Wednesday Lamb Racks, Dry-Aged Rib-Eyes, Riojas and Calis.

WINE TALK
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Wednesday night, the 27th January 2010, was dinner at home for Sandy and her folks. They often used to host our whole group in their southern compound with nearby beaches back in college - a whole horde of us - up to 15+ at a time - for days on end. Those were fun, carefree and memorable days. I rarely see Sandy or her folks ever since Sandy moved to SF many years ago. Far too long, so it was great that they accepted our invitation to join us for dinner. Sandy’s closest friends and their respective hubbies were there too - all of us friends and groupmates for decades. We were 10 in all as my youngest brother-in-law joined us as well.

While waiting for the others to arrive, we started off with some pica-picas of Parma Ham, Salami Milano, St-Nectaire, Chèvre and Tapenade. With these, we had glasses of 2008 Marqués de Cáceres Viura Blanco - a fresh 100% viura Rioja blanco that I really enjoy as a casual sip. I’ve written about this fresh, bright and dry blanco several times (the last being at Boozze’s & Margarita’s steak dinner a few days ago), so there is no need to repeat myself. Suffice it to state that I keep a stock of this at home. I also opened a bottle of 2006 Saintsbury Brown Ranch Carneros Chardonnay, but I didn’t have any of it - anyway, I’ve also written about this wine often and recently.

The others arrived soon after, and, of course, the girls huddled together…

…as did the guys.

Me? I hied off to the kitchen to cook the main courses. Since Boozze already hosted a steak dinner for Sandy last Friday - I wouldn’t even to attempt to compete with his steak-prowess - Roast Racks of Lamb were in order.

Well, I also got a few Dry-Aged US Prime Angus Bone-In Rib-Eyes through Boozze because I figured Sandy’s folks may want to try some. Anyway, the evening before, Boozze coached me on how to cook these luxurious cuts of dry-aged beef. I was pretty happy with the results.

These were just a little over medium-rare as I know not everyone likes their steaks as bloody as I do.

This, as well as a smaller, non-dry-aged “emergency back-up rib-eye” were done medium-rare for those who preferred (i.e., me).

Aside from these, we also had our usual Salad of Butter Lettuce, Fresh Tarragon Leaves, Toasted Pine Nuts, Grated Parmesan Cheese & Parma Ham with a Honey-Mustard Dressing (the recipe concocted by my brother and his wife).

There was also a fish course of Sole Meuniere and a Pilaf which were made by our cook. Unfortunately, I totally forgot to take a photo of them.

Naturally, we had some red wines for the meat courses.

For the lamb:

1999 Bodegas Olarra Cerro Añon Rioja Gran Reserva - I know I’ve written about this wine so many times. So deep, complex and graceful it is in its medium-bodied cherry, strawberry, underlying slightly leathery dark fruit, nuances of violets, cedar, licorice and whispers of vanilla , I simply cannot keep my hands off them. Excellent balance.

2001 Bodegas Olarra Cerro Añon Rioja Gran Reserva - I finally get to try the currently available vintage of this favored Riojan producer. The flavors and scents are, of course, quite similar to the aforementioned '99 vintage, but this one is slightly less open (well, it is 2 years younger), the fruit seems a bit riper and, at this point, the dark fruit, licorice, hint of tobacco and slightly creamy oak hold sway over the red. Firm in structure, it comes off more masculine. Good wine. I’m sure it will age gracefully as well. Both were fine matches for the herb-encrusted roasted lamb racks.

For the steaks, I opened a young Napa cabernet sauvignon…

2006 Beaulieu Vineyard Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon - A gift from Rocky & Apple, Rocky always makes it a point to give me good Napa reds (nb: a 1996 BV Georges de Latour PR CS from them got me my 2nd consecutive win at our last Blind Non-Bordeaux Challenge). I decanted the subject wine and let it aerate in my wine ref for almost 3 hours before service.

This is BV’s 70th vintage release of the Georges de Latour Private Reserve CS. Big, dense, viscous, very concentrated, highly-extracted blackcurrant, black cherry, hint of kirsch, some crème de cassis, violets, licorice and hefty doses of creamy oak/vanilla and, underneath, dark chocolate. Very full-bodied, with a mouth-filling, chewy roundness. Tannins are big but smooth enough, giving a bit of a dusty feel to its long finish. I thought it went well with the steaks. Young as it is, it does need some good, red meat to go with it - and that we had.

Desserts were…

Coffee Crunch Cake, Ube Puto (a local rice cake flavored with a violet yam), Polvoron and Fresh Fruits. With the whipped-cream-and-fluffy coffee crunch cake, I served a bottle of…

2007 Jackson-Triggs Proprietors’ Reserve Vidal Icewine - An icewine from Canada’s Niagara Peninsula, this was a gift from my Indiana-based brother-in-law, Harry. Flamboyant, opulent, tongue-coating honeycomb, super-ripe apricot and mango (the Philippine “Carabao” type) flavors dominate its thick, viscous full-body. Orange marmalade and lemon drop nuances emerge slightly towards the rear. Rather straightforward, but very easy to enjoy.

It was wonderful, as usual, to see Sandy and her folks again after so long. It brought back a lot of happy memories of more carefree days.

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Noel, as always it looks awesome.

Are those domestic or imported racks of lamb? Just curious if you guys get them from AUS/NZ as well.

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Wow, that’s some epic meat p0rn

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Thanks, Bill & Ted…I mean…Bill & Todd. I did try my best.

Todd, unfortunately, meat porn is the only type of porn I indulge in these days. That should change.

Bill, the lamb is from New Zealand, though we also get a lot of Australian lamb here as well. Honestly, local lamb tastes and smells like it was run through the toilet.

By the way, it may interest you to know that a friend is looking into importing/distributing Flannery’s products in the Philippines. Ribcaps were flown in chilled not too long ago and a tasting took place at one of the steak joints we frequent. Unfortunately, I was not available that night. The guys loved it, so a shipment of the frozen stuff was ordered (I believe the cost of flying them in chilled will make the selling price too high for the local market) for another tasting. We’ll see how that goes.

Best to you both,

N

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An enjoyable read, as always. If you do get to try some Flannery meat, get the rib eye and hanger steak. Bill has a killer recipe for the hanger steak.

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Hi, Clem, and thanks.

Re: Flannery - There will be rib-eye and rib-cap as far as I know. I don’t really know if hanger will be included. My friend who is importing it (actually, the Doc’s brother) is doing so for testing in view of distributing it as a business venture - I was just invited to be on the tasting panel. As such, I would feel embarrassed to request for specific cuts of meat other than what he decides on. I’m sure he’d do it as a favor, but I’d rather not anyway.

Best,

N

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The Olarra, very nice again eh.

Noel, I have to say you have some beautiful art work/pictures there. Famous artists?

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Hi, Bob.

Yes, I cannot seem to keep my hands of that '99 GR.

Noel, I have to say you have some beautiful art work/pictures there. Famous artists?

Thanks, I chose most all of our paintings myself. Famous in the Philippines, yes. I bought most all of them in the mid-90s - before prices started to go up. The others we have were given by my father who has been buying art since the late '60s and he has never stopped. His house looks like a museum/art gallery - he has a large house and the wallspace is literally filled with paintings - not counting the ones he has in closets, under tables, in my attic, in my brother’s home, in our office and in storage.

It’s like a drug to him. He once told me that if he had his life to live over, he would have just opened an art gallery instead of a law office.

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Hi, Serge.

I enjoyed it well enough, but, yes, perhaps some time in a bottle is called for some complexity. Pleasant enough though. I have very little experience with icewines - from Canada or otherwise, so I do not know what really to expect.

N

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That’s funny, Serge.

Actually, when it comes to women, I think you and my father have a lot in common and would have a lot to talk about.

N

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That would be interesting, I’ll mention it to him - though he is much older than you (turning 72 in October), he is still very much fixated in the “young beauty stage”. Who knows? He may just decide to tag along.

How was BV cab with lamb? Not too overpowering?

I had the BV with the steak which was ok. I didn’t try it with the lamb at all as I suspected it would, indeed, overpower. Having tried it, I’m quite sure it would have.

N

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I’m sure my father would love it to be referred to as a “youngster”. It would make his day, for sure.

As for steak and Napa Cab, as much as I love Bordeaux, I CRAVE good aged Napa Cab with thick T-Bone or rib eye. Wine often shines better with local food and American beef is just made for the American wine!

We are of one mind in this, Serge.

Best,

N