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Post Wine Tasting Dinner
at Gerald's
May 22, 2002
We started with a bottle of Philpponnat "1522" Champagne, a pleasant,
but largely unremarkable bubbly.
Then we sat down at the table and tasted some Pinot Blanc wines.
We served some Escargot in mushroom caps, topped with a butter that had been
infused with garlic, shallots and parsley.
The
Domaine Weinbach Pinot was fragrant and fresh and not quite bone dry.
Marcel Deiss' 1999 Pinot Blanc was less aromatic, but drier and well-suited to
this tasty starter.
A Castell Schwanburg Pinot Bianco from Italy's Alto Adige was tasted and
rejected in favor of the French wines.
The main plate was braised lamb shanks, accompanied by baby artichoke hearts and
Gerald's famous oven-roasted potatoes.
Chteau de Pommard 1999 Pommard was unusually good. This wine displayed a
bit of earthy Pinot fruit and light oak. It is medium-full on the palate
and carries a bit of tannin which should allow it to age handsomely for 5-10
years. It's the best Chteau de Pommard we've had in years!
A bit more forward and immediately gratifying was Pierre Damoy's 1999
Gevrey-Chambertin "Clos Tamisot." This wine has sweet cherry
fruit and a nice balance of vanillin oak. If you're a fan of Tom
Dehlinger's Russian River Pinot Noirs, Damoy's would be worthy of
comparison.
POST-1999 MARGAUX DINNER
June 5, 2002
We began with a rather delicious bottle of Deutz
non-vintage Brut Champagne on a very warm evening. The temperature made
the cold Champagne taste even better!
We paired a couple of French white Burgundies with a
simply-sauted Soft Shell Crab and some prawns. The Mongeard-Mugneret was
slightly more interesting, though neither wine was especially memorable.
The main plate was a generously-cut Grilled Veal Chop (seasoned with sage) and
topped with Mushrooms. Gerald's Famous Oven-Roasted 'Taters and some fresh
beets accompanied the veal.
Especially good and
memorable were the two red wines:
1978 Chteau Brane Cantenac from Margaux
1978 Chteau Lagrange from St. Julien
Both
wines were excellent, still alive and showing signs of vitality. They were
both decanted and each blossomed over the course of dinner. The Brane
Cantenac was the superior wine, but both were delicious.
After a small salad, we had a little chocolate dessert paired with a sweet
Lambrusco.
A DINNER WITH MARJORIE & HER NIECE SUSAN
June 20, 2002
Chef Susan Repp explains how our German friends get SO
much vacation time as Sandy Obester listens intently.
We had some good Champagne to go with the various nibbles.
The first course was Susan's "Zucchini & Pasta Pie," a
mildly-flavored dish accompanied by two 1990 vintage Chardonnays:
ZD 1990 California Chardonnay
William Fevre 1990 Chablis
I thought these would be wildly different, the ZD matured in American and oak
and showing a fruit-bowl aroma in its youth. But the wines were remarkably
similar, showing a toasty note and the fruit having integrated to the point of
actually being more "Chablis-like"!!!
Say "Cheese!"
Pasta Pie and Chardonnays.
Marjorie had a 1968 Louis Martini Cabernet sleeping in her wine room, so I
brought a 1970 to accompany it.
Famous Musician Spencer Cliff brings out Chef Susan's Hazelnut-Crusted Chicken.
He did not have to sing for his supper!
Susan Sniffs the delicate, berryish perfume of the Cabernet Sauvignon.
Linzer Torte for dessert! This was accompanied by an aromatic, fresh
dessert wine from Oregon's "High Pass Winery," a wine made of
Huxelrebe.
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