A night at Saffron

A small gathering in Walla Walla with locals who make wine and run restaurants. We met at the excellent Saffron restaurant and as usual allowed the staff to choose our menu & some of our wine which they fel would pair best with their choices. We had a dizzying array of Mediterranean spices and flavors served tapas-style and more flatbread than I can fathom ever eating again. Red wines were decanted at the table.

• 2011 Gramona Penedès Gessamí

  Spain, Catalunya, Penedès

  Recommended by Saffron staff. Light yellow gold. The nose is a mix of grassiness, citrus & exotic fruit. Perfume and earth aromatics come in waves. Lighter bodied with a strong melon character on the front. Moderate to high acidity persists, but the fruitiness draws you away from finding this too dry. A versatile wine, one which feels comfortable on a porch or deck on a warm day, or on a dinner table with some great food. This added a little heft as it warmed. Very nice.

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• NV Vilmart & Cie Champagne Premier Cru Cuvée Rubis

  France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru

  Darker pink with a slight orange tint. Beautiful aromatics right away. Ripe berries, dried herbs & some light floral notes. Light to medium bodied with a subtle, delicate presentation of almost ripe strawberry accented with light citrus. Refreshing, bright acidity jumps out here and never really lets go. A perfectly clean, dry mouthfeel, the fruit here is a bit in the background, but somehow shows off some good intensity to balance the dryness. My vote for best wine on the table as it paired with pretty much anything we ate, but also was a great palate cleanser as we moved through the tapas-style dinner.

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• 2010 Duemani Cabernet Franc CiFRA

  Italy, Tuscany, Costa Toscana

  Selected by the staff at Saffron. Deep ruby red with a slight, lighter rim. The nose is straightforward Cabernet Franc. Loads of dark cherry with a slight poblano note. This received no oak treatment, all concrete tank. Medium bodied, red fruited with some darker components lingering around. Surprisingly, no green pepper to be found in the mouth despite the obvious aromatic presence. Much like a Loire counterpart, this opened a bit angular, but rounded out with air, warmth & food. Grainy tannins present themselves along with moderate acidity. Good wine.

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• 2009 Sheridan Vineyard Syrah Singularity

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley

  Pitch black core with a violet rim. This was, like many Yakima Valley Syrahs of character locked down & stubborn to show much at first. The nose offered some meaty/peppered notes with some olive & plum. Full bodied with loads of cracked black peppercorn accented with a figgy note & some anise. Not the thick, fruit slather I expected when I saw the bottle. This was augmented by a wall of acid & tannin- quite simply, not fun to drink at this stage. A flatbread with spiced lamb hit the table, and this wine simply popped. The savory notes here played off the spices and showed a cool, tart blackberry quality. Lamb tartare arrived, & took it to another level with the rich oily texture of the tartare playing off the acid in the wine. Excellent stuff, but not quite ready right now.

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• NV Sektkellerei Fitz Riesling Sekt Extra Trocken

  Germany, Pfalz

  The end of our evening. This is a stunner in the glass. Crystalline with active little bubbles. My kids would have been hypnotized by it. Fresh, delicate aromatics with some light citrus & pear. Focused, precise and clean. Light fruit, but just enough apple & pear notes. Searingly dry acidity permeates the mouth and brings the meal to a close beautifully. I need more Sekt in my life.
  
  We enjoyed this with a light pastry topped with fresh apple, powdered sugar & basil. The basil played gorgeously with this, especially backed with the mild sweetness of the rest of the dessert.

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