A New Age!

My Birthday!

As I stare outside at the moon, clouds and the beautiful climate, I await 12:01am, where I turn a new age, contemplate what it all means and how much good juice did I consume! To my recolation I can attest t00 many occasions where I shared amazing and unforgettable memories of wine and company....But I can think of three occasions where it really stands out!

I was invited as a guest from a very dear friend of my fathers to join a tasting at Spagos. Vieux Chateau Certan was the producer and I tasted the vintages of 1986 to 2006. A very memorable evening, meeting friends from the past that use to come to our home for amazing wine tastings in my Fathers cellar, to the best Epicurean delights from Wolfgang Puck, hands on in the kitchen...this was a special night for me and I will treasure it always!

Second, as it always ends up, my family..1970 Chateau Grand Corbin Grand Cru. Started off rather innocent with Champs leading the evening and ending up with this fruity, perfectly structured St. Emilion wine that took my breath away....Showed off many different characteristics thru the evening and always kept us wanting more...We had a slow cooked pork with it, where no knife was needed, a Beautiful evening!..

Third, Thanksgiving last October! It was a "family affair", my sister and family, my brother and family along with my husband and children...It was a 5 day feast of culinary delights and wines from all the Grand Cru and their friends. My brother and his wife have a lovely home upper state NY. We gather there with the children and really enjoy cooking, picking out wines from their amazing cellar and each others company... I am very fortunate to have such amazing family, in my life to share these amazing times...Looking back this vacation really stands out!!! We opened up all these wines over a course of five days and experienced so many different Producers and vintages....A very special time and very generous of our host....Thank you!
1989 Echezeaux Grand Cru, Mugneret-Gibourg, Vosne-Romanee. 1998 Guvee-Marie Beurrier Bonneau & Fils, Chateauneuf-Du-Pape.
1966 Chateau Mouton Rothschild. 1988 Chateau Mouton Rothschild. 1988 Grand Vin de Chateau Latour. 1988 Hermitage LaChapelle, Paul Jaboulet Aine. 1990 Chateau de Beaucastel, Chateauneuf du Pape. 1978 La Spinona Barbaresco. Berutti Pietro. Such amazing wine, very special time...

Now that it is 12:07am, I wish myself Happy Birthday and look back on a year of special family times, great experiences and to a beautiful life. Thank you to all that make it special, this is me, my world and my life!

Cheers!

1947 Chateau Cheval Blanc

The cork, 1947 Chateau Cheval Blanc

Champagne Deutz Brut Classic

The pop of Champagne (Champs) is always such a lovely sound and such a great way to start any occasion! I like to try new Champagne from all the great houses in France, not mainstream marketed but hidden gems that you must seek out. It's fun and a educational process as well...

One of the oldest producers is Deutz, Deutz has been produced by five generations of the same family since 1838. Deutz Brut Classic owes its remarkable taste to a blend of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay grapes...They are collected from Montagne de Reims and villages around Epernay.

This Champagne is golden honey orange, to the nose Carmel, floral notes and a slight citrus touch, to the taste peaches and apricots, well rounded, complex, perfect amount of acidity, long finish and completely elegant and delicious...By far one of my favorite Champagnes...

The price point is under $40, which is an exceptional value given the pedigree...Once you seek it out and try this incredible Champagne, I know you will agree..........this will pop on Champs night!

Cheers

1953 Chateau La Mission Haut Brion

My Birthday Family Celebration!

The evening started with the family gathering around the kitchen island with our favorite starter, Champagne (Champs)! As we popped a bottle of 1996 Dom Perignon Champagne, we looked around at each other with big smiles, enjoying the effort everyone took to fly in from around the world to be together on this special day, my Birthday! The 1996 Dom Perignon Champagne was a honey apricot color; to the nose hints of orange; to the palate candied fruit, perfect balance, great acidity, pure heaven.. This paired nicely with a Duck Roulette..

Our next course which is simple to make, beautiful to the eyes and very good is, Glazed Scallops and Capers in a Madeira Glaze reduction...Gray Kunz does an amazing job with this dish...We continued with the 1996 Dom Perignon Champagne with this dish.

As we all enjoyed in good conversation and enjoyed watching all the children play together, we took a little break to prepare for our next course...It was of great pleasure and enjoyment to open a bottle of 1975 Grand Vin de Chateau LaTour, Pauillac, Bordeaux...while we BBQ'd! Amazing bottle, beautiful garnet red with a hint of brown in color, cranberries, black cherries, smoke and perfectly well balanced, great structure...Could lay down another 50 years.... this went fairly quickly and we were ready to move back into the dining room to enjoy our next pairing....

Our next wine considered the most famous wine in the world, the most sought after and "a happy accident of nature", was next! A wine that the world of connoisseurs wait their whole lives to taste; 1947 Chateau Cheval Blanc, St. Emilion Grand Cru.
First Growth, 1947 Cheval Blanc is the most celebrated wine in the world and considered the best wine ever made..Cheval Blanc dates back to the 1830's, located on the right bank of Gironde, France, Merlot country. Mis en bouteille au Chateau, only one owner, original and it showed off for us this evening! The cork gave a struggle, like it wanted to continue to be preserved for a lifetime, stay a time capsule filled with the power of perfection.... Once it finally gave up with the determination of my brother working diligently to pull the cork out...we poured it into a decanter admiring the beautiful dark plum color...We immediately poured this rare once in a lifetime wine into our glasses...(No decanting and waiting hours, we drink the wine once opened and enjoy the experience immediately, evaluating the wine from the first pour and evolve with it thru out the evening....a pattern I do follow) Once poured into our glasses you see a touch of brown around the edges, age, maturity, a gift of pure love. The nose, OH the nose!!!! Perfumes of life begin to materialize, dried raisins, chocolate and prunes. Now the palate was ready to explore and experience this extraordinary moment in time...Deep concentrated port like, complex, well rounded, perfection, long enticing finish. As the evening progressed and the wine evolved and breathed, you could not help but enjoy all the different characteristics and nuances this wine had to offer...I decided to sit with my eyes closed, swirling this amazing liquid on my palate and saying Happy Birthday to myself while savoring the moment in time that will always be one of the best wines I have ever experience in my lifetime....

Could there possibly be more after The Cheval Blanc, do we really continue?....Anyone that knows my family, knows the answer is YES! Next to be opened was the 1953 Chateau Mission Haut Brion Grand Cru, Pessac Leognan. From the Graves region, named after the gravelly terroir which is a distinctive trait for this First Growth beauty. One of the oldest and longest established regions of Bordeaux. Once opened again with a slight hesitation of wanting to reward us with its grace and charm, we poured and began the process of pleasure. A beautiful ruby, garnet color, with a touch of chocolate. Huge nose and very aromatic for such a mature wine. To the palate sweet, delicate, dark fruit and a touch of earth to give it the stamp of approval from which it came, the Gravel soil....Complete divine, long finish and utterly enticing.
This paired nicely with an amazing assortment of hard and soft cheeses, especially Rogue River blue.

I know what you are thinking, is there more? Again this is my family and we can go on forever...A proper birthday dinner for me would never be complete without my favorite dish..Seared Foie Gras and this time we did it over a seared pineapple...Decadent and superb to put it mildly...Of course this was paired with its proper partner a Sauterns. 1967 Chateau Sigalas Rabaud Premier Cru. Dessert, sweet, butterscotch, creme brulee, and perfectly balanced. The color was a beautiful orange- apricot. This Sauternes had a long finish and did it ever pair nicely with the Foie Gras, specially flown in from Hudson Valley..Young and fabulous and still could lay down for more time....67!

An orchestrated night, filled with love, priceless memories and family....

Grazie Mille

1947 Chateau Cheval Blanc

2005 Pago Florentino- Great Juice, Nice Price Point!

Over dinner last night we had the most remarkable wine...

2005 Pago Florentino, Tinto...From La Mancha , Spain, 100% Tempranillo grape..
This wine was blueberry garnet, poured like a dream, the nose was full of bouquet and perfumes, wild strawberries, black cherries, homemade jam, blueberries and a touch of chocolate, the taste, well, this wine blew us away....loads of flavor, perfectly balanced and enough tannin to give it a nice backbone.... exceptional....

Easy to find and at a great price point under $20!