Dale's House
Tasted Wednesday, June 15, 2005 by jrufusj with 1,069 views
When Dale came to Tokyo, all I did was gather the crowd, book the restaurant, and bring a few wines. When I went to NY, he provided almost all of the wines, as well as opening his house and joining his talented wife in cooking us dinner. First flight was with appetizers of canapes of green apple, smoked trout and (on some) horseradish sauce plus grilled rolls of pancetta, radiccio, and goat cheese . Second flight was with spinach/tofu/miso napoleans, from a recipe by Ming Tsai. The three red flights were with grilled duck breast with a red wine/demiglace sauce, accompanied by grilled veggies (sweet potato, red pepper and onion in a oil/thyme/vinegar dressing, and fennel). Berries with whipped cream would have been beautiful withe Bugey, but that was gone, so the berries stood alone. Remainders of reds, plus the port were consumed with cheeses (Keen's cheddar, a Wisconsin "melange", and a Cypress Grove Midnight Madness, and La Fournols). All of the food was excellent, as others who have eaten Betsy's cooking would expect.
A great event and a great thanks to Dale and Betsy for being such gracious hosts. My apologies that my travels made it take so long to post my notes.
NV Renardat-Fâche Cerdon
France, Savoie, Vin du Bugey-Cerdon
Bright pink bubbler, with a nose of exploding strawberries that just leaps out of the glass. Palate is noticeably sweet, but has just enough life from fizz and a little acid not to cloy. It’s fun like berry soda, but somehow maintains interest. I only had one glass of this because there was a lot more wine to come, but with the right weather and simple outdoor food, I could drink two or three. That’s what rosés are for, isn’t it? If I had a garden and some lawn chairs, I’d buy it for sure.
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2004 La Rosée de Monbousquet Bordeaux Rosé
France, Bordeaux, Bordeaux Rosé
Color has a little more orange/tawny than I’d expected, but still largely pink. Nose seems a little sweet with dark berry fruit. On the palate it is completely dry, but still lacks interest. Dale wonders if there is a bit of oak, but I can’t find it. Then again, one last absent-minded sip shows a hint of woody character in the back of the nose. Nothing objectively wrong with it, but where did the fun go? If I want a rosé from Bord grapes, I think I’ll stick to the Loire.
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2004 Domaine Tempier Bandol Rosé
France, Provence, Bandol
Has that clear pinkish orange that always makes me think of the South. Nose is more restrained than the Monbousquet, showing a hint of sweat and pine resin, combined with stone fruit. The palate is finely structured, with good acid and a dry berry fruit that makes you wake up. A little spine of mineral adds interest, as does that sappy, resiny element that comes back out at the finish – which goes on longer than expected. Even without a garden, this is on the buy list.
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2000 Henri Boillot Meursault
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault
From the Boillot negociant business. This came out with a relatively light gold color. Nose showed some baked apple fruit and a candied nut character. Palate was dry, but still had that candied note, along with some more apple, all wrapped in too much fat and not enough acid. Finish was short. For other people, excess oak or overextraction is the capital crime. I can be sensitive to both, but lack of acid is my real bête noire.
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