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Cedar, Washington, DC
Tasted July 7, 2012 by vinole with 485 views
Introduction
dinwiddie arranged for a 5 course tasting menu that the chef customized based on tasting our wines after opening that turned out to be exceptional. A terrific night of food and wine with great company as we were joined by his son and Jersey Foodies. The TN's are mine, but the descriptions of the courses are from dinwiddie.
We started with an Amuse Bouche - Grilled watermelon with a spiced watermelon sorbet and micro greens
Flight 1 (1 note)
First course - Heirloom tomatoes 5 ways: fried green, smoked, marinated in olive oil and grains of paradise, tomato curd, and a spicy hot Bloody Mary sorbet. With house made feta and shallot caviar.
Red
2005 Shea Wine Cellars Pinot Noir Estate Shea Vineyard
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
The entry was fairly intense with cherry liqueur and dark fruit, but mellowed out on the finish, with a bit of spiciness and a touch of heat. More New World without much earthiness, but still had a nice sense of balance and a long finish that made for a nice wine. More reserved than most CA pinots.
Flight 2 (1 note)
Second course - Foie gras with sugar plums and corn bread.
Red
2007 Sea Smoke Pinot Noir Southing
USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills
A ripe, rich style with dark cherry and blackberry fruit with fairly low acidity that was a little sour and unbalanced on the finish, hurting the overall impression and score.
Flight 3 (1 note)
Third course - Local Blue Rouge farm raised chicken (some of the best I have ever had) with Virginia corn and caramelized cantaloupe.
Red
2004 Martinelli Pinot Noir Seven Mules
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
A full bodied, rich style, but still had a nice sense of balance for such a big wine. A bit of heat on the finish, but did not come across as overdone.
Flight 4 (1 note)
Fourth course - Idaho Wagyu with smoked corn husk, tea smoked venison with ratatouille in the center.
Red
1987 Beringer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve
USA, California, Napa Valley
Surprisingly youthful red currant fruit, but without the earthiness and Bordeaux like characteristics of some other producers from this era. The lower alcohol and ripeness, and higher acidity still made for a more reserved, less New World wine compared to today's styles with nice balance and complexity from the bottle age.
Flight 5 (1 note)
Final Course - Stilton cherry cheesecake, brittle, bing cherries, Amaretto crumb cookie. Or blueberries three ways, brule, cobbler, and jelled with sesame crisp.
Red
2003 Martinelli Pinot Noir Seven Mules
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Bigger than the 04 in that it had more concentration, yet maintained a nice sense of balance for a pinot of this scale. The extra body and slight sweetness made for a nice match with the dessert courses.
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