Doc’s Birthday Dinner

A small group gathered to celebrate Doc’s 84th birthday. We are very casual with regards to the wines, announcing whether we have something lighter or heavier, etc., and we then pair them up and sip as we nosh, discuss, guess and unveil before moving on to the next flight.

The club has a delightful lobster dip, served with toasted baguette, and so I usually bring a white to pair with it, as Doc orders this appetizer every chance he gets. The PM proved an excellent match.

• 2012 Peter Michael Chardonnay Cuvée Indigene 90 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Knights Valley

  Our final bottle, served double blind to the group who had no problem identifying this as CA chardonnay, and knowing my cellar, guessed the producer. Notes of tropical fruit, banana, vanilla crème and charred citrus. Creamy texture. Quite nice, but somewhat foursquare compared to the last bottle we had opened just a few months ago.

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• 2017 Bergström Pinot Noir Homage 92 Points

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

  Double blind. Cherry and red berry fruit notes with earth and clay undertones. Medium-bodied with flavors of red fruit, warm spice and cherry compote. I thought this was from a warmer vintage such as 2014. (T&T)

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• 2019 Alexana Pinot Noir Terroir Series 91 Points

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

  Double blind. Medium red color with notes of earth, dark pinot fruit and root beer. The palate follows the bouquet, with plenty of dark pinot fruit, somewhat warm, hinting at plum though not quite that ripe. A bigger style, though still nicely balanced. (G&R)

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Next pair was not intentionally paired with the soup course, but the timing of our orders just worked out that way.

• 2016 Revana Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District 89 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Stags Leap District

  Double blind. Deep color. Opens with ripe dark fruit, almost port-like, with hints of raisin along with blackberry and raspberry elements. Full-bodied with fine tannins and flavors of black fruit, plum and herbs. 89+ pts. (G&R)

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• 2019 Horsepower Vineyards Syrah High Contrast Vineyard 93 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley

  Double blind. Deep red color. Aromas of dark fruit, pepper and barnyard. Full-bodied with an abundance of dark fruit. There’s a hint of something vegetal/weedy as well. Some tasters thought Cayuse, but aside from the Bionic Frog I don’t recall those wines being as barnyardy as this, so I guessed 2018 Horsepower syrah as I have found those to be the funkier of the two labels. Excellent in this style, which I like in small doses. Domino is not a fan. (E)

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I was very lucky in that I happened to order the rack of lamb…little did I know that it would end up paired with an Haut Brion.

• 1995 Château Haut-Brion 96 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  Double blind. Deep crimson red core with some bricking toward the meniscus. Gorgeous bouquet- I could keep my nose in the glass all night. Perfumed and floral to start, turning to red berry fruit, violets then iron and graphite. Deeply complex and engaging. Full-bodied with just a slight bit of tannin yet to integrate. Flavors of mixed red and black fruit- currants and red plum, along with dried herbs and iodine. Hints of asphalt emerge in the bouquet as this sits in the glass. Easy to pick out as Pessac, and in terms of age it was clearly older. I guessed 1995 La Mission Haut Brion…almost nailed it.
  
  I did not catch the details on how the wine was prepped before dinner. At a minimum, as there was no sediment in the bottle, it would have been decanted roughly three to four hours before service. Drinking beautifully right now, though there is certainly no need to rush. (Doc)

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• 2014 Next of Kyn No~8 Cumulus Vineyard 91 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast

  Double decanted off its sediment about nine hours before service. Big and ripe, characteristics that are in no doubt amplified by the contrast between it and the preceding wine. Syrupy black fruit, chocolate and currant liqueur qualities. Develops a pleasant herbaceous note to compliment the ripe black fruit. Good in this style, but it suffered by following a nicely aged Haut Brion.

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We knew we had a port to go with dessert, so chocolate was a good choice.

• 1994 Quinta do Vesuvio Porto Vintage 94 Points

  Portugal, Douro, Porto

  Blind- we knew this was a port. Deep youthful color, just ever so slightly lighter at the meniscus. Blackberry, licorice, and blue fruit notes with a very subtle hint of raisin as well. Full-bodied, dense and powerful, with loads of plummy black fruit and spice, along with blueberry and Chambord. Guessed 2003 Dow. From T’s cellar, this is still a youthful, powerful port just hinting at its potential. Hold. (T&T)

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Happy birthday, Doc, and many happy returns.