On Lot 10 wine dinner

This was a wine dinner with a month of planning, held in part for Jeffrey's birthday the night before. Matthew, Boris, Me, Lanphie, Diane, Chris, Jeffrey, Rebecca and Chris's two other friends. On Lot 10 was quite ideal for the wine dinner as corkage was fair and the stems decent. On top of that, the food was definitely very well executed and showed the flair and pedigree of the chef. So glad that I got to try this as the restaurant closed after the New Year. On top of the 4 bottles, we even ordered a Clos St. Jean Chateauneuf du Pape 2008. For the dinner, we ordered:

- Foie gras artichoke
- Sea Urchin omlette
- Salted cod salad with poached egg and fingerling potatoes
- Beef tongue salad
- Black pudding risotto
- Bouillabaisse
- Roast goose
- Slow-cooked wagyu short rib
- Roasted chicken with black truffle
- Dry aged angust strip loin
- Pear and raspberry tarts

The wine of the night for the majority was Peter Michael Mon Plaisir 2010. For me, it was the Paul Jaboulet La Chapelle 2003. I guess I underestimated the popularity and appeal of a well-extracted Cali chardonnay.

• 2010 Peter Michael Chardonnay Mon Plaisir 94 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Knights Valley

  Pours a pale straw color like sugarcane water. Thick long legs. On the nose, nice bouquet of butter, creme brulee, stewed peaches, pineapple, tropical fruits and honey. On the palate, structure is well defined with a little heat from the alcohol. Great extraction. Flavors of mint, sugarcane, citrus and some eucalyptus. Quite fat but well defined. Finish is very long with a hint of acidity in the end for balance. Very nice.

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• 2010 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Clavoillon 95 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru

  Pours a pale straw color with thinner legs. On the nose, nice bouquet of roasted rice, preserved plums, some butter and sultanas. On the palate, the structure is rather than but it is still there. Alcohol is quite muted but the scent is focused and concentrated, especially with the mineral backbone. Great flavors of roasted popcorn, some caramel, fresh cut mangoes and wheat grass. Finish is quite long and complex and the flavors linger in the glass. Slightly acidic to keep things fresh. Incredible and it reminds me of the Marcassin.

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• 2008 Clos Saint Jean Châteauneuf-du-Pape 85 Points

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  Wine is popped and not decanted. It pours a deep ruby and inky purple. Quite tight on nose, and I was only able to pick up some notes of cough syrup, mint, cassis and cherries. The nose is somewhat green. Very tannic on the palate, almost to the point of abrasive. Flavors of bacon fat, cherries and leather. Acidity is low. Finish is long but still quite tight. Not the best of the bottles available.

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• 2003 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle 95 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  Wine was popped and decanted for 3 hours before drinking. It pours a deep purple color too with thick long legs. Very expressive on the nose with preserved plums, bacon fat, peppercorns, cassis and stewed cherries. Thick and unctuous with a very well-defined structure, though still quite tannic. Opened a bit more as the wine develops in the glass. Big flavors of bacon fat, roast goose, stewed apples, cassis, cherries and rosemary. Finish is very long and complex, almost lasting 45 seconds. Not much acidity nor minerality here. For some reason, this almost drinks like a hot climate Syrah. Interesting nonetheless.

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• 2002 Dominus Estate 97 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Popped and decanted for 3 hours, the wine pours an inky purple with very thick long legs. Almost like squid ink. On the nose, a pungent and powerful bouquet of cherries, raspberries, eucalyptus, leather, truffles and damp earth. Very unctuous structure with a mineral backbone. Big and broad, as you would expect from a Napa cab, with flavors of stewed red fruits, leather, mushrooms, peppers and thyme. A bit green on the palate for some reason. The majority of the tannins are integrated, though some minor rough edges still exist. Minimal acidity here, probably being dwarfed by the huge extraction. Long and complex finish, lasting almost a minute! What a crazy wine.

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