TN: Fabulous New Year's Eve Wine Dinner Chez Christianne

WINE TALK
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NEW YEAR’S EVE 2009 CHEZ CHRISTIANNE - Chez Christianne, San Francisco, CA (12/31/2009)

I’ve been privileged to be a guest at a number of memorable multicourse dinners prepared by Christianne and Traci (and, prior to this year, their partner in cuisine, Christine). This New Year’s Eve feast at Christianne’s was, however, the most amazing yet. They made everything, except the cheeses, and it was all delicious and flawless. And we had some excellent wines too. I don’t really know how our two chefs pulled off such amazing food, with remarkable calm and time to socialize with us, but I am in awe of how good everything was. Bravo you guys! A fabulous beginning to 2010.

On the wine side, I really enjoyed our flight of Jacquessons, especially the “big numerals” '96 Extra Brut; the '05 Pernot Bienvenues-Batard-Montrachet, the '06 Vernay Condrieu, our two '95 Chateauneuf du Papes (VT and Pegau), and the '01 Suduiraut.

Doug and our fabulous chefs Traci and Christianne

starter bubbly

Christianne and sweet peppers stuffed w/crab

Jacquesson Champagne Flight

gougères stuffed with smoked salmon and creme fraiche

  • 1996 Jacquesson & Fils Champagne Extra Brut Millésime - France, Champagne
    Light medium golden yellow color; yeasty, somewhat toasty, baked apricot, nutmeg nose; very tasty, tart lemon, baked lemon, kumquat and mineral palate; medium-plus finish (94 pts.)
  • 1996 Jacquesson & Fils Champagne Extra Brut Avize Grand Cru - France, Champagne, Avize, Champagne
    Light medium golden yellow color; honeyed, mature, dried apricot, mineral nose that’s a little sherried; intriguing attack of very tart apricot, more focused than the other '96 Jacquesson, mineral and kumquat palate with medium acidity; medium finish 92+ pts. (a little bit oxidized compared to that last bottle of this that I had) (92 pts.)
  • N.V. Jacquesson & Fils Champagne Cuvée No. 733 - France, Champagne
    Light golden yellow color; floral, tart peach, peach fuzz, mineral nose; tart peach, mineral, tart citrus palate, a little steely now; medium-plus finish 92+ pts. (nice to compare it to two Jacquesson '96 Champagnes in this tasting) (92 pts.)

Aromatic White Flight

scallops on mashed celery root tasted with 3 different monovarietal olive oils

White Burgundy Flight

We had this flight with a delicious saffron crab pasta

Red Burgundy Flight

Our course for this flight was halibut with tapioca broth, creamed leak, endive and chanterelles

  • 2002 Dominique Gallois Charmes-Chambertin - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru
    Medium cherry red color with pale meniscus; ripe, beautiful, cherry, raspberry nose with a little caramel; tight, sous bois, mineral, tart raspberry, rosehips palate with medium acidity; medium-plus finish 92+ pts. (needs a few more years) (92 pts.)
  • 2001 Frederic Esmonin Gevrey-Chambertin Clos Prieur - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin
    Medium dark raspberry red color with pale meniscus; brett, sous bois, chlorine nose; tart red fruit, sous bois, mineral, brett palate with firm tannins and medium acidity; medium finish 88+ pts. (88 pts.)

'95 CdP Flight

venison poached in olive oil and then broiled, with gratin dauphinois and nutmeg cream

  • 1995 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Crau - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
    Medium red violet color with pale meniscus; tart berry, bark, mineral, garrigue, herbal nose; delicious, tart berry, garrigue, tar, anise palate; medium-plus finish (a very clean bottle, lacking the heavy brett in the last bottle I had) (95 pts.)
  • 1995 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
    Dark red violet color with pale meniscus; berry, dried berry, brett, bark, mineral, charcoal, pepper nose; tasty, youthful, meaty, black fruit, charcoal palate; medium-plus finish 95+ pts. (95 pts.)

Toast to 2010

  • N.V. Taittinger Champagne La Française Brut - France, Champagne
    1st bottle: Light golden yellow color; somewhat savory, tart grapefruit, tart lemon, mineral nose; baked lemon, savory, mineral, kumquat palate; medium finish 88 pts.

2nd bottle: Light golden yellow color; apple, caramel, oak, toast nose; tart apple, mineral, toast palate; medium finish 89 pts. (89 pts.)

Bordeaux Flight

cheese course

  • 1999 Château Pavie Macquin - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
    Medium dark red violet color; tart plum, berry, dried berry nose; good plum, black fruit, berry, mineral palate; medium finish 91+ pts. (91 pts.)
  • 1998 Château Clinet - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol
    Very dark red violet color; nice tart black fruit, mineral, tar, herbal nose; poised tart plum, black fruit, mineral palate; medium finish 92+ pts. (92 pts.)

Sweet finish

Fabulous cookies and biscotti, homemade by Christianne and Traci

  • 2001 Château Suduiraut - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
    Medium dark yellow color; lovely botrytis, honeyed, fresh apricot nose; delicious, apricot, botrytis, almond palate with balance; long finish (94 pts.)


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