Showing posts with label Niagara Peninsula. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Niagara Peninsula. Show all posts

Saturday, August 25, 2018

Barking Frog at Willows Lodge Wine Dine Experience

Barking Frog at Willows Lodge Wine Dine Experience


Our final culinary dining experience during our Seattle Culinary and Washington Wine Tour was dinner at the Barking Frog restaurant in the Willows Lodge resort.

Barking Frog is the fine dining establishment in the Seattle wine country suburb of Woodinville, home to, reportedly, over a hundred wine tasting venues.

Once again, it was a delight to have son Ryan along with us for the trip to share the experience.

We scored a dinner reservation from local Somm and wine room manager at one of the premier tasting rooms.

Barking Frog have an excellent wine list but we took one bottle BYOB, that son Ryan obtained from the Library collection at Long Shadows cellars, a 2004 Pirouette Bordeaux Blend.  This label was one of the wines we tasted and acquired at Long Shadows, one of their Vintners Collection Winemaker Series featuring world class winemakers collaborating to showcase the best art of the possible from Washington State vineyards.

Pirouette Bordeaux Blend is crafted by Augustin Hunneeus, Sr and Philippe Melka, noted for Napa Valley leading wine labels. We hold this wine in our cellar back at home but had not yet tasted this vintage. We also hold many other Philppe Melka labels from his own Melka brand as well as many others for which he is consulting winemaker.

Like we did for our other culinary ventures this week, we chose the Price Fixe tasting menu to follow the chef's suggestion for the pairings and courses.




Here were our course selections:

  • Seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras
  • Heirloom tomatoes with basil, urfa biber, cherries/buratta and noble xo
  • Asparagus with farro fries, parmesan tuile, spring herbs and lemon tarragon aioli
  • Atlantic Sea Scallops with artichoke, fava beans, cipollini onions, onion soubise and porcini nage
  • Beef  ribeye  w/ whipped potatoes,  asparagus and sauce chasseur
  •  For the final course, Linda had the Vanilla Bean Creme' Brulee and I had the Trio of Sorbets
From the winelist we ordered a sparkling wine starter and a dessert wine for the finale.

What a treat, our second Inniskillin Ice Wine in as many weeks!  Ryan had the Sauterne which, while wonderful, was not a match for the Inniskillin. 


Inniskillin Niagara Estate Riesling Icewine 2015
Château Roûmieu-Lacoste Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc Blend 2015




Our Dinner Plates:


Hudon Valley Foie Gras

Heirloom tomatoes with basil

Asparagus with farro fries

Beef Ribeye



https://www.willowslodge.com/barking_frog/

Sunday, December 31, 2017

Close out '17 w 10 yr Icewine & 20 yr Balmoral Syrah

Close out 2017 w/ ten & twenty year old Vidal Icewine and Balmoral Syrah

For New Year's Eve wine party christening new neighbors Mark and Colleen's renovated barn hospitality room I took a ten year old and twenty year old to ring out the year. In tribute to Mark's heritage being born and raised in the Niagara Peninsula region, I took a ten year '07 Niagara VQA Vidal Icewine. And for earnest sipping with holiday party foods I took twenty year old '97 a Balmoral McLaren Vale Syrah.

We toured the Niagara Peninsula back in 2012 visiting the legendary Inniskillin when we tasted and acquired their legendary Icewines during our visit to the Inniskillin Winery Estate, and the up and coming Jackson Trigg wineries as highlights of our time there. I have to admit I do not recall or have a record of when or where we acquired this Kittling Ridge Estates Vidal Icewine that I pulled from the cellar for tonight's tasting. I chose this bottle partly because of its festive box packaging ideal for gifting, and its decade milestone vintage as we close out '17. I do,  at least, have a record of it being in our cellar inventory. 

Kittling Ridge Estates Niagara Peninsula Vidal Icewine 2007 

They call this the showpiece of their collection of premium VQA (Canadian version of AVA or appellation) wines, this is harvested from estate vineyards in the heart of the Niagara Peninsula, Kittling Ridge are renowned for producing one of Canada’s first Icewines, called such because the grapes are harvested in the middle of winter when they are frozen on the vine. The grapes are hand-picked when the temperature falls below -8°C, then the frozen grapes are crushed immediately releasing a tiny amount of concentrated sweet nectar which is slowly fermented over several months.

This was a perfect complement to Linda's brie cheese in puffed pastry with roasted almonds and honey. 

When released these wines are straw colored, darkening as they age to the color of weak then stronger tea. Tonight this was dark tea colored, full bodied, rich unctuous concentrated with notes of roasted almonds, honey, with hints of smokey roasted peach and apricot on the thick tongue coating lasting finish.

RM 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2498661

http://www.kittlingridge.com/

Rosemount Balmoral McLaren Vale Syrah 1997

Consistent with earlier tasting notes, "Dark purple colour, full aroma of perfume and fruit - the diminution of fruit continues as this wine is showing its age further with ripe concentrated plum and blackberry and black cherry fruits hanging on but giving way to ripe raisin fig tones accented by leather and a somewhat funky wet cedar with a touch of vanilla and sweet cherry - tightly wound with a tinge of tight tannins and acid on the subdued fruit finish.'

'These notes from 2014 followed my earlier note in 2013 that said, "Its time to drink up as this '97 which is showing its age as the fruit starts to diminish somewhat. Looking at Cellartracker tasting notes, one writer reports this vintage still holding on while another says his is over the hill. While past its prime, this was still very much still inside the drinking window." Showing that continued diminution, I would say that while still holding, this is nearing the end of its drinking window."

This was a fitting wine to open on New Year's eve, twenty years beyond release, suitable tasting with festive holiday buffet foods of sausages, ham, olives and avocado dips and cheeses. 

RM 87 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=17074