TNs: Charlotte Dinner 2/13

WINE TALK
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Down for an annual trip with some good friends. Sonoma restaurant did a fabulous job pairing the food with wines.

1990 Billecart-Salmon Grand Cuvee (from Magnum) – In a beautiful spot. Honeycrisp apples, lemon, ginger, vanilla bean and granite on the nose. Beautiful fine mousse, crisp strawberries and bracing acidity on the palate. Went phenomenally well with the smoked trout, with the crisp sweetness of the wine balancing the smoky fat of the fish. Many, many good years ahead of it.

2003 Didier Dagueneau Silex –This was a stunning bottle of wine. Honey, just mowed grass, oranges, gooseberries and cinnamon on the nose., but the nose was nothing compared to an explosive palate. Concentrated white peach syrup, essence of oranges all backed with strong limestone minerality and crispness. Very, very opulently textured with a long, long finish, at least a minute. Picked up weight with food and got even more of a viscous texture and smokier. MY WOTN as well as the groups’, in a landslide.

2002 Domaine Jean-Marc (Morey?? Pillot??) Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Chaumées – Baked apples, caramel and cinnamon on the nose. Surprisingly sweet on the nose and palate, but with some good backing acidity. Definitely suffered from following the Silex.

1999 Rieussec – Apricots, hazelnuts, grapefruit and caramel on the nose. Swwet honey coated almonds and hazelnuts on the palate with excellent balancing acidity. Lovely.

2004 Bodegas Lan Rioja Reserva Culmen – Very modern style. Lots of chocolate oak on the nose, spicy pepper, vanilla and blackberry fruit. Quite sweet but big tannins on the palate with more cherry and licorice. This will get better with a few more years.

2003 Gomba Barolo Sori Boschetti – Baby killing. Tighter than a tube top on Kirstie Allie. Peppermint, menthol and leather on the nose, a wall of tannins on the palate. Has all the makings of something great in about 20 -25 years.

2005 Casa Lapostolle Clos Apalta – Also baby killing. Beautiful red licorice, smoky earth, plums on the nose. Very nice, but I was not blown away – the LAN was better. Perhaps still a little young and closed?

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Thanks for the great notes, Jud. I’ve wanted to try the Silex (or any Dagueneau wine) for years and after he passed away I went to a store I know has carried it at a high price point for years and it was cleaned out. One of these days, I’ll pick some up and give it a try. This sounds like a good one to start with.

Michael

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I can’t take credit for the Kirstie Allie comment - a favorite of my good friend Denny Pentecost, but one that was very appropriate for this wine.

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Glad you enjoyed Sonoma - we get there 3-4 times per year and really like food and atmosphere there.