Villa Dixon Degustation

Tasted Friday, November 28, 2008 by steffenpelz with 747 views

Introduction

Last night, a few of us got together at Villa Dixon to celebrate Earl and Diane's launch of their new online cookbook of the Wine and Food Foundation of Texas. All the recipes from last night came from this cookbook and are from the best chefs in the great Lone Star State. Although I am friends with Earl and Diane, I feel comfortable saying that cooking from this cookbook is going to be fun for cooks of all proficiency levels. If you feel like you'd like to check the cookbook out, just go to:

http://winefoodcooking.keepercollection.com/content/display/page/home

It's a subscription service, but I suspect many of you will find it interesting and worthwhile.

At dinner, there was also another fellow blogger who writes about food. To make this post more entertaining, here's the link to his post for pictures of the food and detailed notes on the meal. Enjoy.

http://www.alcoholian.com/?p=1573#more-1573

Flight 1 - With Maytag Blue Cheese Potato Chips (2 Notes)

Picture of this course:

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  • 2007 Bisson Colli Trevigiani IGT

    Italy, Veneto, Colli Trevigiani IGT

    Best prosecco I've ever had. Surprisingly lean and structured, although still simple in nature and not something to contemplate over. Yeasty flavor with some white bubblegum. Good match with food, but maybe a touch high in residual sugar for me...a drier sparkler would have cut the blue cheese slightly better, I think.

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  • 1989 Kerpen Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Spätlese

    Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

    Poor match for bluecheese. Competed too much with it. Great wine by itself though. Classic petrol/fuel, peaches, and jasmine flowers with nice cut, zingy acidity. Liked it, just not with the food. AP Nr. 2576 562 990.

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Flight 2 - With Smoked Duck Diablos with Red Chili Glaze (2 Notes)

Picture of this course:

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  • 2002 Domaine Fourrier Vougeot 1er Cru Les Petits Vougeots Vieille Vigne

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vougeot 1er Cru

    Awesome bottle of wine and one of the best food pairings of the night. Seemed young with some ground coffee, pepper, dark fruit, and plum. Spice on the palate along with tree bark, moss, and some orange peel. Solid structure and acidity that should allow for many more years of aging.

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  • 1997 Domaine Ponsot Clos de la Roche Vieilles Vignes

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru

    A disappointment. Thin on the fruit, very advanced appearance. Rusty orange color, very cloudy opacity. High toned, high acid, very earthy with pine forest floor flavors and aromas. Fruit was thin and nearly gone. Not obviously flawed though. OK wine at best and needs to be consumed now.

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Flight 3 - Roasted Butternut Squash & Chorizo Soup with Crawfish Croutons (3 Notes)

Picture of this course:

http://www.alcoholian.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/2008_1128tester0028.jpg

Flight 4 - With Diver Scallop Carpaccio (3 Notes)

Picture of this course:

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  • 2003 Brewer-Clifton Chardonnay Ashley's Vineyard

    USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

    Good wine. Not extremely heavy on the oak, but more oak than I typically would indulge on. The nose is very un-like any Chardonnay I've ever smelled or unlike any California white I've ever smelled. Better on the palate than the nose with some intense, dense Chardonnay fruit with a touch of honey, caramel, and a shot of minerality.

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  • 2002 Kistler Chardonnay Cuvée Cathleen

    USA, California, Sonoma County

    Classic RRV Chardonnay with tell-tale buttery flavors and aromas. By far the most suave white wine in the lineup and it's oily texture goes down incredibly easy. Has an interesting amber and brown sugar element. Despite all the softness of texture, it retains just enough acidity to remain captivating. Finishes strong and gives you something to think about. Probbaly a wine I'd like to sit down with and stew over for a few hours.

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  • 1998 Mathern Norheimer Kirschheck Riesling Spätlese

    Germany, Nahe

    Sensational pairing with the diver scallop. Layered with apple, candlewax, and grapey flavors, the acidity of this wine cut through the buttery texture of the scallop beautifully. AP Nr. 7750 043 1799.

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Flight 5 - Braised Pork with Cardamom, Serrano Peppers & Sweet Potatoes (2 Notes)

Picture of this course:

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  • 1979 Château Figeac

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

    Great bottle. Exactly what I expected with old-school St. Emilion truffle, animale, and blackberry, and mocha. Finished great and was a good match to the food. Definitely in a great drinking window right now.

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  • 2001 Bodega Abel Mendoza Rioja Jarrarte

    Spain, La Rioja, Rioja

    Excellent wine and another amazing food and wine match. The fact that its spice and structure was more noticeable than in the Figeac, turned it into the better wine for this particular food it was served with. Full bodied with ample structure and great freshness and a little dustiness. Somewhere between more tradtional and more international style, but delicious either way.

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Flight 6 - The Chicken & Pancetta Cacciatore (2 Notes)

Picture of this course:

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  • 1999 Feudi di San Gregorio Taurasi Piano di Montevergine

    Italy, Campania, Taurasi DOCG

    Dark and brooding. Brawny and in typical funk style for this winery. Has some undergrowth and dried herb flavors lurking behind the wall of blackberry and black currant fruit and tannins. A bit wild and untamed. Only OK as a food match, as the chicken would have fared better with a more subtle set of flavors in my opinion, but it was still enjoyable.

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  • 1990 Le Vieux Donjon Châteauneuf-du-Pape

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

    I've had many CdPs and many older ones, too...but never one like this. Popped and poured, this was dark as night and tasted like Northern Rhone Syrah to me. I have no idea what the cepage is, but the Syrah component must have been huge. A part of me is so confused about tasting this that I am at least tempted to think it could have been a fake. Don't get me wrong...this was a very, very good bottle, but it just wasn't identifiable as CdP. I am suspect, but it was good nonetheless.

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Flight 7 - Caramel Filled Brownies (2 Notes)

Picture of this course:

http://www.alcoholian.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/2008_1128tester0058a.jpg

  • 1995 Araujo Estate Syrah Eisele Vineyard

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    Still a baby, really. Big, big black fruit with some cedar notes and licorice. Very well made wine, but a touch too much for my taste. Lacks some of the elegance the Chapoutier had. That being said, it was a magical pairing with the rich brownies.

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  • 1995 M. Chapoutier Côte-Rôtie La Mordorée

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

    This is Syrah the way I love to drink it. Obviously cool climate, this has a cool feel to the palate with silky texture and loads of dark fruit and ample acidity. Structured to go many more years in the cellar, but certainly no shame to drink now. Great way to end the evening.

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Closing

Thanks to Earl and Diane for the hospitality and the fantastic food, and thanks to the rest of the crew for making it a memorable evening.

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