We approached nearly fin de siècle decadence with this Monday night dinner at one of Charlottesville’s most respected dining establishments. There was no specific occasion for the gathering, other than a goodwill gesture to the proprietors for their continued support and a rather boring weekend that inspired in me some need for communion with other human beings. It has also been a vapid couple of weeks in the wine business, August being the quietest month of the year. I needed something uplifting to put me in a better mood…
We totaled six and included: Toby and Andrew (usually featured in the Thursdays in the Cellar posts), Tom (a personal chef and dear friend), Stacy (infamous, ubiquitous, Stacy) and her friend, now our friend, Jessica.
The evening began with a bottle of Pol Roger 1998 Rosé. My second time drinking this wine, it was its usual, delectable self. Pale orange color with a salmon tint. Evolved nose with a significantly yeasty quality about it along with a shocking, but not necessarily off-putting, hint of hairspray. Shocking because my previous experience with this wine (about a year ago) did not betray such volatility. Wild strawberry aromas in the mouth with a nice sense of sweetness leading into the mid-palate. Candied citrus and toast. Fine and delicate mousse. A full mid-weight Champagne with a finish of brown butter and orange rind. Persistent, with significant evolution in the mouth after the wine has been swallowed. Lovely.
Amuse Bouche: Salmon Rillete with Cauliflower Coulis.
Next up a flight of Chardonnays consisting of Staglin’s 2002 Estate Chardonnay (no malolactic fermentation, weighing in at 14.6% abv) and Morey-Coffinet’s 2004 Chassagne Montrachet “Les Houillières.”
The Staglin displayed a very toasted oak nose with some green apple and an underlying though subtle core of tropical fruit. In the mouth: very perfumed with a bit of buttered popcorn. Sweet attack and long through the finish. For not having undergone malolactic fermentation, it was surprisingly low in acidity. Full and viscous. Paired fantastically well with the shrimp risotto.
The Burgundy showed some weakness next to the Staglin, though I don’t suspect it would have fared better among its contemporaries in a more regionally focused tasting. Oak and lemon zest on the nose. Somewhat restrained at first – served much too cold. Pear, peach, and melon emerging after some time in the glass with a dash of pineapple deep in the nose. Creamy vanilla and lemon curd on the straightforward, linear palate. Lacking the acidity of the vintage. A bit thin and short with a hint of the compost bin about it. A good wine, but not worth the money it cost, neither on the wine list nor in a retail store. Considering the amount of great white burgundy out on the market right now, I’d give it a pass.
First COurse: (passed around the table in somewhat crass form) 1. Shrimp Risotto, 2. Scallop Tartare, and 3. Chilled Vegetable Salad on Brioche Toast Points.
The following flight consisted of two reds of polemically differing characters. They were: Domaine Maillard’s 2001 Corton Renardes and Chateau St. Jean’s 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon “Cinq Cépages” from Sonoma.
Maillard: Great color, showing no sings of age. Sweet, oak spice dominating the nose along with red cherry and a little barnyard. Incredibly fresh—almost primary—I could smell the acidity. Hints of violet mid nose, but very subtle, not overwhelmingly floral or vegetal for that matter. On the palate: oak very present but not intrusive with some iodine and a touch of heat. Huge acidity. Needs time. We probably should have decanted this wine, though it showed very well. I said give it ten years, to which everyone looked up at me in dismay. Stacy loved it and said drink now. I’d give it another three to five years without blinking. It is a lean wine with plenty of endurance. My only reservation is the level of oak and that touch of alcohol noticeable on the palate. I don’t think ten years is out of its capabilities. A matter of personal preference. If I had another bottle of this wine (which I don’t, I admit rather sadly) I would wait about seven years. Perhaps on the occasion of my 30th birthday? Maillard’s Corton Renardes happily ending the streak of disappointing Burgundies. Terrific.
St. Jean: Holding up, despite the “poor” vintage conditions that led many a critic to bash this year. Consequentially, I have picked up a few of California’s more iconic wines for relatively low prices and have enjoyed most of them. Vegetal nose of overcooked asparagus with some rich berry fruit aromas on the periphery. There is a richness here that indicates why this wine is so appreciated by many consumers, though something is obviously lacking. Rich, but not opulent. Like the shell of the wine it could be. Plush on the palate, but lacking balance with noticeable alcohol. Despite the heat, very nice. Smooth and soft. The texture is really quite captivating. Caramel on the finish. Really, a bit petulant, this wine. Quite likeable. A bit of menthol emerging: Wrigley’s Double Mint Gum. It definitely evolved throughout the night, though came to a screeching halt by the end of the dinner. Very endearing. If you see it on the sale rack of your local wine store for half its original price, it might be worth a try.
(I should mention the rather heated argument that began over the movie Sideways and Miles’s abhorrence of the Merlot grape. Stacy trying to convince all of us of the deep irony of his drinking a Cheval Blanc. Toby retorting that it was merely a surface irony, his quip about Merlot being more of an attack on oaky, alcoholic California Merlot. Myself maintaining that Cheval Blanc is more Cab Franc than Merlot (well, the vineyard anyway).)
For good measure, Stacy threw in one of her wines into the red lot: Oriel’s “Alma de Llicorella” 2002 Priorat. Oriel is a new line of wines brought out by an Irish entrepreneur with a love of fine wine. Basically, he uses one label for his various wines from different parts of the world. Thus, there is an Oriel Priorat, Bordeaux, Cali Zin, etc.
The Priorat showed notes of dried sour cranberry, cherry liqueur, and cedar. On the palate it was quite fresh with good acidity. I thought it a younger wine, 2004, actually. A bit primary at this point with some unripe banana cropping up. Full and heady, but extremely tight.
Entrées included: Andrew-lamb, Toby-Squab (with seared foie gras, by far the winner among the dishes), Jessica-Halibut, Stacy-Filet, Tom-Sweet Breads, Myself-Lobster (my first time ordering this in a restaurant, I did not much care for it).
In truth, the first course overshadowed the entrées, as did the wines. The chef also sent out a seared scallop as an intermezzo between the first course and entrées. It was perfectly cooked and delicious.
For dessert we consumed (or in my case inhaled) a half bottle of 1990 de Suduiraut (my third time with this wine and my second post about it) and a 500 ml of 2000 Royal Tokaji Aszú 5 Puttonyos (Stacy’s pick). We drank these with the parfait of foie gras as an accompaniment. The Sauternes and the dish marrying so well I nearly cried.
The Suduiraut showed extremely well, very similar to my previous experience with it only a couple of months prior. Incredible botrytised nose. I could have inhaled the scent all night. Peaches, cooked apricots, honey, and orange blossom. Sweet, fat, and viscous. Seemed low in acidity compared to the Tokaji, but it was there, holding things together. Highly recommended. If you have a sweet tooth, you will not be disappointed.
The Tokaji: much lighter in color with a nose that reminded me of apricot baby food. Very soft, restrained nose. Incredible acidity. Lacked the viscosity of the Suduiraut, though this is an unfair comparison. Smoky. Very young. Botrytis emerging after some aeration as well as a dominant scent of golden raisins. Overwhelmed by the Suduiraut, but this was still a delicious drink.
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