The home is in a gated community, set a ways back from the guard gate. I rather enjoyed the scenery as I took the twists and turns until the GPS told me I had arrived and (I swear) that my destination was on the right.
I pulled into the driveway, parked, and reached into the back to retrieve my jacket and the bottle of wine that I had brought. Another car pulled up in the meanwhile and a lovely young couple exited and made their way towards the front door. I followed closely on their heels and shook their hands in the foyer. I raised my head and looked out into the the space beyond this couple and saw between six and eight perfectly (casually) coiffed couples. I walked in deeper and began shaking hands. I was becoming a little concerned though, because (i) this was supposed to have been a stag dinner and (ii) I was expecting a more mature group (not that there is anything wrong with successful, well-groomed young people).
I asked, hesitantly, "Am I at the right place?" One of the burnished young faces asked "Who are you looking for?" "WJ," I said. "Oh, he lives across the street." I was mortified. Luckily I had not grabbed a drink so I could slink out without having to look for a place to rest my glass. I drove across the street and was relieved when I saw WJ coming out of the house to welcome me. I did not mention a word as to what had happened until much later in the evening when the alcohol flowing through my veins loosened my tongue. We all had a hearty laugh. WJs daughter Elizabeth (the official photographer for the night's event) reassured me that the people whose party I had inadvertently crashed "are nice people."
I was among the early arrivals and one of the first things I noted upon entry was the large number of empty glasses on a couple of tables in a hallway off the sitting room. As only eight of us would be dining, it was clear that each attendee would have a dedicated glass for each wine of each flight. That is great because it provides the opportunity to continually revisit wines after the initial flurry. This was serious stuff.
At 6:30 our Sommelier Brandon Boudreau began pouring the 2007 Mas Del Serral. I have posted on this wine, motivated partly by the impression it made on me and partly based on Brandon's encyclopedic knowledge of the wine. The hor d'oeuvres shown below accompanied the wine. Their freshness and fullness of flavor were the opening salvos in what would prove to be an epic night.
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| Brandon Boudreau was our Sommelier for the night. His full-time job is Sommelier in the Georgian Room at Sea Island Resort |
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| Seared Scallop Ceviche |
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| Razor Clams |
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| Blinis with Smoked Cobia |
At the conclusion of our "Cava Hour," we were ushered into the dining room to commence our dinner.
The first course was a Sauteed Escargot (shown in the second picture below) and it was accompanied by the 1981 and 1985 Lopez de Heredia Viña Tondonio Tintos.
The 1981 was perfumed and floral with red fruit, bramble, baking spices, and coconut on the nose. Smooth and elegant on the palate with strawberry, citrus, burnt orange, and leather. The 1985 was broader on the nose with coconut and red fruits apparent. Bright red fruit on the palate and higher acid levels. Coal tar. Lead pencil finish.
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| Parsnip Parsley Veloute, Sauteed Escargot, Oven-Fried Morel Mushrooms |
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| Chef Erik Osol, Chef de Cuisine at Ponte Vedra Inn and Club as well as Head Chef at both its Seafoam Room and Seahorse Grill |
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| 1981 and 1985 Tondonias |
The second course was a Seared Black Bass accompanied by the 1962 and 1964 Vega Sicilia Unicos.
The 1962 had a slight green character with coconut, leather, baking spices and red fruit on the nose. Concentrated but less alive than I would have hoped. This wine still has a long life ahead. The 1964 showed some funk on the nose along with spice, mint, and red fruits. More open than its compatriot. Full round mouthfeel with a cherry liqueur note. Balanced. Lengthy finish.
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| Seared Black Bass, White Gazpacho, Summer Truffle |
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| 1962 and 1964 Vega Sicilia Unicos |
The CVNE showed rose petals tobacco, baking spices, vanilla, and a metallic note. Layered on the palate with tobacco and a cupric character coming through from the nose. Engages the entire palate. An excellent wine. The Ygay showed spice, faded rose petals and strawberry, and a nuttiness on the nose. Flat and unyielding on the palate.
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| Roasted Duck Breast, Buttered Radish, Currant Poultry Nage, Fava Beans, Pickled Blueberries, Baby Turnips, Pickled Ramp |
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| 1978 CVNE and 1982 Marquès de Murietta Ygay |
The Venison course was accompanied by the Lopez de Heredia Bosconia 1954, 1961, and 1968.
The Bosconia wines were all darker than any of the wines that had gone before. The 1954 showed waxy dark fruit, spice, nutmeg, leather truffles, and licorice. On the palate medium-bodied with sweet dark fruit. Lengthy finish. The 1961 displayed stewed dark fruit, wax, coconut, and spice. Bright on the palate. The 1968 was elegant. Earth, bramble, and dark fruit on the nose. Lengthy, bitter finish.
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| Seared Venison Loin, Burnt Sweet Onions, Pickled Juniper Berry, Hand-Shucked Garbanzo Beans, Demi-Glace |
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| 1954, 1961, and 1968 Lopez de Heredia Bosconia Tintos |
We did a very European thing and closed out with a salad. The salad was paired with the 1964 and 1973 Lopez de Heredia Viña Tondonio Blanco.
The 1964 was a beautiful wine. Notes of honey and burnt orange. Nutty with massive minerality. Palate cleansing and palate pleasing with a never-ending finish. The 1973 was disappointingly slow out of the gate. It was less lively, and appeared older, than the 1964. It was also lighter-bodied. With some residence in the glass it lifted its head off the floor but it was truly outclassed.
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| Marigold, Pea Shoots, Lemon Palm, Red Oak, Herb Greens, Yellow Beet Puree, Preserved Lemon Vinaigrette |
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| 1964 and 1973 Tondonia Blancos |
We had three separate Madeiras accompany the cheeses and a fairly lengthy and in-depth presentation on the wines by the owner.
The 1851 Leacock Boal Solera was rich with orange, dried herbs, oxidative note, and nuttiness on the nose. Dried fruits, orange, figs, caramel and nuttiness on the palate. Acidity balances out the sweetness. Persistent finish. The 1877 Camara de Lobos Torre Bella showed caramel, beeswax, nuttiness. Hazelnuts and caramel on the palate. The 1891 Barbeito Ribiero Real Bual was rich with spice, orange, and cherry liqueur. Great acid level. Long, tangy finish.
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| Local and Imported Cheeses to include: Wainright Cheeses, Magnolia Ash Blue, Parmesan, Rabiola |
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| 1851 Leacock Boal Solera, 1877 Camara de Lobos Torre Bella, 1891 Barbeito Ribiero Real Bual |
The full lineup of dinner wines is shown below.
At the conclusion of the formal dinner we sought to cleanse the palates with a few bottles of Champagne.
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This was an excellent tasting. It was well architected, curated, and staged. I must first of all thank WJ for putting this together and providing the wines that formed the core of the tasting.
Brandon Boudreau, our Sommelier, did a phenomenal job. He opened, tasted, and served each and every bottle of wine, working alone for the most part. His staging of the glasses allowed him to pour the wines away from the table and deliver ready-to-drink portions to the table in a just-in-time manner.
The chefs outdid themselves. Resort chefs are not known for delivering this level of inventiveness and innovation in this custom setting but these guys came through with flying colors. Each dish was on point.
I really enjoyed tasting with the group. I was the newbie but these guys are all wine lovers and foodies and the quality of the food and wines provided fertile ground for some truly interesting dialogue.
The wines showed well with my favorites being the Tondonia Tintos, the 1964 Vega Sicilia, the 1978 CVNE, and the 1964 Tondonia Blanco. Of course I also liked the 2007 Mas Del Serral.
A night to remember.
©Wine -- Mise en abyme
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