Wine Puddle V

Time again for the Wine Puddle, an event held annually since 2006, now extended over two evenings; with two meals, 19 wines and a humungous amount of cheese.

First night - haut cuisine

The first night is all about culinary excellence, artfully constructed and carefully prepared gems, often inspired by Raymond Blanc. The wines are carefully selected to match the dishes. They are also initially served blind for a little extra intrigue. The notes below are largely as taken during the course of events - where I have added any additional factoids after the event then this is noted.

Canapés: Octopus in smoked paprika

1. Champagne Henriot, 1990. Reims, Champagne, France. 12%

A roughly 50/50 blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Deep gold, slow quiet bubble streams. Grilled nuts on the nose, vinous (assumed plenty of time on the lees?) and honeyed palate with a salty finish. Rich, fat and with soft acidity, drinking now - very much à point. Excellent with the bite and texture of the octopus. Henriot is a bit underrated methinks.

Soup: Cep and celeriac

2. Domecq, Palo Cortado Sherry, Capuchino. VORS, Jerez, Spain, 20%

A mahogany-coloured core, fading to amber and then finally to a greenish rim - this is old sherry (confirmed as a VORS 30 yr old on the reveal). Complex nose - mineral oil, wood and butter, amontillado style but looks and tastes like an Oloroso, so that rarity, a Palo Cortado. Palate is massive and complex; butter, cashew and hazelnuts, celery salt, clove, all cut with orange peel. Intense and heady, with a length measured in minutes. We're in the presence of greatness. A truly outstanding wine and a perfect match to the cep and celeriac soup that was entrancing in its own right. Wine of the Night and, like most sherry, unbelievable value. A bottle ordered from the Wine Society afterwards cost just £25.00!

Seafood Terrine: A Raymond Blanc recipe, particularly memorable for its architectural quality - a skilful assembly of red mullet, red snapper, monkfish and lobster, wrapped in aubergine and bound with gelatinous clarified fish stock, flavoured with fennel. Very fine and fishy, amazingly crafted, hours of preparation and patience amply rewarded. Eaten with the two following white wines:

3. Château Rayas, Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc, 1989. Southern Rhône, France. 13.5%

Lemon-gold, green glints. Nose initially lemon scented then minerality shows through. Richly textured palate; very ripe fruit yet a fully dry, broad style. This has considerable age. Grapefruit, limes, fat but good balance. Medium length with mineral undertow. Rhône style subsequently confirmed on the reveal - 75% grenache blanc blended with rousanne, marsanne and bourbolenc. Very good wine, but only an ok match for the Seafood Terrine - expected synergy wasn't there.

4. René Muré, Sylvaner, Clos St-Landelin Monopole, Cuvée Oscar 2001. Rouffach, Alsace, France. 14.5%. Organic

Deep gold, off-dry but not big residual sugar, guessing maybe 50g/l but hard to pinpoint as also leggy with alcohol but well balanced with a good level of fresh acidity. Clearly Alsace from a ripe year, a nose of orange blossom suggested muscat. Syrupy texture and a medium length. Turned out to be Sylvaner, which on this evidence deserves Grand Cru status. This is a super match for the Seafood Terrine - the sweetness and texture made a great foil.

Seared Foie Gras with stewed onions in saffron and vinegar reduction. A welcome reprise of last year's star dish - possibly the best thing I have ever eaten.

5. Domaine André Ostertag, Riesling vieilles vignes Grand Cru Muenchberg, Vendage Tardive, 1990. Epfig, Alsace, France. 10%. Biodynamic.

Ostertag's Riesling is by far the superior Alsace wine, though I had its origins somewhere in the Mosel. Lime green glints in the glass. Very aromatic nose - focused limes and minerals. Medium sweet palate, thought auslese level, maybe 100g/l residual sugar, low alcohol, plenty of acidity, all adding up to effortless balance. Palate has a buttery richness. Apricots, grapefruit and with something stony and austere lurking below. Very taut, in no way feels nearly 20 years old. Subtle, unshowy and easily eclipsed by other wines or food with stronger flavours. Yet this is a wine returned to repeatedly, quietly insinuating, utterly superb and deserving of its own headline status. Still waters run deep, if you please. Looking back, the match last year with the Foie Gras was a biodynamic Grand Cru Muenchberg Vendage Tardive from Kreydenweiss - albeit a Pinot Gris.

6. Tenuta San Leonardo, San Leonardo, Marchese Carlo Guerrieri Gonzago, IGT Vallagarina, 1996. Trentino, Italy. 13%

The first of the reds, decanted. Ruby/mulberry coloured. Nose is quite horsey - brett for sure, then big pencil shavings suggests plenty of cab franc. Initially thinking right bank bordeaux but then tobacco on the nose and a very slight green edge says cabernet sauvignon and so maybe left bank bordeaux. The grapes are right but the origins completely wrong; a Bordeaux blend of 60% cabernet sauvignon, 30% cabernet franc, 10% merlot made in northern Italy. Palate is slightly earthy and astringent, still some grip, berry fruits. Much improved and more harmonious after 20-30 minutes in the glass. A very good wine, extremely well crafted and with serious intent - but it did not feel remotely Italian, so for me it's lesser for that, though it easily beats many a bordeaux. Is the greenish edge reflective of the vintage? An investigation further afterwards - Burton Anderson states that it was made with guidance from winemaking superstar Giacomo Tachis, gets 6 months in Slavonian oak then 20 months in small French barriques before a final 8 months in bottle. Clashed a bit with the Foie Gras - tannins seem to fight this dish. It was far happier with the Grouse...

Main course: grouse with quince purée, sweet potato and celeriac. In addition, carrots, baby turnips, red cabbage. A flight of the next four wines to match this course and a subsequent small plate of Comté cheese - the hidden wine theme was Châteauneuf and its peers.

7. Château Rayas, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, 1992. Southern Rhône, France. 14%

That this was a wine from one of the truly great houses of the southern Rhône surprised me mightily - I was in Spain, then Italy before giving up on origins with a gallic shrug. No way is this Chateauneuf surely! Decanted from plenty of sediment. Light coloured, obviously old. Pretty aromas, lifted, fleeting liquorice and medicine. The atypical palate really a letdown; lacks fruit and very drying tannins, unbalanced and drying out. 1992 turns out to be a poor-ish vintage but should expect more. 100% Grenache.

8. Château Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape, 1988. Southern Rhône, France. 13%

On the other hand, this example is very typical CdP and from a great year. Decanted again. Deeper colour, looks younger but reflective of a far better vintage. A brett-fest (and some VA) on the nose. Bright fruit, effortless complexity, well balanced, super acidity. Mellows in the glass and rather fine. All 13 CdP grapes in the blend at Beaucastel.

9. Edmunds St. John, Les Côte Sauvages Fin de Siecle, 1996. Emeryville, California, USA. 14.5%

 

I have never previously encountered Steve Edmunds' rhône ranger wines and they seem hard to find in the UK, so this turned into a real discovery. An unspecified GSM (grenache, syrah, mourvedre) blend, artisanally made in small quantities using bought-in grapes from Mendocino, Sonoma and Napa. This is Beaucastel without the brett, a deliberately created homage to CdP. However, it's more than that. Very old world style, a fuller more rounded wine with sous-bois complexity. Fine, subtle and elegant, red fruits, smoky finish. The high alcohol level is completely hidden. Complete and on top of its game, keen to find and try more wines from this Californian producer.

10. Charles Melton, Nine Popes, Barossa Valley, Southeast Australia, 1994, 14.5%

A classic Australian GSM blend in the Châteauneuf style. Big and bold but with mellowness and complexity of age. Still a deep garnet colour and with a muted nose of vanilla and berry fruit. Sleek black fruit, silkily texture, muscled and powerful, a touch warm and spirity from evident alcohol. Earth and animal notes rise and fall in the mix, in a dub stylee. So very Australian and an iconic style.

Dessert: Lemon Mousse in a black cherry coulis

11. Weingut Horst Sauer, Silvaner Auslese, 1999. Franken, Germany. 10%

Orange and amber flecked, with a nose of white flowers. Visibly viscous and unctuous in the mouth. Apple pie and apricots! Bitter orange finale. Just a small amount of botrytis. This comes in a traditional 50cl bocksbuetel bottle. Terrific wine of sufficient intensity but lightness of weight to match the lemon mousse with its lighter-than-air texture. Auslese level of sweetness but no idea of residual sugar level. Airy and excellent.

Chocolate

Four different styles of chocolate bar distinguished by their cocoa content (70%, 85%, 90% and 99%).  Goldilocks' verdict was that the 70 was too sweet, the 90 and 99 far too bitter to be pleasurable. The 85% however was pronounced as being just right.

12. Baileys Show Tokay, NV. Bundarra, Glenrowan, Victoria, Australia, 18%

A 50cl bottle of oz sticky, 100% Muscadelle. Undoubtedly good with chocolate, perhaps surprisingly one-dimensional. Deep brown with an old yellow rim. Loads of acidity, immense sweetness in a molasses, dates and PX kind of way. Rum and raisin thwack of alcoholic power capable of subduing even chocolate. Stickily viscous fun.

The second night - relaxed dining

1. Domaine André et Mireille Tissot, Crémant du Jura blanc, NV. Montigny-lès-Arsures, Jura, France. 12.5%. Biodynamic

Made by their son Stéphane, who is now in charge of the winemaking at this wonderful Jura estate. 55% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir and 5% Poulsard. Faintest hint of pink in the glass. Rich and powerful, big boned with a red fruit character. Truly excellent, no aggression. Small production and seemingly not available in the UK. Just €9 direct from Tissot. Excellent, seductive, need to buy more!!

Starter: Asparagus mousse, pea purée, caraway bread

2. Pascal Jolivet, Sancerre le Chêne Marchand, 2006. Sancerre, Loire, France. 12.5%

Chosen to partner the excellent asparagus mousse, a classic match. Silver-green colour, an unexpectedly quiet nose - herbaceous but rather shy and retiring. Palate weight is good but the fruit and attack has gone awol. Not really incisive enough for a single vineyard terroir-based Sancerre from a highly thought of producer. I'd like to try another bottle, perhaps a younger example.

3. Château Thivin, Beaujolais Cru Côte de Brouilly, Cuvée Zaccharie Geoffray, 2005. Beaujolais, France. 12.5%

If there exists a better beaujolais than this then bring it on! Deep ruby colour, rich palate weight, great balance, refreshing acidity and fruit straying into Pinot Noir territory, with cherry, minerality and a little sous-bois. Very serious gamay from a superb vintage now showing at peak. It restores the faith in this much traduced appelation - there's no thinness, bubblegum or banana here. Instead, an immensely satisfying wine of real depth and class. Just delicious. I've had a 25 year love affair with Thivin, which time and familiarity have not diminished one iota.

Main course: Steak flashed on the barbie with Jersey royal potatoes and a watercress salad

4. Eikendal, Classique, 2000. Stellenbosch, South Africa. 14%

Decanted from generous sediment, this is a big bold bordeaux blend made in a simply ravishing style, combining lush fruit with lifted acidity and silky tannins. Ideal for big meats, this wine excels particularly because bottle age has added a little secondary complexity. A blend of 57% cabernet sauvignon, 35% merlot and 8% cabernet franc. Deep red ruby colour, still young looking. A blackcurrant nose leavened with tobacco and green pepper. Blackberry and plum fruit with cedar box and mocha on a long finish. Clearly spent a long while in French oak barriques. Bold and ballsy yet with no little finesse, not an easy trick to pull off. Probably at peak now and over next say 5 years. Good value too at £15.00.

Now for a cheese-fest featuring an artery-hardening selection from the Jura and Burgundy:

Comté fruité, AOC Franche-Comté, unpasteurised Montbéliard cow's milk - aged 4 months, Herisson, Jura

Comté vieux, AOC Franche-Comté, unpasteurised Montbéliard cow's milk - aged 18 months, Herisson, Jura

Morbier, AOC, unpasteurised Montbéliard cow's milk, Morbier, Jura

Bleu de Gex, AOC, unpasteurised Montbéliard cow's milk, Gex, Jura

Chèvre, unpasteurised goat's milk, Chèvrerie des Filletières, Chenôves, Burgundy

Époisses, AOC, unpasteurised cow's milk, Fromagerie Germain, Burgundy

Brillat-Savarin, pasteurised cow's milk, Fromagerie Jacques Delin, Gilly-les-Citeaux, Burgundy

5. Domaine Jacques Puffeney, Arbois Savagnin, 2000. Montigny-lès-Arsures, Jura, France. 13%

Excellent savagnin with good typicity, made by the "Pope of the Arbois". Just a gentle style of flor (sous-voile) on the nose, which acts as a background on the palate. Not as full-on as some, instead something more subtle. The dry palate has savoury notes bound with pear fruit, butter, hazelnut and cool acidity. It makes this both refreshing and a classic cheese match, in particular with those cheeses from the Jura - no shit, Sherlock.

Dessert: rhubarb fool

6. Fromm, La Strada Riesling Auslese, Blenheim, Marlborough, New Zealand, 2002. 7.5%

Brought back from New Zealand before their sweet wines were allowed to be commercially available in Europe. Water white in colour, masses of limey fruit, high level of mouth watering acidity but very delicate and Mosel-like. Opal fruits, caramel and a hint of kerosene minerality. Ethereal and wonderful and assumed a good few years ahead. A half bottle is simply not enough! A very good match for the rhubarb fool, itself a triumph of sharp acidity and sweetness.

7. Yarden Dessert Galilee, 1997. Golan Heights, Israel 14%

A bizarre wine in many ways but I could find little pleasure here other than that from curiosity. Muscat fortified with brandy (yet to only 14%). Light yellow colour. A strange diffuse nose of mint and medicine, not attractive. Palate is better - elderflower. A pleasant flavour but it's very short and ends abruptly - mercifully perhaps. Has the fruit simply disappeared with age or is this typical? I have no idea if this is a good example, being without a benchmark but this evidence does not encourage me to develop one. Turn back to some of that Bailey's Show Tokay to round the evening off...

Those wanting to discover the delights encountered at the previous four Wine Puddles can find them by clicking here: I, II, III, and IV.

Paul Howard

June 2010