Pour Boys Cityscape Fall Classic Wine Dinner

Pour Boys Cityscape Fall Classic Wine Dinner

The fall gathering of the Pour Boys was hosted by Lyle and Terry on their West Loop cityscape deck on a picture perfect early autumn evening.

Big Reds were the order of day to compliment the dinner of ceasar salad, mushroom soup, grilled steaks, puffed potatoes, stripped zuchini, and cheese veggie ravioli.

The Antipasta course (shown below) featured a plate of mixed proscuittos, deviled eggs, assortment of olives and a selection of artisan cheeses, highlighted by Lyle's grilled sea scallops.

Red wine flight

The main course red wine flight (shown left) featured Sangiovese, Bordeaux blends, several Syrahs, a couple Zins and a vintage port.

John served a champagne and white wine flight with the starters of Salon and Veuve Cliquot, and a Domaine Christian Moreau Chablis Grand Cru.

There is always room for bubbly, and the whites were spectacular with the scallops, antipasta and cheese selection.

The cheeses included aged cheddars from Fair Oak Farms - 5 and 6 year olds and a Wisconsin;  a pair of aged Goudas from Wisconsin and a Dutch, Bellavitano and some others.

Cheese selection

Anti-Pasta

The white flight -

Salon Blanc de Blanc Brut Champagne 2004

At a dozen years of age, this premium vintage label showed its class - straw colored, medium bodied, elegant, rich, crisp and clean, full bright flavors accented by a layer of zesty yeast, vibrant flavors of pear, apple, nut and hint of zesty citrus.

I wish my palate for Champagne was more discriminating to appreciate the nuances of this elegant polished, nicely balanced label.

RM 93 points 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2334797

 

Veuve Cliquot NV Champagne

Domaine Christian Moreau Chablis Grand Cru en Clos 2009

As a follow on to our recent Vivere wine producer dinner, Ernie brought a Castello Banfi Brunello di Montalcino and Fluris, which he procured from the Italian Village wine cellar when the distributor/retailer couldn't fulfill our order for a shared case of the dessert wine. Following the pairing of this with the orange cake at the dinner, this was a priority to compliment Terry's classic orange cake dessert.

The Brunello Sangiovese was an ideal compliment to Terry's mushroom and celery root soup. She and Lyle had this on their recent river cruise on the Danube River to Budapest and Terry coerced the chef to give her the recipe. 







Lyle grilling the scallops.
















The Red Flight -

 

 Castello Banfi Brunello di Montalcino Sangiovese 2010

100% Estate grown Sangiovese.

Deep intense dark garnet colored, medium-full bodied, subdued black cherry fruits, tones of leather, tobacco, anise and hints of floral, spice and vanilla.

RM 90 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1770395




Eric and Cathy brought Flower Merlot from Yates Family Vineyards which they discovered and obtained at our our winery visit during our Mt Veeder Appellation wine experience 2011. This was a great transition wine from the white to red flight with its soft approachable easy sipping bright acidity and vibrant fruits, before moving to the Big Reds.


Yates Family Vineyards Flower Merlot 2005

While predominantly Merlot, this includes in the blend some Cabernet Sauvignon (4%) and Cabernet Franc (2%).

Dark garnet colored, medium bodied, bright vibrant black berry, black raspberry and black cherry fruits, lively acidity, dark spices on a long moderate tannin finish.

RM 92 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1129204

http://www.yatesfamilyvineyard.com/



For the dinner course, we started with Bill's Chateau  Lascombs to align with the grilled strip steaks.

Château Lascombes Margaux Bordeaux 2000

Contrary to my earlier tasting experience with this wine, tonight this was surprisingly un-Bordeaux like ... while this was lacking the floral and earthy notes I associate with Margaux, it showed much brighter and more forward, vibrant tangy fruits, more like a Napa Cab, than a left bank claret.

Dark deep ruby colored, medium-bodied, bright forward blackberry, black currant, and black cherry fruits with a layer of tangy spice and tones of soft oak on the moderate tannin finish.

RM 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=6403


Continuing in the dinner course, I brought another 2000 vintage label as part of a mini vertical of Rosemount Balmoral Syrah, 1999-2000.

Rosemount Estate Balmoral McLaren Vale Syrah 1999-2000

We have about a half dozen contiguous vintages of this label. I think this '99 label is a bit bigger and more forward and fruit filled than the others which have more predominant non-fruit tones. 

This vineyard is one of the few in Australia with vines dating back a hundred years. The concentrated fruit is akin to the Chateau Tanunda with its legendary 100 year old vines. The story of  we Pour Boys discovering and then capturing the US allocation of this wine is written often in these pages. 

Dark inky purple garnet colored, medium-full bodied, forward  currant, plum, blackberry fruits turning to blueberry on the mid-palate, accented by a layer of anise, raisin and fig with hints of clove and spice.

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3000 

2000 Vintage - 

Consistent with previously reported tasting notes from 2010 and 2012. 

Dark inky purple/garnet colored, medium-full bodied. Aromatic, leather, slightly earthy aroma that gives way to complex flavorful blue fruit and ripe black raspberry fruits that turn to raisin, black cherry, cassis, tar, and tobacco turning to an aftertaste of smoke, currant and a hint of plum. Over the course of the evening, the wine seemed to age as the berry fruits gave way to the more fig raisin aged feel while the deep aromatics lingered.

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=14749

The Syrah flight continued with John's classic Cayuse Shiraz from Washington State.

Cayuse Vineyards Cailloux Vineyard Walla Walla Valley Syrah 2012

John brought the 2007 vintage of this big hitter to our Cityscape wine of the deck dinner in 2013 when I wrote on this label and producer more extensively.

Like that earlier event, I saved this wine for the end of the meal to pivot to the dessert course as it is suited more for the dark chocolate desserts and more than even the grilled beef steaks. And, like before, it provided a perfect set up to the Vintage Port. Thanks again, John for offering up this classic Washington State Syrah, a real treat.

Not for the feint of heart ... no wimps here ... Dark inky garnet colored, full bodied, huge powerful concentrated, complex thick chewy black berry and black raspberry, bramble, bacon fat, game, tones of dark mocha and tobacco with hints of tar, black pepper and anise turning to vanilla on the tongue coating finish.

RM 93 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1683780

http://www.cayusevineyards.com

Orange cake with berries and whipped cream

 

Finally, the dessert course featuring Terry's orange cake with mixed berries and fresh whipped cream, and a selection of dark chocolates and dark chocolate covered berries, accompanied by Ernie's Floris and Lyle's Croft Port.

Castello Banfi Florus Late Harvest Moscadello 2011

Golden colored, medium bodied, bright vibrant bouquet and flavors of sweet apricot, honeysuckle, tones of raisins, almonds and honey on full lingering unctuous finish.

RM 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1840229




Croft Vintage Port 1994

From Lyle's collection of vintage ports, the 1994 vintage was a classic vintage, even for vintage declared Ports, as two were selected as Co-Wines of the Year for that vintage. 

Dark blackish garnet colored, full bodied, moderately sweet with an essence of cognac, gripping tannins are pervasive with thick tongue coating richness, yet the power is refined and polished rendering this big wine approachable for smooth sipping. One of the top performances for this label.

RM 92 points.  


https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=8960

http://www.croftport.com/en/




The Pour Boys Story-

UGC Bordeaux 2013 Release Tour Chicago 2016

Pour Boys Serve Grands Crus Classes of St Emilion 2015 Chicago Tasting

D'Yquem, Quintessa, Saxum Highlight OTBN 2016 - Three tastings flights

D'Yquem, Quintessa, Saxum Highlight OTBN 2016  - Three tastings flights in one

OTBN - Open That Bottle Night, 2016 - the annual wine tasting extravaganza was held according to custom, on the last Saturday night in February.

Attending were all the 'Pour Boys', (left) our regular wine tasting group, so named for our work pouring wines at the UGCB tasting events. 

Based on the breadth and depth of selected wines brought by the participants, this year's tasting ended up being three different wine tastings - a white flight with the pre-dinner starter course, a Bordeaux (blend) flight with the dinner course, and a dessert flight with the final course.

Ernie preparing
bacon wrapped dates

OTBN - Open That Bottle Night, was conceived on the premise that many of us have a special bottle of wine or champagne hidden away being saved for a special occasion that for whatever reason hasn't happened, yet.

Every year since 2000, on the last Saturday night in February, Open That Bottle Night (OTBN) has been celebrated - the time to uncork and enjoy that cherished but here-to-for elusive bottle.

OTBN was conceived by Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher, Wine Columnists for the Wall Street Journal, to say, what the heck, go for it, Open That Bottle (to)Night. They realized they weren't alone - having that special bottle set aside for an occasion that just never happens. On this night, you don't need an excuse or a reason - just do it!

Take advantage of OTBN to open that bottle and enjoy it! Enjoy it by yourself, or better yet, enjoy it with someone special, or even better, with a group of special friends. Have everyone bring such a bottle and let the story telling begin, because amazingly, every OTBN bottle has a story or some meaning, or not. What the heck, Open That Bottle (To) Night!

Shown left, Lyle decanting the Croft 1991 Vintage Port and John preparing the artisan cheeses.

See our 2011, 2012,  2013, 2014  and 2015 OTBN reports.

According to customary protocol for OTBN, we agreed to not set a theme for the evening, but to adhere to the spirit of bringing select wine (s) for the occasion. Bring a special bottle you're eager to try, and share, and bring along a complimentary side dish or dessert that will showcase the wine selection.

The result was selections that worked out well with complementary or distinguished wines that resulted in the three courses of the evening.

For the starter course, we had a selection of artisan cheeses, shrimp cocktail, a fig pizza, and deviled eggs. The cheese course consisted of two Wisconsin Aged cheeses, a Gouda and an eighteen year aged cheddar, brought by John, and Linda's Baked Brie with toasted almonds and honey drizzle.

To accompany the starter course we had a flight of white wines - listed in tasting order, Grgich Fume Blanc, FogDog Sonoma Chardonnay, Freestone Vineyard Sonoma Chardonnay, Sebastian Riffault Sauletas Sancerre, and of course there is always a place for a sparkling wine, John sourced this Roses de Jeanne Blanc de Blanc Champagne brut (left).

As a transition to the reds, John served a Saumur Loire Valley Sancerre Reserve Cabernet Franc.

Grgich Napa Estate Valley Fume Blanc Sauvignon Blanc 2010

FogDog Sonoma County Chardonnay 2006

Joseph Phelps Freestone Vineyards Estate Sonoma County Chardonnay 2009

Sebastian Riffault Sauletas Sancerre 2010

Roses de Jeanne Blanc de Blanc Champagne Brut


The dinner course consist of beef tenderloin, dry rubbed baby back pork ribs, rosemary escalloped au gratin potatoes, hericot verts, and dinner salad with rosemary butter toasted French Bread. The transition from the white to the red course was Saumur Loire Valley Sancerre Reserve Cabernet Franc 2005.

The wine flight to accompany the dinner course was a series of Bordeaux, kicked off by a Napa Cabernet based Red Blend from Quintessa. Bill brought the 2006 vintage Quintessa that stood alone in its bright vibrant symphony of fruits, almost a meal in itself! This big forward Napa Bordeaux Blend anchored and opened the red flight of Bordeaux's.

Quintessa Napa Valley Rutherford Red Wine 2006

The wine flight to accompany the dinner course was a series of Bordeaux, kicked off by a Napa Cabernet based Red Blend from Quintessa. Quintessa refers to the five hills and five disparate terroir and soil types on the estate vineyards in Napa Valley. Our visit to the magnificent Quintessa Estate vineyards and winery was a highlight of our Napa Valley Wine Experience in 2003. 

Bill brought the 2006 vintage Quintessa that stood alone in its bright vibrant symphony of fruits, almost a meal in itself! This big forward Napa Bordeaux Blend anchored and opened the red flight of Bordeaux's.

Quintessa 2006 - a standout
in the red flight

From Bill's cellar, his tasting notes from Cellartracker - "The best and most expressive of 3 or 4 vintages of this tasted to date. Deep, opaque color. Rich and full on the palate with layers of fruit (blackberry, cassis and a hint of sour cherry), savory notes of dark chocolate with maybe a hint of fig, with a classic earthy, mineral Bordeaux finish and a huge mouthfeel. This was my contribution to Open That Bottle Night. Still have one bottle left and wish I had more however this was at its best early in the evening and began to flatten after about three hours."

This was the most expressive and vibrant Quintessa I've had. Bright full, forward black raspberry notes with tones of spicy oak, cassis and mocha ...

WCC and RM - 93 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=658175



Then on to the Bordeaux dinner flight ... 

Château Cos Labory St Estephe 2003

Château Lynch Moussas Pauillac 2003

Château Lafon Rochet St Estephe 1996





Château Léoville Las Cases St Julien 1996

 This 1996 initially overshadowed the more subdued 1986 with far more vibrant, fuller and more expressive fruits. Only after a day did the 1986 open up and reveal its true character and potential. 

 Château Léoville Las Cases St Julien 1986

I was expecting the duo of the twenty and thirty year old Leoville Las Cases to be a highlight of the tasting. Remarkably, the 1986 was initially a bit lean and austere, lacking the big firm backbone structure that was so notable from the vintage, and was actually overshadowed by the bigger, more complete '96.

After thirty years, this needed decanting and settling time, witnessed by the fact, the next evening it had opened and stabilized and was more balanced and polished.

In any event, the tasting profile of the classic 'super second' Estate was apparent in the the mini-horizontal of the two vintage flight.

At thirty years of age, I actually wonder if we drank the 1986 too soon!  Initially closed and a bit flabby, it needed decanting and a minimum of a couple hours to open and settle, it was better the next day, and even better the day after that!

Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, beautiful floral bouquet, black berry and black cherry fruits with layers of cassis, bark, spice and earthy, leathery oak, subtle bell pepper with slight tangy bitterness turning to firm lingering tannins with a long long bright floral finish.

RM 93 points.

Robert Parker gave this wine 100 points.

Wine Spectator rated it 97. Perhaps they foretold its aging when they said this in their review .. "Amazingly focused, complex and deep, packed with currant, plum and berry flavors and notes of cedar and chocolate. The structure is tightly reined in and needs considerable cellaring to show what it can do."

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1622

The dessert flight ... 

After dinner we retreated to the dining room where we feasted on a dessert wine course, sweet sticky's, port and a big red wine flight that showcased the selection of desserts - Ernie's bacon wrapped figs, a selection of fresh berries - blackberry, red raspberry, and strawberry, fresh pineapple, dried apricots, two cakes - Terry's decadent mandarin orange and Linda's key lime cake - culminating in a selection of sweets including Linda's dark chocolate bark with cherries and pistachios, and chocolate covered pomegranate berries.

The showcase highlight wine for the dessert course was Chateau d'Yquem Sauterne Bordeaux 1986 from Ernie's cellar.

Chateau d'Yquem Sauterne Bordeaux 1986
 
This is a Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc Blend. The d'Yquem vineyardists make as many as two dozen passes through the vineyard selecting only the perfect grapes at the right picking time in each pass. The ultra selection of the rich ultra ripe grapes results in but one glass of wine per vine in a typical vintage.

Honey golden amber color, full bodied, rich thick, unctuous, concentrated, complex, elegant, smooth, silky polished nectar in a glass. Passion fruit, apricot and honey notes, sweet vanilla and candied fruit tones are accented by a layer of smoky almond nut tones.

This wine is a chameleon - its amazing complexity reflects the many dimensions of the myriad of  fruit, chocolate and fig bacon flavors tasted in concert. The many dimensions of this wine were highlighted by the disparate dessert selections. The triad of blackberry, bacon wrapped figs and the chocolate bark each revealed a different lens into the nuances of the complex Sauterne.

RM 93 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=14449

http://yquem.fr/int-en/ 

We followed this with a super sweet Kracher Scheurube Trockenbereen Auslese #12 1998.

The chocolate courses provided a transitional pivot from the sticky sweet wines to the vintage port and big red wines. Lyle brought a Croft Vintage Port 1991 and John provided a Saxum Broken Stones Red Blend 2006 from Paso Robles. With its monstrous 16.5% alcohol, it was fitting for the dessert course more than the dinner course and was a suitable finisher at the rear of the tasting.


Alois Kracher Scheurebe TBA #12 Zwischen den Seen 1998

From a half bottle. Brownish orange tea colored, full bodied, thick chewy, rich unctuous, concentrated sweet honey, smoky almonds, lychee, sweet ripe caramel apple, apricot, pear and balanced citrus acidity, the lychee, vanilla, orange blossom finish goes on and on. At 356 g/L of residual sugar, this has over three times the sweetness level of Coca-Cola but its fruit nectar essence makes for sensuous pleasant sipping.


RM 93 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=40335





Croft Vintage Port 1991

A saturated cork cast wonder at how this would be. Dark  blackish ruby color, full bodied, smooth, rich, concentrated, complex sweet black berry, black cherry, ripe black plum fruits with tobacco leaf and dark mocha tones and hints of cognac ... it tasted young and vibrant ... Lyle was concerned that this has lost is lusture but all concurred it is drinking fine and has decades of life left in the bottle.

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=97828 

http://www.croftport.com/en/


Saxum Vineyards Broken Stones Red Blend 2006

In the style of a classic GSM, this was a blend of 63% Syrah, 24% Grenache, and 13% Mouvedre but sported a monstrous 16.5% alcohol level.

Dark blackish garnet color, full bodied, forward bold complex, concentrated black and blue berry fruits accented by a layer of spices, grilled meats, toast, tones of smoky tar, camphor, bell pepper and graphite with firm lingering tannins on the full finish.

This wine begs for the darkest mocha chocolate - a perfect accompaniment to the dark chocolate bark with cherries and pistachios.

RM 93

Robert Parker gave this wine 97 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=538829

http://www.saxumvineyards.com/wines/broken-stones

We finishing with a transitional return to Bordeaux with a 2003 Cos Labory St Estephe.

More to follow ...

Linda preparing dry rubbed baby backed ribs

Cityscape Syrah Zin BBQ Ribs Wine Dinner 2015

2015 Cityscape Wine on the deck Features Syrah Zinfandel with BBQ Ribs Dinner

Our 'pour boys' wine group dinner was hosted by Lyle and Terry for their third wine night on the deck with cityscape views.

The theme for the evening was set for Syrah and Zinfandel to accompany their bar-b-cue rib dinner preparation. Their west loop residence features an extraordinary deck with cityscape views of the Willis (Sears) Tower (looming in background as shown left) and the west loop neighborhood.

The spectacular mid-September evening provided a perfect clear cloudless sky and comfortable evening. This was a replay of the success of last years event of the same theme. As usual, like the previous two years, Terry and prepared an wonderful dinner ideally suited for the wine theme - bar-b-cue ribs, potatoes, green beans, salad, cornbread, corn, followed by home-made profiteroles with ice cream, chocolate and caramel sauces.

Before dinner there was a selection of artisan cheeses, shrimp, grilled scallops, dips, nuts and olive trays. These complimented several champagne, sparkling and other white wine selections.

The main dinner wine flight ... (pictured below):

 

As usual we went through our ritual of placing the flight tasting order based on the anticipated weight, sweetness and complexity of the wines. Once set, the wines are opened and tasted to calibrate their appropriate tasting order. For me, this is almost the highlight of such evenings, determining the tasting order, but also testing knowledge and perceptions of the wines and vintages and their respective tasting profiles. As usual we had the basic order generally correct, but made a few modifications based on the tasting results. Shown above is the original expected order. 

Surprisingly, as a result of the tasting, the Killikanoon Oracle moved to the farthest right most position - signifying it as being the biggest and most complex wine, subsequently to be tasted last, so as to overpower a 'lesser' (lighter, less complex) wine. This was remarkable considering the previous tasting experiences of the other four 'big syrahs'.

Surprisingly, the Chateau Tanunda 100 year old vines Shiraz moved a couple places to the left although it compared favorably with the others. 

The wine flight in tasting order:

Domaine Marc Colin Chassagne Montrachet 1999

Niner Wine Estate Boot Jack Ranch Paso Robles Syrah 2006

Robert Biale Black Chicken Napa Valley Zinfandel 2011

Regusci Napa Valley Stags Leap District Zinfandel 2010

Outpost Napa Valley Howell Mountain Zinfandel 2012

The Big Shiraz flight ...

Two Hands  Bella's Garden Barossa Shiraz 2012

Chateau Tanunda 100 Year Old Vines Shiraz 2008

Clarendon Hills  Astralas Shiraz 2007

Clarendon Hills Piggot Ranges Shiraz 2004 

Killikanoon Clare Valley Oracle Shiraz 2004

And after dinner with dessert and for casual sipping:

Antoine Alard Chateau Theulet Monbazzilac 1998
Chateau Breustet Saunterne Bordeaux 2001
Grahams Vintage Port 1991, 2000

The Zinfandel flight also included the Niner Paso Robles Syrah which exhibited a profile more aligned with those wines. The Regusci and Biale compared similarly while, not surprisingly, the Outpost stood out with its Howell Mountain terroir showing bigger forward mountain fruit with that classic bramble tight firmness with a creosote anise layer. 

The standout of the evening for me was the Killikanoon Oracle, which I expected to show well as it is one of my favorite wines. It showed dark inky purple, intense, rich, thick, full bodied, forward fruit of blueberry, ripe plum and blackberry, violet floral, and a hint of anise on the finish.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=234312

Big Aussie Syrah flight ...

I brought the Oracle to compare in a mini-horizontal 2004 against the Clarendon Hills Piggott Range Clarendon Syrah which I expected to mirror the profile but perhaps exhibit even bigger, more forward firm concentrated fruits, which it did, but less so than the Oracle.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=153424

The Piggot Range exhibited a rich dark purple color, full bodied, and full smooth polished aromas and flavors of raspberries, blueberry, blueberries and smoked meat with notes of spice and floral elements with hints of oak with nicely integrated silky tannins on the lingering finish. It was more lean than the full throttle thick rich version I tasted a couple vintages back. It's certainly ready to drink, and doesn't appear it will improve any with age.. probably certainly at its apex and needs to be consumed .. but I'd say no need to hurry .. has a couple years left ....

Dan brought the ultra-premium Clarendon Hills Astralis also provided an interesting comparison between the two Clarendon Hills' labels since they no doubt contain fruit sourced from the same sites.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=94812

Ernie brought Chateau Tanunda from his cellar. I've written herein about us capturing nine OWC three packs of this wine - the entire allocation of this wine for midwest America during the Wine Spectator Grand Tour a few years ago. This wine continues to be a staple of our big syrah tastings that we all enjoy. 

Chateau Tanunda "The Chateau" 100 Year Old Vines Eden Valley Barossa Shiraz

We discovered this wine at the Wine Spectator Grand Tour in Chicago when it was being poured by Chateau Tanunda's Dagmar O'Neill. Only 100 cases were produced. We orchestrated a purchase of nine three packs in OWC's (shown below) which we split amongst the 'pour boys' wine team, pictured below.

The Barossa is home to some of the world’s oldest Shiraz vines and the grapes for this wine come from hundred year old vines from a high altitude, one acre single vineyard in the Eden Valley.

The 'pour boys' sighted at WS
Grand Tour

Full bodied, complex, concentrated, full lingering tannins predominate the dense, black and blue berry fruits with hints of licorice, plum, spice and spicy oak.

RM 93 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=937673

http://www.chateautanunda.com/

Grahams Vintage Port 1991, 2000

 

Lyle was concerned that his beloved Grahams Vintage Port 1991 was diminished and entering the later stage of its drinking window. He acquired a case of this wine and has been enjoying it over the decades but was concerned about its recent change in its profile. The consensus of the group was that is was fine, aging normally and gracefully, simply showing it natural aging maturation. We're all getting older! 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=21593

Napa Cabernet and White Pairing Flights Showcase Grilled Steak and Salmon dinner

Napa Cabernet and White Pairing Flights Showcase Grilled Steak and Salmon dinner

Still in process but a starter of wine journal notes... 

For a mid-summer wine dinner Linda prepared grilled sockeye salmon, strip steaks, asparagus spears, twice baked potatoes, mix green salad and some surprise deserts and palette teasers. Beth brought a squash casserole accompaniment. Prior to dinner we feasted on a medley of artisan cheeses brought by Dan, and shrimp cocktail.

Often when we're gathering we determine a wine theme for the evening and folks bring something accordingly. Tonight we were void of a theme other than folks knew the general menu offering. I find it remarkable how our wine pairing flights came together to create a wine experience and to complement the food. Of course Bill brought a vertical duo pairing, and we created a pairing with me matching Dan's Cab and Champagne selections. But ironically, Lyle and Bob each brought similar regional Sonoma Cabernets to compare. And of course I crafted the white flights to the meal selections. The result was a fun, interesting and intriguing wine experience.

The first wine flight was a pair of French Champagnes - Dan brought this Charles Mignon Cuvee Comte De Marne Brut Grand Cru and I pulled a Lanson Black Label Brut NV from our cellar.

Grilled Sockeye Salmon Platter

With dinner salad and the salmon we served Kim Crawford Marlborough Dry Riesling 2006, and then Maldonado Los Olivos Vineyard Napa Valley Chardonnay 2005, respectively. Then came a surprise. Linda prepared a mango lime ice garnished with mint leaves as a palette cleanser (left) before moving to the beef steak course. We paired the mango ice with Cliff Lede Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2005.

With the steak course we had a series of Cabernet pairings. We served them according to convention - older first to detect the nuances of maturity, complex, refined and polished wines next, followed by younger wines that will be more adolescent and exuberant in character.

Of course the lighter whites wines went first - from lighter champagne, then dry, progressing to fuller and sweeter, to accompany the shrimp, cheeses, salad course and salmon. And the finale was the dessert wine and or vintage port which went with hearty chocolate and pie. 

Bill brought from his cellar a Freemark Abbey mini horizontal duo of Bosche Vineyard and Sycamore Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons from 1995. We then moved to a pair of Stags Leap District Napa Cabernets 2006; Dan brought the Lindstrom and we matched it against Cliff Lede.

Lyle and Bob each brought Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignons - Lyle, a Beringer Sonoma County Knight's Valley Cabernet Reserve 2010 which we paired against Bob's Arrowood Sonoma Valley Cab 2008.

For dessert, Linda prepared a chocolate silk cream pie and a fresh key lime pie served with fresh whipped cream and a selection of chocolates including decadent dark chocolate caramels with sea salt.  I had set aside a Monbazillac 1999 which I had placed in the freezer and left it too long as it started to freeze. We did an impromptu cellar dive and pulled from a selection of vintage ports a Smith Woodhouse Madalena Vintage Port 1995.

The flights -

Champagnes -

Charles Mignon Cuvee Comte De Marne Brut Grand Cru Champagne Epernay, France

Lanson Black Label Brut NV, Reims, Champagne, France

Whites -

Kim Crawford Marlborough (New Zealand) Dry Riesling 2006 - with the salad course.

Maldonado Los Olivos Vineyard Napa Valley Chardonnay 2005 - with the salmon.

Cliff Lede Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2005 - with the Mango Lime ice.



The Cabernets -

Bill's brought from his cellar with its extensive vertical of Freemark Abbey Cabernets these single vineyard designated selections from Bosche and Sycamore. Our visit to the winery was highlighted by our tour and trolling through the cellar library during our 2009 Napa Wine Experience trip.

We have numerous stories about  Freemark Abbey tasting experiences that accentuated the wine presentation and animated the dinner conversation, some of which are featured elsewhere in this blog.

Freemark Abbey Bosche Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1995 - Perhaps not surprising, this label proved to be one of, if not the tasting highlight (s) of the evening. My own Cellartracker notes and rating from 9/2/2013,  about eleven months ago  accurately apply to tonight's tasting  - I wrote: "An eye-opening standout of th(at)e evening featuring a horizontal tasting of five 95 vintage Napa Cabs, this was medium to full bodied with bright vibrant forward ripe plum and black raspberry fruits accented by tones of currant, clove, hints of vanilla and sweet oak with smooth polished silky tannins on the finish. Lots of life left in this eighteen year old." Then and now - RM 91 points.

Bill's Cellartracker notes from the evening: "The hit of our wine dinner with friends. Inky, purple color STILL. No signs of aging. Nose a bit musty on opening but blew off after an hour to reveal expected aroma of eucalyptus and a hint of spice. Chocolate, clove, mint, cassis and blackberry on the palate. Fully integrated tannins but still has some backbone and a long finish. Tasted side by side with a '95 Sycamore."
WCC - 93 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=780698

Freemark Abbey Sycamore Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1995 - There was a remnant left in the bottom of this bottle Monday evening, and remarkably, 48 hours after opening, it was actually improved over Saturday. Dark garnet colored, medium bodied, upon opening, it presented forward black cherry fruits with a slight tart edge, before turning to a layer of black berry and earthy leather. Two days later, it took on a mouthful of smoke that quickly turned to complex layer of anise turning to cognac like alcohol that lingers on and on with tones of spice and leather on the smooth firm tannin finish.
RM 88 points.

Bill's Cellartracker notes from ten months ago: "Drank over a 2 day period. A bit musty on the nose. Lots of earth and some limited fruit on the palate. Classic old style California Cab. Second day, fruit on the nose was much more pronounced but a day did not help the taste. A decent bottle but time to drink
WCC 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=23805

http://www.freemarkabbey.com/

Dan brought this Lindstrom Stags Leap District Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 which promised to be the showcase wine of the evening, a special offering since this wine comes from a property of an associate of his brother.

This premium label is 100% Estate Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from carefully selected fruit from eleven blocks at their four acre hilltop Nicali Vineyard in Stags Leap District, Napa Valley, named for Greg and Carol Lindstrom's two daughters—Nicole and Ali. The vineyard is adjacent to vineyards of well known producers Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, Shafer Vineyards,  and Joseph Phelps Vineyards. It was undeveloped until recently due to its steep hillsides and complex topography.

The subtly and finesse of the Lindstrom was at risk of being overshadowed by the bigger more obtuse forward fruits of the Lede and Bosche. Dark inky purple and full bodied, the care in viticulture and selection was apparent in the understated style of full bodied complexity with finesse and polish. Tight and a bit closed yet, this will no doubt age gracefully for several years. It will be fun to see how it reveals itself in ten years. Elegant tones of subdued black berry and black raspberry fruits are accented by a layer of tea with hints of  currant, cedar, black olive herb and sage on a smooth moderate tannin lingering finish.
RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=656777

http://www.lindstromwines.com/

To compare aside the Lindstrom, I pulled this Cliff Lede Stags Leap District Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2006. We discovered Cliff Lede wines and his blockbuster Poetry at the Wine Spectator Grand Tour in Chicago in 2009.  Established in 2002, Cliff Lede Vineyards encompasses sixty acres in the Stags Leap District at the foot of and across the Silverado Trail from Stags Leap on the eastern floor of Napa Valley.  The flagship, Poetry Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced from the steep hillside portion of the estate that sits above the valley adjacent to the tony Poetry Inn boutique inn.


Our visit to Cliff Lede Estate was a highlight of our Napa Wine Experience Tour in 2009. 

Six years after release, the 2006 Lede Estate Cabernet seems to be reaching its stride at the apex of its tasting curve. Medium full bodied, deep ruby color with full forward blackberry and black and red currant fruits with tones of mocha, clove spice and hints of tar and sweet oak on a smooth polished flavorful lingering finish. 
Blend: 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, 2% Malbec
RM 91 points.

Bills notes from our tasting last year: "Deep, opaque,purple color. Long legs. A bit of perfume, tobacco and spice on the nose. Big and fruit forward, this is a complex wine with layers of black raspberry, plum and blueberry, evolving to chocolate, clove and a hint of tobacco. Drinking very well now but certainly has 5 to 8 years left."
WCC 90 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=571785

http://www.ledefamilywines.com/

 More to come ...

Then the lighter flight ... From Sonoma County ...

Beringer Sonoma County Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2010 -

Arrowood Sonoma Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2008















Finally the Port -

Smith Woodhouse Madalena Vintage Port 1995