All-sauternes dinner
Jardiniere, SF
Tasted Sunday, April 15, 2012 by aagrawal with 1,237 views
Introduction
Saturday 4/14/2012. This was an exceptional once-in-a-lifetime dinner based entirely around Sauternes. The staff at Jardniere was extraordinarily helpful throughout the meal and put together an exquisite menu to pair perfectly with these wines. The wines themselves were generously donated by Fred and spanned 80 years, from 1921 to 2001. The company this evening was lovely and included everyone from sauternes drinkers, sauternes collectors, professional wine merchants, and professional sommeliers.
Flight 1 - Oysters (1 Note)
This course was a set of hot and cold oysters. The hot oysters were cooked in celery butter, while the cold ones were cooked in wild fennel granita. The pairing, especially with the fennel granita, was exceptional and really complemented both the oysters and the wine. The 2001 Chateau de Fargues, always one of my absolute favorites, showed its exceptional potential both through this course and through the rest of the dinner.
Flight 2 - Foie Gras (2 Notes)
Terrine of Foie Gras with Sauternes Gelee and Mache Salad, Brioche. The Foie was delicate and melt-in-your-mouth rich. I think the absolute most interesting piece of this dinner was the sauternes gelee served in this course. Such delicacy and explosion of sauternes flavor that I have never had before in food. Of note, the sauternes used in many of our courses was either a 2001 Loupiac, a 2003 Castelnau de Suduiraut, or a 2005 Rieussec... all fabulous wines in their own right, and it definitely showed. During this course, the Yquem was very closed and really wouldn't open up until much later in the dinner. The Climens was excellent as a pairing, but I feel like the additional richness of the Yquem would have been welcome with the Foie if it had opened up in time. Timing was a difficult variable during this meal, since sauternes are known to change so much in the glass over time. We ended up keeping small servings of each wine from previous courses to see how they evolved, so by the end we had a dozen glasses in front of us!
Flight 3 - Sole (2 Notes)
Petrale Sole, Savoy Cabbage, Pancetta, and Sauce Sultana. A fabulous dish by itself, but the cabbage especially was the standout pairing with sauternes. The slight tartness of the cabbage went wonderfully with the slight sweetness of 25 year old sauternes (not too sweet, but not yet dry either). The sole itself was delicate and flavorful, especially with the sauce sultana. The 86s needed a bit of airtime as well, but the 01 Fargues was also an excellent pairing with the fish.
Flight 4 - Rabbit (2 Notes)
Devil's Gulch Rabbit, Tokyo Turnips, Spinach, and Natural Jus. I almost never get to try rabbit, and it is a shame because it is incredibly unique and delicious. This dish was a unique combination of rabbit sausage and rabbit filet. The spices in the 1971 Coutet were a fabulous pairing with the texture and delicacy of the meat.
Flight 5 - Duck (2 Notes)
Liberty Farms Duck, Dried Apricot compote, Farro and Honey Lacquer Crepe. A medley of food flavors, this was an exceptional dish as well. The duck was cooked to perfection and the apricot compote was the perfect accompaniment. The mini-crepe served alongside added great balance to the richness of the meat. The Rayne Vigneau was corked, but the Doisy Vedrines was an excellent pairing with just a hint of sweetness and much complexity. Some of the earlier wines such as the pair of 1997s and the pair of 1986s started to show excellently with this course.
Flight 6 - Cheese (1 Note)
Fourme d'Ambert Tart, Poached Applies and Walnut Frangipane. I can still taste the intensity of the cheese combined with the flaky delicacy of the pastry. I think bleu cheese is often a tough pairing with sauternes (not the party line, but it's what I've found), but the 1945 Rayne-Vigneau is probably the closest I've had to a good pairing. I'm still not sure it was perfect, but the very mild sweetness of the wine paired well with the savory cheese... much better than the more intense sweetness of the 20-40 year old sauternes.
Flight 7 - Walnuts (2 Notes)
Caramelized Walnuts. Unfortunately, the 1921 Doisy was corked! But luckily, the 1921 Coutet was spared and turned out to be the star of the evening. Almost completely dry, the Coutet was particularly notable because of its phenomenal acidity, exceptional balance, and some continued fruit flavors (after 90 years!). The Coutet seemed like it could age forever. The walnuts were great, but I preferred the wine by itself because I thought the texture of the nuts interfered with the delicacy of the wine.
Closing
Truly a fabulous experience. This was certainly a dinner of firsts: The oldest wine I've ever tasted, and the broadest range of vintages that I've ever tasted (80 years). Thanks for the wonderful experience Fred!
Update: I almost forgot... Jardiniere gave us a lovely going away present of a granola made with a sauternes glaze. I just tried it, and it's fabulous and truly one-of-a-kind. I wish I had access to more...
2001 Château de Fargues 98 Points
France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
Light golden-orange colored; lovely aromatics of honey, bright fresh citrus, very complex; palate showed great balance, very young, minerality, ripe melon and mango, hint grapefruit, precise; finish is long with fabulous acidity. This is somewhere between youth and early maturity and will need a lot of time. This bottle confirms that my previous taste of this wine was a bit advanced, likely because of poor storage from where I had sourced it (though still excellent). Overall, this wine remains one of my absolute favorites (and beat out the 01 Yquem at the last tasting). 98++
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