Saturday Night – Miso Hungry – Part 1

Mick and Amy were hosting this past Saturday night’s dinner and Mick has a Miso theme going on.  The last time Mick did the Yakiniku beef, the recipe called for Miso paste for the dipping sauce but Mick couldn’t find any and went with a different sauce.  Mick earlier in the week found a market that carries Miso paste so decided to do Yakiniku beef again but this time did it with the right dipping sauce.

For the starter Mick did grilled scallops and scallions with a Miso and orange glaze and served it with a side salad.  The pairing was a bottle of 2011 Chateau St. Jean Fumé Blanc from California.

The pretty nose consisted of acacia, wet stone and nectarine aromas.  Tasting the wine it started with sweetened pink grapefruit with a creamy vanilla mid-palate and finished with a lemon/lime bite.  The structure was very balanced but was missing that usual bite of high acidity that you would expect to find in a Fumé Blanc.  It was a very drinkable wine and was good as a pairing with the food but even better just on its own.  It wasn’t the greatest example of a Fumé Blanc but as a white wine this wine had a lot of enjoyable qualities to it.

Here is the group rating for the wine - Mick – 88, Mark – 88, Kathy – 87, Amy – 88, Overall – 87.75.

Here is the LCBO information on the wine –

CHÂTEAU ST. JEAN FUMÉ BLANC 2011

VINTAGES 537639
750 mL bottle
Price $ 19.95
Made in: California, USA
By: Treasury Wine Estates
Release Date: Mar 29, 2014
Wine, White Wine
13.6% Alcohol/Vol.
Style: Aromatic & Flavourful
Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon
Sugar Content: 7 g/L
Sweetness Descriptor: XD - Extra Dry

Tasting Note - This almost clear colored Sauvignon Blanc opens with a mild wet stone and gentle lime bouquet with a touch of herbaceousness. On the palate, this wine is light bodied, acidic, and mouthwatering. The flavor profile is a mineral infused lime with hints of green pepper and green apple. The finish is dry and nicely prolonged. The panel suggested pairing this good value wine with grilled mahi mahi or shrimp scampi. Enjoy! Score - 89. (Ken Hoggins, kenswineguide.com, May 21, 2013)

For $20 this wine is a heck of a value and I would love to try this with Greek food or some Hummus as I believe it would be an exceptional pairing.

The Miso Orange Scallops were really good; the flavouring was subtle and didn’t take away from the scallops and Mick grilled the scallops perfectly.

Click here for Part 2