A Hobo's Dinner - Tax Day 2008 (Cult Pinots, Chards and Cabs)
The Plumed Horse Restaurant, Saratoga, California
Tasted Tuesday, April 15, 2008 by rjonwine@gmail.com with 876 views
Introduction
This was a very fun, tasty and often surprising way of completely forgetting about tax day. Living well is indeed the best revenge. Most of our flights were blind; the 2nd flight was in black glasses. Thanks to David Niederauer for supplying all the incredible wines, organizing this blow out, and working with Chef Peter Armellino on a very creative theme menu.
Our menu: 
Flight 1 - Champagne reception (2 Notes)
Two great Champagnes, with passed appetizers.
Flight 2 - Black Glass Mystery flight (2 Notes)
Three liquid substances, which turned out to be two wines and a Negro Modelo. I'm happy to say that we all properly identified them as Champagne, Riesling and beer.
Flight 3 - 2003 Chardonnays (3 Notes)
Another blind flight, with the Kistler being the group's clear favorite. Some wondered if the Kongsgaard was a SQN white Rhone-style wine. These were served with "Egg and Tuna Salad Sandwich," which turned out to be ahi tuna tartare, with brioche toast, quail egg and Tsar Niolai caviar.
Flight 4 - Foie Gras and Sauternes (1 Note)
The title of this dish was "Mush with Prunes and Alligator Bait." It turned out to be a very sophisticated onion and foie gras souffle with fricasee of foie gras, Armagnac prunes and pickled onion. It was rich and thoroughly delicious, and the accompanying '67 Yquem was sublime.
Flight 5 - 2000 Pinots blindtasted (4 Notes)
Another blind flight, all we knew was the vintage and varietal (but they could have been Burgs or New World Pinots). Our course for this flight was billed as "Varmint Stew." It turned out to be an incredibly tasty treat, served in little individual black Creusette pots--a pot au few of rabbit, squab and duck confit.
Flight 6 - Small Vines Pinot interlude (3 Notes)
Winemaker Paul Sloan was on hand to taste us through what he's doing in the Russian River and Sonoma Coast. Nice wines, with impressive results from relatively young vineyards. Our course for this dish was one that David and Jonathan have been talking about and craving ever since. Chef Peter jokingly titled it, "He likes bread and butter, he likes toast and jam." In reality, it was a thin, long, arched slice of grilled potato bread with garlic, smeared with memorable oxtail and bonemarrow marmelade. Incredibly tasty and rich.
Paul Sloan of Small Vines: 
Flight 7 - 2003 Pinot Noir blindtasted (4 Notes)
Another lovely flight that turned out to be mainly Cali Pinots with a New World style Burg thrown in. Our course for this flight, billed as "Mystery Meat," turned out to be braised lamb shanks, slow cooked with baby carrots and celery. I would not have expected the Sea Smoke to be my favorite of this flight, but that's what one learns from blindtasting.
Flight 8 - American Idols - Cult Cabs (4 Notes)
This was another amazing flight, again served blind. All we knew as clues were the initials on the menu--AACH. That turned out to stand for Abreu, Araujo, Colgin and Harlan. Unfortunately for these wines, many of us were starting to suffer from palate fatigue at this point, and the course that was served with them turned out to be the least felicitous and most wine unfriendly of the evening. On the menu it was jokingly billed as "Government Cheese." It turned out to be 28-month-old Beemster cheese foundue with Worcestershire sauce and beer over sansho peppered strawberries. I know, "What was he thinking?" I believe there was something very clever going on here, that might have gone with some fruity wines, but it just didn't compliment these big young Napa Cabs at all.
The group voted, American Idol style, and its WOTF was the Abreu, followed by the Harlan. I liked them both, but slightly preferred the Araujo.
Flight 9 - SQN Syrah (1 Note)
After a palate cleanser of blackberry sorbet with vanilla and pepper jus, we had this rich SQN Syrah. Very nice, but not as great as the For the Love of It we had this past Friday.
Flight 10 - Sweet Flight (1 Note)
What was billed on the menu as "Half-Eaten Candy Bar," turned out to be a very tasty combination of great flavors: Valhrona chocolate divina with salted caramel canolli, orange foam and olive oil. It went pretty well with an unctuous, molasses-infused, syrupy Aussie sweet wine, the salt and oil helping to cut the syrup a little bit.
Flight 11 - After Dinner in David's Cellar (3 Notes)
After an amazing meal, how could we resist heading up the hill to David's, to take in the amazing view and maybe another bottle or two from his showcase cellar. I'm not quite sure how or why we ended up opening the Jadot or the Botella, but I'm glad we opened the Rivers-Marie. A very impressive, Burgundian influenced Cali Pinot.
1990 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut 93 Points
France, Champagne
Light medium yellow color; intriguing, stewed pear, dried peach, toast and mineral nose; very tangy, mature, tart peach, pear, with nice acidity; medium finish
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1985 Charles Heidsieck Champagne Cuvée Charlie 94 Points
France, Champagne
Light medium yellow color; nice tart apricot and apricot jam nose; focused, tasty, tangy, tart apricot, minerals, with good structure; medium-plus finish
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