October 3, 2011
Last night I was fortunate enough to be a part of the first wine and food pairing collaboration between La Tour Wine Merchants and Spare Parts Bistro. The coming together of two extremely detail oriented and talented people made for a very special evening of food and wine. In short, I have to say that it is a rare occasion for harmony to be found so completely and with such apparent ease as the pairings that were presented to each lucky guest. What struck me the most with each progressing course was the balance of each and every piece working together to achieve a complex and coherent whole.
Amuse Bouche - Pork Fat Carmel Corn
N.V. Domaine Allimant-Laugner Crémant d'Alsace Rosé**+
A light and sweet opening course that displayed a touch of savory notes that was a great counterpart to the bright acidity and fruitiness of the Pinot Noir based bubbles.
Salt-roasted Fingerling potato, Smoked Salmon, Creme Fraiche, Shallot, Tobiko
2010 Le Galatin, Bandol Rose**+
This pairing was all about balance and letting every note have its moment to shine. Even the smoked salmon was a team player and didn’t over power.
Heirloom Tomato Soup, Bacon, Taleggio, Sourdough Bread
2010 Erste & Neue St. Magdalener "Grobnerhof," Schiava/Lagrein**+
Wonderfully comforting soup and grilled cheese course that was paired with a light and fruity red from Northern Italy that also had enough acid to not get lost while standing up to the tomatoes.
Local Rock Crab, Lane Farms Corn, Jalapeno, Cilantro
2006 Erben Von Beulwitz Kaseler Niles'chen, Riesling Kabinett en Magnum***
Maybe my favorite course. Fantastic sweetness that never got cloying. The sweet and brine of the crab, was hightened with the sweet corn while pairing wonderfully with a delicious Riesling that stood toe to toe with the food and even added to the dish with wonderful acidity.
2009 Domaine Montpertuis, Chateauneuf du Pape**
A nice interlude to keep our palates sharp and not give us one moment to rest.
Garlic Fennel Sausage, Polenta, Wild Mushrooms, Madeira
2008 Confuron-Cotetidot, Bourgogne Rouge**+
A fantastic savory combination on both fronts. The creamy polenta was embellished with home-made sausage and local wild mushrooms. While the wine added a touch of red fruit and continued the earthiness of the mushrooms.
House-made Ricotta, Honey, Berries, Mint
1989 Domaine Brunet, Demi-Sec Vouvray****
A subtle yet elegant finish to the meal. The ricotta was rustic and delicious with the locally grown berries. At the same time, the Vouvray was absolutely tantalizing on the nose offering layers of candied fruits, minerality, and honeysuckle.
A huge thank you goes out to Graham for putting all of this together and making sure that I could be apart of it. The food, wine, and conversation all played a huge part in another wonderful experience living La Dolce Vita.
Cheers!
0 Stars - No rating
1 Star (*) - Not of significant quality or interest
2 Stars (**) - A notable wine of legitimate interest
3 Stars (***) - Great wine that should be searched out
4 Stars (****) - Fantastic wine that should not be missed
5 Stars (*****) - An absolutely mind-bending wine - beg, borrow, or steal to get your hands on some of this amazing juice!
Disclaimer: This rating is based on my palate and at the given time when tasted and may differ from yours. Also, I may catch a bottle in a dumb phase or it just may not speak to me at that particular time.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Monday, August 15, 2011
In a Fowl Mood
August 13, 2011
Sometimes we get an idea in our heads and it won’t go away until it is executed, only then will that specific and persistent desire be satisfied. In this case, it was a night of duck and Pinot Noir with a good friend. My close friend and fellow hedonist, Brian and I were inspired to create a menu around the acquisition of local duck while digging into the cellar to enjoy some great Pinot. The idea came nearly two years ago and on this day it was finally realized. Better late than never!
Brian both conceived and expertly executed the menu which was leisurely enjoyed over a four hour period. We began with grilled Squid & Shallot on a small bed of sautéed Chard. This was served warm and was drizzled with lemon and olive oil. Next came a Leek, Pecorino and Lamb Pizza. Adorned with local ripe cherry tomotoes. An utterly tantalizing concoction of flavor and texture. The coup de grace and main course was a Fennel-Scented Duck Breast w/ Pinot Noir sauce on a Potato Leek Puree. An absolutely delicious dish that certainly lived up to our two years of anticipation. A little touch of sweetness to finish and this was an overall amazing afternoon and evening.
The Lineup:
TerraDora Greco di Tufo 2009**+
Expertly paired with a grilled squid and shallot antipasto. Showed wonderfully bright acidity while giving just enough fruit to make this wine both wonderfully fresh but also quite interesting.
Lange Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 2008**
Nice wine, especially for the price point. Simple fruit and quite tasty. This was a nice interlude and warm-up for the big boys.
Talley Vineyards Pinot Noir Rincon Vineyard 2004***
A big and rich wine showing a reflection of both the vintage and producer. Deep dark notes of black plums, dark cherries, and damp earth. This was quite nice and a great pairing to the lamb pizza.
Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Amber Ridge Vineyard 2006***
Bright red perfumed fruit on the nose leading to a mouth-filling palate of black rasperries. This kept with the lighter stylistic notes of the 2006 vintage, but was solidly rooted in classic KB complexity. Fantastic pairing with the duck.
Brachetto d’Acqui**
Fruity and light, a wonderful way to finish. These wines are so easy to drink, it’s a good thing they are only 6% alcohol!
I am again reminded that I am truly blessed with the continued company of good friends and the enjoyment and abundance of delectable food and drink. A special thanks to Brian for a truly memorable evening.
Cheers!
0 Stars - No rating
1 Star (*) - Not of significant quality or interest
2 Stars (**) - A notable wine of legitimate interest
3 Stars (***) - Great wine that should be searched out
4 Stars (****) - Fantastic wine that should not be missed
5 Stars (*****) - An absolutely mind-bending wine - beg, borrow, or steal to get your hands on some of this amazing juice!
Disclaimer: This rating is based on my palate and at the given time when tasted and may differ from yours. Also, I may catch a bottle in a dumb phase or it just may not speak to me at that particular time.
Sometimes we get an idea in our heads and it won’t go away until it is executed, only then will that specific and persistent desire be satisfied. In this case, it was a night of duck and Pinot Noir with a good friend. My close friend and fellow hedonist, Brian and I were inspired to create a menu around the acquisition of local duck while digging into the cellar to enjoy some great Pinot. The idea came nearly two years ago and on this day it was finally realized. Better late than never!
Brian both conceived and expertly executed the menu which was leisurely enjoyed over a four hour period. We began with grilled Squid & Shallot on a small bed of sautéed Chard. This was served warm and was drizzled with lemon and olive oil. Next came a Leek, Pecorino and Lamb Pizza. Adorned with local ripe cherry tomotoes. An utterly tantalizing concoction of flavor and texture. The coup de grace and main course was a Fennel-Scented Duck Breast w/ Pinot Noir sauce on a Potato Leek Puree. An absolutely delicious dish that certainly lived up to our two years of anticipation. A little touch of sweetness to finish and this was an overall amazing afternoon and evening.
The Lineup:
TerraDora Greco di Tufo 2009**+
Expertly paired with a grilled squid and shallot antipasto. Showed wonderfully bright acidity while giving just enough fruit to make this wine both wonderfully fresh but also quite interesting.
Lange Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 2008**
Nice wine, especially for the price point. Simple fruit and quite tasty. This was a nice interlude and warm-up for the big boys.
Talley Vineyards Pinot Noir Rincon Vineyard 2004***
A big and rich wine showing a reflection of both the vintage and producer. Deep dark notes of black plums, dark cherries, and damp earth. This was quite nice and a great pairing to the lamb pizza.
Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Amber Ridge Vineyard 2006***
Bright red perfumed fruit on the nose leading to a mouth-filling palate of black rasperries. This kept with the lighter stylistic notes of the 2006 vintage, but was solidly rooted in classic KB complexity. Fantastic pairing with the duck.
Brachetto d’Acqui**
Fruity and light, a wonderful way to finish. These wines are so easy to drink, it’s a good thing they are only 6% alcohol!
I am again reminded that I am truly blessed with the continued company of good friends and the enjoyment and abundance of delectable food and drink. A special thanks to Brian for a truly memorable evening.
Cheers!
0 Stars - No rating
1 Star (*) - Not of significant quality or interest
2 Stars (**) - A notable wine of legitimate interest
3 Stars (***) - Great wine that should be searched out
4 Stars (****) - Fantastic wine that should not be missed
5 Stars (*****) - An absolutely mind-bending wine - beg, borrow, or steal to get your hands on some of this amazing juice!
Disclaimer: This rating is based on my palate and at the given time when tasted and may differ from yours. Also, I may catch a bottle in a dumb phase or it just may not speak to me at that particular time.
Friday, July 22, 2011
A night in Loire
July 21, 2011
It had been too long since getting together for a tasting with friends. So, ten of us gathered on a beautiful night in Santa Barbara for a tasting of some wines of the Loire. You can't ask for much more than to sit out and enjoy a great night with friends, a bunch of wine, and some wonderful home cooked food.
On the menu was: truffled cheese and crackers, bruschetta, panzanella salad with amazing heirloom tomatoes and burrata cheese, a fantastic bouillabaisse/zuppa di pesce with a New Orleans flair, and some delicious peaches and nectarines with whipped cream and pistachios served in a mason jar. It was an all around amazing meal, if you couldn't already tell.
The wines:
2009 La Fentre Chardonnay Bien Nacido Vineyard *+ – Not especially ripe in style, but prominent oak showed a toasty character.
2009 Chateau D'Epire, Savennieres ** – Bright, crisp, and quite nice.
2004 Chateau D'Epire, Savennieres * – Slightly oxidized.
2003 Domaine des Baumard, Savennieres, Trie Speciale *** – Star of the flight. Very nice with notes of pear and something reminiscent of waxy cheese.
2005 Domaine des Baumard, Savennieres, Clos du Papillon **+ – My favorite of the flight. Had some good fruit while staying lazer sharp.
2004 Domaine des Baumard, Savennieres, Clos du Papillon ** - Slight funk on the nose, but a nice wine.
2010 Foxen, Chenin Blanc, Ernesto Wickenden Vineyard ** – Much more fruit than its French counterparts, but enjoyable all the same. Notes of banana cream.
2009 Domaine de la Quilla Muscadet - Sevre de Maine *** – Amazing brightness and acidity that begged for shellfish. Best Muscadet I’ve had, great wine.
2008 Domaine du Bel Air, Bourgueil, "les Vingt lieux dits" *+ – The start of the reds, nothing too exciting here, but not bad.
2009 Domaine Sauvete Touraine, Les Gravouilles, Gamay ** – Enjoyed the juicy fruit on this one.
2009 Domaine de Beausejour, Chinon *+ – classic Cab Franc profile
2008 Domaine de Pallus, Chinon, Les Pensees de Pallus *+ – classic Cab Franc profile
2006 Charles Joguet, Chinon, Dioterie *+ – classic Cab Franc profile
2002 Saumur Champigny, Clos Mongeard ** – more rich and full that previous flight, nice wine.
2006 Domaine Nerleux Saumur-Champigny, "Clos Chatains" Monopole ** – nice way to finish the night, showed more fruit.
This was a great tasting through a bunch of cool wines. What continues to be the case for me is that I am drawn much more to the white wines of this region that it's reds. All are of good quality and an attractive price-point, but the whites repeatedly stand out for me. Lovely refreshing wines of great acidity and balance. Now I just need to go out there and get some for my cellar!
Cheers!
0 Stars - No rating
1 Star (*) - Not of significant quality or interest
2 Stars (**) - A notable wine of legitimate interest
3 Stars (***) - Great wine that should be searched out
4 Stars (****) - Fantastic wine that should not be missed
5 Stars (*****) - An absolutely mind-bending wine - beg, borrow, or steal to get your hands on some of this amazing juice!
Disclaimer: This rating is based on my palate and at the given time when tasted and may differ from yours. Also, I may catch a bottle in a dumb phase or it just may not speak to me at that particular time.
It had been too long since getting together for a tasting with friends. So, ten of us gathered on a beautiful night in Santa Barbara for a tasting of some wines of the Loire. You can't ask for much more than to sit out and enjoy a great night with friends, a bunch of wine, and some wonderful home cooked food.
On the menu was: truffled cheese and crackers, bruschetta, panzanella salad with amazing heirloom tomatoes and burrata cheese, a fantastic bouillabaisse/zuppa di pesce with a New Orleans flair, and some delicious peaches and nectarines with whipped cream and pistachios served in a mason jar. It was an all around amazing meal, if you couldn't already tell.
The wines:
2009 La Fentre Chardonnay Bien Nacido Vineyard *+ – Not especially ripe in style, but prominent oak showed a toasty character.
2009 Chateau D'Epire, Savennieres ** – Bright, crisp, and quite nice.
2004 Chateau D'Epire, Savennieres * – Slightly oxidized.
2003 Domaine des Baumard, Savennieres, Trie Speciale *** – Star of the flight. Very nice with notes of pear and something reminiscent of waxy cheese.
2005 Domaine des Baumard, Savennieres, Clos du Papillon **+ – My favorite of the flight. Had some good fruit while staying lazer sharp.
2004 Domaine des Baumard, Savennieres, Clos du Papillon ** - Slight funk on the nose, but a nice wine.
2010 Foxen, Chenin Blanc, Ernesto Wickenden Vineyard ** – Much more fruit than its French counterparts, but enjoyable all the same. Notes of banana cream.
2009 Domaine de la Quilla Muscadet - Sevre de Maine *** – Amazing brightness and acidity that begged for shellfish. Best Muscadet I’ve had, great wine.
2008 Domaine du Bel Air, Bourgueil, "les Vingt lieux dits" *+ – The start of the reds, nothing too exciting here, but not bad.
2009 Domaine Sauvete Touraine, Les Gravouilles, Gamay ** – Enjoyed the juicy fruit on this one.
2009 Domaine de Beausejour, Chinon *+ – classic Cab Franc profile
2008 Domaine de Pallus, Chinon, Les Pensees de Pallus *+ – classic Cab Franc profile
2006 Charles Joguet, Chinon, Dioterie *+ – classic Cab Franc profile
2002 Saumur Champigny, Clos Mongeard ** – more rich and full that previous flight, nice wine.
2006 Domaine Nerleux Saumur-Champigny, "Clos Chatains" Monopole ** – nice way to finish the night, showed more fruit.
This was a great tasting through a bunch of cool wines. What continues to be the case for me is that I am drawn much more to the white wines of this region that it's reds. All are of good quality and an attractive price-point, but the whites repeatedly stand out for me. Lovely refreshing wines of great acidity and balance. Now I just need to go out there and get some for my cellar!
Cheers!
0 Stars - No rating
1 Star (*) - Not of significant quality or interest
2 Stars (**) - A notable wine of legitimate interest
3 Stars (***) - Great wine that should be searched out
4 Stars (****) - Fantastic wine that should not be missed
5 Stars (*****) - An absolutely mind-bending wine - beg, borrow, or steal to get your hands on some of this amazing juice!
Disclaimer: This rating is based on my palate and at the given time when tasted and may differ from yours. Also, I may catch a bottle in a dumb phase or it just may not speak to me at that particular time.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Coming Together
April 9, 2011
To begin, I am compelled to offer my apologies for my VERY long hiatus from writing. Sometimes life just gets in the way, you know? Over the past few months there have certainly been some memorable experiences, delicious food, and fantastic wines. But, I would be totally remiss to not begin my reengagement into the blog-o-sphere with the biggest and most important event of my time away (and of my entire life, for that matter,) my engagement to my beautiful and amazing fiancé, Kendra. You have heard some of our story through past installments of LDV, but this is the most momentous of all of our moments to date.
Love, like wine, can require great patience. In this particular instance, the meaning in which I am referring is directed towards a feeling that we all know so well, waiting for true love to come along and for it to materialize so that you can live it and experience it in all of it’s splendor. The counterpart insofar as the world of wine is considered is finding that bottle of wine that ignites a spark within you without your knowing why or how. After the magical moment comes torturous excitement of waiting to see how things develop and living with the uncertainty of not knowing. While eventually giving way to faith that in the end, it will all come together to be something greater than you ever imagined. Yes, you could say that I am a fool in love and my writing has become cloyingly sweet, but hey you signed up for this. Anyway, I feel that my current condition has brought me back to why I fell in love with food and wine to begin with; embracing and sharing the things that you love with those who you love.
Coming back to our story of celebration, I simply would like to begin by saying that I was able to ask without fumbling too much and most importantly, she said “YES!” As a way to cap off an already perfect day, we went to The Wine Cask for dinner. Arriving a little early for our reservation, we settled in at the bar of Intermezzo for a glass of much needed and deserved bubbles. After a great start, we were seated at a cozy table next to the fireplace.
As we settled into our table and began our meal we enjoyed a second glass of Champagne before diving into the already decanting bottle of Barolo waiting for us. Along with the food and wine, our serves was wonderful. I began the meal with a special appetizer of seared foie gras, served with a pear tart and bay leaf ice cream that was both sweet and savory. Kendra started things off with a luxurious saffron and marcona almond soup. Both were a wonderful match of the crisp acidity of the Champagne. Next for me came quite a large serving of perfectly cooked Wagyu steak along with homemade bacon and earthy mushrooms. My lovely companion got the delicious pan-roasted chicken over mascarpone mashed potatoes. A wonderful meal with warm and attentive service.
Wines:
NV Jean Louis Vergnon Blanc de Blanc Brut **
Bright and Fresh with notes of pear, nice minerality, and good acidity.
NV Louis Roederer Brut **-
A little more simple than the Vergnon, but showed nice fruit and class.
Aldo Conterno Barolo Colonnello 2001 ***Just a baby, but I am very glad to have checked in on this wine because I don’t think that I would touch it again for 4-5 years. It did show notes of crushed red fruit and notable minerality. The tannins were fine, but still quite astringent. This is going to be something special, just not quite yet.
All in all, this was a day that I will never forget. A day highlighted by beautiful weather, great food and wine, so much happiness, and more than anything else, love.
Talk to you all, soon.
Cheers!
0 Stars - No rating
1 Star (*) - Not of significant quality or interest
2 Stars (**) - A notable wine of legitimate interest
3 Stars (***) - Great wine that should be searched out
4 Stars (****) - Fantastic wine that should not be missed
5 Stars (*****) - An absolutely mind-bending wine - beg, borrow, or steal to get your hands on some of this amazing juice!
Disclaimer: This rating is based on my palate and at the given time when tasted and may differ from yours. Also, I may catch a bottle in a dumb phase or it just may not speak to me at that particular time.
To begin, I am compelled to offer my apologies for my VERY long hiatus from writing. Sometimes life just gets in the way, you know? Over the past few months there have certainly been some memorable experiences, delicious food, and fantastic wines. But, I would be totally remiss to not begin my reengagement into the blog-o-sphere with the biggest and most important event of my time away (and of my entire life, for that matter,) my engagement to my beautiful and amazing fiancé, Kendra. You have heard some of our story through past installments of LDV, but this is the most momentous of all of our moments to date.
Love, like wine, can require great patience. In this particular instance, the meaning in which I am referring is directed towards a feeling that we all know so well, waiting for true love to come along and for it to materialize so that you can live it and experience it in all of it’s splendor. The counterpart insofar as the world of wine is considered is finding that bottle of wine that ignites a spark within you without your knowing why or how. After the magical moment comes torturous excitement of waiting to see how things develop and living with the uncertainty of not knowing. While eventually giving way to faith that in the end, it will all come together to be something greater than you ever imagined. Yes, you could say that I am a fool in love and my writing has become cloyingly sweet, but hey you signed up for this. Anyway, I feel that my current condition has brought me back to why I fell in love with food and wine to begin with; embracing and sharing the things that you love with those who you love.
Coming back to our story of celebration, I simply would like to begin by saying that I was able to ask without fumbling too much and most importantly, she said “YES!” As a way to cap off an already perfect day, we went to The Wine Cask for dinner. Arriving a little early for our reservation, we settled in at the bar of Intermezzo for a glass of much needed and deserved bubbles. After a great start, we were seated at a cozy table next to the fireplace.
As we settled into our table and began our meal we enjoyed a second glass of Champagne before diving into the already decanting bottle of Barolo waiting for us. Along with the food and wine, our serves was wonderful. I began the meal with a special appetizer of seared foie gras, served with a pear tart and bay leaf ice cream that was both sweet and savory. Kendra started things off with a luxurious saffron and marcona almond soup. Both were a wonderful match of the crisp acidity of the Champagne. Next for me came quite a large serving of perfectly cooked Wagyu steak along with homemade bacon and earthy mushrooms. My lovely companion got the delicious pan-roasted chicken over mascarpone mashed potatoes. A wonderful meal with warm and attentive service.
Wines:
NV Jean Louis Vergnon Blanc de Blanc Brut **
Bright and Fresh with notes of pear, nice minerality, and good acidity.
NV Louis Roederer Brut **-
A little more simple than the Vergnon, but showed nice fruit and class.
Aldo Conterno Barolo Colonnello 2001 ***Just a baby, but I am very glad to have checked in on this wine because I don’t think that I would touch it again for 4-5 years. It did show notes of crushed red fruit and notable minerality. The tannins were fine, but still quite astringent. This is going to be something special, just not quite yet.
All in all, this was a day that I will never forget. A day highlighted by beautiful weather, great food and wine, so much happiness, and more than anything else, love.
Talk to you all, soon.
Cheers!
0 Stars - No rating
1 Star (*) - Not of significant quality or interest
2 Stars (**) - A notable wine of legitimate interest
3 Stars (***) - Great wine that should be searched out
4 Stars (****) - Fantastic wine that should not be missed
5 Stars (*****) - An absolutely mind-bending wine - beg, borrow, or steal to get your hands on some of this amazing juice!
Disclaimer: This rating is based on my palate and at the given time when tasted and may differ from yours. Also, I may catch a bottle in a dumb phase or it just may not speak to me at that particular time.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Happy New Years!
January 18, 2011
First of all, I would like to apologize for the long absense of blog posts and would ask that all of my loyal readers to please forgive the lack of entries. My excuse is that unfortunately, as what so often happens, life gets in the way. Now that we are beyond that, let’s get to the reason that we are here, La Dolce Vita. I hope that I am not too rusty…
After missing so many great occassions, I would very much like to share a recent evening at my house of good wine, good friends, and delicious food. This gathering took place for the simple motivation of getting together with friends and opening up a bottle of wine that each of us were excited to share. In an unusual twist, the event was at my house, but I was quite late. Oops! So, it felt almost as though I was attending a dinner at my own house, rather than hosting it. Special thanks to my good friend Brian for stepping in and making it happen.
A well received and slightly different twist to this night was the fact that we each made a contribution to the meal with a creation of our own. There was a homemade shrimp cocktail dressed with fresh herbs, spicy sausage stuffed mushrooms, Fettucine alla Bolognese with a sause of lamb, beef, and bison, and finishing along side the port with a cheese course of Blue, aged white Cheddar, and Yamonamo. Everything was delicious and I am very thankful for everyone’s efforts and culinary contibutions.
In our celebration, we gave each other the opportunity to open one of those bottles that sit in your cellar waiting to the “right occasion”. Well, THIS was that occasion!
The Wines:
Qupe Roussanne Alban Vineyard 2000**
Showing well at 11 years of age. Golden in color, with ripe apricots and a waxy feeling on the palate.
Stolpman L’Avion 2006** (90% Roussanne and 10% Viognier)
Nice wine offering stone fruits and a sweet florality.
Booker White 2008** (60% Roussanne and 40% Viognier)
A little ripe for my tastes, but an enjoyable wine all the same.
Foxen Julia’s Vineyard Pinot Noir 2005***
Elegant and light in comparison to the Kosta Browne. I have a feeling that this wine would have shown much better without the KB sitting the glass next to it. Bright red fruit, dusty tannins, and a sweet core of candied cherries.
Kosta Browne 4-Barrel Pinot Noir 2004****
The nose had deep and dark notes of black and blue fruit with savory tones of soy to add to the complexity and nuance of the wine. The palate was rich and layered. After being open for 2 hours it went from being tightly wound to luscious and expansive in the mouth with notes of kirsch and subtleties of minerality. What a wine!
Saxum Broken Stones 2007**** (Grenache, Mourvedre, Syrah)
Very nice bottle of wine. I was struck almost immediately by it’s purity of fruit and balance. Dark berries dominated with a level of minerality looming beneath. I would love to see where this wine is in a couple years.
Linne Calado Slacker 2007** (Grenache, Mourvedre, Syrah)
In a similar position of disadvantage to that of the Julia’s Pinot, this wine would probably have shown better if it weren’t next to the Saxum. It seemed much more simple and straight forward provided ripe fruit and was pleasant.
Palmina Savoia 2004*** (Nebbiolo, Syrah, Barbera)
With wonderful acidity this wine was able to not only stand up to the multitude of wines that came first, but was also a great pairing with the pasta that was being served. Bright and rich all at the same time.
Grahams 20 Year Tawny Port**
A nice conclusion to the night with the various cheeses being served. Classic port profiles.
A very fun night with good friends, lively conversation, boisterious laughter, and oh yeah, great wines.
I hope that you all enjoyed and I promise to write.
Cheers!
0 Stars - No rating
1 Star (*) - Not of significant quality or interest
2 Stars (**) - A notable wine of legitimate interest
3 Stars (***) - Great wine that should be searched out
4 Stars (****) - Fantastic wine that should not be missed
5 Stars (*****) - An absolutely mind-bending wine - beg, borrow, or steal to get your hands on some of this amazing juice!
Disclaimer: This rating is based on my palate and at the given time when tasted and may differ from yours. Also, I may catch a bottle in a dumb phase or it just may not speak to me at that particular time.
First of all, I would like to apologize for the long absense of blog posts and would ask that all of my loyal readers to please forgive the lack of entries. My excuse is that unfortunately, as what so often happens, life gets in the way. Now that we are beyond that, let’s get to the reason that we are here, La Dolce Vita. I hope that I am not too rusty…
After missing so many great occassions, I would very much like to share a recent evening at my house of good wine, good friends, and delicious food. This gathering took place for the simple motivation of getting together with friends and opening up a bottle of wine that each of us were excited to share. In an unusual twist, the event was at my house, but I was quite late. Oops! So, it felt almost as though I was attending a dinner at my own house, rather than hosting it. Special thanks to my good friend Brian for stepping in and making it happen.
A well received and slightly different twist to this night was the fact that we each made a contribution to the meal with a creation of our own. There was a homemade shrimp cocktail dressed with fresh herbs, spicy sausage stuffed mushrooms, Fettucine alla Bolognese with a sause of lamb, beef, and bison, and finishing along side the port with a cheese course of Blue, aged white Cheddar, and Yamonamo. Everything was delicious and I am very thankful for everyone’s efforts and culinary contibutions.
In our celebration, we gave each other the opportunity to open one of those bottles that sit in your cellar waiting to the “right occasion”. Well, THIS was that occasion!
The Wines:
Qupe Roussanne Alban Vineyard 2000**
Showing well at 11 years of age. Golden in color, with ripe apricots and a waxy feeling on the palate.
Stolpman L’Avion 2006** (90% Roussanne and 10% Viognier)
Nice wine offering stone fruits and a sweet florality.
Booker White 2008** (60% Roussanne and 40% Viognier)
A little ripe for my tastes, but an enjoyable wine all the same.
Foxen Julia’s Vineyard Pinot Noir 2005***
Elegant and light in comparison to the Kosta Browne. I have a feeling that this wine would have shown much better without the KB sitting the glass next to it. Bright red fruit, dusty tannins, and a sweet core of candied cherries.
Kosta Browne 4-Barrel Pinot Noir 2004****
The nose had deep and dark notes of black and blue fruit with savory tones of soy to add to the complexity and nuance of the wine. The palate was rich and layered. After being open for 2 hours it went from being tightly wound to luscious and expansive in the mouth with notes of kirsch and subtleties of minerality. What a wine!
Saxum Broken Stones 2007**** (Grenache, Mourvedre, Syrah)
Very nice bottle of wine. I was struck almost immediately by it’s purity of fruit and balance. Dark berries dominated with a level of minerality looming beneath. I would love to see where this wine is in a couple years.
Linne Calado Slacker 2007** (Grenache, Mourvedre, Syrah)
In a similar position of disadvantage to that of the Julia’s Pinot, this wine would probably have shown better if it weren’t next to the Saxum. It seemed much more simple and straight forward provided ripe fruit and was pleasant.
Palmina Savoia 2004*** (Nebbiolo, Syrah, Barbera)
With wonderful acidity this wine was able to not only stand up to the multitude of wines that came first, but was also a great pairing with the pasta that was being served. Bright and rich all at the same time.
Grahams 20 Year Tawny Port**
A nice conclusion to the night with the various cheeses being served. Classic port profiles.
A very fun night with good friends, lively conversation, boisterious laughter, and oh yeah, great wines.
I hope that you all enjoyed and I promise to write.
Cheers!
0 Stars - No rating
1 Star (*) - Not of significant quality or interest
2 Stars (**) - A notable wine of legitimate interest
3 Stars (***) - Great wine that should be searched out
4 Stars (****) - Fantastic wine that should not be missed
5 Stars (*****) - An absolutely mind-bending wine - beg, borrow, or steal to get your hands on some of this amazing juice!
Disclaimer: This rating is based on my palate and at the given time when tasted and may differ from yours. Also, I may catch a bottle in a dumb phase or it just may not speak to me at that particular time.
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