Saturday Night – Pulled Pork and other goodies

Mick and Amy were hosting this past Saturday night’s dinner.  For the first course Mick had a new recipe on tap for us to try – grilled pear and blue cheese bruschetta.  Mick paired this course with a 2012 Cakebread Cellars Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc.

 

The nose on the wine was mild as you needed to swirl the glass to get much off of it but you were rewarded with pleasant aromas of pear, Irish Spring soap, mushroom and vanilla.  Tasting the wine it starts pear and finishes with a pink grapefruit flavour with hints of vanilla throughout.  Structure wise the wine was a bit of an odd duck, as it starts very soft but then just after the midway point there is a a real bite to it.  The balance was decent as the acidity was good but I’m not a fan of the oak being added to this wine.  I liked it as a pairing but found that at times it was getting lost against the powerful flavours of the dish.

Here is the group rating for the wine - Mick – 87, Mark – 86, Kathy – 86, Amy – 87, Overall – 86.5.

Here is the LCBO information on the wine –

Cakebread Cellars Sauvignon Blanc 2012
VINTAGES#: 707224  
Price: $41.95
Release Date: June 21, 2014
750 mL bottle
Alcohol/Vol14.0%
Made in: California, USA
By: Kobrand Corporation
Sugar Content:2 g/L
Sweetness Descriptor: XD - Extra Dry
Style: Aromatic & Flavourful
Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc Blend

Description - The 2012 Cakebread Cellars Sauvignon Blanc brings wonderful aromas of fresh cut grass, citrus, herbal notes and melon. I love the vibrancy and freshness along with the racy finish. Fermented in a combination of stainless steel and French oak, then aged in mature French oak barrels for 5 months. (Best 2013-2015) Score - 90. (internationalwinereport.com, June 2013)

Mick picked this wine up in the US and didn’t have to pay duty on it which is good because at a $42 CDN bottle price point this wine certainly isn’t a good deal.  The grilled pear and blue cheese bruschetta was very tasting especially as it was topped with crispy prosciutto. 

For the main course Mick did pulled pork, smoked macaroni and cheese and homemade coleslaw and gave us a choice of so many BBQ sauces it wasn’t funny.  He paired this with a 2011 Ben Marco Malbec.  We have reviewed this wine before so I won’t go into much detail other than to say it was a great pairing with the main course.

For dessert, Amy picked up a selection of cupcakes which was a nice way to end the evening.

Thanks to Mick and Amy for hosting and to Mick for all of his hard work in making some very yummy food dishes.

Cheers!

Mark