17 Sep 2011: Dinner chez Martin and Tayma. Martin cooked a sumptuous feast! We started with oysters and 1990 Krug. Toasty, brioche, grilled hazelnuts. Very mature. Drinking at peak now.
The delicious platter of lobster with marie-rose sauce, avocado and fresh crab meat, tomato with tarragon and salad was brilliantly accompanied by the2002 Batard Montrachet, Pernot. Lemon, quince, fig, almonds, honey and jasmine. Good acidity. Weighty, well-structured and balanced. Still very youthful, but already very enjoyable. Very high quality.
Main course was a very succulent and tender piece of beef, seared before slow-cooked in the oven for 9 minute, served with a rich truffled sauce (and bearnaise sauce). This was served with a 1982 Leoville Las Cases in magnum. Mature bouquet of violet, cloves, cinnamon, leather and tobacco. Silky, with a lengthy finish. Very more-ish but not as generous as we would have expected.
The 1983 Hermitage Chave slowly opened up to offer a bouquet of chocolate, cinnamon, spices and vanilla. I just love mature Syrah, somewhat exotic, with a romantic undertone! Drinking very well now, and for the next 6 - 8 years, I expect.
Still rather thirsty, we returned to Bordeaux with 1998 Haut Bailly. Very deep hued. Rather rich and concentrated, with a rounded character, showing ripe but well-textured tannins and good acidity. Plum, blackberry, liquorice and spicy oak. An under-valued estate that delivers on harmony and consistency.
Before wrapping up the evening, Martin introduced us to Dolce, a late harvest wine from Napa. It's made in the style of Sauternes, with a blend of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc, affected by noble rot. Harvest would take place over 6 weeks, and only picked by hand and carefully sorted. Fermentation in oak barrels is a very slow event, usually taking up to 6 months. Maturation in 100% new French oak, for up to 3 years. The final blend is decided during the 3rd year. I did not see the vintage for this Dolce, but it was full-bodied, balanced by mouthwatering acidity, with the unmistakable nose of dried apricot, orange peel, ripe peach and honey. Very easy to please with its intense fruitiness and nectar-like quality, but this wine could also benefit from additional bottle age to take on some tertiary complexity and maturity.
Thank you Martin and Tayma for a most delicious evening!
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