London Italian Blowout.. 24 Tn's:
London
Tasted Friday, November 5, 2004 by jamiekutch with 1,671 views
Introduction
After spending the afternoon at Windsor castle and having a light lunch of traditional English fare, (fish and chips & English pie) Kristen and I made our way on the London tube to a Tuscan restaurant called Caldesi @ 15 Marybone Lane, London W1. The night was a special one and fireworks were plentiful as Londoners celebrated Bonfire Night, a celebration since 1605 when Guy Fawkes was arrested as one of the conspirators in a plot to kill King James I and blow up Parliament. I was hoping for my own fireworks with some incredible wines I was about to taste.
We showed up about 15 minutes late and walked up the stairs to a private room with 11 .ebob junkies all awaiting our arrival. The champagne was pored and we got right into it.
Flight 1 - Champagne flight (3 Notes)
The Laurent Perrier was pored prior to my arrival and the chatter was that it changed in the glass. I found it to be wonderful. The 3 Champagnes were so different and it was such a great flight to start with (probably my favorite of the night). We tasted the champagnes one after another - not side by side. The Dom Perignon was particularly amazing. It was my 3rd time tasting it this year If you get anything out of these notes it should be that the 1996 DP should be bought by the case. It will be a classic and you won't be sorry drinking it now or in 20 years. There were numerous people who felt the Dom Perignon was the wine of the night. The Bollinger 1990 paired perfectly with the first course of food which is below.
Flight 2 - Token Whites (4 Notes)
The wines below were served with thin sliced tuna, salmon and swordfish on lamb lettuce leaves and sun dried grey mullet roe. The food was delicious - onto the wines..
Flight 3 - 1993 Nebbiolo (4 Notes)
The critics didn't particularly like 1993 Nebbiolo vintage but with the food these wines performed wonderfully. We tasted these wines with homemade pasta ribbons served with hare ragu and it was simply marvelous. The wines paired perfectly with this choice in food. Yumm..
Flight 4 - 1995 and 1996 Nebbiolo (4 Notes)
Wow - 2 reds in this flight made me very happy. The 1995 Bruno Giacosa took home the award for "The Wine Of The Night" after we voted at the conclusion of the evening. The clerico wasn't too far behind and this flight was a true delight.
Flight 5 - New World Nebbiolo (1 Note)
Served alone as a break in the flights..
Flight 6 - Vertical of Paolo Scavino Barolo Bric Del Fiasc (3 Notes)
This was a very interesting flight in that we had 3 vintages of the same wine. It was a shame that the 1997 had a small trace of TCA. Served with overnight marinated wild boar's leg, slowly stewed with red wine, taggiasche olives and fresh tomatoes, served with truffle polenta. At this point I was thrilled with the food. This joint shouldn't be missed if you happen to be in London.
Flight 7 - 1996 Sandrone Barolo's (2 Notes)
The two Sandrones couldn't have been more different from the same producer and the same vintage.. Very fun. At this point out came a wonderful selection of Tuscan cheeses served with Acacia honey and raison and walnut bread. My favorite food/wine pairing of the evening was the Tuscan blue cheese dipped in the Acacia honey while sipping on the Vin Santo (see below). It was amazing.
Flight 8 - Dessert Port and Vin Santo (2 Notes)
The two dessert wines were served with sponge cake marinated in Achermes liquor, stuffed with ricotta cheese and chocolate. Devine...
Closing
Linden Wilkie did one hell of a job organizing this event. From the food, location, organization, etc - it was by far the most professional tasting I have ever attended. Thank you to Linden and to everyone I met - it was an evening I will not soon forget.
1985 Laurent-Perrier Champagne Grand Siecle 96 Points
France, Champagne
Slightly acidic with a breadbox nose...Delicious with ripe fruit and yeasty undertones. Classic vintage Champagne with a bit less cream than the typical Krug vintage 85 and 88 I am used to drinki9ng. I wouldn't kick it out of bed any night of the week..
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1990 Bollinger Champagne La Grande Année 97 Points
France, Champagne
Gorgeous Champagne that was a delight to drink.. Thanks Chalres for bringing this Magnum... SLight palate of mulled apples / cider. Delicious undertones of crisp acidic apple and pear. What a treat --- I couldn't stop from going back and back again from this wonderfuful liquid with bubbles. A classic that drank perfectly tonight. Wow
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1996 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon 99 Points
France, Champagne
Flirting with PERFECTION.... Back up the truck.. This Champagne is KILLER.... ELegant, crisp, Vibrant, balanced with just the right amount of acidity.. The true definition of finess. Citrus undertones with brilliannt integration of acid, fruit and acidity. You don't truly love wine unless you have a few bottles of this in your cellar.
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