Charles Weiss wrote:Wow,
I'll travel from Boston to Vancouver anytime if you're cooking!
I'll definitely have to steal, i.e try some variation of, the caper and thyme caper.
Charles, eat your heart out--I was one of the lucky lucky guests!
So, my notes, after thanking Bill and SWMBO for an exemplary evening of wine and food:
Blue Mountain Brut At the time, Coop and I both agreed it was French in style but weren't sure it was French. It had some of the biscuity notions but though spare and seemingly no-dosage in style, possibly more fruit. It was really no surprise, then, when the wine was revealed to be this, a wine of exceptional quality and value produced by one of BC's cultiest--and most minimalistic--winemakers.
1989 J. Lasalle Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut – This time we were certain it was French, could be no other, and both Dave and I went straight to the mid to late 80's. Where young champers can taste of yeast and apples, mature champers taste of baked bread or toast and baked apples, and this one had all that. Served with a great contrast of dressed thyme sprigs which I was supposed to just suck but denuded (I always eat the parsley, too), capers and a Parmesan tuille. A fabulous palate teaser of a course, something that could be called 'food foreplay'--we had something to put in our mouths, but we weren't really quite eating yet.
1989 Ch. d’Arche – Smelled at first of Pledge furniture polish to me (an aroma I happen to like), but with more time in the glass caramel, then honey and botrytis flavors emerged. The wine was very nice for its age and en pointe with its food counterpart, the goose neck stuffed with foie gras on toast. I was enjoying this so much, that I was eating with uncharacteristic slowness, so much so that at the point I was preparing my third and final toast for eating, I happened to look about and realize that the five others had all finished theirs and were staring at my last one like a bunch of vultures. I did not dare set it down!
Next was an intermezzo of cucumber strands with cilantro, a perfect palate cleanser.
1989 Chante Perdrix Chateauneuf de Pape Terrific leathery Chateneuf with all those plum-and-orange-peel mature grenache flavors, perfectly paired with goat cheese and rosemary stuffed quail that had a nicely infused, marinated flavor and delicious bacon wrapper as well as a solid log of cooked leek tiled with a cream sauce, bacon and as many whole, toasted philberts as it could carry. It was an excellent selection of poulty and vegetable in which the vegetable was a finely crafted dish in its own right and took back seat to no one.
Then on to a
1988 Pichon Baron and a
1988 Sassicaia. The guy to my left was certain that wine #1 was Californian because of the sweet nose. Well, I couldn't find that sweet nose--I had a glass that showed very little nose on #1 at all, and the palate was totally unsweet and very definitely Bordeauxish to me. It was wine #2 I was less certain of--it had, to my senses, the far sweeter nose with more give on the palate, and if one of the two was Californian then my nominations went opposite his, though I honestly did believe both to be Bordeaux with the second one from a riper vintage like 89 or 90. Good instincts, wrong conclusion, but no matter: both wines were gorgeous and a privilege to drink--you described them as I would, so I'll keep this short and go straight to the perfectly prepared lamb. You don't know this, but there's almost no food I'd rather eat when in Canada than lamb because Canadian lamb is so good. Never strong and gamey like here even in the middle of winter. And yours was as good as any I've had anywhere, expertly prepared. Great Potatoes Anna on the side, too.
Of course, the frivolity didn't end there, and a splendid cheese course followed with an 89 Dows Quinta do Bomfim. Coop and I both guessed 77 to 83 for vintage, then came up when you shook your head, with he finally nailing the 89. Maybe because of the viscosity (I got the second pour, so would have been near the top), or heck, maybe it was just the time of night, but I found the wine more youthful with subsequent splashes.
Fantastic food, wine and conversation: it doesn't get any better. Thanks again--and remember, we're going to be professional dinner guests here for a few months real soon so anytime you need a sous chef, just hollar.