A 98 point dinner at Steve Cramer's
West Seattle, WA, USA
Tasted Saturday, March 19, 2005 by Eric with 1,832 views
Introduction
I first met Steve Cramer through my friend Mark Jaremko last October when I attended an auction dinner and tasting, and I have since had a chance to meet him a couple of times and share a couple of interesting wines. So I was very excited when he chose to extend an invitation to me to attend an annual "98 point" dinner at his house (in past years they have done 99 and 100 point themes). Basically, each attendee needed to bring a bottle that had garnered at least 98 points from a major publication.
I don't usually like the idea of tasting where the sole qualification is the rating the wine receives, but Steve had assembled a very nice menu courtesy of chef Jeremy Faber with what looked to be a pretty exciting lineup to match. Also, when I shared a couple of dinners with this crowd last October I really enjoyed them, so I was looking forward to a great evening!
Flight 1 (2 Notes)
As we arrived we were greeted by Steve with glasses of 1996 Dom Perignon in hand and three tasty appetizers: Dungeness Crab Cake with Sorrel Aioli and Radish; Porcini Mushroom, Marjoram, and Pinenut Tarts; and Duck Confit and Cabbage Crostini. After we drained the first bottle of Dom, Steve popped a second bottle along with a bottle of 1988 Krug which was a lovely contrast in style.
Flight 2 (1 Note)
After some general milling about and greeting, we sat down for our first course of Seared Sea Scallop with Grilled Cardoon's and Italian Black Truffles. The Chapoutier Blanc was tight and young, a bit better on its own than with the scallops. However, the leftover 1996 Dom continued to deliver the goods and matched extraordinarily well. Someone made the very fun comment that Champagne is the "Type-O" of the wine world, the universal match to any course. :)
Flight 3 (3 Notes)
Next up we had two foie gras courses, so Steve broke out three stickies to match. It was a fascinating contrast in styles with the Rieussec proving to be purely ethereal. I wasn't using points on this evening, but that was one of the more clear 100 pointers I have ever tasted. Stunning!
The first course was Artisan Foie Gras Ravioli with Young Leeks, Sage, and Hazelnut, and the dish really echoed more of brown butter and pasta than of foie. The Chapoutier Blanc from the prior course was actually a knockout match.
Then we moved onto a more traditional preparation of Seared Foie Gras with Fingerling Puree, Cipollini Onions, and Verjus. The acid in the Rieussec allowed it to pair perfectly with the rich foie. I sipped the other two wines on their own as we waited for the next course.
Flight 4 (3 Notes)
At this point we had five delectable meat courses ahead to help us work through our big reds. The chef had a bit of a challenge determining the matches, as he was seeing the complete wine list for the first time as people walked in. So he focused on matching food to wine (Northern Rhone to venison, Claret to duck and lamb etc.). Alas, the intended food ordering and matches brought the wines in a slightly difficult order, although frankly no one was terribly stressed about it. Anyway, all of that is a long-winded way of explaining how we ended up staring at a pair of Aussie monsters. We ended up also pouring the Quilceda. The intention was that people would use the three wines for the next two courses and to allow a little flexibility. The approach worked well, as the 1999 Quilceda paired gorgeously with Pomegranate Glazed Pan Roasted Quail with Turnips and Cumin, and then the Aussies worked surprisingly well with Grilled Cabbage and Black Truffle Wrapped Squab. The smoke on the cabbage worked beautifully to pick up the peppery and smoky notes of the Shiraz.
Flight 5 (4 Notes)
Alright, now we moved onto my favorite region, Bordeaux. We took the same approach of pouring four wines for two courses. The Mouton was simply outclassed. The Margaux was gorgeous but far too young. The Pavie was an enigma (see the note below). And the Montrose pretty much wiped everything else off the table, that is if you can handle a bit of horse in your wine. Reid Kuhn and I spent much of the rest of the night guffawing and grinning each time we gave that fantastic horse-juice a sniff. Maybe I am just getting used to it finally, but on this evening the Montrose was perfect. Oh yes, the food was wonderful as well with a course of Slow Roasted Loin of Lamb with Green Garlic and Fennel Seed then followed by Crisp Muscovy Duck Breast with Lady Fern Fiddleheads and Farro. Mmm, the farro had a red-wine (Shirvington actually) reduction and was unreal.
Flight 6 (2 Notes)
Next we moved onto a pair of Chapoutiers with Sumac Rubbed Venison with Black Trumpet Mushrooms and Celeraic Cake. Alas, the cork monster reared its ugly head!
Flight 7 (2 Notes)
As with some other recent tastings, after all of the European wines I found myself much less interested than I might otherwise expect in this pair of California monsters. The Pride is fantastic but needs to integrate some wood. The Harlan is a freakshow of a wine, rich, exotic and bizarre.
After the wines we had three cheeses: Three Milk Robiola Aged with Black Truffles; Lingot with Pickled Apricot's; and Cabrales with Honeyed Almonds.
Flight 8 (2 Notes)
Dessert was all about chocolate with Chocolate Flourless Cake, Cacao Nib Tartufo, and Chestnut Honey Marquise. We first sipped a beautiful Graham's and then finished the evening off with a Buller Calliope Muscat.
Closing
Wow, what a fun evening of conversation, food and wine. Thanks Steve for putting this together, it was an honor and a pleasure!
1996 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon
France, Champagne
This continues to be spectacular yet also very tight and young. Fresh and precise with loads of citrus and minerality, this was less forthcoming than I recall from prior tastes. However, with air and food (darned if this stuff didn't match well with nearly any food I tasted all night), this became more expressive. Smokey minerals and some mushroom character became very prominent, yet the wine was always clean, gripping, powerful and focused. What a pleasure to have this again!
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1988 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut
France, Champagne
This was my first Krug, and it was a stunning counterpoint to the tight, young 1996 Dom. Freaking A, what a nose on this with yeasty smells of baking bread smothered in vanilla cream but delivered subtly and elegantly. Very, very fine. The palate is equally exquisite and precise, initially very restrained (it was poured very cold) but as it warmed it became sublime, lightly toasty, an equal joy to drink.
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