Saturday Night – Bison Burgers for the win – Part 1

Mick and Amy were hosting and Mick had two new dishes on tap for us to try and two new wines.  Kathy and I added to the meal by bringing dessert and a wine to go with it so we actually have 3 new wines to review.

 

The first course was Belgium Blonde Mussels with fresh sliced baguette.  Mick paired this with a 2011 Mer Soleil Sliver unoaked Chardonnay from California.

The first thing you will notice about this wine is its bottle as it is an opaque ceramic-like grey bottle that is very different from your normal wine bottle.  The plus to the design is it stands out from other bottles and the opaqueness of the bottle will prevent light from getting in possibly spoiling the wine.  The big downside to it is it is very difficult to figure out how much wine is left in the bottle as you can’t see the wine level and the bottle is heavy so it always feels like there is more left in the bottle than what there actually is.

As to the wine itself, the nose was mild but aromas of Angel’s food cake, citrus, and hops were to be found.  Tasting the wine, it was a mix of gooseberry and lime zest with the butterscotch finish.  The flavours came across a touch overripe and the wine wasn’t as crisp as I would have like for an unoaked Chardonnay.  It was easy to drink and had a slight oiliness to the mouth-feel.  It was good on its own and made a decent pairing with the Mussels, though I think a nice crisp Chablis or French Sauvignon Blanc would have been a stronger pairing.

Here is the group rating for the wine - Mick – 89, Mark – 88, Kathy – 88, Amy – 87, Overall – 88.

Here is the LCBO Information on the wine -

MER SOLEIL SILVER UNOAKED CHARDONNAY 2011
VINTAGES 220343
750 mL bottle
Price $ 28.95
Made in: California, USA
By: Mer Et Soleil
Release Date: Sep 14, 2013
Wine, White Wine
14.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Style: Full-bodied & Rich
Varietal: Chardonnay
Sugar Content: 4 g/L
Sweetness Descriptor: XD - Extra Dry
Description - This intense yet elegant Chardonnay comes in an unconventional ceramic bottle that juxtaposes an eye-catching brilliance with a stripped-down minimalist style, from the Wagner family of Caymus fame. Look for ripe apple, pear, peach, mineral and a touch of hazelnut, and pair with grilled chicken.

As for the Belgium Blonde Mussels, they were very good.  They were in a very light creamy garlic sauce that had amazing flavour to it.  I also like that the sauce didn’t completely over-power the flavour of the Mussels which can sometimes happen with other Mussel dishes.  It was also a great sauce just to dip the bread into and enjoy it that way too.  This recipe was certainly a winner.

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Saturday Night – Mick’s new classic – Part 2

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The main course was Bifteck Saute Marchand de Vins from the Julia Childs cookbook or in simpler terms - Pan broiled steak with red wine sauce and a touch of red wine shallot butter.  This was served with green beans and homemade fresh cut French fries.  Mick paired this with a 2002 Robert Mondavi Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.

 

The nose on this wine was huge with aromas of strawberry, cherry, Christmas cake, eucalyptus and cedar chest.  Tasting the wine, stewed cherries and green pepper/vegetal flavours were to be found.  The wine came across almost syrupy as the acidity was ok but the tannins were almost nowhere to be found.  This gave the wine an almost Port-like mouth feel.  The finish lingered for a long time.  If I tasted this blind I would have guessed it to be an Amarone rather than a California Cabernet. It was decent as pairing for the steak but would have been better with more tannin to give it some bite.

Here is the group rating for the wine - Mick – 89, Mark – 87, Kathy – 88, Amy – 87, Overall – 87.75.

Here is the LCBO information on the wine –

ROBERT MONDAVI CABERNET SAUVIGNON (V)
VINTAGES 255513
750 mL bottle
Price $ 34.95
Made in: California, USA
By: Robert Mondavi Winery
Release Date: N/A
Wine, Red Wine
14.3% Alcohol/Vol.
Style: Full-bodied & Firm
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Sugar Content: 5 g/L
Sweetness Descriptor: XD - Extra Dry
*Please note that this is probably the 2009/2010 vintage and not the 2002 reviewed here.

This was an odd wine to rate, as an example of a good California Cabernet Sauvignon, it fails badly but as a red wine with lots of interesting tastes and aromas it was quite good and hence why it got an 87 from me.  So if you are looking for a good Cabernet Sauvignon – move along nothing to see here, but if you are looking for a good red wine where you don’t have any preconceived notions this might be your cup of tea.

Thanks to Mick and Amy for hosting and Mick for the all the wonderful food.

Cheers!

Mark

Saturday Night – Mick’s new classic – Part 1

Mick and Amy hosted dinner this past Saturday night and they had a couple of new wines for us to try and two new dishes as well. 

 

The first course was a new one – sweet garden peppers stuffed with corn, cheese and herbs.  Mick paired this dish with a 2007 Chateau Pey La Tour (red wine).

The second course was a BBQ Brie with bruschetta topping served with toasted baguette slices and we had the 2007 Chateau Pey La Tour with this course as well.

The nose on the wine was easy to find with cherry, pine needles and tar.  Tasting the wine, a sour cherry flavour dominates the wine but there is also a hint of mushroom lurking in the background.  The balance was off slight as the acidity was stronger than the tannin in this wine.  The higher acidity was different as it reminded me more of a Sangiovese from Italy than a Bordeaux blend.  The wine had a nice medium length finish.  Not a big fan of the wine on its own, it got even worse with the first course as something in the dish was throwing it a curveball it couldn’t handle but it was very good with the BBQ Brie. 

 

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

 

Here is the LCBO information on the wine –

CHÂTEAU PEY LA TOUR (V)
VINTAGES 925859
750 mL bottle
Price $ 19.95
Made in: Bordeaux, France
By: Dourthe Freres
Release Date: N/A
Wine, Red Wine
13.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Style: Full-bodied & Smooth
Varietal: Bordeaux
Sugar Content: 4 g/L
Sweetness Descriptor: XD - Extra Dry

 

Before I jump to part 2, I would like to state how good Mick’s BBQ Brie was.  Mick has done this recipe a few times over the past couple of years and it has always been very good.  Tonight’s version was stunning and I don’t think I have enjoyed a dish that much in a long time.  This dish is certainly a classic and I hope that we’ll be having it again a number of times in the near future.

 

Click here for Part 2

Saturday Night - Return of the Combique

The Blog has been a little quiet recently as our usual Saturday dinners with Mick and Amy haven’t been so usual.  Health matters, schedules and holidays were to blame but on the upside we did get together with Mick and Amy on Saturday with four extra guests as Steve, Melanie, Zdenka and Alex joined us.  The original plan was Mick, Steve and myself were going to hit the drag-strip and spend the afternoon laying down some rubber on the track and then the eight of us were going to get together for a Combique style dinner.  Unfortunately due to the weather the only thing getting laid down on the track was lots of rain water.

 

Normally for a Combique each couple brings an appetizer sized course and a bottle of wine to pair with it.  For this one, as we were supposed to be at the track most of the day, we changed so I would provide the meat for a mixed grill, Mick/Amy and Melanie/Steve were making sides to go with the mixed and Zdenka/Alex were bringing dessert

As the weather cancelled the event and I had free time I made a Blue Cheese and Bacon dip as a starter and we kicked the evening off with this and a bottle of Roederer Champagne (which turned into two bottles as the first went down so well).  I won’t review the Champagne as we have had it a number of times and it is always very good.

The main course was a mixed grill of Beef Tenderloin, Chicken and Wild Boar Sausage which Mick was kind enough to grill on the BBQ.  Mick made a corn and bean salad which was very good and Melanie made cheese stuff potatoes (two types – Blue Cheese and Cheddar) and a tomato and feta salad.  The potatoes were awesome looking and tasted just as good as they looked. 

I opened a bottle of 2005 Decoy as the pairing to go with the main course.  Decoy is a red wine blend (45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot 11% Cabernet Franc, 8% Petit Verdot.) from California.

Nosing the wine, you will find a nice mix of black licorice, eucalyptus, pine, black berry and black pepper.  Tasting the wine, flavours of raspberry, mint, pepper and green pepper are to be found.  The wine came across as very dry due to the tannin being a little out of balance when drinking it on its own.  Having the wine with the food though is where it really shined; the tannin was toned down thanks to the food and the wine came across as very smooth.  I was impressed that the wine was easily big enough to handle all the different flavours of the main course without an issue and worked as a great pairing for all of those food flavours.  The other thing of note was the finish – big, beautiful and lingered around forever.  All in all, a very solid and nicely crafted red blend.

Here is the group rating for the wine - Mick – 90, Mark – 90, Kathy – 88, Amy – 89, Overall – 89.25.

There was no LCBO information on the wine but a quick web search puts it at $29 US per bottle so between $40 and $50 Canadian.  At that price, it is a heck of a wine for the money and I would recommend if you happen to come across some to pick it up.

For Dessert, Alex and Zdenka brought a La Rocca Chocolate Truffle Royale cake which happens to be a favourite of Amy’s.  It was a nice finish to a great evening.

It was great seeing Alex, Zdenka, Melanie and Steve again.  Too much time passes between our get-togethers but it is amazing how quickly we get comfortable around one another as if no time at all has passed. 

Thanks to everyone for making it a great night!

Cheers!
Mark

Saturday Night – Yakiniku… huh? – Part 3

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Mick has certainly been much more adventuresome then I have been over the last few years in trying new dishes and I give him credit for that.  On the other hand, I think the quest to do new things is starting to put too much pressure on him as the main course was something he called Yakiniku beef.  Now I’m not even bothering to do an Internet search to see if Yakiniku beef is real or not as I’m convinced he is just making shit up at this point.

 

So the main course was “Yakiniku” beef and Mick paired it with a 2011 Loveblock Pinot Noir from New Zealand.

The nose on the Pinot was big and easy to find with aromas of strawberry, cherry, smoke, tobacco, black pepper and some herbaceous notes in the background.  Tasting the wine, sour cherry is the main flavour.  The wine came across simple and one dimensional as it was a touch acidic and the sour cherry flavour wasn’t lighting me up like a Christmas tree.  It did work as a good pairing with the beef but I wonder if a peppery Shiraz would have been a better match.

 

Here is the group rating for the wine - Mick – 87, Mark – 86, Kathy – 84, Amy – 88, Overall – 85.75.

 

Here is the LCBO information on the wine –

 

LOVEBLOCK PINOT NOIR 2011
VINTAGES 313924
750 mL bottle
Price $ 23.55
Made in: Central Otago, New Zealand
By: Loveblock Vintners Ltd
Release Date: Feb 16, 2013
Wine, Red Wine
13.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Sugar Content: 5 g/L
Sweetness Descriptor: XD - Extra Dry

 

Description -  Loveblock is the new biodynamic and organically focused project for renowned New Zealand winemaker, Kim Crawford. Free sulphur: 18 mg/L.

 

Tasting Note -  Marvellous complexity on the nose with a smoky-mocha layer atop red cherry, raspberry and a flinty minerality. The very well-structured palate demonstrates considerable sophistication through the continuance of the oak, mocha, smoke and red fruit and lengthy finish. Delicious. (VINTAGES panel, June 2012)

 

The “Yakiniku” beef or whatever Mick was calling it was very good and the two side sauces he made to go with it really put it over the top.  The sticky rice and the homemade pickles from the garden were great compliments to the beef dish.

 

Lots of good food and great company always make these nights a ton of fun.  I would like to thank Mick for all his hard work on the all three of the dishes he made (no matter what crazy names he calls them) and another thank you to Mick and Amy for hosting.

 

Cheers!

 

Mark

Saturday Night – Yakiniku… huh? – Part 2

For the second course Mick did Trout Bruschetta and paired it with a 2011 Jean Marc Brocard les Vieilles Vignes de Sainte Claire which is a Chablis.  This wine always makes me giggle as Jean Marc Brocard sounds like Jean Luc Picard from Star Trek and when Mick offers to fill my glass, I can’t resist saying “Make it so, number one”.

 

The nose on the wine was faint but aromas of butter, melon, nutmeg and floral notes could be found.  Tasting the wine lemon and lime were the two main flavours with hints of butterscotch and pineapple in the background.  This wine was very smooth and exceptionally easy drinking as the acidity was very mild, almost too much so as it got lost against the food at times.  I liked this wine but felt it needed to be a touch bigger to be a better pairing with the food.  On the other hand, we killed the bottle with no issues and I was sad when the bottle was empty as I could have easily poured myself another glass or three.

Here is the group rating for the wine - Mick – 89, Mark – 88, Kathy – 87, Amy – 88, Overall – 88.

Here is the LCBO information on the wine –

JEAN-MARC BROCARD SAINTE CLAIRE VIEILLES VIGNES CHABLIS 2011
VINTAGES 329995
750 mL bottle
Price $ 24.95
Made in: Burgundy, France
By: Jean Marc Brocard
Release Date: Aug 31, 2013
Wine, White Wine
12.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Style: Light & Crisp
Varietal: Chardonnay
Sugar Content: 5 g/L
Sweetness Descriptor: XD - Extra Dry

Tasting Note -  The 2011 Chablis Les Vieilles Vignes de Sainte Claire (tank) comes across as intensely saline and pointed. Lemon, flowers, and crushed rocks form the core of this beautifully delineated, energetic Chablis. Anticipated maturity: 2013+. Score - 90-92. (Antonio Galloni, erobertparker.com, Aug. 2012)

The wine was good but the real star of this course was the Trout Bruschetta; this dish certainly knew the way to downtown flavour country and wasn’t stopping for anything.  The Trout was smoked beautifully and add the garden fresh tomatoes with just a hint of dill mixed in and you have a stunning dish.

Click here for Part 3

Saturday Night – Yakiniku… huh? – Part 1

This Saturday it was Mick and Amy’s turn to host the usual Saturday night dinner.  Mick had 3 new dishes and 3 new wines lined up for us to try.

The first course was Santa Fe Popper made from peppers from Mick’s garden and filled with cream cheese and bacon.  Mick paired this with a 2009 Robert Mondavi “Napa Valley” Fumé Blanc.  If you look through the North American wine list link on the right side of the page, so will see we have been drinking this wine for years; a new vintage year is more like a returning friend than a something new but we haven’t reviewed it in a while so it was time to take a fresh look.

The nose on the wine was pretty with aromas of diced peaches, wet stone, melon, mango and vanilla.  Tasting the wine a grapefruit and smoke flavour dominates this wine.  It came across a little bitter on the mid-palate which I didn’t like and wasn’t a huge fan of this wine on its own.  With the food the wine got much better, which historically has been the case with this wine.  The food softened the bitterness and brought out more of the wine’s fruit to the surface.  The Santa Fe Poppers were much spicier than Mick figured and the wine really helped neutralized the burn of them.

Here is the group rating for the wine - Mick – 88, Mark – 86, Kathy – 86, Amy – 85, Overall – 86.25.

Here is the LCBO information on the wine -

ROBERT MONDAVI FUMÉ BLANC 2010
VINTAGES 221887
750 mL bottle
Price $ 22.95
Made in: California, USA
By: Constellation Brands Inc.
Release Date: Jul 6, 2013
Wine, White Wine
13.9% Alcohol/Vol.
Style: Aromatic & Flavourful
Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon
Sugar Content: 2 g/L
Sweetness Descriptor: XD - Extra Dry

Tasting Note  -  Fumé Blanc is just another name for Sauvignon Blanc, and this is a delicious one. Dry and racy in acidity, it has deep citrus, tropical fruit and gooseberry flavors. At this price, it's one of the best Sauvignon Blancs on the market. Score - 90. (Steve Heimoff, Wine Enthusiast, Oct. 2012)

* Please note that this listing is for the 2010 and not the 2009 reviewed here.

Fumé Blanc has always been an odd wine as it isn’t something that will pair well with millions of things but give this wine something citrus or cream based and that has a lot of spicy burn and it will shine.

Click here for Part 2