Our wine group, The Coonawarra Single bottle Club meet with partners in tow at our place for dinner each year. It is always a fun night and has become a Christmas tradition, with the wines often avoiding the usual scrutiny of the group as it is a very social evening. This year the centerpiece of the dinner was a brace of mature Rioja that were sourced directly from Spain and imported recently into Australia that certainly had all gathered very focussed on the contents of their glasses.
I had my chef prepare an excellent menu that complemented the wines very well, and inspired by a thread I posted on this board a few months ago seeking some menu inspiration. Somewhat cheekily I did not give a comprehensive description of each course on the menu, simply referring to each dish as by the animal noise made by the prime ingredient of each dish. Thus the quail became tweet, tweet. It added to the fun and sense of expectation and was the antithesis to the menus that describe in minute detail each ingredient and method of production.
All of the wines were Audouzed around 5 hrs prior to serving which worked very well indeed. Thanks to my mate Jeremy Homes for the advice.
2004 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne
This is a very fine Champagne with brioche, citrus and floral notes. It is quite generous in the mouth, but has a wonderful minerally line of acid. Still a pup, but lovely balance and harmony.
‘Tweet, tweet’
Chargrilled Quail Marinated with
Thyme, Garlic, Pine Nuts, Oregano with Corn Puree
1973 Lopez de Heredia ‘Vina Bosconia’ Reserva
This bottle had quite a bit of ullage, but after slow oxygenation, really hit it straps. Spice, beef blood and aged tart cherry. The wine has a wonderful acid line and suave tannins. Just a delight.
1981 Conde de Valdemar Reserva
When opened it looked a bit four square. Breathing enabled it to reveal some spicy notes, comfortable leather sofa, some dark forest floor notes and vibrant acid line. Not quite the class of the Lopez de Heredia but a very fine wine.
‘Quack, quack’
Duck Leg Tagine
with preserved lemons, onion compote and saffron
1987 Bodegas Riojanes ‘Vina Albina’ Gran Reserva
This is decidedly more youthful, darker in hue, with more oak influence and more robust tannins. On opening I thought that it was perhaps the pick of the wines, but it did not improve as much as the other wines with breathing. Again tart cherry, soy and subtle spice notes, with a fuller, darker profile. Good for another decade or two.
1994 C.V.N.E. Imperial Reserva
Still marginally youthful, the oaky base showing its influence, but it shows lovely brambly, dark plumy fruit to counterbalance. It had great length and texture, and really demands another decade.
‘Baa, baa’
LAMB PASTILLA Fine pastry filled with sweet and lightly spiced forequarter of lamb, almonds and cinnamon, served with orange confit – Momo in London’s signature dish
1990 Chateau Palmer
Amazingly still showed crimson tints. A hint of barnyard mixes it up with cassis and earth. It is still very youthful, and a little firm at this stage, but has very good potential.
1943 Calon-Segur
I asked the gathered ensemble to guess the decade – most plumped for the 70s. The wine was a little cloudy and could have benefitted from being stood up for another couple of weeks. Amazingly it was quite dark in colour and exhibited dark black decayed fruits, some tannin and good freshness. Really quite youthful and at its apogee. This was imported by Jeremy from a cellar in France and shows the benefit of a cool cellar. Lovely mature wine and a treat to experience. Thanks again Jeremy!
‘moo, moo’
_CARRILLERA DE BUEY
Slowly Braised Beef Cheek in Pedro Ximenez on Cauliflower Pur_ee
‘moo too’
Epoisses with fig bread
1985 Warres Vintage Port
Mid weight VP with figs, dates, ripe boysenberries and pure spirit. Delicious conclusion.
One of our group clicked over another year at midnight, so we celebrated with a cheeky 21yo Glenfarclas that was somewhat unnecessary, but eagerly received. This is my favourite malt, showing exquisite balance.