Rhônes and dinner with Robert Parker
Baltimore, MD
Tasted Saturday, February 12, 2005 by Eric with 7,364 views
Introduction
PARKER AUCTION DINNER:
A Taste of Four Great Rhône Varietals (Dinner for Ten with Robert Parker At the Charleston Restaurant “the finest Restaurant In Baltimore, MD.” Verticals to be matched with the cuisine of Chef Cindy Wolf)
Last spring I had the insanely good fortune to get mixed up with Scott Manlin who organized the winning HdR auction bid for a dinner for 10 with Robert Parker. So after many months of trying to pin down a date, we finally assembled in Baltimore for a truly memorable evening with Bob. In attendance were Ben Andrew, Sheila & Jim Clary, Craig Collins, Stephen Fry, John Kapon, Rudy Kurniawan, Scott Manlin, Jay Miller, Wilfred van Gorp and myself.
Flight 1 - AMUSE (1 Note)
This was served with a pair of AWESOME cornmeal crusted and fried oysters and then a nice dish of salmon atop some sort of potato salad. If I wasn't holding back knowing all the wine to come, I could have sat and sipped this beauty very happily...
Flight 2 - CHAPOUTIER BLANC (5 Notes)
We started with a flight of these 100% Marsanne wines. To me these were a new experience, and frankly these were exciting and rich wines that sipped wonderfully on their own and were perhaps even a little better with the food. It was interesting to compare the styles between Chapoutier and Chave with the Chapoutiers clearly showing more exotic, fruit-driven personality as compared to the remarkable minerality on the Chaves.
These were served with a rich and delicious seafood bisque. Mmm, I could use another bowl of that...
Flight 3 - CHAVE BLANC (5 Notes)
At this point in the evening it was clear that the best I was going to do was sit back and enjoy and try to get a general sense of the wines. There was simply too much fun conversation to have my head in my tasting book all night. Unlike the Chapoutier, these are a blend of 80% Marsanne and 20% Roussane. At first I liked the Chaves less than the Chapoutiers, as they were a bit more intellectual and emphasized minerality and spice over pure intensity of fruit. Bob had folks vote on which they preferred, and at the time I voted Chapoutier. In hindsight, I might change that, as top to bottom the Chaves were a bit more consistent. Mmm, tough choices in life...
These were served with a dish of grilled sea scallops.
Flight 4 - LA CHAPELLE (6 Notes)
OK, now the real fun started with a gorgeous flight of La Chapelle. These wines were all so impressive, and each would be a wine to treasure over the course of a long evening. To have six at once was a treat. For current drinking, my favorite was the 82, followed by the 90 and then the 78.
These were served with a delicious dish of roasted rabbit loin.
Flight 5 - CHAVE ROUGE (8 Notes)
As the Chave was poured, Bob switched seats with Jay end ended up next to me. I recall him proclaiming "Burgundy of the Northern Rhone" as he eagerly started sniffing these gorgeous wines. I don't know what it was, but each time a Chave flight went by I simply wanted to smell the wines and forget about my notes. Or perhaps it was because I was chatting with Bob as this flight was poured. Anyway, my notes are nearly nonexistent on this spectacular flight, so here are some general comments. As a rule, the wines showed brighter acids than the La Chapelle's with more complex and subtle mineral elements. I probably preferred the La Chapelle's since I could wrap my head around them a bit more easily. My favorites in order are the 90 Cathelin, 81, 89, 90 and 85.
Flight 6 - 1998 CHÂTEAUNEUF DU PAPE (6 Notes)
Now we switched gears and headed south, and the table was clearly excited to taste these sweet and powerful youngsters. For me, my first taste of the Pégaü Cuvée da Capo was absolutely haunting and overshadowed everything else in the flight. I personally don't see the controversy, but rather just a haunting and powerful young wine!
This was served with a bowl of pan-seared foie gras.
Flight 7 - MORE CHÂTEAUNEUF DU PAPE (6 Notes)
After the wonderful flight of 98's, it was a little hard to believe that things could get better - but they did! I wondered how it would work mixing up the young and old wines, but it was spectacular. For me, the 1989 Beaucastel Hommage, my third and last perfect wine of the evening, was the pinnacle to an extraordinary flight. Bravo!
This was served with lamb tenderloin which I don't recall eating, as I fell asleep at this point. I look forward to seeing the pictures!
Flight 8 - CLOSING DOWN (4 Notes)
At this point the evening was getting more than hazy (actually mostly sleepy). Bob poured the two Alban wines in honor of John Alban who founded the Hospice du Rhone. Rudy ordered another bottle from the list. And then the Vin de Paille appeared along with some delicious cheese.
Closing
All in all, this was the most over the top hedonism I have ever been party to and a wonderful evening. Bob was warm, gracious, and a fountain of knowledge. I tried not to talk his ear off about CellarTracker, but I probably did. Sorry Bob! (And really, I didn't put Scott or Jim up to haranguing you...)
1990 Veuve Clicquot Champagne Brut La Grande Dame 94 Points
France, Champagne
This is glorious with hints of fresh cream and lemon peel on the nose. On the palate this was beautiful, precise and elegant with minerality and slate coming out on the creamy finish.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No