Gala Family Anniversary Celebration Dinner at Uptown Cafe, Bloomington, IN
For the fiftieth anniversary of our college graduation and marriage, we gathered the entire family back at our Alma Mater, Indiana University in Bloomington (IN) for a gala celebration.
We rented a motor coach and took the kids and grandkids on the Rick & Linda Memories Campus Tour of our beloved school and what is arguably one of the prettiest college campuses anywhere.
Readers of these pages know we’re into family, friends, food and wine, and this post exemplifies that and as such is amplified by the integration of it all in all respects!
We arranged for a photographer to capture some special moments of us, the entire family, and each of the kids and their families.
Here we are all gathered together on the IU campus Jordan River walk.
Saturday evening, we hosted a special dinner at Uptown Cafe that included some special memorable wines commemorating our graduation and marriage vintage year, and the birthyear vintages of our oldest kids, and the next generation first grandchild.
The next generation …
Inspired by Chef Paul Prudhomme, Uptown offers a variety of food featuring hearty, regional cooking styles with Louisiana New Orleans Cajun flair.
We planned the dinner well in advance, ahead of time, selecting the menu, starters and beverage options. We made arrangements to have some special wines available to commemorate the special occasion.
The dinner was prepared under the direction of Chef Adam Noffsinger, who coincidentally is the son of one of Linda’s sorority pledge sisters. They had discussed our preparations for the dinner when they made the connection.
Alec, Adam and the author |
Winemaker’s Tasting Notes:
Nose: slightly toasted, and upon aeration, pastry, baked lemon, and white floral notes.
Eye: straw gold, glossy with a ribbon of delicate and homogeneous bubbles.
Palate: an initial fresh and zesty mouthfeel. The finish is long, persistent and aromatic.
A word from our Cellar Master, Laurent Fédou: “The harvest began on September 13 for the earliest crus, the weather was dry and sunny. The terroirs of Ambonnay, Aÿ and Rilly reveal their delicacy and intensity, complemented by subtle Pinot from the Côte des Bar. The elegance and freshness of the Chouilly Chardonnay invigorate the Pinot.”
https://www.canard-duchene.fr/en/
At dinner, we supplemented this with a NV Reserve Brut from Charles Heidseick, Reims, Champagne France.
Chappellet Pritchard Hill Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1974
This was served from a Magnum, similar to one that we acquired from the Library Collection at the Winery during out visit there back in 2009.
There was amazing life and vibrancy still left in this fifty old Napa Cab! Who would imagine, or expect a fifty year old Napa Cabernet to still be consumable? While the label was fully intact, showing character with the aged glue marks, the foil, and most importantly, the fill level and cork were still in ideal condition, albeit the cork was understandably a bit soft.
In 2017 this was rated 95 points by pundit Art Gilman, and a year later Wine Advocate rated it 94 points!
John Gilman - wrote “The 1974 Chappellet Cabernet included 10% Merlot in the blend, which was rather a new approach at this point in time in Napa Valley. The wine was released in August of 1977 for $8.00 a bottle! This most recent bottle was one of the finest of our two tastings of the 1974s, with depth, breed and complexity to burn. The nose offers up a superb blend of cassis, dark berries, sale leather, cigar ash, dark soil tones a nice touch of meatiness and beautiful spice tones in the upper register. On the palate the wine is deep, full and beautifully-balanced, with a rock solid core superb length and grip and still a bit of tannin on the very long, complex and vibrant finish. This outclassed wines such as Diamond Creek Red Rock Terrace and Volcanic Hill in the flight it was positioned in and really is one of the absolute superstars of the 1974 vintage. (9/2017)
Wine Advocate captured the essence of this wine well in their review - “The 1974 Chappellet Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is pale brick in color and hits the dance floor with a gregarious baked cherries, dark chocolate and Ceylon tea nose with touches of allspice, Sichuan pepper and dusty earth. The palate is medium to full-bodied and packed with rich, decadent fruit, supported by ripe, plush tannins and finishing very long with the spice layers coming through. (LPB) (5/2018)”
Pale brick in color, medium to full bodied, dark berry fruits with notes of leather, dusty earth, smoky ash, and tones of spice and tea tones with subtle tannins on a long lingering finish.
https://www.cellartracker.com/w?734537
Château Ducru Beaucaillou St Julien Bordeaux 1981 and 1982
Once again, there was amazing life and vibrancy left in these two aged vintage releases, especially surprising for the 1981 release! Both capsules, corks and fill levels were ideal for their age.
Château Ducru Beaucaillou St Julien Bordeaux 1981
While the 1981 vintage was supposed to be an ‘off-vintage’, its lackluster reviews and ratings were amplified in large part, overshadowed due to the stellar 1982 vintage. Like so many similarly situated back to back releases, this showed as well as the 1982, another wonderful, pleasant surprise of the evening from these aged vintage wines.Jancis Robinson wrote about it in 2014 and wrote, “Pale, light but fresh and vital. Super clean and lively though maybe a bit too light to serve with anything substantial. Warm, complex nose but bone dry on the end. Racy. Delicate. Classic.” (6/2014)
Robert Parker of Wine Advocate wrote about it back in 2002, “Consistently one of the most successful wines of this vintage, this mid-weight Ducru-Beaucaillou is showing some pink and amber at the edge. The wine has an attractive nose of wet stones, sweet currant and mulberry fruit intermixed with a hint of spice and earth. The wine has medium body, light tannin, and an easygoing finish.” (RP) (12/2002)
And James Suckling of Wine Spectator wrote about it back in 1994, “A wonderful balance of rich fruit and silky tannins, with plum, vanilla and light tar character. Full-bodied and tannic yet so well integrated; excellent harmony.” (JS) (10/1994)
Château Ducru Beaucaillou St Julien Bordeaux 1982
I remember after acquiring this Super Second producer label for Erin’s birth year vintage in 1981, it was followed by the magnificent highly rated 1982 vintage and prices escalated such that instead of buying a large format 5l Jeroboan or 6l Imperial, I procured a 3ltr double magnum instead, for even more money. I recall paying $192 for standard 750 bottles later in the decade, which was an extraordinary, exorbinant price at the time, the most I had paid for wines in that day. Notably, I was not able to obtain (afford) or justify the prices for the 100 point Las Cases or Mouton Rothschild in that vintage. (I later acquired the 1982 Mouton for a bargain price of $144 - a two decades later, sold it at auction for more the $1000).The 1982 Ducru-Beaucaillou, was awarded 97 points by Jeb Dunnuck, John Gilman, and Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate as late as 2020, and 95 points by Decanter and 93 points by James Suckling.
Port is one of the great classic wines of the world. Produced in the Douro Valley of Portugal, a UNESCO cultural site for its historical significance, port, along with Champagne, is the ultimate celebration wine.
Taylor Fladgate is one of the most highly respected producers of aged tawny Port wines. Their 20 Year Old tawney is purported to be the most popular 20 Year Old Aged Tawny Port in the United States.
Taylor Fladgate blends its magnificent 20 year old tawny Ports from its extensive reserves of old cask aged Ports matured in the firm’s cool historic cellars (known as ‘lodges’) in Oporto on Portugal’s Atlantic coast.
The 20 Year Old Tawny Port is fully matured in seasoned oak casks each holding about 630 litres of wine. Over the many years of ageing, the Port wine gradually takes on its characteristic amber ‘tawny’ colour, slowly developing complex mellow flavours and the smooth luscious palate which are the hallmarks of this style of port. In the 20 Year Old tawny, the fruit has mellowed further than in the 10 Year Old, and the spicy, nutty aromas of ageing are more powerful and intense.
This label was awarded 95 points by James Suckling, 94 points by Wine & Spirits, and 93 points by Wine Advocate and Wine Spectator.
James Suckling wrote, “The aromas to this beautiful tawny port are saturated with burnt orange peel, caramel, candied fruit and hints of honey-coated nuts. Full-bodied, very fruity and dense with intense nut and mahogany flavors. Hints of sultanas, chocolate and coffee. Extremely creamy, long and flavorful. Delicious all the way. Better served slightly chilled. (6/2019)”
Wine & Spirits - “A complex and satisfying Tawny, this sits on the cusp of maturity with freshness continuing to infuse its deepening flavors. That freshness arrives in bold scents of orange zest and juicy citrus flavors, while the maturity mellows those flavors into layers of Marcona almond, date and sweet oak-smoke notes. It finishes with a hint of schist in the tannins. For fruit and cheese at the end of the meal. (12/2016) “
Wine Advocate- Robert Parker wrote, back in 1995: "It is my opinion that Taylor's tawny ports are the best of their type. When tasted against other tawnys, they all exhibit more aromatic personalities, greater fruit and ripeness, and a wonderful sweetness and length. Although I find the Thirty-Year-Old Tawny admirable, I prefer the richer, more vibrant Twenty-Year-Old Tawny."
Wine Advocate notes: “On first taste, this was simply Taylor: big, concentrated and serious. Simply filling the mouth on first taste, this shows fine complexity for its age and it does everything else rather brilliantly. Succulent and inviting, it finishes with waves of concentrated flavors. The fruit remains lifted and and it has a bright, transparent feel. It is hard to resist, often seeming like a bit of an overachiever. (MS) (12/2015) “
Producer’s Tasting Notes: “Intense amber tawny colour. Opulent and voluptuous nose of complex spicy, jammy and nutty aromas, hints of orange flower and a fine oakiness coming from the long period of aging in cask. The palate is full of very rich and concentrated flavour and has a long mellow finish.”
Complex and elegant, full, rich, deep, intense long spicy flavors of wild berries, fig, dried apricot and mango with deep nutty notes, spice, caramel, chocolate, and melange of dried fruits.
https://www.taylor.pt/us/port-wine/20-year-old-tawny
Henriques & Henriques Sercial 10 Years Old Madeira
Henriqes & Henriques 10-Year Old Sercial is made from 100% Sercial varietal from Madiera, aged for at least ten years in the traditional canteiro method, the process of aging the wines in naturally heated storage in the cellars.
Madeira wines traveled to the new world and were a favorite of our Founding Fathers, especially Ben Franklin, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, Madeira was in fact America’s most popular wine for more than 200 years, from 1640-1850.
Madeira is a small island, only 36 by 24 miles with a mere 1176 acres, making it one of the smaller vineyards for appellation wine in the world. Island viticulture remains primitive with some 1500-1700 growers on the island, the average vineyard is less than 1⁄2 an acre situated on a homeowner’s property.
The historic house of Henriques & Henriques is synonymous with the history of Madeira itself. Legend has it that Infante Dom Henriques planted the island’s first vines in 1425. These vines gave fruit to one of the “first families of Madeira”. Henriques’ descendant and successor João Joaquim Gonçalves Henriques founded the firm in 1850 as a partidista, a trader or stockholder of wine who buys stocks and/or makes wines in order to mature and sell to shippers or other traders., supplying wine to other merchants from extensive Henriques vineyard holdings while continuing to amass significant stocks of old wines in the family cellars.
Sercial is the palest and driest of the classical Madeira varieties, known as ‘Esgano Cão’, ‘dog strangler’ on the Portuguese mainland, due to its tongue-puckering acidity in its youth. Sercial is racy and high-toned, its sweetness balanced by a tang of acidity. Pungent with dried orange, almonds and saline spices in youth, Sercial mellows in maturity.
Producer's Notes: “Of amber medium color, this is a wine with a lightly smoked aroma with nuts, apricots and vanilla. Dry on the palate with slight acidity and nutty and woody flavor. A complex wine with fresh acidity and an extraordinarily long finish.”
More of and the story behind Uptown Cafe Wayne Mann’s art collection … from YouTube …
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CaqYoIsc8t4
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