No, it was not Obama’s personal chef’s wedding. That was two weeks ago. But last night, I attended a wedding at Blue Hill at Stone Barns, one of those destination restaurants specializing in locally produced produce, much of which comes from te surrounding gardens/farm. The bride and groom are young foodies, hence the choice of location, but their wine knowledge is limited, so they left the choices up to the sommelier.
My normal rating system establishes 75-79 points as “I wouldn’t throw it out if I were served it at a wedding.” All five of these wines exceeded that standard by a fair margin.
The selections and pairings:
With passed appetizers during the cocktail hour:
Heitz Cellars Sauvignon Blanc (did not record the vintage) – Very good but not quite outstanding Sauvignon Blanc. Tropical fruits, guava and papaya. A bit floral on the nose. Acidity light. No weedy component. 88 points.
2013 Corte Sant Alda Ca’ Fiui Valpolicella – I rarely have Valpolicella so I can’t compare this to others. The nose was outstanding. Extremely expressive aroma of sweet red fruit. I did not make serious note of the palate, but there was an earthy meatyness to it in addition to some fruity follow through from the nose. 87 points
With a salad of summer fruits and vegetables:
2013 Hirsch Gruner Veltliner Heilgenstein Kamptal, Austria – Very much like a Nahe riesling at first and appeared to lack the white pepper spice characteristic of a Gruner, but it turned out that this was just because it was initially served a bit too cold. As it warmed, it gradually took on weight and the pepper spice appeared. 89 points
With Maine Lobster and Mussels Corn Chowder:
2012 Luli Chardonnay, Santa Lucia Highlands, California – Also served a bit too cold at first, which masked the aromatics, but better too cold, because you can always warm it up with your hands while being patient. I was not familiar with this wine, but when I later discovered it was a joint venture with the Pisoni family – they of great SLH pinots – I was not surprised by the flavor profile. It was chardonnay with a Sauvignon Blanc tropical fruit kicker. Not that I am suggesting that it was a blend, but some of the cool climate SLH wines that are influenced by the offshore winds of the Monterrey trench often seem to have this component, similar to what I occasionally see in some of the better Long Island North Fork chards in cooler years. There was a lot of acidity, which made this an excellent wine to drink with the lobster and corn chowder. There was no intrusive oak and I was curious, so I checked the fact sheet this morning 50% stainless steel and 50% neutral (I assume 3+ years) oak. The fact sheet say NO MALO! Which explains the acidity and the bright aromatics. 88 points
With Loin and Belly of Lamb, shelling beans and tarragon pesto
2010 Bodegas Perez Pascuas Vina Pedrosa Crianza, Ribera del Duero – I suspect that this was not aerated much before pouring, and it started with a lot of intrusive American Oak, but that’s what you would expect from a 2010 Tempranillo, even a Crianza. I swirled it hard in the glass and the oak disappeared, leaving a very pleasant, surprisingly smooth wine that was spice driven with earthyness and some dark fruit. 86 points
