Dinner at the Wine Cask

The Wine Cask, Santa Barbara, CA
Tasted Saturday, March 11, 2006 by Winetex with 1,432 views

Introduction

After the Wine Cask Futures tasting a group of winos came together for the Third Annual eat and drink everything in sight at the Wine Cask. We started off with what I immediately noted in my mind as the Champagne Hour of Power. After a period of enjoying these fine 1996s we went in for dinner.

Flight 1 - Champagne Power Hour (5 Notes)

Lots of champagne and champagne-friendly nibbles including raw oysters, crab and tartlets.

Flight 2 - Soup course - Asparagus Soup "Fontanelle" (2 Notes)

The soup overpowered the Silex and disregarded the Kongsgaard. It was difficult to match with wine due to the curry and lemon involved.

  • 1998 Didier Dagueneau Silex 90 Points

    France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Pouilly-Fumé

    These were opened for a specific course but the food match had a spice difficulty. These were good bottles of Sauv and demonstrated the focused minerality that Dagueneau achieves in his wines.

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  • 2003 Kongsgaard Roussanne/Viognier 91 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    This wine does not go with any food that I've tried to match it with except one lone scallop dish. It is very unique and very good due to the intensity of the wine.

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Flight 3 - Seared Tuna "A la Plancha" (4 Notes)

With shaved vegetables and olive tapenade.

Flight 4 - Seared Foie Gras (1 Note)

With wild mushrooms, artichokes and oven dried tomato. Great foie gras.

  • 1997 Château d'Yquem 95 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

    Orange, apricot marmelade flavors with some acidity. Given its relative youth it seemed more ready to drink I would have expected. Possibly a little low on acid? but still great wine. The question is just how long to age these.

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Flight 5 - Roasted Sturgeon (3 Notes)

With lentils du pey, tangerine and pancetta roti.

Flight 6 - Grilled Lamb Loin (1 Note)

With balsamic lacquered, caramelized onion-potato puree and stilton gratine with bordelaise sauce. With a 1991 Forman Cabernet Sauvignon (in mag).

  • 1999 Vérité La Muse 93 Points

    USA, California, Sonoma County

    This wine seemed closed on the nose and palate although it was very expressive on the finish. It had aromas and tastes of cassis. There was lots of discussion on whether this wine was "ready", "too ready" or "never ready". It depends on your palate. Regardless this wine was very good.

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Flight 7 - Cheese Course (2 Notes)

Also with a mystery wine that was a 1974 Concannon Syrah.

  • 2001 Sine Qua Non Midnight Oil 94 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast

    Probably closer to 95 but not quite; This is one of the darkest colored wines you might ever see - it looks like ink. It had a very meaty nose with suggestions of chorizo, almost raw beef. Its structure was massive but incredibly balanced. It was a pleasure to drink. A longer decant might have helped it open up. [Purchased on release, $$$, not decanted]

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  • 2003 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon 95 Points

    USA, Washington

    This bottle was popped and poured to take one for the team. It rivaled the 01 Sina Qua Non Midnight Oil that we had later for sheer structure and complexity and was extremely good. My only worry with this wine is a port-like quality to it (extraction) that I haven't noticed in other young QCs. There was not any detectable heat. The "port-like" quality be the one attribute that people are loving but I find it hard to extrapolate how it will age. Quite different from previous QC wines.

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Flight 8 - Dessert - Tangerine Charlotte (1 Note)

With roasted fruits and star anise.

  • NV Buller Calliope Rare Muscat 94 Points

    Australia, Victoria, North East, Rutherglen

    This tasted like golden raisins and toffee. It is one of the thicker wines you might taste and would really be nice as a syrup over ice cream or other dessert. Yum.

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Closing

Wow, there was so much good wine at this dinner. And great company and food. And eventually cigars. And .... Thanks to Davidn for pulling off another fantastic dinner and tasting.

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