Last night we got together with three other couples for a delightful evening of caviar and Champagne. We had five different caviars from Tsar Nicoulai - 2 oz. each of Hackleback Sturgeon and Paddlefish; and 5 oz. each of three California Estate Osetra - regular, Select and Reserve. The caviar was served with Carollee’s blinis, crême frâiche, capers, onion, egg yolk, and egg white. I just use a little crême frâiche on a blini with a spoonful of caviar. Others use the accompaniments in various combinations on the blinis.
Our first Champagne was a 1998 Taittenger Comte de Champagne Blanc des Blancs - fresh, light, crisp, and citrusy. It was very good with all of the caviars. The Hackleback was small and black, much like a Sevruga, but a little stronger flavored and simpler. The paddle fish was medium grey and larger in size with a light nutty flavor, much like an Osetra light. The regular Osetra was a little smaller and darker with rich flavor. The Select was a little larger and lighter with a rich complex flavor, The Reserve was a very little smaller and almost black, with a full, rich, complex flavor; easily the best of them all.
The next Champagne was a NV Larmandier-Bernier - fuller and simpler than the Comte. This was pleasant with the next round of caviars. It was followed by a 1995 Krug Brut - rich, complex, toasty, and still a bit young. It was very good with the caviars. Then we had a 1995 Salon Blanc des Blancs - very complex with good toastiness - very, very good with the three Osetras. Then to finish the caviar, we had a 1990 Pol Roger Brut - very full, complex and rich, the best Champagne and best with the three osetras.
After all that, we went on to grilled beef tenderloin, green beans, and roasted potatoes. Initial wines were a 1976 Jadot Chambertin and a 1988 Chateau Latour. The old Jadot was quite dark in color; rich, full nose and flavors of spicy red and black fruit, with a hint of earthiness; a big, balanced mid-palate with some acidity; and a long spicy dark fruit finish. The Latour (from the viewpoint of one who isn’t too fond of Bordeaux/Cabs) - dark garnet in color; medium herbal fruit in nose and flavors; with considerable tannins in the mid-palate and finish. The next wines were a 1988 Chateau Margaux and a 1988 Armand Rousseau Clos de la Roche. The Margaux was medium garnet in color; pleasant nose and flavors of cassis and dark fruit; pleasant, balanced middle with resolved tannins; and a nice medium long finish. The Rousseau was medium garnet in color; rich complex red fruits in nose and flavors; balanced middle with ok acidity; and a medium long interesting fruity finish. The last wine was a surprisingly youthful 1978 Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon York Creek - dark in color; rich, ripe dark fruit in nose and flavors; complex balanced mid-palate; and a long dark fruit finish.
All the wines were well matched to the rare to medium rare tenderloin. I was pleasantly surprised by the Margaux and Ridge, which I really did enjoy. Although I did prefer the Burgundies.