First up (and we have found that being early in the running is a definite advantage, thereafter being able to relax and not worry about whether your course will melt by the time it gets from the kitchen down to the garden eating area ) was the seafood entry from our international contingent.
Terrine Fruits de Mer Marseillaise (lobster, shrimp, scallops, dungeness crab, ling cod and vegetables suspended in a tomato-saffron-wine aspic garnished with a cool salad of shaved fennel and potatoes, microgreens, and toast with a red pepper rouille).
The art in all this, aside from cooking, is to present two different wines with which you hope to at least bracket perfection if not hit it. Given that there are almost always more than one ‘right’ answer to any food and wine pairing question, great fun and discussion always ensues.
2002 La Chablisienne Vaillons – obvious choice for a seafood dish. A really attractive lemony nose, clean, a little softer on palate than I had expected, yet not too low in acidity, and tasty.
2004 Girardin Chassagne Montrachet Les Caillerets – more toast in this nose and some pear. Rich smooth wine with a creamy texture that finished long and clean.
Terrine de Foie Gras (with endive almond salad and shallot confit) – I have formed the view that what almost everyone touts as the classic combination with foie gras – Sauternes – is simply not the best match, and I have always tried to mate it with less sweet wines from Alsace, and Germany, among others. The preparation was classic – some Port, salt, white pepper and a good shot of fresh ground nutmeg, and then cooked to about 120 deg. (very carefully, and sealed with some of the clarified fat that comes off the foie gras). This was a whole goose liver – many people prefer duck and that is certainly easier to obtain and less expensive, but I like goose.
2006 Max Ferdinand Richter Wehlener Sonnenuhr Spatlese – I liked this wine quite a lot. It had a beautiful nose of petrol and apples with some spice, was sweeter than many Spatlesen (late picked, but still only hitting 9% alcohol), very long in the mouth and had plenty of clean acidity that made this one the best match with the rich foie gras.
1999 Dr. Thanisch Braunberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Auslese – I also enjoyed this wine - , and thought that the nose was a bit more interesting in terms of complexity and depth, and although this wine wasn’t all that sweeter than the previous one, the 2006 won out from the point of view of freshness and acidity. Taken on its’ own, this wine is delightful.
Méli-Mélo aux agrumes (Chicken breast and turkey breast strips, marinated in citrus. Farce of pork, mushroom duxelles and orange and lemon slices) – excellent dish that was lightened amazingly by the citrus content. The ‘bridge’ course where we switched from white to red wines.
2002 Albert Mann Furstentum Gewurztraminer Vielles Vignes – big grapefruit nose with some spice, full bodied and a tad hot at 14%, with a smoothness and good length.
2003 Duboeuf Moulin-a-Vent Tour de Bief – the nose on this fairly dark wine was the best part, with a rather un-Beaujolais like cherry-cocoa quality, but it was frankly a bit bizarre in the mouth, where it exhibited a sour chocolate taste finishing very dry. Preferred the white.
Rabbit terrine with pistachios and olives – classic, simple country fare that came across very typical and not at al heavy.
2003 George Duboeuf Julienas La Trinquee – now this was what one expects of a cru Baujolais! Lots of dark berry fruit, excellent concentration and nice persistence.
1996 Francois Lamarche Vosne Romanee 1er Cru Malconsorts – while the previous wine was very good with the food, this one edged it out for me. Showing nice development, it had a nose that was both smoky, and after a bit of airing, also slightly minty. Medium body and length, good fruit in the middle, still with faint tannin at the end.
The Rest of the Duck (Country Style Terrine with leafy greens)
2007 Brusset Gigondas Grand Montmirail – dark purple sappy wine with plumy fruit and good acidity and tannin. Very drinkable at this young age.
2000 Brusset Gigondas Les Haut de Montmirail – the difference here was the complexity that bottle age brings, melding the undeniable but now integrated vanilla/oak with the fruit notes – here, mostly blackberry – and a very long finish. Glad I also have a few bottles of this – no rush.
Lamb Terrine with black currents and a splash of crème de cassis served with radish and blueberries
2002 Chimney Rock Elevage – the only non-European wine, this was a good choice as it exhibits none of the brash (and to many, overpowering) ripe fruit one so often gets in California cabs, where these days, more always seems better t the producers, including alcohol, ripeness, and residual sugar! The wine was fairly dark, with a big cab nose of cassis and a hint of cinnamon, medium bodied, medium length and tasty, if not quite as persistent in the mouth as I’d have liked.
After a mini course of Thomas Haas chocolates, and a few games of bocce, the crew faded away into the twilight, happy and sated – until T-7.
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As for your wines, both were great examples of what they are and any goose would be proud to be in their company, but like you I preferred the Spatlese for the greater tang. Thought it had just a bit of passion fruit too, an interesting complexity for riesling. (Note to anyone reading along: attention must be paid to Bill's signature garnish, the halved cherry tomato with cornichon. You may not think this exactly the obvious choice of garnish for foie gras, but Bill has put it--some say it's a self-portrait--on every plate he's made since T1, so there you have it.)