TN: Cajun Feast and Wine Tasting Party (Riesling, Burgs, Bordeaux, SQN, Yquem)

WINE TALK
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CAJUN FEAST AND WINE TASTING PARTY (RIESLING, BURGS, BORDEAUX, SQN, YQUEM) - Chez Nick and Kris, Sonoma, California (10/3/2009)


This was a very fun and tasty luncheon/winetasting at the home of Nick Wittman, proprietor of Santa Rosa Fine Wine, and his wife Kris. Our amazing chefs for the Cajun feast part of the day were Nick’s mother, aided by Kris and Nick’s godmother. The food, which included crawfish etouffe, deep fried alligator and crawfish pie, was outstanding and scrumptious, and was the prime reason we had a host of Rieslings on hand. I tasted and took notes on 38 wines, but there were more like 44 on hand, including samples from a couple of wine producers in our midst, Craig Haserot’s Sojourn and Jim and Gloria Mack’s Jemrose. We drank Riesling and assorted whites before the food arrived, and with our Cajun delicacies, before settling in for a tasting of an eclectic assortment of reds for the rest of the afternoon, finishing with a delicious bottle of '88 d’Yquem. The weather was windy but clear and beautiful, and Nick and Chris’s place is surrounded by vineyards. The setting, company, liquid and other treats made for one of the most delightful Saturday afternoons I’ve spent in a long time. Many thanks to Nick, Kris and our fabulous chefs.

The WOTD for me was our final wine, the '88 d’Yquem. Among the Rieslings, the standouts were the '76 Carl Franz Engelmann Hallgartener Schonhell B.A. and the '04 Willi Schaefer Graacher Domprobst Spatlese, but most all of our Rieslings showed very well. Among the reds, the standouts for me were two of our Burgundies: 2000 Denis Mortet Lavaux St. Jacques and '98 J-J Confuron Clos Vougeot.

Nick and Kris

Rieslings



Other Whites

Burgs and Pinots

  • 1996 Domaine Bizot Vosne-Romanée Les Reas - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée
    Cloudy, bricking, medium red color with pale meniscus; brett, tart cherry nose; brett, tart red fruit, mineral palate with medium acidity; medium finish (89 pts.)
  • 1995 Domaine Thomas-Moillard Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru
    Medium red color with pale meniscus; strawberry, raspberry nose with a bit of funk/reduction; tart red fruit, mineral palate; medium-plus finish (87 pts.)
  • 1998 Jean-Jacques Confuron Clos Vougeot - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos Vougeot Grand Cru
    Light medium red color with clear meniscus; strawberry, roses, cherry nose; ripe cherry, vanilla, mineral, tart red fruit palate with depth; medium-plus finish (94 pts.)
  • 2000 Domaine Denis Mortet Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Lavaux St. Jacques - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru
    Medium dark cherry red color with pale meniscus; gorgeous, mushroom, cherry, roses, brown sugar nose; great ripe cherry, black cherry, tart red fruit and roses palate with depth and balance; long finish 94+ pts. (94 pts.)
  • 2008 Sojourn Pinot Noir Sangiacomo Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
    Slightly cloudy medium cherry red color; baked cherry, rhubarb nose; baked cherry, rhubarb, rhubarb pie palate; long finish 91+ pts. (91 pts.)
  • 2005 Etude Pinot Noir Estate - USA, California, Napa Valley, Carneros
    From magnum - berry, tart cherry, brett nose; tart cherry, red fruit, mineral palate; medium-plus finish (91 pts.)
  • 2004 Sine Qua Non Pinot Noir Covert Fingers - USA, California
    Dark red violet color; ripe cherry, brown sugar nose; big, dense, ripe cherry, tart cherry, berry palate with a tingly sense of secondary fermentation; medium-plus finish (88 pts.)

Bordeaux, Cab and other Reds


  • 1990 Château Malescot St. Exupery - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
    Bricking medium red violet color with pale meniscus; tobacco, herbaceous, plum nose; tart plum, tobacco, herbaceous, bell pepper palate; medium finish 90+ pts. (90 pts.)
  • 1986 Château Cos d’Estournel - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe
    From magnum - dark red violet color with clear meniscus; plum, berry nose; tart plum, mineral, tart berry palate with depth, firm tannins; medium-plus finish (93 pts.)
  • 1968 Chateau Souverain Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, California, Napa Valley
    Mature beef jus, fruit cake, Christmas pudding nose; mature plum, berry, fig, Christmas pudding palate, that goes downhill after 10 minutes in the glass; medium-plus finish (91 pts.)
  • 1987 Ridge Monte Bello - USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
    Medium dark red violet color with clear meniscus; mushroom, tobacco, mint nose; youthful, tart cassis, mint, tobacco palate; medium-plus finish (92 pts.)
  • 2001 Le Clos du Caillou Châteauneuf-du-Pape Domaine du Caillou - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
    Dark red violet color; fig, ripe cherry, chocolate nose; tasty, chocolate, ripe berry, fig palate; medium-plus finish 93+ pts. (93 pts.)
  • 2003 Rivers-Marie Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, California, Napa Valley
    Dark red violet color; big cherry, cassis, blueberry nose; ripe cassis, berry palate; medium-plus finish 92+ pts. (92 pts.)
  • 2003 Pride Mountain Vineyards Merlot - USA, California, North Coast, Napa / Sonoma
    Dark cherry red color; raspberry, orange creme brulee nose; fig, berry, plum palate with good acidity; medium finish (93 pts.)
  • 2007 Sojourn Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain - USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain
    Very dark red violet color; cassis, berry nose; cassis, berry, eucalyptus palate; medium-plus finish 92+ pts. (92 pts.)
  • 2005 Justin Vineyard Isosceles Reserve - USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
    From magnum - dark red violet color; big, ripe, cherry, cassis, berry nose; ripe berry, cassis, plum palate; medium-plus finish 91+ pts. (91 pts.)
  • 1991 Stags’ Leap Winery Merlot - USA, California, Napa Valley
    From Methuselah bottle - slightly bricking medium cherry red color with pale meniscus; oxidized, berry, cassis nose; oxidized, tart red fruit; medium finish (84 pts.)
  • 2005 Ceja Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, California, Napa Valley
    Opaque very dark red violet color; ripe cassis, plum nose; ripe cassis, plum palate; medium finish (90 pts.)

Sweet Finish

  • 1988 Château d’Yquem - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
    Medium golden apricot color; creme brulee, lemon gelee, lemon zest, pineapple nose; tart apricot, creme brule, ripe lemon palate with good acidity; long finish 95+ pts. (95 pts.)



Posted from CellarTracker

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'88 d’Yquem is stunning.

Thanks for all the notes.

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Too bad about the Moillard. The bottle Craig brought to NYC was red WOTN (the 88 Leflaive Batard stole the show.)

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Thanks for the writeup Richard. Could not agree more, what a great time! This was our second harvest party, and with family coming into town from Louisiana and Texas the same weekend, Cajun was the natural theme. Flew in all the essential ingredients from Louisiana. Was pretty funny as it relates to the food, one guest summed it up well by saying, “This is one of those rare instances where the food outshined the wine!” ha Watching folks go back for seconds and thirds, he might have been very well right!

Did not take notes on all the wines, and scanning over Richards, they are in the ballpark. Two biggest differences IMO would be the Sine Qua Non, which was pop and pour. Had it been decanted, think it would have shown better. Also, the Brett on the 1996 Bizot was a little excessive, almost to the point of a flaw.

Top 3 favorites:

WHITE:
1988 d’Yquem
1976 Engelmann Hallgartener Schonhell Beerenauslese
2004 Willi Schaefer Graacher Domprobst Spatlese Auction

RED:
1986 Cos d’Estournel 1.5L
1998 Jean Jacques Confuron Clos Vougeot
1987 Ridge Monte Bello

As mentioned, we had Craig Haserot of Sojourn and Jim Mack of Jemrose bring some of their wines, which was quite a treat, in addition to Armando Ceja of Ceja, who shared his wine! A lot of guests really enjoyed the JJ Prums. They both had a gorgeous black tar, petrol, mineral quality to them which was quite appealing. The two Auction Riesling also showed well. Without a doubt, the 1988 d’Yquem was enjoyed by all, and to me, one of those legendary d’Yquems that will be fun to revisit in years to come. Did not hear a lot of comments on the 86 Cos d’Estournel in Magnum, but the wine was my favorite red. It was emptied quickly!

Most disappointing was the 91 Stags Leap Winery Merlot. For a 6L bottle, it showed very poorly, oxidized and boring. Also did not like the 2006 Solter Brut and 2007 Paradise Ridge Sauvignon Blanc.

Only thing missing at the party? Voodoo Dolls and Pins for each table!

Cheers to a great time!

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