Vertical Tasting

Last evening Thomas, his lovely wife Emily and I kicked off the first of our wine and tapas tasting evenings. A group of 18 wine aficionados crowded around a long, unsteady table in a warehouse room with no real kitchen, poor lighting and Chardonnay coloured walls to enjoy a selection of high end French and Italian wines. We tasted through three flights of three wines. Each flight was accompanied by a delicious dish prepared by Emily. I had the fortune of sitting with the guests to taste through the wines, eat and chat, while Thomas enlightened us on biodynamics and the wine biz in general and Emily, almost without notice, prepped and served a three course meal.

FLIGHT 1: Ferraton Pere et Fils "Le Meal" Ermitage 1998, 1999, 2000
These wines are all 100% Syrah from the noted "Le Meal" vineyard (climat) in this tiny Northern Rhone appellation. The soil is granite and the steep terraced slopes do not allow for mechanization. "Le Meal" is known for producing tannic and long lived reds (Chapoutier being the most famous producer). At $108 a bottle I was expecting these wines to show better than they did. The 1998 was slightly vegetal, with bell pepper notes and leather, medium bodied with dusty tannins and high acidity. 1999 had a very interesting nose - spice, incense, cedar, still very astringent on the palate with a slightly smoked meat note and medium length. I preferred the 2000 which was bursting with black pepper and plums, full and broad on the palate with the most balance.
FOOD PAIRING:
Roasted duck breast stuffed with fennel & rosemary accented by sautéed rapini
The general consensus was that the wines were ameliorated by the food - the fennel complimented the spicy notes of the Syrah and the slightly bitter rapini brought out the fruit in the wine.

FLIGHT2: Marco Felluga "Sorripa", Tuscany 2000, 2001, 2002 (Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, Merlot)
The Cabernet Sauvignon is evident is the blend - lots of dark berry fruits, blackcurrant, cedar. The 2000 and 2001 are holding up well; both bright and balanced with lots of fruit and supple tannins. The difficult vintage of 2002 is reflected in the wine - slightly green, bitter notes. Probably why this bottle sells for less than the previous two.
FOOD PAIRING:

Meatballs in a roasted grape tomato tarragon sauce on warm polenta

These bitesized rustic meatballs paired well with the Tuscan red. A few guests commented on the sauce as being the best they had ever tasted. I unfortunately I don't have recipe for the tasty meatballs - these were entirely Emily's creation.

FLIGHT 3: Serego Alighieri "Vaio Armaron", Amarone 1990, 1993, 1995
We saved the best for last. This flight was the most interesting and impressive by far. The wines were very mature, but not over the hill. I was unsure about how the 1990 would hold up, but it was open revealing prune and chocolate and mature rancio character. The 1993 had the most distinct nose of the three - earthy, mushroom, leathery notes with less of the raisiny fruit character of the other two vintages. The 1995 had those rich rancio notes, fig, raisin and flowers. The Amarone was the evening's winner - I see why Italians refer to these complex and layered wines as "Vini da meditazione" (wines to meditate on). The wines continued to open up and change as they sat in the glass.
FOOD PAIRING:

Homemade gnocchi al gorgonzola

When Emily brought out her homemade gnocchi al gorgonzola the room went silent and the attention turned to these perfectly prepared dumplings. These were probably the best gnocchi any of us there have ever tasted. Made fresh that morning from sweet Yukon gold potatoes and boiled on site, the slightly sweet and lightly textured gnocchi coated in a silky, creamy blue cheese sauce just melted the mouth. Delicioso!

We're looking forward to hosting our next event in a larger space with a warmer setting. We'll make sure to have more visuals and music which will surely add to the evening. I wonder how people feel about accordion music to set the mood? I know two budding accordionists who may be interested in performing.......

Cheers!
Alanna