Wednesday, August 13, 2003
A few of the regular crew were kind enough to put up with a second night of my birthday revelry so I pulled some wines that were deserving of their honor on Saturday night.
This of course was only 24 hours after the Friday night 10+ wine, 8 course dinner at Restaurant 808 that had six time James Beard nominee Jean Marie Josselin flying back from his Hawaii outpost "A Pacific Cafe" late the night before to personally prepare dinner for 30 of my friends. That night I paired younger wines ranging from new the new 2001 Babcock Syrah and Core Vineyards sublime 2002 Rose to 2000 Tres Picos, 1999 Frank Family Chard, 2001 Montinore Pinot Gris, 2001 Mulderbosch Sauvignon Blanc, 2001 Molina Cabernet, 2001 Biale Black Chicken Zinfandel, 2000 Pujol Languedoc Rose --well you get the idea.
You see, the Saturday "party" was about more serious wines with some of my closest of friends who make up what I like to call my "wine family" here in San Diego.
So on Saturday as the 10 of us gathered at Flemings for a menu ranging from baked oysters with spinach to what else but big bone in filet mignons that GM Cameron Lumsden and wine director David Trainer personally supervised we set off on another food and wine adventure. For this dinner I personally pulled the following from my cellar as a treat for all who could attend.
Rodererer Estate Brut
The current release, from the newest winemaker at Rodererer Estates, this was a very nice way to start the evening. Not to overly effervescent, nor too gassy, the wine was in balance and most enjoyable.
1983 Dopff "Au Moulin" Vendages Tardives Riesling
Wow. At age twenty, this steely, minerally, crisp white wine, from one of Alsace's best houses was showing perfectly. Bone dry, but stuffed with juicy lemon, lime and pears and other citrus flavors, the wine was easily at its peak and worthy of the crowd.
1999 Vieux de Mas Papes Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc
Sadly this wine was corked. Ouch....so we substituted a 2001 Dr. Loossen Erioca, which was lively, lovely and perfect as a follow up to the Dopff.
2001 Ch. de Tronquedeville Tavel Rose
While not as fruity as Languedoc Rose's or as dense as those from Bandol, the Rose's from Tavel seem to always hit the mark. A nice light rose petal color, and telltale strawberry flavors made this wine a real charmer. It was a good jumping off point to go to the bigger reds.
1984 BV Private Reserve George de Latour Cabernet Sauvignon
This wine never ceases to amaze me. At age 19 it is clearly drinking head and shoulders above the 1985 which was more heralded of a vintage. Having gone through over a case of this wine, all purchased in 1988 and 1989 from different shops, I cannot find a California red that has ever given me more consistent drinking pleasure. Perfectly on the mark, this is one of the world's greatest Cabernet treasures and should be drunk any time a bottle is seen on a list....WOW..
1983 Boyd Cantenac Margaux Bordeaux
Nuances of shoe leather, black cherry, lead pencil and tar. The wine was at peak and very appealing. It's softness was one of it's most attractive and redeeming qualities, but it was overshadowed by the BV.
1981 Lafite Rothschild Bordeaux
Lead pencil, vibrant plum, cassis and cherry flavors. Deep concentration and a very elegant finish. A sensational wine that can live easily another 10 year with proper cellaring.
1986 Chateau Meyney, St. Estephe, Bordeaux
Well the wine is finally coming out of its monolithic, almost prehistoric gravel like state and becoming more than just mushrooms and granite in flavor. At age 17 it's almost ready for prime time. Big, dense, dark, opaque color. Lots of fruits are there, buried under the grape tannin shell. Black plums, cassis, cherries and black berry, plus the tar, tobacco and cola flavors.
1978 Chateau Margaux, Margaux, Bordeaux
If this wine isn't at peak, I don't know what peak will be. An amazing wine of pure silky fruit flavors. Elegant. Classy, seductive. This wine was by far a worthy contender for wine of the night along with the BV.
1981 Penfold's Grange Hermitage
Australia's answer to the famed Hermitage of Cote Rotie it isn't. But one of the finest example of Southern Hemisphere Syrah it clearly is. At age 22 this wine is at its azimuth and was drinking so, so fine. With the bone in filet there wasn't a drop of harshness in the bottle. Black pepper, blueberry, plums, roasted herbs and a velvety softness. It was a treat to have, and given that the price has increased four fold, likely one of the last Grange's to ever be in my cellar. It's just gotten too, too, pricey.
NV Rutherglen Tokay, Australia
After all those wines, dessert wine seemed like decadence. And it was. Syrupy, slurpy, sippy, drippy, trippy could describe this very rich, unctuous amber colored white wine that was perfect with dessert....oh, what was dessert....
Sunday night, Roy's Corporate Executive Chef David Abella came in to the UTC dining palace on his day off from travel to the various Roy's properties around the USA (and the night before his well deserved family vacation) to cook some special dishes not found on any menu for a few more of my friends and I. When David cooks pasta and decides that the filet needs to be steamed, not grilled, aromas and flavors can't get any better....
That night I pulled a batch of wines from the Collioure and Roussillion regions with names like La Tour Vielle and Gauby for that night and off we went before ending up barefoot and walking in the Pacific off the Del Mar beachfront.
What a birthday weekend.....that has yet to end as the last two nights I ended up at Arterra for the Barnett Family Wine dinner (and the always spot on American cooking of Carl Schroeder)on Monday and then dining again there with three wine and restaurant industry friends, pulling bottles and tasting new treats (the 2000 Frank Family Alexander Valley Cabernet, 2000 Frank Family Chardonnay and 1995 Domaine d'Andezon and 1995 Cave L'Tain Hermitage Hermitage Les Nobles Rives) to wash down Black Angus NY Strips, house cured Salmon and Sturgeon, Oyster shooters, and Yellowfin Nori Sushi...life sure didn't suck this weekend.
With chef friends like Jean Marie, David and Carl, and Flemings GM Cameron Lumsden, it made this year more special than all the rest.
Tonight...a bottle of Perrier.....and a green salad.
This of course was only 24 hours after the Friday night 10+ wine, 8 course dinner at Restaurant 808 that had six time James Beard nominee Jean Marie Josselin flying back from his Hawaii outpost "A Pacific Cafe" late the night before to personally prepare dinner for 30 of my friends. That night I paired younger wines ranging from new the new 2001 Babcock Syrah and Core Vineyards sublime 2002 Rose to 2000 Tres Picos, 1999 Frank Family Chard, 2001 Montinore Pinot Gris, 2001 Mulderbosch Sauvignon Blanc, 2001 Molina Cabernet, 2001 Biale Black Chicken Zinfandel, 2000 Pujol Languedoc Rose --well you get the idea.
You see, the Saturday "party" was about more serious wines with some of my closest of friends who make up what I like to call my "wine family" here in San Diego.
So on Saturday as the 10 of us gathered at Flemings for a menu ranging from baked oysters with spinach to what else but big bone in filet mignons that GM Cameron Lumsden and wine director David Trainer personally supervised we set off on another food and wine adventure. For this dinner I personally pulled the following from my cellar as a treat for all who could attend.
Rodererer Estate Brut
The current release, from the newest winemaker at Rodererer Estates, this was a very nice way to start the evening. Not to overly effervescent, nor too gassy, the wine was in balance and most enjoyable.
1983 Dopff "Au Moulin" Vendages Tardives Riesling
Wow. At age twenty, this steely, minerally, crisp white wine, from one of Alsace's best houses was showing perfectly. Bone dry, but stuffed with juicy lemon, lime and pears and other citrus flavors, the wine was easily at its peak and worthy of the crowd.
1999 Vieux de Mas Papes Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc
Sadly this wine was corked. Ouch....so we substituted a 2001 Dr. Loossen Erioca, which was lively, lovely and perfect as a follow up to the Dopff.
2001 Ch. de Tronquedeville Tavel Rose
While not as fruity as Languedoc Rose's or as dense as those from Bandol, the Rose's from Tavel seem to always hit the mark. A nice light rose petal color, and telltale strawberry flavors made this wine a real charmer. It was a good jumping off point to go to the bigger reds.
1984 BV Private Reserve George de Latour Cabernet Sauvignon
This wine never ceases to amaze me. At age 19 it is clearly drinking head and shoulders above the 1985 which was more heralded of a vintage. Having gone through over a case of this wine, all purchased in 1988 and 1989 from different shops, I cannot find a California red that has ever given me more consistent drinking pleasure. Perfectly on the mark, this is one of the world's greatest Cabernet treasures and should be drunk any time a bottle is seen on a list....WOW..
1983 Boyd Cantenac Margaux Bordeaux
Nuances of shoe leather, black cherry, lead pencil and tar. The wine was at peak and very appealing. It's softness was one of it's most attractive and redeeming qualities, but it was overshadowed by the BV.
1981 Lafite Rothschild Bordeaux
Lead pencil, vibrant plum, cassis and cherry flavors. Deep concentration and a very elegant finish. A sensational wine that can live easily another 10 year with proper cellaring.
1986 Chateau Meyney, St. Estephe, Bordeaux
Well the wine is finally coming out of its monolithic, almost prehistoric gravel like state and becoming more than just mushrooms and granite in flavor. At age 17 it's almost ready for prime time. Big, dense, dark, opaque color. Lots of fruits are there, buried under the grape tannin shell. Black plums, cassis, cherries and black berry, plus the tar, tobacco and cola flavors.
1978 Chateau Margaux, Margaux, Bordeaux
If this wine isn't at peak, I don't know what peak will be. An amazing wine of pure silky fruit flavors. Elegant. Classy, seductive. This wine was by far a worthy contender for wine of the night along with the BV.
1981 Penfold's Grange Hermitage
Australia's answer to the famed Hermitage of Cote Rotie it isn't. But one of the finest example of Southern Hemisphere Syrah it clearly is. At age 22 this wine is at its azimuth and was drinking so, so fine. With the bone in filet there wasn't a drop of harshness in the bottle. Black pepper, blueberry, plums, roasted herbs and a velvety softness. It was a treat to have, and given that the price has increased four fold, likely one of the last Grange's to ever be in my cellar. It's just gotten too, too, pricey.
NV Rutherglen Tokay, Australia
After all those wines, dessert wine seemed like decadence. And it was. Syrupy, slurpy, sippy, drippy, trippy could describe this very rich, unctuous amber colored white wine that was perfect with dessert....oh, what was dessert....
Sunday night, Roy's Corporate Executive Chef David Abella came in to the UTC dining palace on his day off from travel to the various Roy's properties around the USA (and the night before his well deserved family vacation) to cook some special dishes not found on any menu for a few more of my friends and I. When David cooks pasta and decides that the filet needs to be steamed, not grilled, aromas and flavors can't get any better....
That night I pulled a batch of wines from the Collioure and Roussillion regions with names like La Tour Vielle and Gauby for that night and off we went before ending up barefoot and walking in the Pacific off the Del Mar beachfront.
What a birthday weekend.....that has yet to end as the last two nights I ended up at Arterra for the Barnett Family Wine dinner (and the always spot on American cooking of Carl Schroeder)on Monday and then dining again there with three wine and restaurant industry friends, pulling bottles and tasting new treats (the 2000 Frank Family Alexander Valley Cabernet, 2000 Frank Family Chardonnay and 1995 Domaine d'Andezon and 1995 Cave L'Tain Hermitage Hermitage Les Nobles Rives) to wash down Black Angus NY Strips, house cured Salmon and Sturgeon, Oyster shooters, and Yellowfin Nori Sushi...life sure didn't suck this weekend.
With chef friends like Jean Marie, David and Carl, and Flemings GM Cameron Lumsden, it made this year more special than all the rest.
Tonight...a bottle of Perrier.....and a green salad.
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