La Crema

     Thursday March 17, 2016

Reservations Closed
Course Pairing / Description Wine
Hors D' Oeuvres Nutmeg Spice Battered Green Beans (Sambal-honey and soy glaze) Saucy Rock Shrimp & Phyllo Cup (Lemon, garlic, basil and feta butter sauce)
Monterey is a long, long valley, both pastoral and austere. On one end, the Monterey Bay, dramatically deep, unusually cold. On the other, Central California, rich in history and agriculture. Throughout, a brisk, ever-present breeze that rises from the ocean and cools both fields of produce and expansive, rolling vineyards. This is Monterey, rocky, windswept and unrestrained. It’s one of the world’s best cool-climate appellations and a cool climate means grapes spend more time on the vine. That allows a deeper, more dramatic spectrum of flavors and aromas to develop. That creates decidedly rich and layered wines. Monterey has one of the longest, coolest growing seasons in California. 2013 was near ideal. An especially mild winter and warm spring led to an early harvest and the weather cooperated with ample sunshine for ripeness and cool breezes for vibrant acidity. The fruit was carefully harvested at night and during the coolest hours of the morning. After gentle pressing, the juice was cold-fermented in 100 percent stainless steel, for vibrant, fresh fruit flavors, with lighter press lots kept separate from the more intense. All were fermented to fully dry, some taking nearly a month. Soon after, the wine was sulfured and racked to prevent malolactic fermentation, further preserving the wine’s freshness. The La Crema Monterey Pinot Gris has white peach, ripe pear and jasmine scents with meyer lemon, yellow apple and honeycomb flavors. Freshness, juicy acidity and a long, delicate finish. Each sip says Monterey. Smooth and elegant. Bright and exotic. Fresh. Spicy. And just a little wild. 		La Crema Monterey Pinot Gris 2013
Hors D' Oeuvres Nutmeg Spice Battered Green Beans (Sambal-honey and soy glaze) Saucy Rock Shrimp & Phyllo Cup (Lemon, garlic, basil and feta butter sauce)
Picture a meandering river. Tall redwoods rise from its banks. Thick fog snakes along it, up from the ocean into nooks and crannies lush with forests, farms, and rolling vineyards. Small communities dot the riverside, home to artisans and farmers who work the land. This is the Russian River Valley, the heart and soul of the Sonoma Coast. It’s one of the world’s best cool-climate appellations 2013 conditions in this special sub-appellation were near ideal. The late season was mild, slowing things down, allowing the grapes more maturity and complexity. Harvest was September 10 to October 1, with hand-picking during the night and cool days, then gentle whole-cluster pressing. The juice was racked after a night of settling. It was then 100% barrel-fermented, with full malolactic fermentation, sur-lie aging, and hand-stirring for enhanced richness. Blocks and clones were tended separately. It’s no small feat or surprise that the final blend captures the region’s full complexity. The La Crema Chardonnay Russian River Valley offers concentration and richness from the Kelli Ann Estate vineyard, and apple and pear from a vineyard nearby. A vineyard on Barnes Road supplies citrus notes and lively acidity. And two on Guerneville Road outside Santa Rosa add stone fruits and flowers. This wine is fragrant with ripe pear, quince, nutmeg, and apple blossom and flavors of lemon tart, marzipan, apricot and nougat. It is rich and layered with sweet spice and balanced with well integrated acidity. The soulful, spirited Russian River Valley in every sip. 		La Crema Chardonnay Russian River Valley 2014
Appetizer Course Almond Crusted Soft Shell Crab (Grilled crookneck squash and zucchini, charred apple, bacon and basil jam)
Russian River Valley 2014 conditions were near ideal yet again. Harvest began about a week early, but moderate weather allowed for ample ripeness, flavor and texture. Picking during the night and cool morning was followed by gentle, whole-cluster pressing. Seventy percent whole berries were cold-soaked, with juices bled from the tank after two to three days. After stainless steel fermentation, to preserve freshness, the wine was gently moved to both neutral French oak and stainless steel for light lees aging. It’s no small feat or surprise that the final blend captures the region’s full complexity. Each bottle of La Crema Pinot Noir Rose is a blend of eleven different properties, including La Crema’s own Bones Road, Olivet, Barbieri and Laughlin vineyards. This wine has aromas of cranberry, candied apple and pint grapefruit and flavors of red plum, apricot and sweet spice. It has crispy acidity balancing a lush texture. The soulful, spirited Russian River Valley in every sip. 		La Crema Pinot Noir Rose 2014
Chicken Course Grilled Chicken Sausage & Charred Oyster Mushroom (Dark chicken jus, roasted pepper coulis and asparagus)
Oregon’s Willamette Valley is no exception to La Crema’s exclusive focus on cool-climate appellations, passionate in their belief that they make uniquely expressive and elegant wines. They thoroughly appreciate, and are fully committed to, all that makes the region so revered - the beauty, the passion, the wine of the Willamette Valley. Polished yet earthy. Pastoral yet challenging. There’s sophistication, wildness and majesty in the landscape as well as the ethos. It is home to vintners, risk-takers, artisans and pioneers. A cool climate means grapes spend more time on the vine. That allows a deeper, more dramatic spectrum of flavors and aromas to develop. And that creates decidedly rich and layered wines. The 2013 growing season might be remembered for its cool, rainy finish, but the resulting wines show balance and ripeness, evidence of near-perfect conditions during the spring and summer. The fruit was harvested September 20 to October 11, hand-picked during the night and cool days followed by a gentle, whole-cluster press. The juice was cold-soaked for three days, then fermented in open-top tanks carefully hand-punched three times each day. The free-run juice was then racked and transferred to 100 percent French oak barrels. Nine months of aging helped create our signature smooth flavors. The fruit was sourced from a stunning blend of eight exquisite vineyards, including La Crema’s estate properties in storied sub-AVAs Yamhill-Carlton and Eola-Amity Hills. The result is an ideal expression of all that is the Willamette Valley - graceful, balanced, deliberate and sincere. The La Crema Pinot Noir Willamette Valley has rose petals, pipe tobacco, cranberry and pine in the nose and red cherry, black tea, mocha, and pomegranate in the mouth. It is balanced and supple with a spicy finish. 		La Crema Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 2013
Beef Course Roasted Garlic & Rosemary Roasted Coulotte Steak (Yellow potato hash, broccoli wedge, red wine reduction)
2013 conditions in the Russian River Valley sub-appellation were near ideal. The late season was mild, slowing things down, allowing the grapes maturity, concentration and texture. Harvest was September 3 to October 10, with hand-picking during the night and cool days followed by gentle destemming. Seventy percent whole berries went into open top tank fermentation, with juice cold-soaked for three to five days and carefully hand-punched three times each day to extract a luminous, deep ruby color and velvety texture from the skins. Wine was then racked and transferred to 100 percent French oak barrels. Nine months of aging helped to create La Crema’s signature expressive and silky flavors. It’s no small feat or surprise that the final blend captures the region’s full complexity. Each bottle of La Crema Pinot Noir Russian Rivery Valley contains a blend of 14 different properties, including La Crema’s own Piner Road, Bones Road, Olivet, Barbieri, Shiloh and Saralee’s vineyards. This wine is scented with sweet spice, ripe cherry, dark chocolate and coffee and flavors of black plum, subtle oak and tobacco. It is rich, supple and lingering. The soulful, spirited Russian River Valley in every sip. 		La Crema Pinot Noir Russian River Valley 2013
Dessert Course Port Wine & Brandy Flambéed Cherries “Jubilee” (Port wine caramel sauce, cinnamon, nutmeg & dulce de leche ice cream, sweet and salty streusel and whipped cream)
Although there are wines made outside Portugal to taste like port, there is nowhere in the wine world at all like the Douro Valley in northern Portugal, the true home of port and any wine like it. The aim of the port producer is to make a wine that is as deeply coloured and sweet as possible. To preserve the grapes' natural sweetness, grape spirit is added at quite an early point in the fermentation process to stun the yeasts, which means that as much color as possible must be extracted before that point. The Douro valley is one of the very few wine regions where foot treading is still practiced, to the delight of photographers and visitors from tamer wine regions, but machinery usually does the job and, as labor costs soar and the valley is gradually depopulated, much ingenuity has resulted in mechanical substitutions for foot treading. A ruby port is a young port bottled after two or three years in bulk (in wood, cement or stainless steel). The great majority of port sold today, and certainly all the advertised brands, is this vigorous, juicy stuff. The Dow’s Fine Ruby is quite fresh and bright. A clear, pale ruby color with rich aromas of cherries, blackberries and fruit mince pies. The wine is luscious and juicy with plenty of vanilla, cassis and more mince pies – all very red and fresh. High, sharp alcohol, full-bodied with a full flavor intensity and a medium finish. 		Dows Fine Ruby Port