My sweetie and I returned for another wonderful dining experience to our favorite restaurant, The Stonehouse, located on the lux resort property of the San Ysidro Ranch.
The ambience, service and food were fabulous and the wines perfectly complimented the evening that was embellished by an amazing array of clouds and sun rays peaking through with the local mountains, ocean and channel islands in the background.
We were seated at our preferred table and as per our MO, took champagne, usually Cristal, and a Williams Selyem Pinot Noir made by dear friend Burt Williams. Here’s some notes:
2009 LOUIS ROEDERER CRISTAL BRUT- we’ve had 3 in the 2 years and all have been at the top echelon of our joy meter; this bottle was sporting fine acidity and fresh and lovely citrus fruit with lemon, grapefruit and lime most prevalent; it was crisp and refreshing, rich and tangy, delightful and delicious; it finished with a coat of honey atop the fruit carried by the creamy texture all the way through; we sipped and smiled and shared with a waiter, the F&B manager and the head Somm, all being treated to the wondrous experience with similar approval.
1994 WILLIAMS SELYEM ALLEN VINEYARD RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY PINOT NOIR- decanted 1/2 hour; the light grainy strawberry color gave pause as to how much the wine may have also faded, but once we dove in and got the aromatics and taste profile, we were once again delighted to have this treasure in front of us; aromas of nice and spicy strawberry and red raspberry continued on to be joined by a sprinkle of cinnamon to make for a delicious taste experience; it was medium bodied, light in weight and surprisingly had an extended finish featuring the spice and cinnamon, mindful of home made apple sauce; also surprisingly, it seems to gain momentum and get better, more expressed over an hour; this was definitely the lightest and mildest 1994 Allen I’ve ever had and I’m thinking Burt would have been especially pleased as this release was one of his favs.
The joy of the evening stayed with us throughout the remainder of the evening and is still with us, now 3 days later.
Cheers,
Blake
