2025 Chapitre and Induction Dinner of
the Chevaliers du Tastevin
@ The Fort Orange Club, Albany, NY, 11/01/2025
The Albany-Capital Region chapter of
La Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin
held its 2025 Chapitre and Induction Dinner at
The Fort Orange Club,
in Albany, NY.
The host for this dinner was George Weissman,
who is a member of the Fort Orange Club.
This might have been our best Induction ever.
The food from Executive Chef Lou Agostinello was exceptional
and so well matched to the wines.
The service was impeccable from start to finish.
In addition to have the most inductees in one year (six),
this was also the 30th anniversary of the founding of this chapter.
The wines were from the chapter's cellar,
except for the Port which George Weissman provided in honor of
the 30th anniversary of this chapter.
See each wine note for decanting info.
Click on any image with a border for a larger view of that image,
and in many cases more image.
Most of the photos here are mine, but some are from others as noted.
Sections
The Venue
The Fort Orange Club
was founded in January 1880 by a group of Albany businessmen and city and state officials.
They wanted to create a club elevated in character, worthy of the city,
broadly representative and inclusive in membership, and faithfully maintaining a high
standard.
The club was named after the fort built in Albany in
1624 by the Dutch West India Company.
Five months after the initial meeting, the club members
purchased the 1810 mansion, located at 110 Washington Avenue in Albany.
It had previously been a family home, as well as a boarding house
where Aaron Burr once stayed.
The house chosen in part because of its location close
to the New York State capitol building, city hall,
and the main business district.
Over the years the mansion was dramatically expanded and refurbished.
These efforts won an award for preservation and decoration in 1997.
I took these photos of the exterior of the Club in May of 2016
before a previous dinnner:
Reception Wines
Before the induction ceremonies, two wines were served with passed appetizers.
I did not taste them, but the wines were
NV Champagne Charles Mignon Brut Premium Reserve from magnum and
the 2022 JC Perraud Viré-Clessé. Here is Salil's note
on the Champagne:
-
NV Charles Mignon Champagne Brut Premium Reserve -
France, Champagne
[From magnum.] Good stuff. Not overly complex, but works nicely as a casual
aperitif sipper. Brightly fruited with lively acidity and effervescence,
plenty of apple and pear fruit and lighty yeasty notes here. Very nice.
(88 points)
First two photos by Jared, the last from the Internet.
Three of our soon to be new members at the bar:
James Stahl (with Jennifer Terrell), Salil Benegal, Robert Coppola:
The Induction
Tracey Lavery (Délégué Général Nord-Est)
presided over the induction ceremony along with the
Grand Sénéchal of our chapter, Jared Shulman,
Argentier Severn Goodwin, Archivist Rob Brass, and
Karl Manne.
The procession of officers enters led by Jared, then Severn, Rob, and Tracey:
Tracey Lavery reads the induction in Macaronic latin (i.e. pig-latin)
while Jared translates
.
And the inductees wait (left to right): Robert Coppola, Karen Murtaugh,
James Stahl, Ryan White, Salil Benegal, and Caroline Melkonian:
Severn pours the wine into the chalice that the inductees will taste.
Our new Chevaliers swear to uphold the principles of the
Chevaliers du Tastevin:
The new Knights with their shiny tastevins and ribbons:
You can find
photos of each new Chevalier being knighted
here.
Dinner
The menu cover:
First Course.
Pan Seared Chilean Sea Bass with Toasted Almond Persimmon Salsa and
Red Beet Puree. Delicious and well matched to the wine.
-
2017 Ballot-Millot & Fils Meursault 1er Cru Les Genevrières -
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault 1er Cru
[Opened around 6:30, poured at 7:15. Tasted around 7:30.] Crisp, slatey nose.
Full of flavor in the mouth. A really tasty wine which went quite well with
the Chilean Sea Bass. (93 points)
Second Course.
Veal Roulade with Veal Scallopine, Wild Mushroom Duxelles, and
Thyme-Scented Hollandaise. Tasty but maybe a little light for this big wine.
-
2002 Stéphane Brocard Clos Vougeot -
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos Vougeot Grand Cru
[Double decanted around 4:30pm. Tasted about 8pm.] Nose of black fruit and spice.
Still showing some tannin, but long and complex. Rich black fruit.
Classic Clos Vougeot. (93 points)
Third Course.
Hudson Valley Duck Breast with Pan Rendered Pinot-Black Cherry Reduction,
Grilled Pumpkin and Mâche.
My favorite dish tonight. The duck was perfect and harmonized with the wine.
-
2015 Domaine Anne et Hervé Sigaut Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru
Les Sentiers Vieilles Vignes -
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru
[Opened around 5pm. Tasted around 8pm.] This was the wine and dish of the
evening for me. The wine was so open and just singing. Huge perfume of licorice
and black fruits. Sweet fruit and expansive in the mouth. I just love this!
And the duck only makes it better. So long and complex.
I could drink this all night. (95 points)
Fourth Course.
Roasted Lamb Tenderloin with Pomegranate-Mint Gastrique,
Tourné Potato and Herb Roasted Carrots.
Very good dish, especially the lamb.
Celebrating the Chapter's 30th Anniversary
George Weissman, one of only a few orginal members,
recounts some of the history of our chapter.
He also provided the Port that we had with dessert.
Above photos by Rob.
Dessert
Chocolate-Kahlua Pots de Crème with Fresh Whipped Sweet Cream,
Shaved Cocoa and a Fresh Strawberry.
Yummy, but I was pretty full at this point.
-
1995 Quinta do Noval Porto Vintage - Portugal, Douro, Porto
[Double decanted at 5pm. Tasted around 10pm.] Lovely nose of cherries and cocoa.
Long and mellow. A nice end to the evening. (92 points)
Closing Ceremony
Executive Chef Lou Agostinello introduces his team:
Maître d' Chris Cropsey introduces his team:
Grand Sénéchal Jared presents Chef Lou with a memento
of our visit which includes the menu for the evening:
Above six photos by Rob.
And now we do the La La song:
Conclusion
Another terrific evening of wine, food, and friends.
My tasting notes posted from
CellarTracker.
Salil's notes on these wines (but different bottles).
Go to the top of the page.
All original content © Ken Vastola
