Yesterday was PigFest 3, from which I am still recovering and cleaning. I had an amazing time and hope everyone did as well.
Traci and Christianne did an amazing job in the kitchen all afternoon long creating course after course. The hits I think were the chorizo chicken wings, oven roasted ribs, sausage stuffed peppadews, stuffed shitake mushrooms and the pulled pork Alan brought!!!
The participants: hosts Tony & Traci, Douglas Amarelo, Jeff and Pam N, Sasha Verhage and Kiara, Jason Brandt Lewis and Lynne, Alan and Karen Rath, and Christianne P.
The wines - very brief notes as I was cooking, talking, and generally running amok.
Sparklers:
NV Graham Beck Rose (South Africa) - nice, a bit simple but moussy and crisp with nice strawberry flavors
Quartz Reef NV (New Zealand) - nice as well, with simple limestone and apple flavors
Domaine Chandon Sparkling Red Wine - a little too much creamy red fruit walloping the palate without enough racy acidity
Adami Prosecco - don’t recall tasting this
White Wines:
2002 Fevre Chablis GC, Bougrous, Cotes du Bougerots - awesome. A little left in the bottle this morning and even better. Hazelnut, crisp apple, limestone and citrus
1992 Zilliken Spatlese Saarburger Rausch - awesome. Petrol, apricot, slate…a little left in the bottle this morning and a little softer but still very nice
2003 Marcel Deiss Gewurztraminer Bergheim - good but not in my wheelhouse. A little to big/oily but otherwise lychee, spice and white flowers.
2007 Marisa Cuomo “Ravello Bianco” Costa di Amalfi and 2006 Terre Del Vulcano “Fiano Di Avellino” - very nice Italian wines but somehow I missed a more thorough tasting of these - hopefully someone can chime in here.
2001 Littorai Chardonnay “Theriot Vineyard” - I really enjoyed this. Showing maturity in both color and taste, a slightly nutty quality to the hazelnut, pear and honeysuckle. Very good
Red Wines:
1999 Neyers Syrah “Hudson Vineyard” - I thought this was really good. White peppercorns, dark fruit and a little varietal greenness that I liked.
1998 Janasse “Chaupin” - nice but ultimately just good and not great.
2000 Beaucastel - nice but still needs more time. Very tight last night.
2005 Ogier Cote Rotie - probably my other red wine of the night. Still needs a little time but everything there.
2005 Maybach Cabernet -opened this late and don’t have specific recall. Good but needed to be decanted for a couple of hours
2004 Saxum Heartstone Vyd - my dislike of Saxum wines continues. Peachy with a little VA. Massively stuffed though.
2003 Fontanafredda Barolo Serralunga di Alba - strong acidity, coffee, licorice and tar. Nice but wouldn’t run out to buy it.
Also had a corked 96 CdP from Brunel - Les Cailloux.
Can’t wait for PigFest 4