Family gathering for Jaimie's departure to New Mexico.

Denver, CO
Tasted Sunday, May 31, 2009 by thomaskeil with 474 views

Flight 1 - Various tapas -- anchovies, Iberico, chorizo, pickled garlics, olives, etc. (1 Note)

Flight 2 - Mussels in gribiche on toasts. (1 Note)

  • 2005 F.X. Pichler Grüner Veltliner Federspiel Loibner Klostersatz 92 Points

    Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau

    Very nice and a huge contrast to the Pinot Bianco. Expressive nose with white and citrus fruit and distinctive peppery asian spice notes layered over stones. Bright acid and minerals on the palate with the spice and fruit playing together well. This cut through the gribiche sauce well and matched well with the mussels. Wish I had bought more of this.

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Flight 3 - Seared foie gras on carmelized onions with fig sauce. (1 Note)

  • 1986 Château Filhot 90 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

    Deep yellow in color. Very nice nose of tropical fruit, botrytis/honey and what I will call Savignon Blanc notes. On the palate this was both light on its feet and rich. The fruit was nicely expressed. Not so complex or particularly long, but this did the trick with the foie gras.

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Flight 4 - Copper River salmon with cherry sauce. (1 Note)

  • 2005 Sea Smoke Pinot Noir Southing 91 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

    Decanted 3 hours. Expressive fruit-driven nose with dark cherries, raspberries, cola and vanilla. Palate had medium-heavy fruit weight with noticable tannins and decent acidity. Impression was that this was very well balanced, but was kind of simple in that this was mostly about overt fruit notes. Nevertheless, this was a really nice match to the salmon as the structure seemed to elevate the flavors to match the very rich fish.

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Flight 5 - Smokey grilled whole quail with flageolets cooked with carmelized onions, fennel and grilled Spanish sausage. (1 Note)

  • 1995 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Crau 94 Points

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

    Now we're talking! Opened 3 hours ahead but not decanted. Bright, bricking garnet. Captivating nose with terrific 'maturing' grenache fruit, garrigue/herbs, rich spices and some funky earth. The palate is more resolved than 3 years ago with the fruit feeling richer and more complex, but lacking a bit of the balancing tannins noted before. Still with just right acidity. This was an extremely pleasurable match to the smoky/gamey grilled quail and flageolets with Spanish sausage and such a great CdP.

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Flight 6 - Grapes with various cheeses. (1 Note)

  • 2004 Clos Apalta 91 Points

    Chile, Rapel Valley, Colchagua Valley, Apalta

    PnP. Dark reddish violet. The nose hits you with dark chocolate right away and follows with deep, dark berries and some herbs and peppery spice. The palate has heavy-weighted, mouth-coating, almost teeth-staining fruit with pretty hard, ungiving tannins and some acidity. The wine seems to be in balance and clearly needs cellar time or a vigorous decant.

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