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April 8, 2006 Fresh fruit, stuffed mushrooms, baked tomato with fresh mozzarella, scallops on cucumber with peppered cream cheese, fresh raspberry with chocolate ganache, and chicken sausage in wasabi sauce complimented the double magnum of NV Krug Grand Cuvee Champagne. Olympic oysters, raw on the half shell with lemon zest and roasted garlic infused butter matched up with a 1985 Krug, a 1988 Krug and a 1995 Kistler Cuvee Cathleen Chardonnay.  As in past years, next followed some wonderful White Burgundy, a 1995 Etienne Sauzet Puligny Montrachet Champs Canet and a 1995 Louis Latour Corton Charlemagne. These were served with Partridge in its consomme with Pom Pom mushrooms, caramelized turnips and clove oil. The fourth course, a Rack of Lamb with sun-dried tomatoes and leeks was the perfect selection to taste against a 1975 Eyrie Pinot Noir South Block, a 1985 Joseph Swan Estate Pinot Noir, a 1995 Dominique Laurent Mazis Chambertin Cuvee A, and a 1995 Leroy Nuit St. George Boudots. Everyone took the "walk in the park" with one hand carrying a 1985 Ch. Leoville Las Cases and the other holding a 1995 Ch. Cos d'Estournel. The wine showed well despite the frigid temperature outside. All returned to the lodge and were treated to "The Family," a 1975 Ch. Latour, a 1975 Ch. Mouton, a 1985 Ch. Mouton and a 1985 Ch. Margaux. These wonderful Bordeaux went spectacularly with Le Poulet Pate with homemade bread and crackers. And then came, by most accounts, the food of the night, a Bison Bone Marrow Flan with Crimini mushroom crust and sage. The meat melted in the mouth with a 1985 Gaja Bareresco Costa Russi, a 1995 Guigal Cote Rotie La Mouline, and a 1995 Chapoutier Hermitage Pavillon. The seventh course followed, Braised Beef Cheeks with Celery root puree, portabella mushrooms, gnocchi galette and sage, along with a 1985 Ch. Lynch Bages, a 1995 Ch. Vieux Certan, a 1995 Elderton Command Shiraz and a 1995 Araujo Eisele Syrah. The eighth course took the group to some big California Cabs, a 1985 Opus One, a 1985 Dunn Howell Mountain, a 1995 Dunn Howell Mountain and a 1995 Lokoya Rutherford. These huge Cabs didn't overpower the entree, an Elk tenderloin with mole and cashew vinaigrette. The ninth course, a cheese plate that included Rogue bleu, a Mt. Tam triple cream, a Swiss Vacherin Friboourgeois, and Sheep Pecorino Stagionato went well with more California Cabs, a 1985 Caymus Special Selection, a 1985 Silver Oak, and 1985 Joseph Phelps Insignia, and a 1985 Stags Leap Cask 23. The dessert course, individually baked Strawberry-Rhubarb tarts ala creme fresh, arrived with two glasses, one a 1975 Ch. Rieussec and the other a 1985 Ch. Climens. The final course, simply wine, ended the evening on a high note with a 1963 Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port and a 1975 Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port. With the exception of the '63, all wines came from one of three vintages, 1975, 1985 and 1995. The tasting was, putting it mildly, memorable. |
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