TLV's Birthday Dinner

Anvil Club
Tasted Friday, January 23, 2015 by AllRed with 430 views

Introduction

Mrs. thelostverse rounded up the troops and put together a birthday dinner for TLV in honor of his 50th. Domino and I were honored to be among those included in the celebration, along with M/M Vino Me and nonwino friends Matt & Lynn and John & Maureen.

The restaurant did a terrific job. We enjoyed cocktails in the lounge before being escorted to a private dining room for dinner. The staff put in some overtime polishing stemware for us...we must have had sixty or so stems at the ready on a side table with another thirty or so already on the dinner table, and we were easily able to swap in fresh glasses for each new wine. The kitchen did a nice job with a custom menu put together with Mrs. TLV's input.

Flight 1 - I. Amuse Trio. (2 Notes)

King Crab, Avocado, Grapefruit & Chives.
Mussel Salad, Saffron Braised Tomatoes.
Shrimp, Ccelery, Bloody Mary Gelée.

  • NV Billecart-Salmon Champagne Brut Réserve 91 Points

    France, Champagne

    From magnum, opened by thelostverse. Pale in color with a soft mousse and notes of lemon, apple and ginger with a cracker/biscuit undertone. Bright acidity with a medium bead and flavors of almond, ginger and limestone. Finishes well.

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  • 1965 Beaulieu Vineyard Pinot Noir Beaumont 70 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford

    thelostverse expertly pulled the cork of this 50-year old beauty in one piece. The color was a brownish crimson and the wine initially smelled of tea leaves and dry fallen leaves...if your parents made you rake the yard as a kid, you know what I mean. The palate had a quick burst of sweet fruit followed by washed out berry and tea qualities. The bouquet became mushroomy which turned to worcestshire sauce. Sous bois and tomato paste flavors on the palate. Not undrinkable, but an ounce or two was plenty. I know tlv has one more of these, both impeccably stored since release, so it will be interesting to see how bottle #2 compares in a few months' time.

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Flight 2 - II. Shredded Duck Confit with Bacon, Arugula & Balsamic. (2 Notes)

  • 2012 Soliste Cellars Pinot Noir L'Ambroisie 94 Points

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

    Another of tlv's bottles, and if I recall correctly, this had been decanted ahead of time. Knockout bouquet featuring cherry, rose petals, lavender, lilacs and mineral. I love everything here, but also everything that isn't here- no cola or ripe dark fruit. Instead, one tastes cherries, minerals, spices and florals with just a hint of strawberry as well. The wine shows tremendous balance as it glides seamlessly across the palate and into the lengthy finish. Elegance in a glass. 94-95 pts.

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  • 1998 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape 92 Points

    France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

    Popped & poured by tlv with the duck confit. Initial bouquet is a bit of a turnoff for me- worcestshire, prune, ripe black fruit and leather. It's a bit shy on the palate, but currants, leather, prunes and stewed red fruit eventually appear. VM suggested setting some aside and so we did. A couple of hours later this had woken up and come together. Less ripe, with aromas of currants, raisins and florals. Flavors of red berries, spice and garrigue on the palate with just a bit of earthy funk. Vino Me was right. 92+ pts.

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Flight 3 - III. Lobster Cappuccino. (2 Notes)

Flight 4 - IV. Radicchio Salad with Mango, Basil, Mozzarella & Lemon Vinaigrette. (1 Note)

  • 2012 Ceritas Chardonnay Porter-Bass Vineyard 94 Points

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

    thelostverse and I both brought a bottle of this as we had ten diners and wanted to be sure there would be enough to go around. This was an excellent match for the salad. Opened roughly 45 minutes prior to being poured, the bouquet featured lemon, lime zest and florals. Terrific acidity on the palate, providing lift to the lemon and tart pear flavors and drips with minerality. Terrific stuff- it'll be hard to keep my hands off our last 7 bottles. 94+ pts.

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Flight 5 - V. Short Rib Ragu, Housemade Tagliatelle & Pecorino Romano. (2 Notes)

  • 1997 Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragona Brunello di Montalcino Vigna di Pianrosso 91 Points

    Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino

    Opened by Vino Me and decanted for a couple of hours+/-. Crimson color. Aromas of cedar, licorice, black fruit and sandalwood. It's full-bodied and still has some tannins to shed. Flavors of currants, sandalwood, vanilla and herbs. Dries out a bit on the finish.

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  • 1981 Diamond Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Volcanic Hill 93 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley, Diamond Mountain

    From magnum, double decanted a couple of hours before dinner. Aromas of cedar, violets, saddle leather, black currant and lavender. Medium-bodied with flavors of currants, cherry, spice and florals. Finishes nicely, with good length and balance. 93-94 pts.

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Flight 6 - VI. Savory Goat Cheese & Basil Cheesecake with Spicy Hazelnut Crust, Roasted Sunchokes, Sunchoke Puree & Strawberry Sauce. (2 Notes)

  • 2010 Standing Stone Vineyards Vidal Ice 88 Points

    USA, New York, Finger Lakes

    Apricot, honeyed pineapple and tropical fruit notes with a sweet floral undertone. Has a candied quality on the palate; better with food than on its own. Thanks for sharing, VM.

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  • 2011 Peter Michael Les Pavots 93 Points

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Knights Valley

    Opened by thelostverse about six & a half hours before it was served after dinner. Aromas of chocolate, mocha, incense, blueberry, cassis and violets. Terrific fruit on the palate, with decent length on the finish.

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