Tonight is Wine Geek’s Night at Nostrani. We’ll be joined by Krys & Phil Custer. Our reservation is for 6:15pm tonight. The menu with provisional wines follows:
2000 Bonnaire Brut Blanc de Blancs
Amusée (we won’t know until it’s served)
1993 Castello di Ama Chianti ‘La Cassuccia’
Roasted Roma Tomato Soup
2005 Camille Giroud Marsannay ‘Les Longuries’
Country Pâte with Endive & Lentils
1999 Domaine Roblet-Monnet Volnay Brouillards
Quail with Braised Turnips, Carrots, & Brandy Sauce
2001 Domaine Bonserine Côte-Rôtie 'Les Moutonnes
Venison Tenderloin with Sweet Potato Raviolo & red wine reduction
2006 Susana Balbo Late-Harcest Malbec from Mendoza
Duet of Lavender and Chocolate Pots
The Bonnaire Champagne was very nice as a starter - rich, full mousse; good flavors, and a long finish. It matched well with the amusée of a single large grilled scallop topped with thin slices of black truffle and on a bed of shredded trevisio.
The tomato soup was a small serving of a very rich, thick, slightly acidic tomato soup - which tempered the still slightly hard, but very aromatic Chianti.
The rich, full '05 Marsannay was very good with the rich pâte with green lentils on an endive leaf and a bit of Dijon mustard.
The quail was a ballotine of boned quails stuffed with a quail - pork mixture on the rich sauce. This was good with the '99 Volnay Broulliards - rich red fruits with adequate acidity, and a long finish.
Next we had a 2000 Jaboulet Hermitage ‘La Chapelle’ and Bonserine Côte-Rôtie with the medium-rare venison tenderloin and large raviolo stuffed with a very tasty sweet potato filling; all on a rich sauce. The Hermitage was a bit primary and simple; the Côte-Rôtie was brighter, richer, and fuller.
Then since I was out of Banyuls, I brought a Mendoza Late-harvest Malbec for the dessert. It’s a close second for chocolate matching. The second pot was more berries than lavender, but was also good with the Malbec,
This was a another delightful evening at Nostrani Ristorante, shared with friends.