It was raining all day Saturday and things weren’t looking promising for our BBQ in the evening. Mick stepped up and stated that he’d be grilling rain or shine. This summer has been wettest summer on record for southern Ontario.
Friday, Kathy and I picked up NY Strips that were on special at our local butcher. The cost savings were nice but the main reason we picked them up is they looked amazing. We were both drooling at the counter looking at them.
The other reason we picked up the NY Strips is we have an August tradition with Mick and Amy which we call “Blackout day”. A few years back, the power grid went down for a good part of eastern Canada and the US. The day that it happened, was grocery day for Kathy and I so we had nothing in the fridge to eat. Everything was closed due to the power being out so we were stuck. I suggested that we walk up to Mick and Amy’s and see what they had for planned for dinner. We arrived just as Mick was getting home and he laughed when we told him of our food state and said he had 4 huge NY Strips that he was going to grill up and use over the next couple of days. He was glad that they wouldn’t go to waste and happily invited us for dinner. We said we’d bring the wine.
"Too good for words!"That night we stuffed ourselves on steak and BBQ’d corn and killed a couple bottles of 1998 Mondavi Coastal Cabernet Sauvignon. For an impromptu evening, it was a really good time. Every August since we usually have NY strips, corn on the cob and a 1998 California Cabernet to celebrate that night. This year I grabbed my last bottle of 1998 California Cabernet off the rack for this dinner – a 1998 Robert Mondavi “Oakville” Cabernet Sauvignon.
We showed up with the steaks and the wine at Mick and Amy’s; Mick was busy prepping up an appetizer. The appetizer was a new recipe, blackened grilled scallops with avocado relish and tortillas. I had mixed feeling upon hearing about the appetizer as I’m not a huge fan of scallops and avocado isn’t something I jump for joy about either. Mick had a mystery white wine decanting in the fridge to go with the grilled scallops.
"Mystery wine!"
I ask what type of grape the white was and Mick quickly replied Sauvignon Blanc. He finished grilling the scallops and served them up and then grabbed the decanter from the fridge. I raised an eyebrow as he brought the decanter out from the fridge as the colour was very wrong for a Sauvignon Blanc which is usually a pale straw with a slight greenish tint to it and this was a deep golden colour, more like a Chardonnay.
He poured out the wine and I nosed it, my confusion really started growing at this point as the most predominate aroma was apple. Usually with a Sauvignon Blanc cut grass, gooseberry or cat’s pee are common aromas with it. Suddenly the lights went on and I asked, “This isn’t a pure Sauvignon Blanc, is it?”
"Rain Man :)"
Mick at this point admitted it was a blend and his reason for decanting it was he didn’t want any preconceived notions about the wine. This is because he knows I passionately hate white blends, of the number of white blends we’ve tried there has been one that I liked the rest were awkward messes of a wine that ranged from awful to mediocre at best.
The problem with white blends is I find that they bring out the worst characteristics of each of the grapes used in making the wine.
The mystery wine was a 2005 Beringer Knight's Valley Alluvium Blanc and tasting it on its own matched all my previous experiences with white blends – awkward with an identity crisis. The acidity was very soft and rounded though “blunted” would be a better way to describe it. The wine had flavors of citrus, grapefruit and vanilla.
On the upside, the wine was a good pairing for the food, though I’d be curious how a pure Sauvignon Blanc with razor sharp acidity would have been with it as I suspect it would have been better.
The scallops were really good and the combination of the avocado relish and tortillas just made this dish. I ate them like a man on mission and found myself asking for seconds as they were that good. That is high praise from a person who wasn’t keen on two of the main ingredients.
Here is the group rating for the wine -Mick - 86, Mark - 83, Kathy – 86, Amy - 86, Overall – 85.25.
Here is the LCBO Information on the wine –
05 Beringer Alluvium White
Vintages 403188
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 25.75
Wine, White Wine,
14.2% Alcohol/Vol.
Made in: California, United States
By: Foster'S Wine Estates Americas
Release Date: N/A
As the LCBO description is somewhat lacking here is what the Wine Spectator had to say about it –
Beringer Alluvium Blanc Knights Valley 2005
Smoky, spicy and toasty aromatics frame the mineral, citrus and pear flavors. Good intensity and persistence on the finish, with a light body and juicy acidity. Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Chardonnay, and Viognier. Drink now. 4,455 cases made. –MW
Score – 88, Price - $16.
Hopefully Mick will do this dish again and we can try it with a Mondavi Fume Blanc or a Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley in France.
"Huge meat!"
For the main course we had the NY strips, corn on the cob and Zippy sauce with a 1998 Robert Mondavi “Oakville” Cabernet Sauvignon. The steaks tasted as good as they’d looked and Mick grilled these to absolute perfection. They were so good that I think if we had NY strips every night for the next year, you probably wouldn’t be able to beat how good these were.
"1998 - We'll miss you!"
1998 was not known as a banner year for California Cabs, 1997 and 1999 were much more highly rated and sought after. Yet 1998 California Cabs have been some of our favourites. The 1998 Mondavi “Oakville” had a great nose of leather, cherry, cedar and tobacco.
The taste of the wine was good, but not the best of the 1998’s that I’ve tried; it had nice acidity, soft tannin, the fruit was lacking and leaned more towards herbaceous. Mick was detecting "candied cherry” but we are all starting to wonder about him as he seems to be detecting “candied cherry” in almost every red we’ve tried recently or as Amy so nicely put it "candied cherry mixed with the crack he was smoking".
"Blackout dinner!"The wine did go very well with the steaks and Zippy sauce.
Here is the group rating for the wine -Mick - 88, Mark - 87, Kathy – 88, Amy - 86, Overall – 87.25.
Oddly enough the LCBO has a listing for this wine, but of course no stock –
Robert Mondavi Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon 1998
Vintages 687343
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 59.00
Wine, Red Wine,
14.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Made in: California/Californie, United States
By: Robert Mondavi Winery
Release Date: Oct 24, 2007
Tasting Note -Not second to its 1999 mate by very much, and probably a little bigger and fuller on the palate, this very attractive wine is a bit less fruity overall and reveals a somewhat pushy toasty, leathery edge that lends a fair bit of complexity. Its underlying structure is supple and balanced with well-integrated tannins for grip. It can age for a few years yet. Score - 89. (Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wines, Dec. 2002)
Here is what the
Wine Spectator had to say about it –
Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville 1998
Nice up front currant, plum, herb, toasty oak and cedary flavor, supple and rich, but on the finish it turns a bit herbal and tannic. Drink now through 2010. –JL
Score – 88, Price $50
Amy had picked up a chocolate truffle cake for dessert but I passed on it as I was so full I couldn’t have even eaten a “wafer thin mint”.
The evening was a good tribute to the original “Blackout” meal and I’m already looking forward to next August!
Cheers!
Mark
