FALL FEAST AT SANDY’S - Chez Sandy, San Jose, California (11/12/2009)
Sandy is an excellent cook, and we’re lucky that she also likes to entertain regularly. Her homemade gravlax were yummy on top of the arugula from my garden, and everything else was delicious as well. The '08 Palmina Malvasia Bianca paired beautifully with a couple of the dishes, and is a complex and tasty food wine. The '95 P. Dubreuil-Fontaine Corton-Charlemagne showed the best of the 3 times I’ve tried it, but it was a little too rich as a pairing for the soup. Two of our Syrahs went very well with the stewed beef, and it was the first time I’ve tried the Lillian Winery Syrah, which is quite impressive. The '06 Rhys Alesia Syrah Fairview Ranch is a killer Syrah for the price (about $20). The '06 Saxum was overly hot. The '98 La Sizeranne went nicely with our cheeses. Many thanks to our generous hostess.
starter Whites
with salad, goat cheese and tomato-shiso jam
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2008 Antonio Lopes Ribeiro Vinho Verde mica - Portugal, Minho, Vinho Verde
Light yellow color; citrus, lime, mineral nose; very tart, lime, tart peach palate; medium finish (89 pts.) -
2008 Palmina Malvasia Bianca Larner Vineyard - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills - Sta. Rita Hills
Light golden yellow color; mineral, herbal, acacia nose; tasty, white flower, white pepper, acacia, mineral, citrus palate; medium-plus finish (great pairing with our Thai spice squash soup) (92 pts.)
White Burg flight
Thai spice squash soup
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1995 P. Dubreuil-Fontaine Père & Fils Corton-Charlemagne - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
Medium golden yellow color; lovely, clarified butter, truffle, nutty, mineral, mushroom nose; tasty, hazelnut, mineral, tart lemon palate; medium-plus finish 93+ pts. (93 pts.) -
2007 Domaine Vrignaud Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaume Vieilles Vignes - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru
Light canary yellow color; lemon, cream nose; tight, tart lemon, mineral, citrus palate; medium-plus finish 91+ pts. (91 pts.)
Riesling flight
with homemade gravlax
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2008 Gerhard Hattenheimer Hassel Riesling Kabinett - Germany, Rheingau
Very pale yellow color; apricot, baked apricot, lime nose; tasty, tart and ripe melon, nectarine, ripe lime, tart apricot, mineral palate; medium finish (best pairing with our gravlax) (91 pts.) -
2007 Weingut Robert Weil Riesling Kabinett halbtrocken - Germany, Rheingau
Tight citrus, mineral nose; good minerally, tart citrus, tart white peach palate; medium finish (90 pts.)
Cali Syrahs
porcini mushroom stewed beef
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2005 Lillian Winery Syrah - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County
Opaque black red violet color; black fruit, plum, floral, anise, tar nose; very tasty, black fruit, meaty, anise, mineral palate; medium-plus finish 93+ pts. (93 pts.) -
2006 Rhys Alesia Syrah Fairview Ranch - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands
Black red violet color; herbal, deep, aromatic, menthol, smoke, black raspberry nose; young, tart black fruit, olive, herbaceous, mineral, smoke palate with balance; medium-plus finish (93 pts.) -
2006 Saxum James Berry Vineyard - USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
Very dark red violet color; menthol, plum, berry nose; big, black fruit, berry, tar, hot palate; medium-plus finish (88 pts.)
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1998 M. Chapoutier Hermitage La Sizeranne - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
Dark red violet color with pale meniscus; touch of brett, tobacco, roasted meat, bacon fat nose; tasty, tart black fruit, roasted meat, mineral, olive, bacon fat palate; medium-plus finish (93 pts.)
Sweet finish
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1986 Château de Rayne-Vigneau - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
From 375 ml - light medium gold color; reduction, grapefruit, botrytis nose; tasty, brown sugar, pineapple, botrytis, apricot palate; medium-plus finish 92+ pts. (92 pts.)
JR and Renee
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