| | Friday - Dinner Menu:
Warm blini with creme fraiche and lumpfish roe
Steamed Alaskan king crab legs
Grilled steak with pan roasted potatoes with thyme
Tahitian vanilla bean creme brulee - 1997 Angelo Rocca & Figli Rosso Salento IGT - Italy, Puglia, Salento IGT (11/7/2008)
Dark garnet/ruby colour. Aromas of tar, mint, dried blackberry, leather, barnyard, earth. Medium-full bodied, quite tannic, showing dried black fruit, tar, fig, and mint on the palate. Moderate finish, ~30-35s, with dried fruit and flowers. A little crunchy on the finish. This needs additional cellaring. Drink 2011+. (90 pts.)
- 2001 Bodegas Muga Rioja Torre Muga (Reserva) - Spain, La Rioja, Rioja (11/7/2008)
Stand up well in advance and decant. This bottle threw tons of sediment. Dark ruby/black colour. Muted aromas of vanilla, peach, dried blackcurrant. Full-bodied, a little gritty/crunchy from the tannins, with more blackcurrant and vanilla notes on the palate. Moderate-length finish, ~35s, with black berry fruit. Shows good structure and acidity. Will improve with cellaring - it needs it! Try again in 2011. (92 pts.)
- N.V. Billecart-Salmon Champagne Brut Rosé - France, Champagne (11/7/2008)
Light copper colour. Aromas of biscuit, caramel, berry, lemon, and pear. Medium-bodied, good mouthfeel, with berry, biscuit, lemon, and caramel. Moderate finish, ~30-35s. Not mindblowing. Tasty enough, but it's tough to justify the price it commands here ($100CAD). (90 pts.)
- 2006 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Cuvée Roussanne Vieilles Vignes - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (11/7/2008)
Medium-gold colour. Huge nose of tropical fruit - papaya, mango, passionfruit, cream, butterscotch. Full-bodied, unctuous, and a little salty with tropical fruit and butterscotch notes. Long finish, ~50-60s, with salted caramel notes. Absolutely delicious! Truly a top class white with layers of complexity. (97 pts.)
- 1990 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac (11/7/2008)
Medium-dark ruby colour. Fantastic nose. Aromas of pencil lead, cedar, leather, sous bois, cherry pie/pie crust, and a tiny hint of tobacco. Full-bodied and delicious showing layers of complexity, great balance, and elegance. Replays follow from the nose and also develops a bit of raspberry and minerality with time. Great length on the finish. The wine kept evolving and improving in the glass, which leads me to believe this wine has a long life ahead of it. This wine could be even better with additional cellaring. (95 pts.)
- 1990 Château Cheval Blanc - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru (11/7/2008)
Dark ruby colour. Aromas of blackberry, black cherry, bramble, and mineral. Nothing really stands out on the medium-full bodied palate, but is a completely seamless wine that shows gorgeous elegance and complexity. Outstanding length on the finish, ~50s, and good fruit and a bit of black olive with time. An absolute stunner; like drinking liquid velvet. What a treat! (97 pts.)
- 1995 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (11/7/2008)
Ruddy garnet colour. Aromas of worn saddle leather, kirsch, cinnamon, milk chocolate, Christmas cake/black forest cake, and starts to show a smokiness/burnt leaf note with time. Medium-full bodied, well-integrated tannins, with kirsch, cinnamon, leather, and spice. Great acidity. Moderate-long finish, ~40-45s, with kirsch and chocolate notes. Very tasty. Drink now-2013. 93-94 points. (94 pts.)
- 1994 Harlan Estate - USA, California, Napa Valley (11/7/2008)
Opaque purple/black colour. Aromas of black licorice, herbes de Provence, blackberry, vanilla, black olive tapenade. and hints of pencil lead. Full-bodied, balanced, with great acidity and focus. Initially a little restrained on the palate, it opens to show a melange black fruits and a bit of black licorice leading into a 35-40s finish with just a touch of alcohol on the back end. Lovely stuff! 95+. (95 pts.)
- 1970 Taylor (Fladgate) Porto Vintage - Portugal, Douro, Porto (11/7/2008)
Ruddy iced tea colour. Aromas of sultana raisins, cocoa, and prunes. Full-bodied, spicy, with ton of alcohol, sultana raisins, and walnuts. (90 pts.)
Saturday - Dinner Menu:
Foie gras torchon with warm brioche, Zinfandel vinegar pickled cherries, onion confit
Duck confit and porcini mushroom risotto
Grilled veal chop, rapini, red wine/veal demi-glace sauce
Apple tarte tatin with vanilla ice cream - 1989 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Riserva Brunate - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo (11/8/2008)
Light-medium ruby colour. Aromas of tea, orange rind, damp earth, leather, Christmas spice, dried flowers, alcohol, and anisette. Medium-bodied, plenty of acidity and grip, with orange rind, tea, alcohol, and anisette notes on the palate. Moderate-long finish, with mushroom, orange rind, and tea notes.
Will this wine live long enough to still offer pleasure on the nose and palate by the time the tannins resolve? I'm not sure. What is clear though is that this wine is still a baby even with all the tertiary notes, and it would be a delight to revisit this wine in another 5+ years. NR.
- 2006 M. Chapoutier Condrieu Invitare - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Condrieu (11/8/2008)
Light gold colour. Huge, sweet, tropical nose of passion fruit, coconut, papaya, mango, lychee, pear nectar, honey, white flowers, and orange rind. Medium-full bodied, unctuous, with alcohol, papaya, coconut, butterscotch, pear nectar, orange oil, and lanolin notes on the palate. Long finish, with a bit of lanolin, dragonfruit, and hints of spice with time.
This wine has outstanding texture and length that grows more complex when it warms. Don't drink this wine too cold or you'll miss its subtle nuances. (92 pts.)
- 2001 Château d'Yquem - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes (11/8/2008)
From 375mL. Medium-gold colour. Gorgeous aromas of foie gras, peaches, honey, lychee, dragonfruit, jasmine flowers, cream, and vanilla. The nose is utterly explosive and its aromas burst from the glass. Not as botrytised as some d'Yquems I've had. Full-bodied, ridiculously unctuous with perfectly balanced acidity and amazing purity. The finesse is unreal and shows seamless replays from the nose that are joined by some crystalized ginger notes. An unbelievable finish that goes on for minutes and has some touches of caramel and orange oil. This is a wine that leaves me utterly speechless. It has the texture of foie gras in a glass. Simply stupendous. Absolute perfection. Easily 100 points - you can't ask for anything else in a wine. I think this is the type of wine that will always be perfect - it won't necessarily be better with time, just different. (100 pts.)
- 1990 E. Fuligni (Cottimelli) Brunello di Montalcino - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino (11/8/2008)
Poured into should and slow-ox'd for 4 hours. Ruby colour. Evolved nose of sottobosco, dried cherry, orange rind, porcini mushrooms. Medium-bodied, and requires a lot of concentration to get some dried currant, orange rind, and sottobosco notes on the palate. Kind of flat tasting. Moderate finish, ~30-35s, with more dried fruit.
Very disappointing in comparison to the previous bottle opened in April. I don't find this representative. 87 if a score must be given, but I'll leave it NR.
- 1997 E. Fuligni (Cottimelli) Brunello di Montalcino - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino (11/8/2008)
Medium-dark ruby colour. Aromas of dried cherry and currant. Medium-bodied, with dried fruit and sottobosco. Short-moderate finish. This bottle just didn't give up anything. Disappointing, since I was looking forward to drinking it! NR.
- 1897 Château Lafite Rothschild - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac (11/8/2008)
Definitely an experience and a privilege to taste a wine that is 111 years old. Ruddy orange/amber in colour, with plenty of tea and orange oil from the nose through to the finish. Short finish. NR.
- 1982 Château Mouton Rothschild - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac (11/8/2008)
Dark ruby colour, almost opaque. Aromas of cedar, pencil shaving, black plums, and blackcurrant. Medium-full bodied, with leather, blackcurrant, plenty of acidity, and a little heat from the alcohol. Moderate finish, ~30s, with black plums. (93 pts.)
- 2002 Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon Estate - USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena (11/8/2008)
Dark ruby/black colour. Huge, almost porty nose with aromas of vanillan/oak, blackcurrant, figs, black plums, and cassis. Full-bodied, lush, good acidity, with licorice/black nibs, tea, and black fruit. Moderate-long finish, ~40s, with black licorice, tea, coffee and toffee notes. Nice. (92 pts.)
Several wines over the course of the weekend were flawed/not representative one way or the other. No notes were taken as a result. These wines include:
1988 Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle
1997 Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle
1991 E. Guigal Cote-Rotie La Mouline
1991 E. Guigal Cote-Rotie La Turque |
