Dinner at CAV: 1 May '08

Dinner at CAV, 1 May '08 with my wife, children and nephew.

Quite dehydrated after 18 holes under the sun, I was in no condition or mood to finish a bottle each of white and red; so I opted to re-try CAV's wine-dispensing machine despite the less than stellar experience the Doc and I had with the '94 Château Margaux a little over a week ago.

With a yellow fin tuna and roast red beet tartar and a side salad:

2002 Jean et Gautier Thévenet "Domaine Emilian Gillet" Viré-Clessé - Firstly, it was not chilled enough. A bit cool, but not enough, and it quickly warmed in the glass. I first tried this wine a little over a year ago with Jérome Philippon when he started importing the wines of this domaine. Needless to state, it was served at proper temperature and I liked it so much more then - bright, pure, almost steely, tense, clean chardonnay flavors with nice minerality and good/refreshing balancing acidity.

In any event, I just had one glass of it this time. The first few sips (while still a bit cool) brightened up the tartar, but, as it warmed, its refreshing/palate-cleansing prowess disappeared. Warm white wine simply doesn't interest me, nor, do I expect, would it interest anyone else.

The dish was good enough if eaten together with a bit of the accompanying salad, the dressing of which brightened up the tartar's somewhat heavy, earthy flavors and the greens giving needed textural contrast.

Fearing the temperature issue, I didn't bother choosing any other white to go with my 2nd course of a good, mildly creamy, cheese tortellini with proscuitto.

With my main course of rib-eye steak:

2000 Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia - I tried half a glass at first as I thought it may be too young to enjoy. I went back for more. This wine I enjoyed; especially with my steak.

General earthy feel to its medium-to-full-somewhat-soft-body. Ripe (almost roasted-ripe), gentle yet adequate fruit - earthy cassis dominates with fleeting, entertaining dark cherry/raspberry notes. It stood up to the steak well, the dark fruit/earthy cassis running with the meat and the dark cherry/raspberry gave a bit of necessary contrast saving the palate from fatigue. I was pleasantly surprised how mature this wine tasted at under 8 years from vintage.

In all, it was adequately pleasant and enjoyable. I wouldn't buy a whole bottle of this, but an occasional glass or two with steak does well enough when one isn't up to finishing a whole bottle of something better.

CAV didn't (or doesn't) offer dessert wine by the glass. Besides, even if they did, it likely wouldn't be held at the proper temperature anyway. My chocolate soufflé, though, didn't really need any vinous accompaniment.

I got upset with the service tonight. The waitress was, in a word, inattentive. Finished plates of the main course were allowed to sit and sit and sit without being cleared. Water glasses were not re-filled. Truth to tell, service only improved when I complained to the manager. I told him that nearby tables of two seemed very well-served while our table of six was not. I also pointed out that all of us, including my children and nephew, ordered full courses so the restaurant was surely making more money off us than any table of two.

Pity, service was excellent last time I was there, but we were seated at a different station at the time.