A great pairing night!

As I stood around the kitchen island with my family and enjoyed our first bottle for the evening of Perrier-Jouet Champagne. A blend of chardonnay and Pinot Noirs full fruit notes with a hint of honey was a great way to start our culinary adventure...this was paired nicely with chicken livers wrapped in Nieman Ranch Apple Smoked bacon along with dates also wrapped with the same bacon..Both broiled in the oven just long enough to give it a nice crisp taste...

Our second pairing was a 1995 Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru, Domaine Leflaive. 1995 vintage scored consistently 93-100 points, epic year. We opened this wine and tasted it right out of the bottle, as we do all our wines and let it evolve and change thru out the evening...A beautiful gold yellow in color, tight nosed at first and then it really opened up, deep minerals and floral perfume notes, fantastic length. An amazing white burgundy and a very special treat!
We paired this with a Foie Gras pate, complete bliss...

We decided to move into the dining room where we started with a 2002 Colgin, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tychson Hill Vineyard. A very new wine on the block that has scored 95-100 points for the past 5 out of 6 vintages. This particular vintage scored 96 points and is VERY hard to come by...Thank you to my special guest! A little history here, Ann Colfin purchased a five acre parcel north of St. Helena. The property once belonged to Josephine Tychson, documented as the first woman winemaker in California. The 2000 vintage being the first bottling of Colgin Tychson Hill Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. Now lets talk about the wine, as customary we opened the wine and tasted it right out of the bottle...The color deep ruby red, the nose huge hints of cherries, blueberries and raspberries, very big and inviting...covered my palate with berries and a slight hint of plums. Many layers of depths unfolded thru the course of the evening, silky, soft and a big impression as it lingered on my palate....I expect this wine to lay down for another 15-20 years...
This wine was paired with a Roasted leg of lamb, stuffed with garlic, rosemary and shallots in a red wine reduction. A perfect pairing for such a tremendous and truly delicious wine.

I was fortunate enough to acquire a case of 1983 Chateau Lynch Bages Grand Cru, Pauillac, our next wine pairing...This is such an elegant wine. Again, opened and tasted right out of the bottle as to enjoy its life and changes....dark red with a browning rim, tight nosed at first but with some time opened up to be very lovely. To the smell, currants, prunes and dried fruits gave this wine an inviting lure. On my palate deep fruit with a perfect balance of tannin, silky and velvety with a long finish. A classic Bordeaux, truly fantastic.
This wine was paired with Gorgonzola Dolce, Roaring Forties Blue and Camembert Le Chatelain Cheeses....Delicious!

Our last and final pairing for the evening was Sauternes and dessert. Being the chocolate lover that I am I always try to end a perfect evening with chocolate....I learned from my Father a simple and very decadent recipe for Chocolate Souffle...the key is to use Valrhona Chocolate, Extra Bittersweet 86% Cocoa. This dessert paired very lovely with a 1975 Rieussec Grand Cru Sauternes. Since I was very young, growing up in a home where my father was a very well respected and highly regarded wine collector, I always considered Sauternes to be the juice of the gods...Today I do my best to keep my cellar stocked with Sauternes. Now lets talk about the juice; A honey gold color, enticing nose of pears, caramel, oranges, apricots, to the taste; very rich and concentrated, sweet and full of life and flavor, perfect!

Now that it is very late, I will retire knowing that I tasted and enjoyed some amazing and unforgettable wines....Such a nice way to end the day.....Buona Notte!

Until next time....

Barolo and Pork

Before we went to sleep Tuesday morning at 1230am, we followed The River Cottage Meat Cookbook of a Slow Cooked 8lb Pork shoulder. This was placed in the oven with a simple rub of anise pods, fennel seeds, cinnamon stick, garlic cloves, black pepper corn, brown sugar, fresh ground ginger, soy sauce, garlic cloves and sea salt...Tucked in with a hug and kiss at a temperature of 250 for 19hours to cook ever so slowly..... The smell in the house over night was amazing, I did my best not to get up and take a bite...

The pork shoulder was accompanied with sweet potato fries and a simple slaw....The Pork being at center stage sat lovely in the middle of the table...no need for a knife as with a slight touch with a fork the pork fell off the bone and melted in my mouth....

This aromatic and succulent dinner was paired with a;
2001 Barolo Rocche Marcenasco by Renato Ratti. Barolo is the absolute master, it conquers the palate with the conviction of strength, harmony and fullness. This wine had a beautiful nose, lovely balance of tannin, slight strawberry and plum taste, long finish and held up nicely to this big pork dish.....The vineyard of Rocche is historically considered the most important of the Marcenasco sub zone...Located in La Morra, Piedmont in Italy. The average age of the vines are 50 years old, longevity of the wine once bottled is 18-30 years, sometimes more and produces 6200 bottles....

Barolo Rocche Marcenasco by Renato Ratti and Pork....a beautiful slow movement night!
Stay tuned for our next tastings