- Sweet shrimp carpaccio with radish and oestra caviar
L. Aubry Fils, Champagne, Le Nombre d'Or, A-Jouy-Les-Reims, France, 2000
Bready/yeasty flavors dominate at first. Smooth. Spicy nut in the finish. The food takes away the yeastiness almost entirely. Very good.
Sauteed branzino with beet, fennel and mustard seed vinaigrette
Schloss Gobelsburg, Riesling, Urgestein, Kamptal, Austria, 2006
One of the best courses of the night, and a wonderfully Austrian riesling. Very dry, although with some flowers and honey on the palate. Perfect with the vinaigrette.
Roasted veal tenderloin with caramelized sweetbreads, melted leeks, and gruyere polenta
Schloss Gobelsburg, Gruner Veltliner, Gobelsburger, Kamptal, Austria, 2006
Very rich for a GV -- honey and passion fruit.
Agrodolce boar with cured pork belly, cardamom, and apple
Joh. Jos. Christoffel Erben, Erdener Treppchen, Riesling, Spatlese, Mose-Saar-Ruwer, Germany, 2004
Honey, flowers, and herbs. Noticeable minerality. Great acidity. Perfect foil for the pork belly.
Grilled duck breast with jerusalem artichokes, caramelized turnips, and moroccan spices
Kruger-Rumpf, Munsterer Dautenplanzer, Riesling, Spatlese, Nahe, Germany, 2005
The course of the night. And the wine is a wow. I love it. Beautifully balanced, fruit, flowers, herb. A wow.
Intermezzo
A.J. Adam, Dronhofberger Tholey, Rielsing, Auslese, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany, 2003
An interesting wine. Hit with a strong pine/resin in the nose. A bit of resin in the mouth. A terrific minerality.
Seckel pear tart with blue cheese ice cream and caramelized onion
Selbach-Oster, Graacher Domprobst, Rielsing, Auslese, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany, 2005
I don't have any notes on this last one. A long night. It was good, I recall.
Really, it was a privilege to enjoy this meal. The wine of the night? The Kruger-Rumpf, without question. I've already sourced a case for myself.
Cheers,
Michael