-decanted for 2 hours at 3:30 pm.] Subtle nose of red fruit. Gorgeous in the mouth. Deep, long complex. Really lovely. (93 points)

Flight 2: Corton
Œuf en Meurette: Poached duck egg in red wine, mushroom mousse, duck lardons, brioche toasts.
Oh my! This is incredible, the richness, the complexity of flavors.

2005 Faiveley Corton-Clos des Cortons Faiveley - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru
[Double-decanted at 5pm for a half hour.] Odd green nose at first, but that blows off over time. Black cherry in the mouth. Long, rich, complex. I should have given it more air. (93 points)
2013 P. Dubreuil-Fontaine Père & Fils Corton-Clos du Roi - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru
[Double-decanted for one hour at 4:30 pm.] Interesting bouquet of cherries and orange peel. Sweet black fruit. Expansive, complex. I like it a lot. (94 points)

Flight 3: Echezeaux
Pintade Rôtie: Slow roasted guinea fowl, light cream and morel mushroom sauce, pork lardons, black truffles, & lentils purée.
Another incredible dish. I'm running out of superlatives. Everything in this is cooked perfectly, each vegetable, each morel, and the bird!

2001 Mongeard-Mugneret Echezeaux - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Echezeaux Grand Cru
[Double-decanted at 3:30 pm.] Complex nose has some red fruit and some greenness. Medium body. A touch too green for me. Still interesting. Long finish. (92 points)
2001 Domaine Jean Grivot Echezeaux - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Echezeaux Grand Cru
[Pop and pour.] Bright red fruit nose. Long and complex, but quite young. Lots of red fruit with a hint of stems and some tannin still showing. (93 points)
2010 Domaine A.-F. Gros Echezeaux - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Echezeaux Grand Cru
[Double-decanted for 2 hours at 3:30 pm.] A little lighter than the previous two, but something truly ethereal here. Complex with a riveting super long finish. For me, the WOTN. A wow wine. (96 points)

Flight 4: Faiveley
Duo of veal. Jarret de Veau et Ris de Veau: Braised shank and pan roasted sweetbreads, veal jus corsé, cream of époisses, mashed potatoes.
OK, now I think they're trying to kill us with great food. The sweetbreads were perfect. The shank meat exquisite.

2005 Faiveley Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Les Cazetiers - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru
[Double-decanted for 20 minutes at 8am.] Gorgeous red fruit nose. Complex with subtle tannins and a long, sweet finish. (95 points)
2008 Faiveley Echezeaux - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Echezeaux Grand Cru
[Pop and pour.] Nose of red fruit and minerals. Long, delicious. Another winner. (94 points)
2009 Faiveley Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Les Damodes - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru
[Double-decanted at 3:30 pm.] Smoky red fruit. Long, complex, balanced with plenty of fruit to hold up to the tannins. Should drink well for at least another decade. My #2 WOTN. Group #1. (95 points)

Dessert
Baba au Rhum and crème brûlée.
I had to get this to go, I was so full.
Over the next day, my wife and I enjoyed every bite!

Conclusion

A terrific evening of great food, great friends, and excellent wines no doubt made better by the food. I can't remember a wine-friendly meal ever being quite this good.

My tasting notes posted from CellarTracker.

Here are Salil's notes on CellarTracker.

People Pix

The gang is very happy:

Chef-owner Mo Malih and dinner organizer John:

All the wines:

WOTN Voting (3pts each for #1, 2pts for #2, 1pt for #3)

Rank	Pts	Wine
1	18	2009 Faiveley Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Les Damodes
2	8	2010 Domaine A.-F. Gros Echezeaux
3(tie)	7	2001 Domaine Jean Grivot Echezeaux
3(tie)	7	1999 Bouchard Beaune 1er Cru Beaune du Château
5	6	2013 P. Dubreuil-Fontaine Corton-Clos du Roi
6(tie)	5	2001 Mongeard-Mugneret Echezeaux
6(tie)	5	2005 Faiveley Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Les Cazetiers
8	3	2013 Henri Jouan Morey St. Denis 1er Cru Clos Sorbé
9	1	2008 Faiveley Echezeaux
10	0	2005 Faiveley Corton-Clos des Cortons Faiveley