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Riverain Winemakers Dinner with Steve Nordoff
FMIII in the OC
Tasted October 4, 2015 by brigcampbell with 683 views
Introduction
That's chef Alex and do you think she loves cooking? She has almost as much fun as we do and she never leaves the kitchen. She knows a lot about wine and now teaches at a local university. Denfinitly has the magic touch when it comes to culinary arrangements. 
The Master of Cermonies and his court. 
Just of few of the participants. 
Flight 1 - Bubbles for the appetizers (1 note)
Procuitto wrapped melon balls with mint
Caviar Tacos
Crab Cakes with Tartar Sauce
White - Sparkling
2005 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut
Light yellow, looking like apple juice. Fresh raw dough aroma with a light yeasty note. Yellow Apple and lemon fruit. Great acid and balance. I thought this was excellent.
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Flight 2 - Blind Wines by Ryan - The Spectrum of Chennin Blanc (4 notes)
Ryan generously provided all the whites and decided to serve them blind. OK! I'll play along. What a humbling experience as he brought 4 bottles of Chennin Blanc from different producers with wildly contrasting styles. Interestingly all the producers are fairly close to each other geographically. I went 1 for 4 but thought I had nailed them all, sorry Charlie.
Burrata with Heirloom Tomatos
Spicy Thai Prawns
White
2012 Château de Brézé Saumur Clos de la Rue
Blind. Guessed Chennin correctly. Very light color, medium + acidity with a lemon fruit core. Wine has a touch of honeycomb.
White
2012 Thibaud Boudignon Savennières Les Fougeraies
Blind. Wrestled between a Chennin or lean Chablis. Ultimately went for a Chablis because the ripping acid through the backbone of the wine and the fruit profile. Lean stone fruit and lemon rind flavors.
White
2010 Domaine Guiberteau Saumur Blanc Clos des Carmes Brézé
Blind. Riesling or Grenache Blanc... It was a coin toss, however futile, and chose GB. Damn it. Yellow colored with a heavy bronze already, I would have guessed a 20 year old wine. Nose is oily and a little diesel which was not distracting to me. Pineapple and nectarine fruit flavors with wet stone and medium plus acidity. Great complexity.
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White
2007 Clos Rougeard (Foucault) Saumur Blanc Brézé
Blind. Guessed white burg and felt VERY good about it too. Medium yellow color. The nose is the master of deception because there's a good dose of sulphur, flint, and burnt match. Gotta be a burg! Light fruit flavors. I thought this was extremely intriguing and complements the extreme spectrum of diversity in Chennin.
Flight 3 - Syrah and Pasta (3 notes)
Red
2011 Riverain Syrah Cardiac Hill Bennett Valley
This continues to be my favorite Syrah. Dead ringer for a Northen Rhone. Incense, olive, sage, charcoal. If you like lots of moving parts and wine that challenges you, then here you go. It's getting better with age. Good lord...
Red
2012 Riverain Syrah Cardiac Hill Bennett Valley
Dark black color. Nose shows a mushroom note. This seems less ripe than when I tasted last year. Fruit has integrated. The black olive is enthralling. The blood and iron flavors really show now, clearly. Sophisticated Syrah.
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Red
2013 Riverain Syrah Cardiac Hill Bennett Valley
Blackberry and very noticeable red berry at the backend. Shows more chalk than the other vintages yet still has the charcoal that I enjoy. Chewy tannins and slightly riper style than the 2011 which is expected.
Flight 4 - Hanger Steak and Cabernet Sauvignon (3 notes)
Red
2011 Riverain Cabernet Sauvignon
Lighter of the three vintages. Cassis and pepper on the attack but a red berry note is lurking behind. Add some dark plum for good measure. This almost looks like a RRV Pinot. I like the leaner elegant showing.
Red
2012 Riverain Cabernet Sauvignon Tench Vineyard
Very dark plum color, certainly more concentration than the '11. Spicy palate of cassis, plum, and sandelwood. This was my favorite of the cab flight just because it had everything firing tonight.
Red
2013 Riverain Cabernet Sauvignon Tench Vineyard
Big hitter alert with this vintage, it screams Napa. 2013 berries were smaller and the structure reflects the higher skin ratio. The nose isn't even giving up much, palate is a bit astringent with a full dose of angular tannins. Fruit flavor is very dark currant and plum. This vintage has it all but needs a few more years to start unfolding. The drinking window could easily extend 20 years. The winemaker decision to hold back the release 6 months is wise, no reason to get greedy and open this too soon. Patience grasshopper.
Flight 5 - Cheese for Dessert with an old Hungarian (1 note)
White - Sweet/Dessert
1993 Royal Tokaji Wine Co. Tokaji Aszú 5 Puttonyos
This looks just like maple syrup or a Pedro Ximenez. But don't be fooled, it's not thick and goopy. There's an incredible freshness to the wine with nectarine and pear fruit. Nice balance. Perfect pairing for the cheese dish.