Wine Dinners at Tribeca Grill

[RAD]

Well friends, it’s been nearly a month since I attended this event, and let me say that it was nothing short of spectacular. I’d promised to post my notes, so here goes.

First, in honor of IK’s mouth-watering food descriptions, let me give the menu (wines served with each course in parentheses).

Hors d’oeuvres (champagne, don’t know what kind): mouillette of quail eggs with osetra caviar; cold-water lobster and mint spring rolls; venison carpaccio on herb cracker with arugula mayonnaise (my fav!); potato, wild mushroom, and goat cheese turnover (a close second).

First course (Caymus, Silver Oak, Jones Family, tasted blind): sautéed foie gras with polenta gratin and cabernet-marinated figs.

Second course (Beringer Private Reserve, Chateau St. Jean Cinq Cépages): wild squab breast with forest mushroom and celery root galette, potato chervil sauce.

Third course (Mondavi Reserve, Chateau Montelena, Araujo Eisele): Roasted lamb loin with cauliflower mousse, cepes, and black truffle sauce.

Fourth course (Dominus, Dalla Valle, Bryant Family): selection of international cheeses.

So let the games begin! As the only quasi-real “wine guy” at our table, I took as many notes as possible between all the eating and conversation. After trying all the wines, I ranked them one through eleven—a task that was actually quite easy. My notes, in their original form, follow—obviously, they aren’t incredibly precise, and tended to become more general as the night wore on! [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/biggrin.gif[/img]

#1: Bryant Family (WS 100)—The Ultimate Value (here I was thinking of WW’s quote of Curmy, “if a $100 bottle of wine tastes like $200, then it’s a bargain”). Layer upon layer upon layer of flavors. Puccini's "Nessun Dorma" in a glass. Superripe, lots of blackberry, finish goes on for minutes. 2 glasses.

#2: Araujo Eisele (WS 94)--Too many superlatives to list. Superripe and dark, nose of cedar and cassis, with coffee/toffee nuances on the palate. Long, long finish. 2 glasses.

#3: Chateau St. Jean Cinq Cépages (WS 95)--Superripe, somewhat alcoholic and raisiny nose, with some stewed prune notes; very deep, rich, chocolaty, with cedar and cassis, an extravaganza; firm tannins, nice length on the finish. 2 glasses.

#4: Dominus (WS 92)--Outstanding, wonderful cassis aromas, tight and focused, with a jammy raspberry component. Alcohol 14.1%.

#5: Dalla Valle (WS 95)--This is the standard Napa bottling, not the Maya. Pronounced nose of violets and blackberries, with coffee/toffee notes. Sharp, focused, and intense.

#6: Silver Oak Alexander Valley (WS 88)--This one tasted blind with two others with the hors d'oeuvres at the beginning (I incorrectly guessed Caymus). Currant and cedar on the nose, silky tannins, with leathery notes on the finish. Complex and evolving, with some vanilla and oak. Best of the three blind tastings.

#7: Jones Family (WS 93)--Chocolate, mushroom, terroir--an "old world" nose. Cherry and tar on the palate, and a long, spicy finish. #2 of 3 in the first blind tasting.

#8: Caymus (WS 90)--Closed, quite muted nose. Typical cabernet. Focused fruit, a bit tart, and a decent finish. Opened up quite nicely after 30 minutes or so. #3 of 3 in the opening blind tasting.

#9: Chateau Montelena (WS 92)--Very pronounced cherry nose, and quite grapey on the palate, with some oak noticeable. The most fruity of lot, but lacking the complexity of the others. Cherry, cherry, cherry. Still, quite nice.

#10: Mondavi Reserve (WS 95)--Classic cab nose, deep and dense black fruits, and a touch of alcohol. Still, very nice.

#11: Beringer Private Reserve (WS no rating)--Sharp and focused nose, with typical cabernet aromas of cassis and cedar. Decent berry fruit, and middleweight tannins. So-so.

--RAD

[This message has been edited by RAD (edited 02-25-2001).]