Fair Hill Inn Wine Dinner

The dinner paired Chef Fredrick's food with wines off the list. Four courses with two wine flights for the first three, and a sherry with bread pudding for dessert. The three food flights:
First Course Wild Mushroom Soup with Juniper and Creme Fraiche, Spiced Goat Cheese and Watercress
Second Course Salmon with Fennel Sausage Lentil Ragout
Third Course Smoked Filet Mignon with Butternut Squash Risotto

• 2013 Elena Walch Sauvignon Alto Adige - Südtirol Castel Ringberg 83 Points

  Italy, Trentino-Alto Adige, Alto Adige, Alto Adige - Südtirol

  Very grassy nose. Not a lot going on on the palate, though on the plus side there is an absence of the grapefruit so often dominating SB. Decent acid, just OK as a cocktail white, completely overwhelmed by the mushroom soup it was opened to accompany.

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• 2013 Paul Blanck Gewurztraminer 87 Points

  France, Alsace

  Light spicy nose, body on the light side of the spectrum. Very good acidity, very long finish. A hint of sweetness but the acid drives this one.
  Pared with mushroom soup, it held up as the flavors cut through and the acid was muted by the dish.

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• 2012 Lamblin & Fils Chablis 87 Points

  France, Burgundy, Chablis

  Nose light but typical of Chablis. Crisp on the palate leading into a short to medium length finish. Very clean style, paired with salmon and worked well, clearing the palate for the next bite. Would like it as a 'glass of white' wine also, very pleasant sipper.

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• 2011 MacRostie Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 85 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

  Nose has a 'grapey' element which detracts from the overall impression, as does the heat on the palate and in the finish. Otherwise the flavors are fairly straightforward. The salmon managed to tame the heat and concentrate the fruit flavors, which rescued this wine for me. Would not serve it without food.

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• 2011 Barboursville Vineyards Nebbiolo Reserve 83 Points

  USA, Virginia, Central Virginia, Monticello

  Light, fresh nose, bit of alcohol vapor. Decent fruit, dry tannins on finish. Would not have pegged this as a Nebbiolo. Lighter structure with just a hint of the foxiness that I associate with East Coast reds.

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• 2012 Seghesio Family Vineyards Zinfandel Sonoma County 81 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County

  Strong nose, rough on the palate with a candied note. Slight improvement with the beef but overall an overripe, out-of-balance zinfandel. No structure for the fruit so I doubt it improves.

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• NV Alvear Montilla-Moriles Pale Cream 86 Points

  Spain, Andalucía, Montilla-Moriles

  Light pleasant sherry. Not a lot to it, just a fairly straightforward effort that did the trick with bread pudding.

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All in all the food was quite good, the wines less so. The Chablis and Gewurtztraminer were nice selections that I would have enjoyed by themselves as well as working well with the food. A couple of the others were decent matches with the cuisine but I would not have been happy sipping them between courses.