EIEIO Dinner with Jay McDonald

David's on Jefferson Hill, Naperville, Illinois
Tasted Monday, December 8, 2008 by AllRed with 1,159 views

Introduction

Jay McDonald, proprietor/winemaker at EIEIO Winery, was in town so a dinner was put together by his local distributor and Chef Dave Oland of David's on Jefferson Hill. David's is a great little restaurant in downtown Naperville serving a bistro-style menu. This was our first visit, and we've been back numerous times since.

Flight 1 - Welcome wines. (3 Notes)

A nice selection of bubblies provided by some of those attending the dinner.

  • NV Veuve Clicquot Champagne Brut 89 Points

    France, Champagne

    Notes of lemon peel and biscuits, with dough and citrus tones on the palate. Medium bead, short mousse.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

  • NV Tarlant Champagne Cuvée Louis 91 Points

    France, Champagne

    Pale golden color. Aromas of wet dough, cashews, ginger and cloves. Persistent bead, medium weight. Flavors of ginger, biscuit and baked pear. Really enjoyable. 90-92 pts.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

  • 2002 Iron Horse Vineyards Russian Cuvée 88 Points

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Green Valley of Russian River Valley

    Bright mineral and apple aromas lead to a palate that is bright, with lively acidity and flavors of tart crab apple.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

Flight 2 - Crispy Pork Belly with puree of figs, grain mustard and gold potatoes. (1 Note)

The pork belly alone is worth the trip to this restaurant. The Pinot worked really well withthis dish, having enough acidity to cut some of the fattiness of this dish. A wine for food.

  • 2006 EIEIO Pinot Noir Cuvée I 90 Points

    USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

    Deep ruby color. Subtle cherry and spice notes, a touch hot too. Firm tannins, with flavors of cherries and cloves, with a dark fruit undertone. Finishes nicely. The dish amplified the fruit and spice tones, while the fattiness was cut by the acidity.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

Flight 3 - Bacon-wrapped Diver Scallop, with blue cheese. (1 Note)

The Cuvee E Chardonnay and Zind-Humbrecht (opened from Paul's cellar - thank you!) were consumed with two courses. Much of the fruit for this Chardonnay comes from the Dundee Hills. The Chard was the better match of the two wines with the scallop. I was a bit hesitant when I saw blue cheese and scallop on the same plate, but it worked surprisingly well.

  • 2006 EIEIO Chardonnay Cuvée E 89 Points

    USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

    Much of the fruit for this wine comes from the Dundee Hills. Deep yellow color. Aromas of waxy apple fruit, with a subtle mineral tone. Good acidity, with flavors of apple and stone. 89-90 pts.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

Flight 4 - Duo of Butternut Squash & Roasted Kohlrabi Soup. (1 Note)

The soup was excellent, with both components having a great creamy texture and outstanding flavors. Here again, the Chard matched the food a bit better, however, both wines turned tinny/metallic when tasted with the Kohlrabi.

  • 1996 Zind-Humbrecht Riesling Brand 93 Points

    France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru

    Pale gold color. Subtle petrol aroma precedes notes of wet stones, marmalade and spice. Smoke and flint aromas emerge with additional time in the glass. Intense mineral and apple tones on the palate, with a rich texture and great length on the finish. 93-94+ pts.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

Flight 5 - King Salmon with crispy skin, roasted beets and pomme puree. (2 Notes)

The Meredith Mitchell was a bonus bottle from the distributor's personal stash, and was a treat. I preferred the Canary Hill with this course, and it was better with food than on its own.

  • 2005 EIEIO Pinot Noir Old Block Canary Hill Vineyard 93 Points

    USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

    Garnet color. Wonderfully complex aromas of dark cherries, plum, dried flowers, cinnamon and violets. Sweet tannins, with with dark fruit and berry flavors on the palate. 92-93 pts.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

  • 2004 EIEIO Pinot Noir Meredith Mitchell Vineyard 92 Points

    USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

    This vineyard was first planted in 1988, in 6" deep basalt soil. Deep garnet color. Notes of plum and black cherry, with flavors of raspberry and cherry. This has a plush, silky texture and is well-balanced.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

Flight 6 - Muscovy Duck Breast with wild mushroom risotto. (1 Note)

An excellent match to this perfectly executed dish. Chef's duck and risotto were both flawless.

Flight 7 - Dessert Trio: Chocolate Mousse, Homemade Ice Cream & Fresh Berries. (2 Notes)

The mousse was absolutely heavenly - some of the best I've had, and the ice cream made here is truly outstanding. My one complaint of this restaurant is that on a couple of subsequent visits, the mousse had been served too cold and its texture suffered as a result.

  • 2006 EIEIO Pinot Noir Cuvée E 87 Points

    USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

    Dusty ruby color with aromas of sour cherries that follow through on the palate. Simple, but not up to the quality of the others in the lineup.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

  • 2006 Paloma Merlot 92 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District

    Notes of black cherry, herbs, chocolate and blackberries. Medium- to full-bodied, with flavors of dark fruit and spice. Tannins are slightly sweet and chewy.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

Closing

Thanks to Jay, Chef David, Doc & Jody for putting together this great event. Jay's wines showed very well, and are definitely worth seeking out.

×
×