Two legendary winemakers behind two world-renowned properties came together for a joint wine dinner last week at Tribeca Grill.
David Powell and Daniel Brunier
David Powell is behind Torbreck and Daniel Brunier is behind Vieux Télégraphe and the two men could not be more different – their backgrounds, their demeanor and their wine making style. Daniel is the 4th generation in a family that’s been making wine for 110 years; David started Torbreck in 1994. Daniel was quiet and reserved while David was larger than life. My two favorite quotes from the evening capture their personalities well.
“If you don’t make a wine you like, you’re not a real winemaker.” -Daniel
“Don’t share me a good idea or I’ll try to steal it.” – David
Tasting the wines side by side was like the classic exercise old world vs. new world. Daniel’s wines were elegant, earthy and restrained while David’s were rich, lush and in-your-face.
Both were delicious and it was incredible to see the range that these two producers could achieve using the same Rhône varietals – Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Viognier, Marsanne, Roussanne and so on.
My favorites of the night were the 1995 Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape (dark cherries, coffee and cloves); it sang with the braised shortribs and the 1999 Torbreck RunRig 1999 (concentrated with black fruits and leather); it stole the show with the artisanal cheese course.
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