Talk about an OMFG moment…
So we’re driving to Paso Robles and I’m being told to go to the hotel first to decant the wine. So I do, the brown paper bag hiding what is being poured and I’m denied the opportunity to smell whats in the decanter. We get to the restaurant, and the bottle remains hidden. We start with a Tarlant Cuvee Louis Champagne, a delicious, lemony, crisp, clean Champagne that was accompanied beautifully by roasted shrimp wrapped in phyllo, a delicious salad of baby greens, and raviolini stuffed with cheese served with a lobster sauce that was killer.
The reveal comes, and my jaw drops. A 2002 Chateau Margaux. The nose on this is completely intoxicating, a swirling bounty of cedar, chinese five spice and leather combining to create something otherworldly. Tremendous mouthfeel, supple, inviting, teasing, rich, balanced elegance. The complexity of flavors is astounding, so interwined that they become something more, the sum definitely greater than the parts. The finish is still going strong. Pairings with this included pan seared king salmon with ratatouille, prime flat iron steak with black peppercorn sauce and an outstanding cheese plate.
