Mike on Tour--Dinner at Post Restaurant in Lake Louise, Burgs, Barolo and Gruner

WINE TALK
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DINNER AT POST HOTEL WITH JOHN, DANI AND FRIENDS, AUGUST 24, 2013

Perhaps the highlight of my wine week was my virgin dinner at The Post Hotel Dining room, which some have called the “Bern’s of the North”. To cement the enticement to go, my very good friends, who I see much too seldom, John and Danielle Chayka from Kelowna, made the 5 hour trip with their friends Stefan and Corne in order to help spread the wealth. And spread they did. My only regret is that Deb was unable to join us but she highly recommended the bison fillet. This I had, and it was very good (and the black lentil soup with smoked ham was awesome), but not as good as Dani’s beef stroganoff (I was also wise enough to leave room for, and order, the dessert degustation plate which was super-yum). There are very few people that I candidly wished lived closer to me. These two are two of those people. What’s more, this was another case of finding two additional great people to meet and talk to. It turns out Corne is an endurance rider. She and Deb, who owns 4 Arabians, will be in touch!

John and Stefan went all out, and I can’t thank them enough for helping to make a signature and memorable first experience for me.

2007 F.X. Pichler Loibner Berg Gruner Veltliner

I was definitely in the mood to order this off the menu, and doubly tickled to hear that Stefan and Corne had never tried one. I have one myself and it was a good chance to check in on it. Certainly, this had the Gruner qualities of (for me), white pepper, herbs, strict unripe apple—perhaps tinged with grapefruit—and light mustard brushing, while le gout adds a real salinity. It was more open than I would have given it credit for, but I was quite surprised to find that, as the night went on, it got quite a bit sweeter too, with more apple beginning to show. I’m not sure what to make of that, but I liked the wine when first opened and sipped and for the first hour or so, not as much after that. But it is much more the thing than the Prager 03 tried a couple nights ago.

2010 Ramonet Montrachet

Well, this sure wasn’t me, and I had no idea this was coming. John’s never had one of these (and I certainly haven’t either) and this is what he wanted. We ended up explaining to Stefan that this, and the red wines, were signature reasons and examples of why patience over the course of a night is needed. I am incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to try this.

This, everyone, is a heck of a wine. At first, the bouquet really snaps at you with decided minerality, fresh squeezed lemon galore, some sea air even and possibly a dash of sage. And the first taste has laser-like precision that puts to shame all but perhaps Raveneau Chablis. But the marvel is that this is just Act One. Slowly, over 30-minute intervals, matchstick and toffee-covered ginger begin to poke their head out of the glass for a look-see. Slowly, over 30-minute intervals, the palate begins to expand until, at about the 2.5 hour mark, there is the purest expression of fresh pineapple with coconut milk, all bordered by nut paste and continued bracing acidity and minerality. The last tastes, with some pear and butterscotch being added, and possibly some star anise on the nose, provide the picture, only, of the skyscraper this wine will be. It is still being built, but this is the first dry white wine that I’ve tasted where I believe perfection is attainable. It also will, if it doesn’t suffer the premox curse, be a wine that, literally, will be able to last 100 years. Undeveloped as it is, this is a strong, strong candidate for WOTY and if you pressed me for a score, 97+ wouldn’t be out of line. It is the stuff wet dreams are made of.

2001 Rousseau Chambertin

All the more when, by the end of the night, the Ramonet was distancing itself from this wine as WOTN. And this wine didn’t suck. John hasn’t been to burgundy yet (this was actually Stefan’s selection), but the bouquet, I told him, besides having near-perfect presentation of fresh strawberry jam, light cocoa, chestnut and sweet currant, also has something ethereal that I can only describe as “the hillsides of burgundy”. You want terroir? This took me right back to the region I visited over 2 years ago. that’s a sense of place, boy. While we both agree this has come some way from my last taste of this with John (which was, I think, about 5 years ago), I had initially called for another 5 years before the drinking window opened up. I revised that to 10 years by the end of the night. The palate is long and structured, with plenty of acidity and crunchy currant and raspberry fruit. But it’s still filling itself out. And although after 3 hours it got closer to having more heft (and of course you don’t want too much of that), it still became obvious that it remains a very slightly ornery infant to taste. Right now, a real tease because of that incredible bouquet, and it’s worth opening for that, but if you have the patience, let a decade’s worth of sleep help these out. Still outstanding, easily WOTN on any other given night.

1996 Aldo Conterno Barolo Granbussia

I was interested enough, certainly, while believing that toddlercide was being committed. So indeed proved to be the case. To sniff, all of what you want is there, first very pure rosewater/rosehips, glints of leather and strawberries. Later, a tarry aspect does infiltrate and deepen the bouquet. Dans la bouche, the acids enter very aggressively indeed, and unbridled raspberries and wild strawberries march across the tongue. The acid really lashes at your cheeks and although some additional berry and very light red licorice flavours show up, it never loses its current lack of charm. That’s not to say it’s bad. Not at all. There are great bones and structure here, and the components for excellent wine. In 20 years.

This was a great finishing touch to a marvelous week of wine, food and fun for me. I can only hope to get to see these people again soon!

Maluhia,

Mike 

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Hey Mike,

Thanks for the memories…My wife and I took a very special trip to visit the Canadian Rockies years ago in the early 90’s. We stayed at the Post Hotel and had our anniversary dinner at the restaurant. I was just getting into wine in a big way back then, and I remember ordering a bottle of white (can’t remember which one), and a 1990 Caymus SS Cabernet. It was an incredible dinner and the wines were superb…your post brought me right back to that place…your dinner wines were certainly a step above ours! Thanks again for the post…

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Mike,

This evening capped off an incredible weekend for Dani and myself at the Post. We are so glad you came through and missed meeting up with Deb again.

The food was delicious as always. So simple and yet absolutely delicious. Always have to have the caribou. Such flavor in the meat, I just love it.

The wines were also delicious. The Montrachet was a first as you said. Will likely be legendary if no premox. The Rousseau was drinking well, but needs more secondary character to be truly interesting for me. The Barolo needs so much more time.

The wine of the weekend for me was a 1989 Drouhin Clos St. Denis. Gorgeous, beautifully developed. Just in a perfect place. The 1992 Drouhin Chambertin was also lovely, definitely having secondary character, but could use a few more years to truly be at it’s best.

Overall a great weekend. So glad you could join us for the final meal.

Hope to meet up with you sooner than later.

John

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Stayed there in the 90s and we had some middling domestic bottles as the ski crowd I was with was not the wine crowd. Great dinner, and I loved when I inquired to see the wine room and was politely rebuffed. Then I asked why we didn’t get stems like the long-haired couple in the middle of the room and was promptly informed when I ordered aged first-growths like Mr. Lee those stems would certainly be appropriate!

Was a great night!

Thx for note on the Granbussia, I have a bottle or two and was thinking 2016, may be more like 2026 huh?

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Hi Mike,

Never had a meal there, but from the moniker “Bern’s of the North”, do I take it: (a) that the wines you noted were purchased off the resto list, and (b) that the wine prices are quite attractive?

Thanks for the notes!

Cheers,
Blair

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We stayed a couple of nights and had dinner at the Post Hotel. it is a first class place.
no wine list online…“inventory of over 25,500 bottles and more than 2200 selections of the finest wines available”

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See Suzanne’s comment Blair :slight_smile: and yes, I do believe the prices are pretty fair. As an example, John was mentioning that the 1989 CSD he referred to was about $200 or so.

I still haven’t figured out what to do with the monster 1.2kg chocolate that Dani gave me—my chocolate-loving friend was agog when he saw it. I imagine it will sustain both of us through several movies at TIFF in a week or so! [grin.gif]

I miss you two, and Stefan and Corne, already.

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Mike,

Shhhhh!

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LOL [rofl.gif]

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The Post Hotel remains # 1 on my list of both accommodation and the dining room.

I have stayed there numerous times in addition to those wonderful Wine Summit
experiences ( about nine times and counting ). The wine cellar is fabulous , too,
boasting a number of verticals, in addition to a lengthy count of those hard to find bottles.
I believe the cellar contains some where between 25,000 and 40,000 bottles. Service is top notch.

Don’t miss an opportunity to book there.

Hank [cheers.gif]

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10 visits to the Canadian Rockies, and I still haven’t had dinner at the Post Hotel.

This is what happens when I spend all my time hiking in the backcountry

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Beautiful wines Mike and what sounds like a wonderful venue. Great job.

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Ramonet’s Monty is a thing of great beauty and that '10 sounds fantastic Mike.

Thanks for the notes.

Best Regards
Jeremy

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inventory of over 25,500 bottles


Jon? Jon Rimmerman, is that you?

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The Chaykas, then black lentil soup, then Rousseau and potentially a killer Grammer sweater…why the heck am I not in BC? [thumbs-up.gif]

PS–‘wet dreams’…I may like white burgundy, but dear god Mike, that’s too much for me to read! [shock.gif]

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Frank,

Come back any time. Love to have you again.

John

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Great notes. I love Lake Louise. Never stayed or ate at the Post, we’re Fairmont people, but damn, when I get back there, dinner sounds like a must.

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Because the Post Hotel is in Alberta.

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Geddy Lee?? [worship.gif]

Yeah when I was there few years ago, I recall asking to see the wine menu and they brought over what I thought to be a telephone book.

Wow Mike, that is an amazing set of wines.

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Sounds great but I would feel way out of my league!