Our monthly luncheon group met to share some wonderful wines as usual in a private dinning room in the special venue of the Santa Barbara Club. The wines were beautifully paired with the menu comprised of:
FIRST COURSE
PORTABELLO MUSHROOM
Stuffed with Crostini and Wild Mushroom
Ragout and seared with Foie Gras
SECOND COURSE
Poached Salmon in Bouillon
served with house made Pasta and Caper-
Butter Sauce
THIRD COURSE
Tournedo Rossipi
Seared Beef Tenderloin with Scallop Potatoes
Foie Gras Crostini and Artichoke Ragout
CHEESE COURSE
St. Andre Black Truffle Cheese
Membrillio and Lavender Honey
DESSERT
Poached Pear in Red Wine
with Huckleberry Ice Cream and Essensia Sabayon
The wines:
1998 HENRIOT MILLESIME- very doughy, yeasty at the outset with some spicy good citrus that hit the palate on the run; this is somewhat big and bold in its youth and not yet evolved and a little clumsy, but I expect it to balance out and shine down the line; we`re off to a good start.
1997 NICOLAS FEUILLATTE PALM D
OR- having had a few of these in the past few months, I`ve found some of those I bought to be OK and some to be on the oxidized side of things and this one was the latter; some caramel, butterscotch and nutty, sherry like notes which appealed to many who were there.
1996 POL ROGER EXTRA CUVEE RESERVE BRUT- another wine Ive had a few of in the past few months and this also showed some oxidized notes, but a much more milder version than the Feuillatte; there
s more character here; rich and full bodied, it showed some backbone and structure that promises longevity.
1996 BILLECART SALMON CUVEE NICOLAS FRANCOIS BILLECART- tangy, zesty and zingy on the palate, this was pleasant, finishing on the sweet side; would like to know the dosage; good acidity; nice mild citrus notes; nice wine.
1999 DOM PERIGNON- I was surprised at how balanced this pup was; it gave up a mild expression of what it had to offer suggesting theres something more to be gained in time; it improved in the glass, showed nice acidity and yet was not the dynamic Dom of the many fine vintages in the 90
s.
1990 DOM PERIGNON- I had another bottle of this recently that seemed to be a shadow of its initial excellence; after some atypical coconut in the nose, the lemon-lime notes were refreshing and yet in an uncharacteristic light to medium body; as with the 99, it also seemed to be less that its original self; I
ve had so many better and write it off to bottle variation.
2008 DIDIER DAGUENEAU BLANC FUME DE POUILLLY- lots of minerals, chalk, lemon, grassy and herbaceous notes here; somewhat muted in that it was served quite cold; finished dry.
1998 JADOT CORTON CHARLEMAGNE- again, a lot of minerals, salt and chalk with citrus and apple/ pear; medium body with an oily texture which coated the palate; had a little green to it.
1999 FREDERIC ESMONIN LES ESTOURNELLES GEVREY CHAMBERTIN 1.5L- still very youthful in color and its fresh red fruitiness; some dried red cherry mixed in; easy and delightful to drink; graceful on the palate.
2003 HUDELOT- NOELLAT LES SUCHOTS VOSNE ROMANEE 1ER CRU- mild spice with a dominant and welcomed strawberry flavoring in a light to medium body; pleasant and not serious; improved with time.
2003 LA TOUR BLANCHE SAUTERNES 1ER CRU- showing its magnificent botrytis complexity, this coated the palate with a thick honeycombed layer of caramel and butterscotch and paired beautifully with the dessert course.
As usual, we have a special group who are blessed to have a special venue with gourmet food served righteously by dedicated and enthusiastic staff who cater to our every need. As I`ve stated frequently, I could do this every Friday.
Cheers,