Saturday Night – Out to the 1010 Bistro

Kathy decided we were due for a night out and wanted to hit our favourite local dining spot – the 1010 Bistro. So this past Saturday night Mick, Amy, Kathy and I found ourselves enjoying the good food and excellent service of the 1010.

"Roast Duck"

We started with a number of different appetizers which were all yummy and a bottle of Bouchard Pere & Fils Petit Chablis. I have covered this wine before so I’m not going to go into much detail. It is good value priced white wine that pairs well with seafood and Caesar salad.

"Cinq Cépages"

For the main course the ladies and I went with the beef tenderloin with gorgonzola and white truffle oil and Mick ordered the roast duck. We picked a 2001 Chateau St. Jean “Cinq Cépages” to pair with the meals. Chateau St. Jean sounds French but they are actually a California winery. The “Cinq Cépages” is a typical Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Caberent Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot.

"Grilled Calamari"

The nose on the wine was very aromatic with big fruit, loam and tobacco aromas. Tasting the wine you are met with a very smooth and balanced wine with nice acidity, good fruit and fine tannins. The finish on the wine lingered in a very pleasant way. I cannot stress how easy drinking this wine is. It was a stunning paring with tenderloin and a good pairing with the duck. My only complaint with the wine is the same thing I like about it – it was too easy to drink; I would have like a slightly bigger mouth-feel on the mid-palate.

"Heirloom tomato and bocconcini salad"

Here is the group rating for the wine - Mick – 90, Mark – 90, Kathy – 91, Amy – 89, Overall – 90.

Here is what the Wine Spectator had to say about it –

CHATEAU ST. JEAN Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County Cinq Cépages 2001

Beautifully crafted, dark, rich and layered, with blackberry, cherry, plum and wild berry fruit that zooms across the palate, holding a tight focus and finishing with a long, complex aftertaste. The tannins firm up nicely on the finish. Drink now through 2011. 15,500 cases made. –JL

Rating – 92, Release Price - $75 US

"Crab Cakes"

This wine was really good but just missed being ‘magical’ so the 90 rating we gave it is right on the money. This is a wine that you could serve to someone who isn’t a big wine fan and they probably would enjoy it as it so smooth; no harsh tannin or razor like acidity to put them off.

It is always fun to have dinner at the 1010. Daniela does a great job with the wine list as there is always an interesting new bottle or two on the list to try. The service and atmosphere is first rate and most importantly the food is awesome. If you are in the Hamilton area and enjoy fine dining and good wine, I encourage you to try the 1010 Bistro, you won’t be disappointed.

Cheers!

Mark