Tuesday, February 17, 2009

FEBRUARY GUILD EVENT

The February Guild event will be held this evening at Paul’s Restaurant in Buckhead.

Some of the Guild tastings cover a wide range of wines - different grapes, different countries. Not this one. It will be sharply focused, featuring only California wines made from the Cabernet Sauvignon grape... vintage 1997.

Houston Steve and I will be there... and, we hope, the Grouchy One as well. As for what’s on the menu, here’s the Foody and Winey Agenda:

[All wines are Cabernet Sauvignon unless otherwise noted.]

Speaker’s wine
Sauvignon Blanc, to be determined

First flight
1997 Benziger Family Sonoma County***
1997 Beringer Knight’s Valley Sonoma County
1997 Franciscan Napa Valley**

Baked pork tenderloin in brioche pastry, buttered spinach leaves, truffled cabernet jus

Second flight
1997 Cakebread Napa Valley***
1997 Joseph Phelps Napa Valley***
1997 Santa Cruz Mtns. Vineyard Santa Cruz Mountains

Smoked duck breast, lentil butter-bean ragout, tangerine sauce

Third flight
1997 Caymus Estate Napa Valley
1997 Paradigm Napa Valley***
1997 Silver Oak Alexander Valley**

Braised veal hanger steak, mascarpone fregola glazed onions and mushrooms, carrots, haricots verts, braising au jus

Dessert
Chocolate molten cake, chocolate soup, crème fraîche ice cream

Postscript: Was it good? It was superb. That veal hanger steak was indescribable... the soft, tender flesh of cow-babies prepared perfectly. And the wines were excellent - not a single sour note among ’em. My favorites are noted with asterisks.

No comments: