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Birthday Dinner Chez Pelz
Tasted November 8, 2008 by steffenpelz with 544 views
Introduction
Last night, our friends convened at our house to celebrate the birthdays of our friend Lauryl and myself. For the occasion, the food was as follows:
Appetizer: Melted brie with home-made crispy hazelnut bread and red pepper jam (prepared by Shannon)
Entree: Whole bone-in pork loin chop with braised kale and porcini risotto (prepared by yours truly)
Dessert: Apple/Almond Gratin (prepared by Lauryl)
I actually had made a cranberry/apple chutney well in advance, but I forgot to serve it with all the hustle in the kitchen....I guess we'll save it for Thanksgiving.
Flight 1 - With Appetizer: (1 note)
White - Sparkling
1998 Deutz Champagne Blanc de Blancs
Served last night with appetizers. Very tasty and those familiar brioche and yeasty flavors I love in BdB. Bead and mousse were a little more coarse than I expected, but overall, this was excellent.
Flight 2 - With Entree (7 notes)
Red
2004 Roger Sabon Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Olivets
I continue to enjoy the 2004 CdPs. This wine was very clearly a CdP with red fruit, red licorice, some olive tapenade and garrigue. This is as typical and traditional a CdP as I have tasted in a while. Very mellow already and ready to drink without further cellaring. I liked this a lot.
Red
1982 Château de Sales
I love mature Bordeaux. This bottle had been lovingly stored as it was in great condition. Red fruit, plum and tobacco on the nose had me guessing left bank Bordeaux from 78/79, but alas I was wrong. Either way, this was just fantastic and kept unwinding throughout the evening. Very smooth texture and textbook finish with tertiary flavors dominating. Impressive showing.
Red
2005 Bosquet des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape Chante Le Merle Vieilles Vignes
Another CdP. Although I recognized this as a CdP, it was in a different style from the Sabon. Much bigger and more fruit forward, and with a much darker fruit profile, this nevertheless had the elements that I associate with CdP...garrigue, olive tapenade, almost slightly oily texture, truffle/earth and black licorce. Finishes strong. Seems like it would have a fairly good size Mourvedre and Syrah component. This is a candidate for extended cellaring in my opinion, and a wine I am glad to own some of.
Red
2004 Icardi Langhe Nebbiolo Surisjvan
I pegged this correctly as being from Italy, specifically Piedmont. I incorrectly thought it was a Barbera. Either way, it had the typical acid and funk profile I love in Piedmont wines. Great balance and dark fruit with floral undertones. Finished well. I rather liked this a lot.
Red
1995 Château Troplong Mondot
Great bottle. Every time I drink this '95, it reminds me how much better it is than its '94 counterpart. Definitely still young with good structure, but it's beginning to get mellow and it shows some secondary flavors of earthiness and leafiness. Some tobacco and black currant with a touch of earth and truffle. Everything is here and all with great balance and class. A reminder why I like Bordeaux even if I don't currently drink very much of it.
Red
2001 Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Nuova
Decanted for 7 hours. Dark, almost black color. Nose is intense with black fruit, leather, and some earthiness and cedar. Incredibly velvety texture and monster finish. As much fruit and structure as there is in this wine, there's also plenty of acidity to balance the wine out. It's definitely balanced impeccably. For lovers of traditional Brunello, this may be a disappointment as it is made in a modern style, but to drink with food, it was very good. That being said, to me, I align more with Galloni's assessment than Suckling's.
Red
1999 Le Clos du Caillou Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve le Clos du Caillou
And yet another CdP. Again, I guessed this as CdP because of the garrigue, licorice, creosote, and earth/truffle. A big, dark, brooding CdP, that I would guess has significant Mourvedre and Syrah precentages in the blend. Finishes very strong, and it's a candidate for long term cellaring as well. Nowhere near sa approachable as many other 2004s I have had.
Flight 3 - With Dessert (1 note)
White - Sweet/Dessert
1998 Château Climens
Very good. Golden color. Clean, focused honey and pear with some honeysuckle. Good companion to the apple gratin dessert.