Momofuku Ssam Bar
Address:
207 2nd Ave
New York, NY 10003
Phone:
212-254-3500
Website:
Rating:
Good For:
Mature vintages, Quirky, Old World, New World
List Summary
If pork were a religion, it would have no finer prophet than David Chang. NY’s very own pig evangelist has spread the gospel and has made believers of even the most ardent pig haters. In fact, we hear the average cholesterol level amongst the East Village population has risen by 7 points since Chang littered the hood with noodles, pork butts, and soft serve. And, despite that just about everything he cooks could stop your heart in one sitting, he has managed to make fat consumption fashionable.However, the wine list is the real accomplishment here. Usually, while chowing down on Asian cuisine we (and perhaps anyone else who spends as much time at Grand Szechuan as we do) would rather slug 6 Tsingtao rather than tuck to a bottle of red Burg. However, at Ssam our thumb through the wine list has us happily swearing off Chinese beer at every turn.
The list is one of the most cuisine-appropriate we’ve come across in our studies. It relies heavily on the wines of Germany and Austria (the only two that appear under a country heading) and digs deep into historical territory with vintage offerings dating back to the ‘70’s. The rest of the whites are organized by style, and the list splits quite evenly between France, Italy, and U.S. If you arrive with a penchant for adventure, turn straight to the “White: Funky” section (which also happens to house the best whites under $100) and you’ll find yourself in some uncharted, but favorable territory.
As for the reds, there are plenty of suitable pork partners in various formats. The mag selection is an especially kind inclusion considering there is a six person minimum to tackle the whole butt. The selection is egalitarian, owning no notable preference for one country or another. Arranged by style and in lieu of a “Red: Funky” section, they provide us with an equally intriguing “Red: Primed” corner, showcasing wise old reds primed for decanter-free drinking.
Aside from being a well-balanced selection with solid vintage depth and a complimentary eye to the cuisine, the list is well priced and is presented with admirable format variation (not something that we see all that often). In short, you couldn’t find a finer set of wines to accompany Chang’s sacramental swine.
List Review Wine Key:
Sparkling
White
Rose
Red
Sweet
Fortified
| By The Glass { Most interesting available by the glass } |
|---|
| Verdelho "Marcher Sur la Lune’ 2008, Scholium Project | $16 |
| Riesling Auslese ‘Urziger Würzgarten’ 1998, C.H. Berres | $15 |
| Lagrein, ‘Perl’ 2007, Cantina Bolzano | $16
$13 |
| By The Half { Most interesting available by the half bottle } |
|---|
| Chablis 2004, William Fevre | $52 |
| Bandol 2005, Chateau Pibarnon | $58 |
| Value Option { Best under £35/$50/bottom 20% of list PLUS any particularly rare bargains at ANY price point } |
|---|
| Champagne ‘Sir Winston Churchill’ 1998, Pol Roger | $400 (1.5L) |
| Whoa. This is either mis-priced or an absurd deal as it is easily below retail pricing. Behind the curtain lies a rich, toasted beast of a bubbly that's practically BFF with Krug and Bollinger's RD. Bust out the Amex. |
| Scheurebe Trocken Deutscher Sekt 2007, Dr. Becker | $53 |
| German sparklers can hold their own in an international bubbly showdown yet remain tragically under-appreciated. We don’t get it, but we’ll happily enjoy the rock-bottom pricing for as long as it lasts. Dr. Becker’s Scheurebe is an old favorite, throwing ripe fruit and plenty of minerality. |
| Chablis 1er Cru ‘Bougros’ 1997, Brocard | $290 (1.5L) |
| Concentrated, but still subtle and refined. A fine effort from Brocard that is just getting undressed. Will drink like a champ from the mag. |
| Montemarino 2007, Cascina Degli Ulivi | $56 |
| Sourced from 120-year-old Cortese vines, this is far and away the best Gavi you will ever have. This is a concentrated, elaborate wine. We'd even consider a decant. |
| Kerner 2007, Kofererhof | $65 |
| The prince of Alto Adige or the knight of the Suditrol, if you will. Kofererhof is built to impress and this rich, forward Kerner has a mesmerizing bouquet of fruit, spice and mineral and plenty of tough acidity. Purebred stuff. |
| Fou du Roi NV, Les Temps des Cerises | $66 |
| Grenache, Syrah, and Cinsault vinified via carbonic maceration (ala Beaujolais). One of the best natural wines made in France. Pure, dark fruit, and beautiful aromatics. |
| Gamay 2007, Grosjean | $56 |
| Grosjean's alpine take on Gamay. High-toned, earthy, alpine goodness. |
| Cabernet Sauvignon ‘Montebello’ 1992, Ridge | $350 |
| We wish there were more producers who could manage to make wines as nuanced as Ridge's. Gorgeous, integrated, and subtle (by CA standards). This is priced at about $100 less than what most restaurants in the city are offering it at. Spin it in the decanter. |
| 1st Date { Impressive but not too showy: circa £50 – but a wine that shows one’s connoisseurship rather than just size of wallet/expense account } |
|---|
| Pinot Gris ‘Brand’ 2000, Binner | $95 |
| Gripping aromatics and a broad, affable core. A beefier rendition of this classic quaffer. The Binner estate holds their juice back until it is guaranteed to tickle our fancy. |
| St. Joseph ‘Les Serines’ 2004, Yves Cuilleron | $99 |
| Meaty, rustic Syrah from one of our favorite old-schoolers. Not for the meek of heart. Brambly, bodacious, and begging for a stint in the decanter. Will show well with a 20min jog. |
| Off the Beaten Track |
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| Oreg Tokek Old Vines 2006, Tokek Kreinbacher Birtok | $60 |
| Little Hungarian juice sourced from Volcanic soil at the foot of Austrian Alps. Full-bodied blend of Hárslevelű, Furmint, and Olaszrizling (Welchsriesling) with plenty of salinic zip. |
| Brazan 2003, I Clivi | $67 |
| A rare trinket from the Friulian underground. Organic old vines Tocai and Malvasia vinified in via non-interventionist tactics. Funky, earthy, and dark in color due to extended macerations. |
| ‘The Electric’ 2008, Red Hook Winery | $65 |
| The Electric is an odd blend of Chardonnay and late-harvest Riesling from the North Fork of Long Island and smells and tastes like the unlikely marriage of two different animals (i.e. it tastes like centaur). |
| Old School Classic { Classic (usually French or Italian – depending on dominant cuisine), from the middle of the list – a good wine, with age to stick on expenses and impress crusty wine bores/board members } |
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| Riesling Auslese ‘‘Wehlerner Sonnenhur’ 1975, JJ Prum | $324 |
| Bonnes Mares 2001, JF Mugnier | $500 |
| St. Julien 1989, Chateau Gruaud Larose | $315 |
| Treat Yourself { Remember when you used to get a bonus? not necessarily most expensive – but a real treat, rare, particularly good vintage etc } |
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| Blanc de Blanc NV, Pierre Peters | $125 |
| Everyone’s favorite grower Champagne. Pierre Peters has gained quite a reputation for the focused and minerally take-your-breath-away bubbly that is built to satiate even the fussiest of drinkers. |
| Riesling Spatlese ‘Wehlerner Sonnenhur’ 1983, JJ Prum | $162 |
| A stellar value from one of the Mosel’s top dogs. Tremendously complex, still full of life-giving purity, and possessing a lush core. So delicious that it may inspire a coup against all other white wines. |
| Riesling Auslese Goldkap ‘Saarburger Rausch’ 1983, Zilliken | $211 |
| At 27 years out this is throwing tons of petrol, earth, and rich stone fruit. On the palate, the sugar compounds in the wine have broken apart leaving the wine exposed vulnerable and beautiful as a result. |
| Sancerre ‘Cuvée Paul’ 1999, François Cotat | $220 |
| Brilliant stuff from the master of Chavignol. Since Cotat inherited his father’s legendary estate, he’s resisted the collective urge to modernize and gone organic instead. Yields are still on the floor, picking is still done by hand, and the quality remains astounding. Drinking excellent now. |
| Pinot Noir ‘Monogram’ 2003, Domaine Serene | $313 |
| Easily some of the most ambitious juice to come out of Oregon, and damn near impossible to find due to its minuscule production run. Expensive yes, but offered at an exceedingly kind markup. Call ahead for a decant. |
| Rioja Gran Reserva ‘Vina Tondonia’ 1973, Lopez de Heredia | $310 |
| The ultimate classic - no one can touch Lopez de Heredia when it comes to traditional Rioja. A Spanish national treasure to be sure. Now a brick orange hue and firing off a bundle of iron and sweet red fruit. |
| Chambertin Grand Cru 1997, J.L. Trapet | $250 |
| Six generations in, the Trapet estate knows how to breed two things: suave Pinot and staunchly traditionalist winemakers. If anything the estate is de-modernizing, and went completely biodynamic a few years back. ‘97s are in a happy place right now. |
| Grands Echezeaux 1999, Domaine Thenard | $305 |
| Virtually unknown in the US, Thenard has been churning out fantastic traditional Burg from some of the finest vineyards in all of Burgundy. Fantastic value on Grand Cru Burg from a lean, classic vintage. |
| Peynaud 2001, Mas de Daumas Gassac | $302 |
| Often dubbed the Lafite of the Languedoc, Mas de Daumas and its curmudgeon of a winemaker have already been immortalized in many and book and movie for the transcendent nature of these dense, exotic, farmhouse wines. This is their 100% cab tribute to celebrated enologist Emile Peynaud. Big, intense, and rustic. |
| Crowd pleaser { Well known, trusted producer, region or varietal. No surprises, no disappointments } |
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| Gruner Veltliner 2008, Loimer | $56 |
| Zinfandel 2008, Joel Gott | $52 |
| House Wine Index
{ Number of House wines available by the glass & the mean price } |
|---|
| 16 wines available by the glass at an average price of $13.40. 16 wines available by the carafe at an average price of $34.39. 2 sparklers available by the flute at an average price of $12.50. |
| Krug Index
{ Price of a bottle Bollinger } |
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| N/A |
