Tasted Wednesday, January 2, 2008 by Dave Dalluge with 815 views
The Kitchen Tasting Group kicked off the new year by holding the first of (hopefully) many tastings we like to call Wednesdays at Heidi's. Heidi's is a great new restaurant that opened recently near 50th and Bryant in Minneapolis. The location is central, the food is exceptional, and the service has been first rate. Hopefully they won't get sick of us, because we're not the easiest table to serve.
In attendance were Brad England, Steve Sigmond, Chris Larson, Chris Palm and me. Brad England organized this dinner selected Bordeaux as the theme. As often happens when Brad is given a bit of authority it proved to be quite the embarrassment of riches.
We started with two nice whites. The Peter Michael proved to be the class of this flight.
I may have mentioned my affinity for Cheval Blanc once before. This proved to be a dream flight for me. The 1921 was among the best wines I've ever experienced. Surprisingly, the 1962 and 1986 hung right with it. I think I heard Steve mention that he had never had Cheval Blanc before. If so, the 1921 is a hell of a way to make an aquantance.
All three of these showed well. The LLC charged from the gate as the early favorite with the Barton and Beausejour close behind. Ultimately I decided it was too close to call between the LLC and the Beausejour. However, I expect both of these will improve considerably with additional bottle age. I look forward to holding a rematch in 10-15 years.
Brad initiated a new twist on our tastings. One person will pour a wine blind. The person who is the closest is responsble for the next mystery wine. I'm glad to have this opportunity, because it really forces you to think through what you are experiencing and should help each of us grow as tasters. That said, none of us was very close on this one and it is still up in the air who is responsible for next week's mystery wine.
The Kracher was great. These were served from splits, and we ended up drinking two since the port was corked. Watching Chris Larson decant the port prior to realizing it was corked proved to be great entertainment. He decanted the entire bottle into a decanter such that the decanter was caked from top to bottom with sediment. The remedy to this was to request a strainer from the kitchen and strained the wine into a glass. After the decanter was cleaned he poured the wine back into the decanter. Despite all this we still ended up with quite a bit of sediment on the decanter. After all this hassle we poured a glass and discovered it was corked.
It was great to reconnect with the Kitchen Tasting Group after the long Christmas vacation. You couldn't ask for a better group of guys to hang out with. I hope to see everyone again next Wednesday at Heidi's.
2002 Peter Michael Chardonnay Ma Belle-Fille 92 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Knights Valley
Pale yellow color and cloudy. The nose exudes a complex blend of concentrated citrus fruits with floral and mineral (stone) notes complimented by new oak. In the mouth this is expansive and has great intensity of flavor -- including concentrated fruit, honey, butterscotch and oak. The finish is long and satisfying. This was an awesome wine to kick off the evening.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
1999 Domaine Francois et Antoine Jobard Meursault 1er Cru Les Genevrières 88 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault 1er Cru
This is a surprisingly dark hue of yellow. The nose is a bit reserved but eventually opens up to reveal lemon and apricot fruit complimented by an enjoyable forest floor-like note (I wrote damp rotting tree stump and meant it in the best possible way). Chris nailed the taste as amaretto which is a perfect descriptor from the mid-palate through the finish. This is balanced but finishes with a rush of acidity. Good length. An interesting wine that proved to be good (and interesting) but not great. There was discussion at the table as to whether or not this was a representative bottle.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue