DB Bistro Moderne
Address:
55 W 44th St
New York, NY 10036
Phone:
212-391-2400
Website:
Rating:
Good For:
Mature vintages, Great Value, Old World, Italian, French
List Summary
As the one, two, three, four—fifth outpost of the Boulud NY Empire, DB Bistro Moderne is the unlikely victor of our hearts with just five short pages of surgically selected and budget friendly wines built for just about any sensibility.As home to the most expensive burger (stuffed with heart-stopping truffle-and-foie gras-laced short ribs) in Manhattan at $32, DB Bistro Moderne serves up an equally rich and compact set of wines. Stuffed with society mavens and stodgy finance barons, this isn’t exactly the city’s most buoyant crowd, but the wine list doesn’t hint of it. Sure we find some top flight Bdx flexing muscle and a solid, well-honed collection of Burgs, but the list is hardly dated. It reads more like a downtown list at any number of progressive spins on French Bistro food. However, there is a bit more cash in the drawer here, and it shows.
The vintage depth is admirable, but even more noteworthy is the pricing. Overall, this is one of the finest value lists we’ve stumbled upon. The markups don’t dip below retail, but they are consistently below standard in every price point (see: ’86 Puy-Lacoste @ $210 and ’89 Zilliken Riesling @ a cheeky $89, for example).
The list shines (obviously) with France, but the rest of the world (primarily Italy and Spain in the reds and Germany and Austria in the whites) shares plenty of space.
So while this isn’t the place to stumble into with bed-head and a vintage sweater vest, the list begs a more progressive downtown appeal, with a juicy collection of Old World ornaments at sensible pricing.
List Review Wine Key:
Sparkling
White
Rose
Red
Sweet
Fortified
| By The Half { Most interesting available by the half bottle } |
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| Tokaji Aszu ‘6 Puttonyos’ 1999, Dobogo | $160 |
| Value Option { Best under £35/$50/bottom 20% of list PLUS any particularly rare bargains at ANY price point } |
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| Chinon Blanc 'Cuvée des Tireaux' 2005, Olek-Mery | $70 |
| St. Aubin 'La Princeé' 2007, Hubert Lamy | $88 |
| Marsanne 'Vin de Pays des Collines Rhodaniennes' 2009, Yves Cuilleron | $58 |
| Bourgogne Passetoutgrain ‘L’Exception’ 2007, Lafarge | $64 |
| Before you see passetoutgrain and look away, hear us out. This blend of Gamay and Pinot Noir isn’t about to fool you into thinking its Grand Cru red Burg but isn’t all bubble gum and doilies either. Solid contender In this price point combining Pinot Noir aromatics with forward Gamay fruit. |
| 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, Foreau | $80 |
| Chassagne-Montrachet Rouge 2005, Maltroye | $79 |
| A “red sheep” from the heart of Chardonnay country, Maltroye’s Chassagne rouge will have you siding with the underdog. Mixed animal metaphors aside, we’re big fans of this wine, and of under-appreciated red Chassagne in general. |
| Off the Beaten Track |
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| Grauburgunder 'Steirische Klassik' 2008, Neumeister | $62 |
| 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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| Meursault ‘Clos de la Barre’ 1994, Comtes Lafon | $450 |
| Barolo Riserva 1990, Borgogno | $365 |
| 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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| Brut ‘Celebris’ 1996, Gosset | $299 |
| The Gosset?s have been making Champagne since the beginning of time (more specifically 1584?although it wasn?t bubbly back then). The Celebris is a blend of (primarily) Grand Cru Chardonnay fruit and Pinot Meunier. Here from one of the greatest Champagne vintages in recent memory. Floral and concentrated with plenty of clean, focused acidity. A fine effort at a stomachable price. |
| Ermitage ‘Le Meal’ 1997, Chapoutier | $295 |
| A veritable Rhone dinosaur who has produced wine here since before Christ. Medium to full-bodied with enough structure to stand up to a stick of butter. This stellar vintage is just starting to show its bones, with a troupe of musk, mineral, butterscotch, and stone fruit that still manages to stay light and fresh on the palate. Incredible wine. |
| St. Julien 1996, Clos du Marquis | $155 |
| Barolo 1999, Bartolo Mascarello | $299 |
| Bartolo’s wines are some of the most definably traditional in all of Italy and THE traditional Barolo. Made the same way his grandfather’s grandfather produced it. Long skin maceration and large Slovenian oak barrel ageing the same way, year after year. The ‘99 is one of the best releases in recent memory, but ask for decant as this baby can be a bit fussy upon opening. |
| Corton Grand Cru 'Les Bressandes' 1999, Domaine de la Pousse d'Or | $245 |
| Volnay 1er Cru 'Santenots-Du-Milieu' 2003, Domaine des Comtes Lafon | $230 |
| Châteauneuf-du-Pape 'Cuvée Tradition' 1998, Domaine Monpertuis | $165 |
| Crowd pleaser { Well known, trusted producer, region or varietal. No surprises, no disappointments } |
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| Muscadet Sevre et Maine 'Sur Lie' 2009, Pepiere | $40 |
| Bourgogne 1997, Michael Gaunoux | $65 |
| House Wine Index
{ Number of House wines available by the glass & the mean price } |
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| N/A |
| Krug Index
{ Price of a bottle Bollinger } |
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| $399 |
