Our Next Tasting

Stock Your Cellar - Kevin Pelley's Best Value Selections

Vintners tasting dinners begin at 7:00 p.m., sharp. Doors open for registration and hors d'oeuvres reception at 6:30 p.m.

     Thursday June 21, 2018

Reservations Closed
Course Pairing / Description Wine
Hors D' Oeuvres Honey-Soy Roasted Chicken Salad Phyllo Cup (Garlic, Brunoised Carrots and Parsley with Roasted Sesame Seeds) Crispy Asparagus & Fontina Aracini (Charred Tomato and Basil Aioli with Pecorino Cheese)
The 2015 Mestizaje is the entry-level blend of Bobal with some 10% Syrah, 6% Garnacha (Grenache), 5% Merlot and a 2% pinch each of Cabernet Sauvignon and Tempranillo. The Bobal is a red grape native to Spain and is most widely planted in the Utiel-Requena appellation, where it makes up about 80 percent of production. It flourishes in the hot summers of the high plains in this interior tableland near Valencia, in the southeast of Spain. Bobal makes wines known for their dark color, chewy tannins and spicy dark fruit notes with a juicy acidity. The grapes come from head-pruned, dry-farmed vines planted mostly in the early 1990s. Each variety is fermented separately and then aged for one year in oak vats and barrels. The palate also shows some chalkiness (all the grapes come from vineyards in Finca Terrerazo, where there is a high content in limestone) and a Mediterranean character, but without heat. Deep in color with an intriguing nose of black fruits, violets, cedar and black pepper. The fleshy dark fruit flavors of blackberry and black currant are lifted by brink mineral acidity (this is where those limestone soils come through) and fine tannins. This leaves you on a nice sweet and spicy finish, a perfect pair with anything cooked over fire and smoke.
Mustiguillo ‘Mestizaje’ Bobal 2015
Pasta Course Artisan Sonoma Goat Cheese Ravioli (EVOO and San Marzanno Sugo with Basil and Garlicky Spinach
The Chateau des Jacques Morgon is 100% Gamay from the Beaujolais vineyards situated in the Southern part of the Burgundy region of France. There are 55,000 acres of vineyards planted in this area. Morgon is one of the 10 ‘Crus' of the Beaujolais. The production area of Morgon is about 2,750 acres on a granite and schist soil. Maison Jadot bought this vineyard in 2001. It is situated on the slopes over the village of Villié Morgon, facing South to South-East. It covers 87.5 acres on the Morgon appellation. This wine is vinified in vats for 12 to 20 days. Since the 2001 vintage, they produce different "cuvées" from the different Clos: Côte du Py, Bellevue and Les Charmes. They are then aged in oak barrels before bottling. With a deep sherry color and with walnut and little red fruits aromas, this wine has silky tannins that will help it to age. Partners well with charcuteries, Italian foods, red and white meats when young. As the wine ages, it will be perfect with game meat.
Chateau des Jacques Morgon 2015
Pasta Course Artisan Sonoma Goat Cheese Ravioli (EVOO and San Marzanno Sugo with Basil and Garlicky Spinach
Pinot Noir fruit reflects its soil and growing conditions more than any other black grape. When the stars align, as they do in the Santa Lucia Highlands, the result is near perfection. Pinot Noirs from the region offer soft tannins, delicious plum and cherry aromas and flavors and an underpinning of the earth itself. Without a doubt, its defining feature is its irresistibly silky, velvety texture. The Hahn SLH Pinot Noir is truly an estate wine. It is produced entirely in the Santa Lucia Highlands where Hahn grows the grapes in their own vineyards, chooses the best fruit, ages the wine in French oak barrels in their cellar and bottles it on site. To make this Pinot Noir, the winemakers select fruit that yields the most expressive aromas and flavors. After the fruit is carefully sorted, it undergoes a three-day cold soak in open top fermenters. They then age this 100% Pinot Noir for 11 months in a selection of French oak barrels. When the wine is ready to be blended, Hahn chooses the barrels they feel best exemplified the aromas, flavors and structure of the Santa Lucia Highlands. The result is a Pinot Noir that opens with alluring aromas of black cherry and dark currant. What follows are intense black fruit flavors balanced by ripe red plums and a hint of allspice. A slight acidity beautifully highlights the supple tannins and long finish.
Hahn ‘SLH’ Pinot Noir - 2016
Mushroom Course Wild Oyster Mushroom & Mascarpone Risotto (Roasted Sweet Peppers and Barolo-Basil Syrup)
Casa E. di Mirafiore is a historic brand in the world of Italian wine. The name is both new and old, it first becoming established in the 1870s, by King Vittorio Emanuel II of Savoy and named for his son (with Countess Bela Rosin), Emanuele, Count of Mirafiore within the Fontanafredda village in Serralunga d’Alba, Piedmont. The vineyard rose to international renown only to disappear in the third decade of the following century. The name remained dormant for more than seventy years until its reappearance today. This Barolo is made from a selection of Nebbiolo vineyards which have a Miocene-Helvetian origin with a high content of limestone and grey marl alternating with sand, together with iron, phosphorus and potassium, within the commune of Serralunga d’Alba. The grapes undergo long maceration and 2 years aging in medium and large sized oak barrels. The grapes from these soils are high in tannins, and produce full bodied, mineral driven, long lived wines. Aromas of rose petals and dried cherries give way to flavors of plum, black cherry, spice with tight grained tannins and a firm structure and a long, complex finish.
Casa E. di Mirafiore Barolo 2013
Seafood Course Grilled Mediterranean Swordfish Steak (Tomato-Kalamata Olive Relish, Grilled Zucchini and Roasted Garlic Aioli)
The name Taureau was the name of the Jackson family’s prized bull, legendary for his feisty, high-kicking and vibrant personality. When perfecting this wine at their blending session, the JAX team concurred that the character of their infamous bull reflected the structure and elements of this indulgent red blend (50% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Syrah and 5% Zinfandel) and what a perfect tribute to their family ranching legend. This wine is what one would expect with a name like Taureau. Boasting incredible purple fruit colors, it has fruity, spicy aromas and flavors of spicy berry pie, chocolate rice bar, mocha gelato and forest floor. It has silky, tangy, fruity medium-to-full body and a tingling, interesting, medium-length and dried cherries, brown and peppery spices, cedar, and nuts on the finish with crunchy tannins and moderate oak. This wine is a fruity, chewy, versatile red with delicate oak and earthiness.
JAX Y3 Taureau Red Blend 2015
Dessert Course Preserved Lemon Tres Leche Cake (Angel Food Cake Soaked with a Trio of Sweetened Milks with Fresh Berries, Preserved Meyer Lemon Gastrique and Salted Almonds)
Taittinger Brut La Française is a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier wines from at least 35 villages over several fully ripened harvests The NV Brut La Française is based on 40% Chardonnay, 35% Pinot Noir and 25% Pinot Meunier, all fermented in stainless steel and blended with 30% of reserve wines. The high proportion of Chardonnay (40%) is unique among fine non-vintage Champagnes. The presses are located in the vineyard for immediate pressing of the fruit after the manual harvest and the resulting must is cold fermented under temperature-controlled conditions. After resting until the end of winter, the wine is blended and then the final cuvée undergoes a second fermentation in the bottle in Taittinger’s cool cellars. The aging of Brut La Française on the lees for almost 4 years more than doubles the legal minimum of 15 months. This extra time in the cellars allows the wine to reach the peak of aromatic maturity and the result is a delicately balanced Champagne, known for its consistently excellent quality. This Champagne has a subtle, pale gold color with fine, persistent bubbles. It is delicate, with aromas of peach, white flowers, vanilla pod and brioche on the nose and flavors of fresh fruit and honey on the palate. It is a pure, fresh and well-structured Brut that is elegant, complex and round. The persistent finish is clear, fresh and well structured, with refreshing lemon flavors and a nice grip. There is good length and tension here as well as sweet cherry aromas in the aftertaste.
Taittinger ‘La Francaise’ Brut Champagne NV