Wine and Dine at Trattoria Fiamma MGM LAS

Wine and Dine at Trattoria Fiamma at MGM Grand Las Vegas - Massolino, Keenan and BV Tapestry

For a client dinner in Las Vegas we dined at Trattoria Fiamma at MGM Grand Hotel and Casino. Diners selected beef and other wine friendly dishes. From the winelist I selected an obligatory Italian, a Massolino Barolo, and then two well known popular Napa reds - BV Tapestry Reserve and Keenan Merlot. 

Only the largest cities offer the culinary selection of Las Vegas which also commands big city prices. The major hotels and casinos feature the world's greatest chefs' restaurants and the broadest range of dining choices. Each hotel is more sensational than the next. 

The MGM Grand features the incomparable Joël Robuchon French restaurant, Emeril's highly acclaimed New Orleans Fish House (where we dined last year during this same event), Tom Colicchio's Craftsteak (where we dined two years ago at this event), Shibuya swank Japanese sushi restaurant that offers over 125 sakes, and Fiamma Trattoria (left) with sophisticated traditional Italian cuisine.

Each offers impeccable service, knowledgeable wait staffs and sommelier wine service with award winning winelists.

Equally sensational as the surroundings are the architecture and design of the dining rooms and their eye-popping showcase wine cellars.  A stop in Joël Robuchon to view the menu and winelist revealed rare selections such as 1947 Château d'Yquem for $37000 (see our tasting of the fabulous Château d'Yquem 1986 this same week). The major hotel/casinos have upscale restaurant that offer such treasures - (see my blogposts on the fabulous Aureole Restaurant). Such a gathering in such close proximity is truly a Las Vegas sensation making it a culinary destination in its own right.

Our business focused non-wine enthusiast crowd called for a modicum of reasonableness in moderate wine selections. Hence, I chose some carefully selected, moderate priced well known predictably pleasant, easy drinking reds that would appeal to the group. The extensive winelists offer choices in all price ranges and styles. The disparate styles of the three wines suited the range of entree selections. 

I've learned that such encounters often result in a wine discovery for some of the diners who want to note the wine and try to obtain some to repeat the experience back home, hence I selected a couple wines that are generally available that provide repeatable quality enjoyable drinking at reasonable prices. 

We Midwesterners were basically meat and potatoes guys who feasted on a Midwestern style beef faire that was in abundance on the menu despite the Italian cuisine. All were excellent and great accompaniments to the red wine flight.

• Barolo Braised Short Rib with Orange Gremolata, Yukon Gold Potato Puree, Cipollini Onions, Baby Carrots

•  Beef Tenderloin Marsala with Tagliatelle Pasta, and Mushroom Marsala Sauce

• Beef Tenderloin Filet Mignon with Red Wine Garlic Sauce, Yukon Gold Potato Puree, and Garden Vegetables 

The wines ...

 Massolino Serralunga d'Alba Barolo 2008

This is a Nebbiolo varietal based red. Much lighter than I expected - slightly astringent. 

Light brick garnet colored, medium-light bodied, aromas and flavors of  slightly tart cherry, strawberry, herbs, tobacco, clove spice, rose petals with hints of tar with soft, medium tannins on the moderate finish.

RM 87 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1314983

 

Keenan Spring Mountain Merlot 2012

We're big fans of Keenan Spring Mountain Bordeaux varietals. We visited the winery during our Napa Valley Wine Experience 2007.

Nice approachable easy drinking red, even in its youth - could've passed for a Cabernet, perfect for the occasion, cuisine and a reasonable value, even for Las Vegas. 

Dark garnet colored, medium bodied, floral aromas, ripe black raspberry and black cherry fruits, hints of mocha, coffee, bell pepper, oak and smoke with a firm Cab like tannin finish.

72% estate grown and 28% Carneros fruit.

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2057406&

Beaulieau Vineyards Napa Valley Tapestry Reserve 2011

This is a meritage, meaning it is a Bordeaux Blend - Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and some Petit Verdot and Malbec. Another approachable easy drinking red ideal for this setting and cuisine.

Dark garnet colored, medium bodied, black berry core with tones of cassis, graphite and clove spice and a hint of cedar on the moderate finish.

RM 89 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/notes.asp?iWine=1843548&

Robert Craig Howell Mtn Zinfandel 2011

Robert Craig Howell Mountain Sears Black Vineyard Zinfandel 2011 at Emiril's New Orlean's Seafood Restaurant in MGM Grand Las Vegas

We're big fans of Robert Craig Cabernets in all their manifestations - 'three mountains and a valley' - Howell Mountain, Spring Mountain, Mt Veeder, and Napa Valley. Perched high atop Howell Mountain the Craig estate also grows some Zinfandel and sources some Zinfandel fruit from the nearby Sears Ranch Vineyard. I first tasted this wine under the original Howell Mountain Sears Ranch Estate/Producer label. One such memorable tasting was in Washington DC at the Taiwanese Consulate at a gala State Dinner. This was an interesting connection of the Taiwan State and a National Citizen who was an investor/owner in the Napa Howell Mountain estate property.

We first met Robert and tasted his wines back at our first visit to Robert Craig during our Napa Valley Wine Experience in 1996, and then again at our Robert Craig featured producer wine dinners in Napa Wine Experience 1998, and again in 1999. We tasted his Howell Mountain Zinfandels at the Robert Craig Howell Mountain Harvest Party '09 and during other visits such as our 2008 Robert Craig Vineyards and Winery visit up on Howell Mountain. Needless to say, we're long time fans of Bob and the Craig team and their 'artwork'.

Tonight, we had the 2011 vintage Robert Craig release of the Sears Ranch Zinfandel at Emiril's New Orleans Seafood Restaurant at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas. It was a great accompaniment to the beef tenderloin dinner selection on our specially prepared menu. I wanted to try this wine and selected it from the winelist. Interestingly, it was their one and only, last bottle.

The Emiril's wine list holds the distinction of the Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence award, based on its extensive selection of California and French labels, as well as Italy and Germany - over 9000 bottles from 1300 labels - including many Napa favorites, including the normal widely distributed labels as well as some boutique producers such as Clark Claudon, a popular favorite from or cellar. The Wine Director there is Scott McSimov, shown left,  in one of the three on-site showcase cellars.

Emiril's is one of eleven restaurants at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Notable for wine lovers, the combined wine lists from those sites received more awards from Wine Spectator than any other property in the world, for a second year in a row. They combine for a total nineteen glasses in the popular restaurant winelist award rating system that is based on the scale of one to three wine glasses. 

Robert Craig Howell Mountain Sears Black Vineyard Zinfandel 2011

I couldn't help but pick this limited release unique label from the extensive Emiril's wine list. I have an respectable Robert Craig vertical collection and I'd not had this vintage. Also, I knew the bold, robust, fruit filled Howell Mountain Zinfandel would be popular with our group of casual wine drinkers.

One of my colleagues was drinking a 'lesser' wine and I suggested this. She said, "anything but a Zinfandel". Undaunted I smiled and said, trust me... She liked it!

 Dark garnet colored, medium to full bodied, this was classic Howell Mountain brambly fruit with black raspberry and blackberry fruits accented by black tea, smoke, and vanilla with a spicy oak moderate tannin finish.

RM 91 points.

http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1738575 

http://robertcraigwine.com/