Cafe Boulud
Address:
20 E 76th St
New York, NY 10021-2643
Phone:
212-772-2600
Website:
Rating:
Good For:
French, Old World, Mature vintages
List Summary
Café Boulud’s eclectic departure from traditional French cooking lays out a challenge for the wine list, which Daniel Johnnes and Emanuel Moosbrugger successfully tackle with the same expertise that every Johnnes supervised list exhibits.The menu is divided into four main parts: Classic, Market, Seasonal, and a wild card detour to a rotating roster countries like Japan and Spain that the chef is currently drawing culinary inspiration from.
Thankfully the wine list remains focused, sticking to the Frenchies. Deep, well-organized caverns of Bordeaux and Burgunduy stand out, followed by a solid collection of Rhone wines. CA takes the baton from France with four full pages, and the rest of the world is forced to cram into a similar space.
Markups are standard for the Upper East Side (i.e. above the curve), but there are plenty of wines priced under $100 that are thoroughly exciting. Still, the collection’s virtue, which warrants a visit, is its top shelf. So, if you are out with an expense account or just a sense of abandon, this is a fine place to mine some Burgundian ore.
List Review Wine Key:
Sparkling
White
Rose
Red
Sweet
Fortified
| By The Half { Most interesting available by the half bottle } |
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| Santenay 'La Comme Dessus' 2006, Domaine Jean-Marc Morey | $50 |
| Value Option { Best under £35/$50/bottom 20% of list PLUS any particularly rare bargains at ANY price point } |
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| ‘FRV 100’ NV, Terres Dorees (Jean-Paul Brun) | $60 |
| JP Brun is one of our go-to value guys for red and white (yes, it exists) Beaujolias. Here he tries his hand at pink bubbly. Fruity, easy-drinking punch for wine hipsters. |
| Chardonnay ‘Cuvee Daniel’ 2006, Au Bon Climat | $55 |
| All the press ABC has garnered lately is not unfounded. Jim Clemenden's deft touch and non-interventionist approach are responsible for serious Chards of Burgundian stature. Somm Daniel Johnnes's personal cuvee. About as good as house wine gets. |
| Mâcon-Milly-Lamartine 2009, Les Héritiers du Comte Lafon | $55 |
| Dominique Lafon, one of the Burgundy?s all time greats has spread his wings beyond his hometown of Meursault. Dominique Lafon?s collection of affordable wines out of Macon. One of 4 single vineyard bottlings, this crafted with the same Lafon precision and grace. |
| Coteaux du Languedoc ‘L’Infidele’ 2004, Mas Cal Demoura | $55 |
| One of the Languedoc’s great estates, which has been immortalized by many a wine writer. Impenetrable dark fruit and sweaty farm. Rustic Southern farmhouse wine at its finest. |
| Touraine 'Le Vilain P'tit Rouge' 2008, Domaine Vincent Ricard | $55 |
| Bourgogne Rouge 2007, Domaine Sylvain Pataille | $70 |
| 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 } |
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| Vouvray sec 'Clos Naudin' 1999, Domaine Foreau | $80 |
| Irancy 'Palotte' 2006, Domaine Colinot | $85 |
| Off the Beaten Track |
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| Cornalin ‘Les Bernunes’ 2007, Fernand et Conrad Caloz | $105 |
| Savagnin (indigenous to the Jura) sourced from high-altitude vineyard sites in the Swiss Alps. Bracing purity and lacey aromatics buttressed by ripe, honeyed fruit with the density of something hailing from much further South. A glorious little contradiction. |
| 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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| Saint-Estephe 1982, Calon Segur | $530 |
| Savigny-Les-Beaune ‘Leds Lavieres’ 1976, Bouchard | $1,600 (1.5) |
| St. Emilion 1986, Chateau L'Arrosée | $355 |
| 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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| Chablis 1er Cru 'Montée de Tonnerre' 2001, Domaine François Raveneau | $245 |
| Auslese ‘Saarburger Rausch’ 1993, Zilliken | $140 |
| Deconstructed Riesling at Auslese volume. Throwing buckets of petrol and stone fruit against a roar of acid to balance the richness. Kaboom. |
| Morey-Saint-Denis 'Clos de la Roche' 1995, Domaine Lignier-Michelot | $385 |
| Nuits-Saint-Georges '1er Cru Clos des Forets Saint Georges' 1999, Domaine de L'Arlot | $325 |
| Infanticide { Wines being sold too young, and a prime indicator of sommelier’s integrity. Usually found towards the expensive end of a list with big names thrown in for several or more hundred pounds despite being years off drinking to that price. } |
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| '05 Rousseau Grand Crus | |
| Crowd pleaser { Well known, trusted producer, region or varietal. No surprises, no disappointments } |
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| Menetou-Salon 2006, Domaine Philippe Gilbert | $55 |
| Lirac 2006, Domaine de Mayran | $45 |
| House Wine Index
{ Number of House wines available by the glass & the mean price } |
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| 17 wines available by the glass at an average price of $16.05. 4 sparklers available by the flute at an average price of $29.75. 4 sweet wines available by the glass at an average price of $17.50. |
| Krug Index
{ Price of a bottle Bollinger } |
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| N/A |
