On a gorgeous spring day, we found ourselves again headed to Napa, this time with my manager from work accompanying us. Karen lives in Texas and this is the first time she's had the opportunity to visit, so I wanted to take her to some of my favorite places.
We started the morning at Acacia Winery, which you might have noticed from earlier posts has become a favorite of ours. For good reason: the location is beautiful, at the southern end of Napa overlooking San Pablo Bay and the staff are the perfect hosts - they enjoy their jobs and actually want to be there and share their knowledge and wonderful wines with their guests (unlike some other huge commercial pour-and-bore wineries that shall remain nameless.)
Several of the wines we tasted were already mentioned in previous posts, so I am going to discuss two of the wines that I haven't mentioned. For the record, however, the previously tasted wines were just as wonderful at this tasting.
What we tasted:
2007 Beckstoffer Pinot Noir
I loved the nose on this wine, which instantly reminded me of a well-toasted marshmallow fresh from the campfire. There were also nicely layered hints of blackberry and rose. The front of the wine picked up the fruit and floral notes of the wine and mid-palate picked up lovely soft vanilla and a sort of sauteed-chanterelle earthiness that I loved. There were notes of cinnamon throughout the wine, and it lingered softly on the palate along with the berry flavor. This was a definite 8, perhaps even a 9 with a bit more aging, out of 10 points.
2008 Russian River Pinot Noir
The nose had a really nice toasty oak note to it, and although I did not get as much fruit and floral as with the Beckstoffer, there was a sort of warmth to the nose that I found very welcoming. The front of the wine was rich with oak flavor, rounded tannins, and dark cherry, and the fruit developed nicely through the mid-palate. Just at the end, there were delightful notes of mocha and cinnamon that I loved, and a smooth, spicy finish that was the perfect balance to the tannins and fruit in the wine. I gave this 9 out of 10, and found that although it was very different from the Lone Tree Pinot Noir I previously tasted, I liked it just as much for different reasons. Oh, Acacia, you're too good to me!
After the Acacia tasting, we trotted our happy selves off to Domaine Chandon for a wine club pick-up and lunch on the patio...so lovely. We didn't taste anything new this time, just enjoyed some favorites, the view, and the amazing food.
Afterward, we went to our latest Wine Club addition, Chateau Montelena. Okay, this one was not MY fault, Bill went there last weekend without me and joined. It was my first visit to the winery, and having read "Judgment in Paris" and seen the highly fictionalized "Bottleshock", I was anxious to determine for myself what all the fuss was about.
What we tasted:
2008 Napa Valley Chardonnay
This is reputed to be the same type of Chardonnay that won the 1976 Paris winetasting. It is a very nice, well-balanced, highly drinkable wine. The nose had notes of apple, lemon, and oak, and unlike some overwrought Napa Chardonnays, the oak was actually in balance. Hooray! The front of the wine was rather fruity, with flavors of apple and lemon, along with oak and soft tannins. The mid-palate progressed to stronger oak notes, and the finish was smooth, with lingering oak and tannins on the palate and hints of the earlier fruitiness. I gave it 8 out of 10 points, I would have liked a somewhat less tannic finish, but it was more my preference than a flaw in my opinion.
2008 Zinfandel
This wine was a surprise, most of the zinfandels I drink are from Amador County and are very powerful, fruity and spicy wines that are almost always rather hot and tannic. This wine reminded me much more of a sangiovese-style wine. The nose was medium-bodied oak, cherry, and violet, and the front of the wine picked up those flavors along with hints of vanilla and raspberry. The mid-palate brought in that sugared violet note that I love in any wine, along with pepper and a really nice meaty, juicy quality. This wine had a lovely, long finish with lingering notes of pepper and cherry. I gave this 9 out of 10 points and as I write this, I am really glad we bought a bottle!
2007 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
The nose had notes of cigar box (tobacco and cedar) and was medium-bodied for a cabernet. The front of the wine was quite fruity, predominantly juicy cherry. The mid-palate brought in notes of chicory, pepper and cardamom, along with rounded tannins. The finish was smooth with lingering notes of pepper and cherry. I did not find this Cabernet to be as richly layered as some of my favorites, and while it was very drinkable, not one that I would mark as wanting to age for any length of time. I gave it 7 out of 10 points.
2007 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
This wine was HOT! While I am rating it on how it tasted today, I definitely would age this at least seven more years, and up to twelve or even longer. The nose was quite aromatic with notes of pepper, leather, cedar, and cherry. The front of the wine was quite alcoholic, although it had very nice flavors of cherry, leather and cedar that developed into fennel, anise, currant and blackberry mid-palate. The finish was rather tannic and hot, although I really sensed a smooth elegance and hints of refined elegance. So I would give this wine a 7 out of 10 today, I think this could be a 10 with aging.
2005 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
Again, although this Cab was two years older, I really thought it could age another five to ten years easily. The nose again was quite aromatic, with notes of cigar box, leather, black cherry and vanilla. The front of the wine was fruity, with flavors of black cherry, currant, and cassis, and the mid-palate developed a deep meaty richness that hinted of greatness to come. The finish was still quite tannic and hot, with a lovely lingering cherry and pepper finish. I gave it 8 out of 10 and like the 2007 think this could be a 10 with just a bit more time in the cellar.
A lovely day ended with a fantastic dinner at Bottega, and I'm going to write a separate post because it was an experience to treasure and because I am ready to zonk. Ciao!
April 2, 2011
March 31, 2011
The Longest Dinner
There is a level of service one expects when dining in a fine restaurant, and the speed of service is more a personal preference than a hard-and-fast rule. However, Bill and I found a new level of slow when we recently dined at Plump Jack Inn located in The Village at Squaw Valley. I won't bore you with the details - you can read my review on Open Table if you like - but suffice it to say, for once I had plenty of time to write notes in my trusty paperblanks notebook.
What we drank:
Dutton Goldfield Dutton Ranch 2008 Russian River Pinot Noir
The nose was full-bodied and spicy, with notes of blackberry, dark cherry, leather and cinnamon. The front of the wine was quite fruity, although it did have a nice balance of fruit and spice. The mid-palate brought in softly rounded tannins and a bit more of the cinnamon. The finish was a bit too soft for my liking, although it had a nice smoothness and lingering notes of juicy berry and cherry with a little white pepper. 8 out of 10 because of the lighter finish.
This wine was perfect with the carrot-cardamom soup, which had a garnish of Thai chili pepper threads and black rice. Lovely! It was good, but not great, with the Korean Spiced Seafood Cones, which contained ahi and salmon with caviar, ginger, and hints of soy and wasabi, in a crispy wonton skin cone. Since it took 90 minutes to get the Cones, I nearly ate them faster than I could taste them!
Provenance Vineyards 2007 Napa Valley Merlot
This had a bizarre nose that smelt predominantly of vitamins. Not minerals, mind you, but actual vitamins you take in pill form. It did open up over time and lose a little of that smell, but it was very off-putting to me. The wine tasted good, however, opening with a nice juicy berry flavor that became more bright cherry in mid-palate. The wine had a soft, smooth finish but did not leave much on the palate afterward. I rated this wine a 4 out of 10. I expect more of any 2007 from Napa - it was a stellar year!
Sadly, our experience at Plump Jack was not just about bad service. The small dining area was astonishingly loud, and there was a family with a very small, very cranky child next to us. The adults in the group did not seem inclined to pay any attention to the children, who tried to control the smallest, and of course that ended with the little one running in between tables, screaming. Lovely. That was our last visit to Plump Jack. With entrees starting at $23, it just costs too much to have a bad experience. Oh, and did I mention that the restaurant had to be at least 85 degrees? Ugh. Sweaty. Not good.
What we drank:
Dutton Goldfield Dutton Ranch 2008 Russian River Pinot Noir
The nose was full-bodied and spicy, with notes of blackberry, dark cherry, leather and cinnamon. The front of the wine was quite fruity, although it did have a nice balance of fruit and spice. The mid-palate brought in softly rounded tannins and a bit more of the cinnamon. The finish was a bit too soft for my liking, although it had a nice smoothness and lingering notes of juicy berry and cherry with a little white pepper. 8 out of 10 because of the lighter finish.
This wine was perfect with the carrot-cardamom soup, which had a garnish of Thai chili pepper threads and black rice. Lovely! It was good, but not great, with the Korean Spiced Seafood Cones, which contained ahi and salmon with caviar, ginger, and hints of soy and wasabi, in a crispy wonton skin cone. Since it took 90 minutes to get the Cones, I nearly ate them faster than I could taste them!
Provenance Vineyards 2007 Napa Valley Merlot
This had a bizarre nose that smelt predominantly of vitamins. Not minerals, mind you, but actual vitamins you take in pill form. It did open up over time and lose a little of that smell, but it was very off-putting to me. The wine tasted good, however, opening with a nice juicy berry flavor that became more bright cherry in mid-palate. The wine had a soft, smooth finish but did not leave much on the palate afterward. I rated this wine a 4 out of 10. I expect more of any 2007 from Napa - it was a stellar year!
Sadly, our experience at Plump Jack was not just about bad service. The small dining area was astonishingly loud, and there was a family with a very small, very cranky child next to us. The adults in the group did not seem inclined to pay any attention to the children, who tried to control the smallest, and of course that ended with the little one running in between tables, screaming. Lovely. That was our last visit to Plump Jack. With entrees starting at $23, it just costs too much to have a bad experience. Oh, and did I mention that the restaurant had to be at least 85 degrees? Ugh. Sweaty. Not good.
March 26, 2011
The Perfect Afternoon
I just had one of those perfect experiences where food and wine come together with fun and interesting people. Acacia Vineyard in Napa held a cooking demonstration by Joey Altman where they paired Joey's superb food with some of their highest-rated and most delicious wines. It was heaven in a winery. Joey Altman is a professional chef whose cookbook, Without Reservations, is perfect for home cooks who want to up their games. I bought the cookbook before the event at Acacia, and found it to be inspirational and fun, with recipes that were well within my capabilities and just plain delicious.
Joey Altman is quite inspirational and fun himself, and although this is totally irrelevant, he is quite a dishy guy, which just made the event even better. Joey shared some really great tips with us as he cooked each dish, and he made the preparations seem effortless. This guy knows his flavors, and his explanation of balancing salt, sweet, and acid in any dish was probably the single most important piece of information anyone has ever given me. It sounds basic and logical, I just never thought of cooking that way. Guess that's why he's a professional and I'm not!
Below, rather than using my usual wine blog format, I am going to explain each food and wine pairing and what I loved about each one. There was nothing in the food or wine that I found to be anything other than delicious and perfect, so I'll share some of the preparation tips and what I especially liked about each combo. Also, I tasted each wine prior to and then with the food and my notes reflect both states.
Honey Roasted Spiced Carrot & Fregola Salad with Arugul, Pistacios, and Green Goddess Dressing paired with Acacia 2008 Sangiacomo Chardonnay
The honey-roasted carrots were a revelation! Joey placed honey around the perimeter of a hot pan and let it carmelize for a moment, then added sliced carrots and tossed them together for another few minutes. Once the carrots were softened, he added a sprinkling of cumin seed. These tasted so good, and I generally don't like cooked carrots. Fregola, which coincidentally was recently featured on an episode of Chopped: All Stars, is a pasta that has been formed into small beads and toasted. The components of this dish worked so well together, all you heard from the audience was a collective, "YUM!" The wine had a wonderful, full and complex nose of oak, apple, peach, guava and honey, and the front of the wine reflected this lovely and smooth balance. The mid-palate brought some tannins and stronger notes of honey and guava. The finish was velvety smooth and had light tannins with lingering notes of honey and peach. It was a flawless match to the salad. So delicious!
Cauliflower Bisque, Chanterelles, and Bacon paired with Acacia 2008 Winery Lake Pinot Noir
Yes, I know what you're thinking, I thought the same thing. Cauliflower bisque? As Joey pointed out while making this, the cauliflower really did not have a strong presence in the bisque other than to make it impossibly velvety with a lovely creamy finish. The bisque was topped with chopped chanterelles that had been carmelized a hot pan, and then croutons that had been toasted in bacon fat were added to give the topping a wonderful crispy texture. I tried the bisque with both the chardonnay from the previous dish and the pinot noir, and while I liked the pinot pairing a bit better, the chardonnay was a good combination as well. The pinot noir started with a medium-bodied nose of smoky oak, roses, and bright cherry. The front of the wine had a wonderful brightness to it, with flavors of red cherry, roses, watermelon, and a hint of oak. The mid-palate brought in some nicely balanced tannins and more of the smoky oak flavor, and the finish was smooth and soft with lingering notes of oak and cherry. I thought the smokiness of the wine perfectly complemented the bacon components in the topping on the dish, and the creaminess of the soup.
Seared Tuna, Buttered Leeks, Lentils, Pancetta, and Red Pepper Vinaigrette paired with Acacia 2008 Lone Tree Pinot Noir
Prior to searing the tuna, Joey crusted it with a mixture of cracked black and pink peppercorns, which added a wonderful peppery flavor that complemented the tuna without overwhelming it. This was placed on a bed of French green lentils that were cooked perfectly, with some bite to them, and served with the buttered leeks and a wonderful olive and roasted red pepper tappenade that I could not get enough of. In fact, I would have plated the dish with less lentils and more tappenade, it was so, so good and went perfectly with the tuna. The buttered leeks were delicately shaved and again a perfect pairing with the other components. The Lone Tree pinot noir is one of my favorites from Acacia because, although it is a good wine on its own, it is a great wine with food. The nose was medium-bodied with notes of smoky oak, chocolate, and black cherry. The front of the wine brought in a juicy blackberry flavor along with the smoky oak and black cherry. The mid-palate was a lovely, warm balance of tannins, oak, and fruit, and the finish was smooth and had lingering notes of pepper and oak. This just went so well with the dish, I wrote, "OMG delish!"
Warm Salad of Duck Confit, Red Cabbage, Apples and Goat Cheese with Candied Walnuts paired with Acacia Barrel Select Lone Tree Pinot Noir
It would take too long to explain the process of confitting the duck here, but I will say that Joey did not use fat in the confit so rather than a heavier, fattier dish, the duck flavor was prominent in all of its ducky yumminess. We all begged for the candied walnut recipe, and it actually is not that hard. I'll write it out below. Again, the components of the dish were beautifully balanced, and included some shallots that had been marinated in lemon juice, something I am going to try as soon as I get some shallots from the market. The red cabbage was shredded and sauteed just until it was dark red, so it was sweet and mild. Altogether perfect. The Barrel Select Lone Tree was a blend of Lone Tree pinot vintages, and one of the best pinot noirs I have ever tasted. Ever. I only bought one bottle of this wine and already I am wishing I had bought more. The nose was deep and rich, of smoky oak, black cherry, and rose. Throughout, the wine was full, rich, and beautifully balanced. The front and mid-palate were complex and had flavors of black cherry, chocolate, rose, and a hint of oak. The finish was rich and full, with stronger notes of oaky tannins, and long, lingering notes of pepper, oak and cherry. Pow! Bam! WOW.
Joey's Candied Walnuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
2 C fresh walnut halves
1/4 C white sugar
2 Tbls. kosher salt
Add these to a hot pan and allow the sugar to carmelize and "get chunky" around the walnuts. At that point, add:
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
freshly ground black pepper
Add a little water to the pan to make a syrup of the carmelized sugar, swirl to coat. Dump the walnut mixture onto a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Place in 350 degree oven, bake for about 8 minutes until crunchy.
Joey Altman is quite inspirational and fun himself, and although this is totally irrelevant, he is quite a dishy guy, which just made the event even better. Joey shared some really great tips with us as he cooked each dish, and he made the preparations seem effortless. This guy knows his flavors, and his explanation of balancing salt, sweet, and acid in any dish was probably the single most important piece of information anyone has ever given me. It sounds basic and logical, I just never thought of cooking that way. Guess that's why he's a professional and I'm not!
Below, rather than using my usual wine blog format, I am going to explain each food and wine pairing and what I loved about each one. There was nothing in the food or wine that I found to be anything other than delicious and perfect, so I'll share some of the preparation tips and what I especially liked about each combo. Also, I tasted each wine prior to and then with the food and my notes reflect both states.
Honey Roasted Spiced Carrot & Fregola Salad with Arugul, Pistacios, and Green Goddess Dressing paired with Acacia 2008 Sangiacomo Chardonnay
The honey-roasted carrots were a revelation! Joey placed honey around the perimeter of a hot pan and let it carmelize for a moment, then added sliced carrots and tossed them together for another few minutes. Once the carrots were softened, he added a sprinkling of cumin seed. These tasted so good, and I generally don't like cooked carrots. Fregola, which coincidentally was recently featured on an episode of Chopped: All Stars, is a pasta that has been formed into small beads and toasted. The components of this dish worked so well together, all you heard from the audience was a collective, "YUM!" The wine had a wonderful, full and complex nose of oak, apple, peach, guava and honey, and the front of the wine reflected this lovely and smooth balance. The mid-palate brought some tannins and stronger notes of honey and guava. The finish was velvety smooth and had light tannins with lingering notes of honey and peach. It was a flawless match to the salad. So delicious!
Cauliflower Bisque, Chanterelles, and Bacon paired with Acacia 2008 Winery Lake Pinot Noir
Yes, I know what you're thinking, I thought the same thing. Cauliflower bisque? As Joey pointed out while making this, the cauliflower really did not have a strong presence in the bisque other than to make it impossibly velvety with a lovely creamy finish. The bisque was topped with chopped chanterelles that had been carmelized a hot pan, and then croutons that had been toasted in bacon fat were added to give the topping a wonderful crispy texture. I tried the bisque with both the chardonnay from the previous dish and the pinot noir, and while I liked the pinot pairing a bit better, the chardonnay was a good combination as well. The pinot noir started with a medium-bodied nose of smoky oak, roses, and bright cherry. The front of the wine had a wonderful brightness to it, with flavors of red cherry, roses, watermelon, and a hint of oak. The mid-palate brought in some nicely balanced tannins and more of the smoky oak flavor, and the finish was smooth and soft with lingering notes of oak and cherry. I thought the smokiness of the wine perfectly complemented the bacon components in the topping on the dish, and the creaminess of the soup.
Seared Tuna, Buttered Leeks, Lentils, Pancetta, and Red Pepper Vinaigrette paired with Acacia 2008 Lone Tree Pinot Noir
Prior to searing the tuna, Joey crusted it with a mixture of cracked black and pink peppercorns, which added a wonderful peppery flavor that complemented the tuna without overwhelming it. This was placed on a bed of French green lentils that were cooked perfectly, with some bite to them, and served with the buttered leeks and a wonderful olive and roasted red pepper tappenade that I could not get enough of. In fact, I would have plated the dish with less lentils and more tappenade, it was so, so good and went perfectly with the tuna. The buttered leeks were delicately shaved and again a perfect pairing with the other components. The Lone Tree pinot noir is one of my favorites from Acacia because, although it is a good wine on its own, it is a great wine with food. The nose was medium-bodied with notes of smoky oak, chocolate, and black cherry. The front of the wine brought in a juicy blackberry flavor along with the smoky oak and black cherry. The mid-palate was a lovely, warm balance of tannins, oak, and fruit, and the finish was smooth and had lingering notes of pepper and oak. This just went so well with the dish, I wrote, "OMG delish!"
Warm Salad of Duck Confit, Red Cabbage, Apples and Goat Cheese with Candied Walnuts paired with Acacia Barrel Select Lone Tree Pinot Noir
It would take too long to explain the process of confitting the duck here, but I will say that Joey did not use fat in the confit so rather than a heavier, fattier dish, the duck flavor was prominent in all of its ducky yumminess. We all begged for the candied walnut recipe, and it actually is not that hard. I'll write it out below. Again, the components of the dish were beautifully balanced, and included some shallots that had been marinated in lemon juice, something I am going to try as soon as I get some shallots from the market. The red cabbage was shredded and sauteed just until it was dark red, so it was sweet and mild. Altogether perfect. The Barrel Select Lone Tree was a blend of Lone Tree pinot vintages, and one of the best pinot noirs I have ever tasted. Ever. I only bought one bottle of this wine and already I am wishing I had bought more. The nose was deep and rich, of smoky oak, black cherry, and rose. Throughout, the wine was full, rich, and beautifully balanced. The front and mid-palate were complex and had flavors of black cherry, chocolate, rose, and a hint of oak. The finish was rich and full, with stronger notes of oaky tannins, and long, lingering notes of pepper, oak and cherry. Pow! Bam! WOW.
Joey's Candied Walnuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
2 C fresh walnut halves
1/4 C white sugar
2 Tbls. kosher salt
Add these to a hot pan and allow the sugar to carmelize and "get chunky" around the walnuts. At that point, add:
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
freshly ground black pepper
Add a little water to the pan to make a syrup of the carmelized sugar, swirl to coat. Dump the walnut mixture onto a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Place in 350 degree oven, bake for about 8 minutes until crunchy.
March 24, 2011
Rainy Day Blues
Another in a long string of rainy days here in Northern California; like most of the U.S. we are experiencing a strange weather pattern. It's also the NCAA tournament, which both Bill and I enjoy, so we decided to order a pizza and open a new bottle of a barbera/nebbiolo blend purchased from Lot 18. The wine definitely helped us get over the disgusting pizza from New York Pizza, which when I think about it (we're in California, why am I eating pizza from NY Pizza) tasted like it was flown in from the Rotten Apple.
What we drank:
I'Uvaggio Di Giacomo Il Lupo 2003
This is a 61% Barbera, 39% nebbiolo blend. The nose was odd - not much there, with light notes of slate, yeast, and violets. Thank goodness the wine delivered much more than the nose indicated. It was very smooth, just a hint of tannins and still rather hot. with 14.5% alcohol. The front of the palate was rich with dark cherry and blackberry, with hints of briar and oak. The mid-palate brought in rich cinnamon and pepper, and a bit of the violet I picked up in the nose. The finish was smooth and rather tannic, with lingering flavors of cherry and cinnamon. I gave this wine a 7 because of the nose, and have to say I had two glasses, more than usual just because it was so drinkable.
Hic...
What we drank:
I'Uvaggio Di Giacomo Il Lupo 2003
This is a 61% Barbera, 39% nebbiolo blend. The nose was odd - not much there, with light notes of slate, yeast, and violets. Thank goodness the wine delivered much more than the nose indicated. It was very smooth, just a hint of tannins and still rather hot. with 14.5% alcohol. The front of the palate was rich with dark cherry and blackberry, with hints of briar and oak. The mid-palate brought in rich cinnamon and pepper, and a bit of the violet I picked up in the nose. The finish was smooth and rather tannic, with lingering flavors of cherry and cinnamon. I gave this wine a 7 because of the nose, and have to say I had two glasses, more than usual just because it was so drinkable.
Hic...
March 23, 2011
Epiphany
Back from a long road trip to Fresno for work, I was crashing watching Top Chef (where d'ya think I get all my great cooking inspiration?) when Bill suggested opening a bottle of wine. I had gotten a white wine from Lot 18 that I had put in the fridge and forgotten, and that was what we chose. It was an inspired choice, perfect for relaxing and watching other people sweat over a hot stove.
What we drank:
Epiphany Inspiration 2008
This is a white blend and it truly is an epiphany. The full-bodied nose was predominantly apple and oak, with a hint of lemon. The front of the wine was a lovely smooth balance of fruit and acid, with notes of apple, lemon, mandarin, and a hint of oak. The mid-palate was a bit hot, although still smooth and well-balanced, with an added note of peach. The finish was silky smooth, bringing in some tannins, and lingering notes of creamy peach and oak. I rated it 8 out of 10, and just lovely. It was great just to sip, and I think it would be excellent with spicy Thai food, creamy pasta dishes, and risotto.
What we drank:
Epiphany Inspiration 2008
This is a white blend and it truly is an epiphany. The full-bodied nose was predominantly apple and oak, with a hint of lemon. The front of the wine was a lovely smooth balance of fruit and acid, with notes of apple, lemon, mandarin, and a hint of oak. The mid-palate was a bit hot, although still smooth and well-balanced, with an added note of peach. The finish was silky smooth, bringing in some tannins, and lingering notes of creamy peach and oak. I rated it 8 out of 10, and just lovely. It was great just to sip, and I think it would be excellent with spicy Thai food, creamy pasta dishes, and risotto.
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