Duckhorn Dinner with Zach Rasmuson

The dinner was comprised of five courses designed to match and highlight the wines:
1. 2011 Decoy Sauvignon Blanc with a beet salad, gold and red beets in a tarragon marinade, shaved fennel, poached scallops and blood orange vinaigrette.
2. 2010 Migration Chard with frogleg risotto, frogleg, chive, snow peas carrot puree in a meyer lemon gremolata.
3. 2009 Goldeneye Pinot Noir with Confit chicken, roasted carrot and cauliflower, truffeled polenta in a bay laurel blond sauce.
4. 2009 Duckhorn Merlot Napa with a bison carpaccio with blue cheese sauce, baby lettuce in black garlic vinaigrette, shaved royal trumpets.
5. 2009 Paraduxx Z blend with braised beef, sipinacj, cipolinni and fontina cheese gratin with a licorice rook and chipped oak wine barrel demi-glace.

• 2011 Decoy Sauvignon Blanc 87 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County

  Clean and crisp SB. Pale straw color, minimal grass, fairly long finish. Worked as a cocktail white/first course match w/poached scallop.

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• 2010 Migration (Duckhorn Vineyards) Chardonnay Russian River Valley 90 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

  Butter in nose, round on palate, fair acidity in the medium-length finish. Notes of lemon on the palate. strong effort.

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• 2009 Goldeneye Pinot Noir Anderson Valley 87 Points

  USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley

  Dark ruby in color with strong legs, this was subdued on the nose and really restrained on the palate. Notable heat in the finish. Wine was opened about an hour before pour and then was in the glass for another half hour before serving There was some improvement about an hour later from a taste set aside for the end of the meal, but it was still struggling to display any nuance.

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• 2009 Duckhorn Vineyards Merlot Napa Valley 89 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Very dark ruby, sweet spicy nose. Chewy, agressive tannins dominate at first. Some time in the glass brought out the dark fruits, although the tannin remained present in the finish. Matched with a buffalo carpaccio and blue cheese, the wine snapped into place and provided enjoyable company.

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• 2009 Paraduxx (Duckhorn Vineyards) Z Blend 88 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Fruit forward with a little heat in the finish. Medium to medium-light body. Not complex or displaying a special element, but pleasant fruit-centered drinking wine.

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The two best matches of the night were the risotto with the Migration chardonnay, and the buffalo with the Merlot. Both were inspired choices and served the wines well. I felt the pinot did not show its' best. It seemed there was something there struggling to get out of the glass but never did so. I may pick up a bottle and spend an evening with the wine to give it a second chance. In all a fine showing for Duckhorn and for the Inn.