My 40th Birthday Dinner

Anvil Club, East Dundee
Tasted Saturday, July 11, 2015 by AllRed with 564 views

Introduction

Though my birthday is not for a couple of weeks, this was the night that worked for our schedule, so why not kick things off early. We reserved a private dining room at the Anvil Club and called on a few friends to help me celebrate my 40th birthday.

Joining Domino and I were:
Dave
Ruth
Mr. & Mrs. thelostverse
Rich & Dana
Mr. & Lady Vino Me

Chef Eric was charged with planning a menu for the evening, knowing that I would have a few older Bordeaux to open. Chef came up with a fantastic menu- there wasn't a single dish that I wouldn't love to see featured on the regular menu at some point. Our server and busser, LeAnn and Marcelino, kept clean glasses coming all night long. The Club executed perfectly tonight, and I am very grateful for their hard work. I am very thankful to my wonderful wife and friends who joined me, shared a few bottles and plenty of laughs. Wine would be merely a beverage were it not for the friends and family with whom it is shared.

Flight 1 - Amuse bouche trio: House-cured salmon with cracker; Cuban pork belly; Grapefruit & beet juice. (5 Notes)

The pork belly was killer- a nice thick slice of seared belly topped with shaved ham and a light layer of cheese, I really loved the layers of flavor here. As to the Champagnes, what had been my favorite recent lot of Krug did not show all that well, and even a bottle of the Marc was slightly off. The evening was not off to the best start in terms of the wines, but luckily things would take off from here.

Flight 2 - First course duo: Osyters on the half shell & Korean chicken (1 Note)

Chef told us what oysters we were served, but I did not make a note and my memory is not what it used to be. The "nameless" oysters were excellent- a deep shell and slightly briny with a nice minerally punch. The chicken was excellent- terrific crunch with a slightly sweet note turned quickly to a wonderful spicy heat that lingered on the palate, softened by the wine.

Flight 3 - Chilled corn bisque with goat cheese & grilled lobster, Eyptian star flowers. (1 Note)

An excellent chilled bisque, very creamy and refreshing. The Peter Michael, from magnum, was an excellent match. I thought the oak was very well-integrated and tame considering the youth and large format.

Flight 4 - Cous cous & watercress salad with cucumber, melon and popped amaranth.

In the running for my favorite course of the night. Chef was excited for us to try the amaranth and I can see why. Dusted over the top of the salad, it added a wonderful textural component with a slight crunch, and a great nutty flavor too. The Chardonnays- Peter Michael and Liquid Farm- both worked well here.

Flight 5 - Mint-pickled snap peas & lemon-chamomile-roasted baby carrots with poppy seed crème fraîche & chamomile flowers. (1 Note)

Another great dish, the chamomile plays off the natural sweetness of the carrots. This actually did get put on the regular menu a couple of weeks ago and I certainly understand why.

  • 2012 Liquid Farm Chardonnay Golden Slope 93 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

    Aromas of buttered pear, apple and lemon with a kiss of oak present. Nice acidity with a lengthy finish. Plays the middle ground between rich buttery CA chards and white Burgundy. Very nice.

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Flight 6 - New York Strip Steak "Oscar" style, with king crab, asparagus and sauce Béarnaise. (4 Notes)

A "deconstructed" presentation of sorts, with large cubes of steak that had been perfectly cooked in a sous-vide and then briefly seared off for added color and flavor, along with huge bits of crab, a potato gaufrettes of sorts, and perfectly cooked baby asparagus (thank you, Chef!).

It was in between the this and the previous course that we began opening and pouring the reds. Tasting in pairs worked very well and all of the wines received the same treatment- opened, decanted immediately off its sediment and served. This worked quite well I think, though the Gassies needed some time in the glass to open, the others were ready right from the start. The Haut Brion did not fade much, if at all, for the time it was in my glass.

  • 1975 Château Rauzan-Gassies 90 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

    Courtesy of Dave, this was tasted alongside the Leoville Las Cases. Aromas of potpourri, dried plum, raisin and flowers. Cherry and red currant fruit on the palate, followed by a nice earthy funk. Medium+ finish. This gained strength as it sat in the glass though, showing more florals and red fruit and less funk, gaining weight on the palate and length on the finish. Wonderful.

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  • 1975 Château Léoville Las Cases 89 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

    Tasted alongside the Rauzan Gassies, this was nice right out of the gate but faded a bit as the Gassies improved. A beautiful nose on first pour showing cedar, black currants, plum and forest floor. A little thin on the palate with dark fruit and cedar. Finishes softly; graceful.

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  • 1975 Château Pape Clément 85 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

    Tasted alongside the Haut Brion, this paled in comparison. Dark fruit more than red, with weedy vegetal undertones and as it sat in the glass, more of a raunchy, horse blanket brett quality. Red fruit, forest floor, iodine and vegetal qualities on the palate, this bottle's best days are well in the past. Others liked this a little more than I, but I found the brett to be a bit much.

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  • 1975 Château Haut-Brion 95 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

    Popped & poured alongside the Pape Clement, this was clearly the superior wine. Aromas of tobacco, red currants, forest floor, beef blood and iodine and plum. Tannins are fully-resolved, leaving a wealth of red fruit which is complemented by tobacco, iron and dried herb qualities. Long, balanced finish. The wine I was most looking forward to opening, and it did not disappoint.

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Flight 7 - Two whole-roasted lobes of foie gras, sliced tableside, with squash blossoms. (2 Notes)

The Club's menu now features foie gras on a regular basis- something I take full credit for- and I was very excited for this preparation...it was most impressive. Only one time in my life have I uttered the words "almost too rich"- this was the second time. Having two lobes split among ten resulted in a huge portion of decadence on a plate, and paired with two such amazing wines, well, it was incredibly rich and over-the-top wonderful. Was that a chorus of angels I just heard?

  • 1975 Château de Fargues 94 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

    From 750ml, deep golden honey color with aromas of apricot, marmalade, pear liqueur and roasted tropical fruit. Rich and viscous, with flavors of roasted pear, apricot syrup, orange blossom honey and candied citrus peel. Hints of spice on the finish. This has an amazing similarity to the d'Yquem tasted alongside, which just cranks things up a notch. This bottle was in great shape and I don't think showed any signs of heading downhill soon.

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  • 1975 Château d'Yquem 99 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

    From 375ml, tasted alongside the 1975 de Fargues, courtesy of Mr. & Mrs. thelostverse. Deep golden color, very similar to the Fargues. Aromas of ripe white peach, apricots, orange blossom honey, pineapple and pear nectar with an underlying spice note. Amazingly rich and layered, but with terrific acidity this never feels heavy or cloying. Orange, pear, apricot syrup, grilled pineapple, marshmallow, fig and peach blossom flavors. Hints of spice again on the finish which lingers for over two minutes. Sublime. Thank you M/M TLV, I am truly humbled by your generosity.

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Flight 8 - Lavender-glazed duck breast with roasted fennel and fresh peaches. (3 Notes)

Another really well-prepared course, the duck was also cooked sous-vide and then seared off. The peaches and fennel provided a nice counter for the rich duck and the Bordeaux paired very well with this course. The Burgundy also worked nicely here and while not a great wine, was a nice value for the price I paid.

  • 1975 Les Forts de Latour 84 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    Popped and poured, tasted alongside the 1975 Latour. This bottle did not hold up well. A bit thin on the palate, with aromas and flavors of red fruit and cedar. Short on the finish, where it picks up a vegetal quality that I found distracting.

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  • 1975 Château Latour Grand Vin 95 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    Popped and poured, tasted alongside the '75 Forts de Latour, this showed very well. Aromas of red berries, white currant, rose, lavender, cedar and tobacco. Very well-balanced and elegant. A mélange of red and black fruit gives way to spice, forest floor and floral qualities. Balanced, lingering finish. I would be hard-pressed to pick a favorite between the HB and Latour tonight.

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  • 2002 Domaine Chantal Lescure Nuits St. Georges Les Damodes 88 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges

    Opened after the Pauillacs to pair with the duck. A bit of bricking at the meniscus, featuring notes of cherry, iron and minerals. The palate follows the bouquet. Medium-bodied, with decent acidity and a nice finish. A more rustic style of wine. Better with food than on its own, while it didn't knock my socks off, it's a nice value.

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Flight 9 - Bacon crème brûlée with berries & candied rhubarb. (1 Note)

An excellent transition from the savory to the sweet, this was every hit as good as you would expect it to be.

  • 1975 Fonseca Porto Vintage 89 Points

    Portugal, Douro, Porto

    From 750ml, popped and poured. For me, perhaps the biggest surprise of the night. Ruby color with aromas of white currants, violets and spice with dominant red berry overtones. Nicely balanced, with flavors of red fruit and spice. Nice finish; hints of spice and plenty of fruit. I remembered this being thin and austere, but tonight there's plenty of fruit and no "heat." Very good. 89+ pts.

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Flight 10 - Madeline cake with Miso caramel swirl ice cream and candied flowers.

My favorite of the two desserts, this was wonderfully balanced with just enough to satisfy the sweet tooth, but remained light and elegant. A perfect ending to our night, finishing up with the remainder of the Fargues and the Fonseca.

Closing

Many thanks to the Anvil Club and its staff for making this a truly wonderful evening- Matt for the terrific craft cocktails, Joe and Carlos for all of their help leading up to the event, LeAnn and Marcelino for the stems and flawless service, and Chef Eric and his team for their hard work creating the menu and executing perfectly tonight. Thank you Dave, Ruth, Rich, Dana, M/M thelostverse, Vino Me & Lady Vino Me, and Domino for a wonderful night.

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