Pour Boys Summer Wine Dinner
Dr Dan and Linda hosted our Pour Boys Wine Group (sans Bill and Beth C who were traveling in St Julien, Bordeaux this week) for a gala summer dinner.
As is customary, we each brought a couple bottles of wines to share and compare for pairing with the food.
The ‘three amigos’ were reunited with Bob and Gloria flying in from Miami for the occasion.
Besides Linda and I and Bob and Gloria, we were joined by Dan’s friends, Joe and Linda, and Linda S, as well as our Pour Boys Wine Group regulars, Ernie, Eric and Cathy and Lyle and Terry.
Dan laid out his usual selection of artisan cheeses, nuts, chocolates, crackers and smoked salmon.
The dinner feature theme this evening was ‘Sausage’ and there were five different sausages for the entree course, accompanied by corn on the cob, baked beans, potato salad, bean salad, quiche casserole and accoutrements.
The sausages included Joe’s homemade Italian Sausage with cheese, Sheboygan Bratwurst, Polish Sausage, Chicken Sausage, and Dan’s legendary family favorite, Cavapcici.
After dinner there was a dessert sundae bar with ice cream and toppings, and a broad selection of Linda M’s home baked cookies, brownies, pierogis and assorted artisan chocolates, nuts, fresh berries, melon and pineapple with yogurt.
The collective group brought a wide selection of white and red wines as well as sparkling wine and champagne before dinner, and after dinner ‘sticky’ dessert wines and a vintage port.
The White Wine flight included …
Domaine Wachau Ried Traunthal Gruner Veltliner Federspiel
Dr Loosen Erdenner Treppchen Mosel Riesling Ausliese 2019
Darioush Napa Valley Viognier 2010
Chateau Montelena Napa Valley Chardonnay 2020
Sea Smoke Sta Rita Hills Chardonnay 2018
The Red Wine flight included …
Le Fonti Poggino Gran Selzione Chianti Classico 2018
Nino Negri Valtelina Superiore Inferno Ca’ Guicciardi (Nebbiolo) 2020
Sea Smoke Southing Sta Rita Hills Pinot Noir 2018
Peter Michel “Les Pavots” Knights Valley Red Wine 2012
Chateau Magdeleine St Emilion Premiere Grand Cru Classe 2011
Hickinbotham “Brook’s Road” McLaren Vale Clarendon Shiraz 2020
After Dinner dessert wines …
Chateau d’Yquem 2013
Far Niente Dolce Napa Valley Late Harvest 2014
Graham’s Vintage Port 1991
Unlike our typical wine dinners, that most often feature red meats and customary pairings of sophisticated Red Wines, tonight’s entree theme offered the chance to showcase and focus on White Wines as select food/wine pairings.
The White Wines …
Domaine Wachau Ried Traunthal Gruner Veltliner Federspiel
Eric brought this classic Austrian Gruner Veltliner that he and Cathy tasted and acquired at the winery during their trip to the region last summer.
Dr. Loosen Erdenner Mosel River Valley Treppchen Riesling Auslese 2019
I brought from our cellar this highly rated premium Mosel Treppchen Riesling Auslese from a classic legendary producer. Only the finest most select grapes are used in the “Auslese” (outstanding) bottling. This release was rated 95 points by both Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate and James Suckling.
Darioush Napa Valley Viognier 2010
This was the favorite wine of Dan’s daughter, Lauren, who accompanied us on that trip, which was also Linda A’s first Napa Valley wine experience. Darioush was also the featured producer at the first wine dinner we had with Bill and Beth C, which was the beginnings of what became our Pour Boys Wine Group.
Also, Dan was our guest at a special Darioush Winemaker dinner at Everest Restaurant in Chicago hosted by owner producer Darioush and Shaptar Khaledi celebrating their collaboration with Olivier Bernard and Domaine de Chevalier in Pesaac Leognan Bordeaux. This was held back in 2004.shortly after Linda and I visited the winery and did a barrel tasting with winemaker Steve McDevitt during the construction of their magnificent hospitality center.
We had two wonderful ultra/premium Chardonnay’s …. Both offered great pairings with the sausage selections.
Chateau Montelena Napa Valley Chardonnay 2020
Joe brought this classic, legendary Napa Valley crowd pleaser from Chateau Montelena. Of course, this was the label that put American wine on the map having won the historic blind tasting “Judgement of Paris”, chronicled and recreated in the wonderful entertaining wine movie, “Bottle Shock” - (Trailer).
Sea Smoke Sta Rita Hills Chardonnay 2018
Dan opened from his cellar collection, wine club allocation, Sea Smoke, a great comparison tasting to the Montelena.
The Red Wines …
Le Fonti Poggino Gran Selzione Chianti Classico 2018
Eric brought this Italian Sangiovese blend, acquired by one of his partners at the producer during a visit to the Chianti region in Northern Italy.
Nino Negri Valtelina Superiore Inferno Ca’ Guicciardi (Nebbiolo) 2020
We tasted and Dan acquired this premium Nebbiolo at one of the Italian Village featured producer wine dinners. We’ve dined together at several Italian Village producer wine dinners, the most notably arguably being the memorable Sassicaia Owner Dinner and Vivere Vertical Tasting.
Peter Michel “Les Pavots” Knights Valley Red Wine 2012
Ernie brought from his home cellar one of my favorites, this vintage aged highly allocated ultra-premium Alexander Valley Bordeaux Blend from Peter Michel.
Chateau Magdeleine St Emilion Premiere Grand Cru Classe 2011
Dan contributed from his cellar this vintage aged Bordeaux.
Hickinbotham “Brook’s Road” McLaren Vale Clarendon Shiraz 2020
Lyle brought from his home cellar this highly rated allocated limited release Aussie Shiraz. It received 95 points by Wine enthusiast.
After 40 years of Hickinbotham family ownership, the property was purchased by the Jackson family in 2012. The pedigree of the Hickinbotham Vineyards was long established in that prior to the change of ownership, grapes from the 85-hectare vineyard were only sold to an esteemed list of winemakers including including Penfolds, Clarendon Hills and Hardys. Hickinbotham grapes were credited to legendary flagship wines like Penfolds Grange and Eileen Hardy Shiraz. Only Clarendon Hills released vineyard-designate wines bearing the “Hickinbotham” name.
Sea Smoke Southing Sta Rita Hills Pinot Noir 2018
Dan opened his cellar to share this wine club acquisition ultra-premium Sta Rita Hills Pinot.
After dinner there was a dessert sundae bar with ice cream and toppings, and a broad selection of Linda M’s home baked cookies, brownies, pierogis and assorted artisan chocolates, nuts, fresh berries, melon and pineapple with yogurt.
The dessert wine flight …
Chateau d’Yquem 2013
Far Niente Dolce Napa Valley Late Harvest 2014
Graham’s Vintage Port 1991
Lyle brought from his cellar collection this premium Vintage Port. This is one of the last remaining bottles of the four cases he acquired of this label upon release. We’ve enjoyed tasting this wine over the last three decades as it has aged gracefully.
At 30 plus years, the label, foil and most importantly the fill level were ideal for the age. Lyle was able to extract the cork using an ahso two pronged cork puller, necessary as the aged cork was starting to crumble and would’ve most likely disintegrated using a customary corkscrew.
Vintage Port is only produced in ‘declared’ vintages, those of sufficient quality to warrant the designation.The 1991 vintage was the first ‘Declared Vintage’ for six years – the longest gap between declarations for decades. (The previous declared vintage, 1985 was son Sean’s birthyear, in which we acquired and still hold a broad horizontal collection of labels commemorating such.)
At thirty-four years, this is entering another stage of its tasting profile, perhaps, some would argue, now reaching the apex, but, the last stage of its optimal tasting window.
Chateau d’Yquem 2013
Ernie brought from his home cellar, multi-decade vertical collection, this ultra-premium classic Sauternes Chateau D’Yquem, considered a ‘first growth’ by many, always a special treat! We’ve enjoyed this label in several of our wine dinners including D'Yquem, Quintessa, Saxum Highlight OTBN 2016 - Three tastings flights.
Far Niente Dolce Napa Valley Late Harvest 2014
Linda S brought this imaginative, rare, ‘new world’ late harvest Sauternes style ‘botritized’ dessert wine, Dolce - a wonderful comparison to the classic ‘old world’ legend Chateau d’YQuem. Ironically, I pulled from our cellar and considered bringing this same label, albeit a different (older) vintage. It was great that Linda brought this for a special comparison and pairing. It also allowed me the opportunity to witness the aging of my vintage bottle (s).
This is from ultra-premium Napa Valley producer Far Niente who boast being “America’s only winery to specialize in a single, exquisite dessert wine crafted in the cherished Sauternes style”.
They have fun with this wine they call Dolce, which derives it’s name from “Dolce far niente", an Italian phrase that translates to "the sweetness of doing nothing".
This is a 90-10 blend of Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc, sourced from the 20-acre Dolce Vineyard situated east of Napa in Coombsville at the foot of the Vaca Mountains. This was aged 30 months in 100% new French oak.
Photo (left) taken from that dinner.
https://farniente.com/wineries/dolce
Thanks and kudos to Linda and Dan for hosting another festive gala dinner.
The label, ‘capsule’, and most importantly, the fill level and cork were pristine, showing now signs of diminution whatsoever. I put capsule in quotes because their unique packaging features a wax ‘cap’ on the top of the cork, (shown left), rather than a traditional capsule, or the annoying dipped wax collar on the top of the entire neck of the bottle, which while looking dramatic is a pain to remove. 
