The Doc's and My Wife's *COUGH*th Birthday Dinner.

Pepato: 6th September 2008

Since the Doc's and my wife's respective birthdays are just over a week apart, they celebrated jointly last night. We were just 7 persons in all at Pepato since the Stockbroker and Mrs were just on their way back from Paris and the Vigneron was in Cebu for the inauguration of the IWFS Cebu Branch. The Doc graciously insisted on bringing all the wine. Considering the depth/quality of his collection, and, it being his birthday celebration, I happily agreed.

Still reeling from JC de Terry's Bodegas Protos feast the night before (notes on which will follow as soon as I pick up a copy of the menu which I forgot to take home), I promised myself I would try my best not to drink too much.

~ With dishes of Diwal (a.k.a., Angel Wing Clams, a big favorite of mine), baked with truffle and simply steamed, Roasted Bone Marrow, Deep Fried Squash Flowers and Squid Ink Crostone topped with Mozarella and Anchovies over delectable yellow peppers ~

2002 Huët Vouvray Brut Pétillant (Vouvray, the Loire) - Doc and I were texting each other a couple of days before about the bubbly and white he intended to serve. He mentioned he had this pétillant (bubbly, but not as much as Champagnes, and made from chenin blanc grapes) and that Pepato had diwal available these days (because they are somewhat scarce, their harvest is regulated). I told him I've had Domaine Huët's bone-dry, minerally, lightly sparkling wines a few times, liked them and thought it would be absolutely wonderful with the diwal. Indeed it was.

Fresh, bright, racy, vibrant, nervy, minerally and dry, its fruit profile was mainly green apple, hints of citrus, lime with light touches of pear. There is also a faint nuance of leesiness to this underneath. Very good balance - precise is the word.

I drank quite a bit of the Loire's chenin blanc based wines, including a few from from Huët, in Tours (the capital of the Loire), Chenonceaux, Saumur and in the small town of Vouvray itself (just a few minutes drive away) back in July 2006. The subject pétillant is a great expression of its terroir.

~ and ~

2002 Weinbach Gewürztraminer Altenbourg Cuvée Laurence (Kaysersberg, Alsace) - From Madame Colette and daughters Faller (Laurence is the winemaker while Catherine takes care of the business side), all the grapes are from their Altenbourg vineyard.

Absolutely luscious, rich and concentrated - almost liqueur-like, super-ripe lychee, peach, mango with touches of spice, honeysuckle, candided ginger and apricot. Good dose of oak/vanilla too, but very well-integrated and smooth. It seems to have a touch of botrytis, but is not a Vendanges Tardives, much less a Selection Grains Nobles though. I've tried a 1996 Weinbach Pinot Gris Altenbourg which had the same botrytis tinge but was also not a VT or SGN, so, just maybe, it's a characteristic of the fruit from this particular lieu-dit.

My notes show that I tried the 2004 version of this wine during my visit to Domaine Weinbach in late September '07. Said notes are similar:

2004 Gewurztraminer Altenbourg Cuvée Laurence - Spicy lichees, some peach and
mango with white flowers and minerals. Very eager and forward, yet not wanton.
Extremely long. Excellent wine.

~ With Medium Rare Prime Steak alla Fiorentina, Spaghetti Pepato, Arugula Salad, Risotto, Potato Wedges, Truffled French Fries, etc. ~

1998 Giuseppe Quintarelli Rosso Ca' del Merlo (Veneto) - Something new to us all, the notes the Doc gave me says it is "essentially a Valpolicella from a single hilltop vineyard named for a large black bird (the Merlo)", made of a blend of old-vine corvina, rondinella, molinara and negrara which is "passed over Amarone lees" using the "ripasso" method. I've read up a bit on this process, but really do not feel like getting technical about it on a lazy Sunday evening. Those interested, however, can look it up here.

As far as we were concerned last night - Miguel A and I took one sip of the wine and immediately/simultaneously declared that we would have it with our steak.

Rich, very extracted, super-ripe-and-jammy (not quite pruney) black fruit, red cherry, kirsch, blackberry, cassis, oak/vanilla with hints of raspberry on top, ripe fig and licorice in the middle and towards the back and espresso to the back. Nicely complex, very entertaining. Confidently fullish body and a velvety texture. Extremely expressive and broad. Beautiful with the steak.

I just love trying good wines unfamiliar, especially those I know absolutely nothing about - not just an untried vintage from a maker I'm already familiar with. I get to learn and enjoy something new and my palate is saved from being too jaded or fatigued. This was definitely something I would love to explore and study more deeply. Ever since Oscar Ong's Italian Extravaganza, I'm completely sold on Italian reds with grilled/roasted meat. From the looks of it, Miguel was fiercely sold on the Ca' del Merlo as well. Take it easy, dude, nobody's going to grab your glass! Heh heh.

1990 Château Figeac (St-Emilion) - A château I've always liked which produces an unusual blend for a St-Emilion in that it includes a material amount of cabernet sauvignon in the usual local merlot (dominant)and cabernet franc mix. I remember the first time the Doc came over for dinner at the house several years ago, I served, among others, a bottle of '97 Figeac (it was good enough at the time, believe me, but long slipped into bad decline). The first time I met the Vigneron, he opened an '89 Figeac. Ok, ok, enough with the reminiscing, on to the wine.

Sweetishly ripe (but nowhere near jammy) cherry, raspberry and sweet cedar over blackcurrant, cassis and plum (slight nuance of torrefaction mid-mouth), mild undertone of mocha. There is a touch of "refined earthiness" (for lack of a better term) to this. Classy, properly reserved yet expressive and broad enough. Definitely the most luxuriously textured and deeply flavored Figeac I've had. Maybe the 2000 version will grow up to be like this as it was also from a very ripe year.

Tangentially-related tips for those who care: though 2006 Bordeaux is nowhere as hyped as 2005, try to get your hands on some of the Figeac, Canon la Gaffeliere, Clinet and La Conseillant, from 2006. The right bank did pretty darn well that year, generally better, in my opinion, than the left bank. Select 2004 Pessac-Léognans are also good bargains as well.

Thanks for the wines, Doc, they were superb - every one of them.