Wine Dinner For The Daughter/Son-In-Law & Their Friends

I had been asking my daugher and SIL to check with their friends, so we could set up a wine pairing dinner. The idea was for them to cook the tasting courses, I would do the wines. We finally got the idea off the ground, with the total last night for dinner of 11 at the table. I designed the wines, which for the seasoned eye, should reveal a fruit-centric line up. I wanted to focus on a few things of education, namely comparing chardonnay, vintage (KB Koplen), place (Rosella's) and sheer power in the petites. The meal was quite good, with varied courses cooked to match the wines. I did not steer the food selection, merely only offering what the flight's wines should exhibit in flavor and weight. I did the best to capture the foods for each flight. Was a great time and it's a joy to bring new eager people into the wine hobby and let them explore where their palates take them. Good fun.

Paired with an organic homemade hummus, with lots of garlic and lemon juice.

• 2007 François Chidaine Montlouis-sur-Loire Les Tuffeaux

  France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Montlouis-sur-Loire

  Drank as an opener with our appetizer course. Lime, light mineral with the same sweet edges as the last bottle. Spearmint, tropical notes against the limey finish. While I like this wine, for me, it's a bit too sweet.

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Paired with tuna down three ways. Tuna tataki with spicy garlic and orchid flower, tuna sashimi done in olive oil, hawaiian lava salt and chili oil and tuna tataki with finely chopped maui onions and soy vinaigrette.

• 2004 Brewer-Clifton Chardonnay Melville Vineyard

  USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

  This showed very well, with life and good vibrance. Tropical notes, with orange blossom, lemon custard. Riper styled but very nice and was my WOTF.

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• 2008 Diatom Chardonnay Babcock Vineyard

  USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

  Pineapple, green apple and pretty good dose of acidity. Several at the table like this wine.

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• 2007 Domaine Matrot Meursault

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault

  I have drank two other Matrot recently and I liked them both, most recently the 2008 Bourgogne, which I thought was a killer steal at 18 bucks. When I bought that wine, I also grabbed this 07 village. In drinking this last night, it just didn't shine for me--something seemed off. I kept wanting to say TCA but we dismissed that idea after a couple of challenges. Seemed medium weight but austere and drying, with some mineral and citrus. It's the austerity and lack of verve that seemed to stick with me. Maybe an off bottle but not even close to the 07 Matrot 1er Perrieres I had recently, nor the QPR Bourgogne. Disappointing (and perhaps flawed).

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Salmon done in lemon, olive oil, garlic, thyme and salt/pepper, alongside fingerling potatoe done in thyme, garilic and olive oil.

• 2005 Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Koplen Vineyard

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

  Drank side by side with the 2006 and 2007. Cola, raspberry, some black cherry and a hard candy core with the ripeness in the wine exhibiting some sweetness. This wine is at peak and I in fact, I think it has started to head down the other side, as it doesn't have the verve and attraction it once held. This is my last of the 2005 KBs and there is no reason to age any of the 2005s any further--drink them.

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• 2006 Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Koplen Vineyard

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

  Drank next to the 2005 and 2007, as a vertical I assembled for a dinner. I'll say this, the 2006 right now beats the 2005, something I would not have said before. The 2006 is leaner, crunchier, with more verve and red berry. I like where the 2006 is now and I think it's in a drink now place, too. No candied edges.

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• 2007 Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Koplen Vineyard

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

  Drank alongside the 2005 and 2006 for vertical comparison. The 2007, as opposed to the other two, has a loamy/truffle note in the wine, something I appreciate here as it works well in contrast with the juicy raspberry. Seemed like it was in a good place last night, a bit more brooding than past Koplens and little more earthy. Still has the ripeness, yes, but it's now offset. Nothing in my dinner notes about hold or age and my recall was that the wine was in a pretty good drink window. Further, I don't know if there is wisdom in letting KB age, as I think the beauty of KB is to drink them within 3-4 years of vintage. I would not have said that a few years ago but having now drank nearly all my pre-2006 vintage KBs, I don't see where age enhances what is already there. Disagree as some might, this 2007 as an example seems ready to enjoy.

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Provence style lamb roasted and seared with white wine, rosemary, thyme and butter, alongside chopped carrot and white bean cooked in a chicken broth.

• 2007 Novy Family Wines Syrah Rosella's Vineyard

  USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands

  Actually finishing the leftover of this wine as I type this TN. Pretty well resolved after being open abou 36 hours. Shows the class and richness without being blowsy, which I am certain the 2007 vintage afforded Adam. While a lot has blown off now, the wine last night showed some nice black pepper, blackberry, licorice, silky and large framed but not syrupy nor boozy. Listed alcohol 14.2%, drinking great now.

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• 2007 Roar Syrah Rosella's Vineyard

  USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands

  Aromatically, this wine shows both some heat along with the whole cluster. Despite the listed alcohol of 15.4%, some at the table seemed to focus on heat and what I tried to help them with is to not mix the pointed aromatics with necessary alcohol. This wine I believe saw a pretty good dose of whole cluster so part of the education last night was to help them understand this too adds to the aromatic presence, high toned nose. Blackberry, bit of ginger bread, juicy licorice and big finish. This was a big wine last night and it needs some further time to settle into itself. I don't think it will ever be small or middle of the road as it ages but it does have the space to improve and round out.

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• 2007 Carlisle Syrah Rosella's Vineyard

  USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands

  The key with this wine was the benefit of aeration, which really helped it unfold. Some pepper, iron, and while a bit boozy at first, once the air crept in, this seemed to help the wine in total to come together (listed alcohol is 14.7%). Some pepper in the background, sexy and long palate with dark chocolate. My wine of the flight, edging out the 2007 Novy Rosella's. Give this Carlisle some further bottle age or make sure you decant well to ensure the total wine comes forward.

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Sirloin wrapped in bacon and stuffed jralsberg cheese, alongside button mushrooms cooked in garlic, cabernet, balsamic and truffle oil.

• 2004 Turley Petite Syrah Hayne Vineyard

  USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena

  As I type this note, I am finishing the last pour from last night's dinner. I opened this wine about 8 hours before we served it, including giving it a good splash decant back to bottle just before dinner. It sat overnight with the cork as a closure, finishing now. Raisined nose, no missing that for sure. Dense palate, but also remains fairly silky with some edges of chalk framing the wine just a bit. In fact, enough chalk to hold the wine I suspect for more years. Flush with black and blue fruit, along with a bit of black cherry and green apple (sounds odd but that is the best descriptor I can develop for the way the wine finishes, alongside the dark fruit). Not sure I would age the wine any longer, as the chalk gives it a little bit of push and with a good decant, seems ready to go. Again, this is very ripe but surprisingly, it holds together.

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• 2007 Carlisle Petite Sirah Dry Creek Valley

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley

  Drank alongside the 2004 Switchback and 2004 Turley Hayne. On this night, the Carlisle was the tightest. Not surprising, given its youth. Pure but tight, with a big core of fruit, chalk, leather but it holds it all together with the dark fruit pretty well. Bittersweet chocolate on a tight finish. Needs more time. Would have liked to have retried this wine tonight, but unlike the SR and Turley above, no leftovers!

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• 2004 Switchback Ridge Petite Sirah Peterson Family Vineyard

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  The biggest of the three wines in the flight, surpassing the 2004 Turley Hayne and 2007 Carlisle Dry Creek petites. Managed to save about 3 ounces to retaste, which I am doing as I write this TN. Whereas the 2004 Turley Hayne was raisined in the nose, no raisins here but I won't lie, there is some heat in the aromatics (listed alcohol, gulp, of 16.4%). Dense, chalky and full of dark chocolate, blueberry, iron and wet rocks/tannin. Dark and generous, like a meal in a glass. Worth also noting, the palate doesn't come off as syrupy or overblown to me, as odd as that may sound. Dark and intense, yes, but the tannin and iron seem to float it all very well. In sum, this wine will need another 2-3 years, and I'll save my last bottle for 2012-2013.

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Organic 73% dark chocolate (3 bars!) flourless cake.

• 2007 Rivers-Marie Cabernet Sauvignon

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Pulled on spur of the moment, as one of our guests wanted some cab. Paired with a bittersweet dark chocolate flourless cake. Maybe my lamest tasting note ever but I did decant this wine and poured it as the finisher and I remember the wine tasting less oaky and more cab-like than my last experience. Further, I was already a bit pickled after 13 wines before it and so the moral of this lame note, the wine brought some joy to the table, and by god, ain't wine also about this, too? !!!

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