G9 Dinner at Café Ysabel.

It was a rainy Thursday dinner with the G9, a monthly dining group of friends, some members of which overlap with those of Los Golfos (the latter being my regular weekend golf group). Unlike Los Golfos, though, G9 members are predominantly Ateneans. Thursday was my turn to host, so I had earlier made reservations at Café Ysabel's understatedly elegant Wine Room where Aaron had hosted his olive oil and wine tasting lunch a week before. Chef Patrón Gene Gonzalez, busy as he always is, was kind enough to make our menu. Since the guys speak Spanish amongst themselves, all the wines I chose were from Spain, all available at Barcino.

I spilled a bit of wine on my menu, hence the smudge on the lower left - you really can't take me anywhere.

Café Ysabel's addictively delicious, patented Lavosh Bread and sweetly-spiced olive oil/balsamic Dip were served for the enjoyment of the early arrivals...

L-R: Señores Bob Paradies, Sal Lacson, Mari Cacho, Mackie Cui and Oscar Rodriguez

...for whom I poured welcome glasses of...

Masia Eric de Vallformosa Reserva Brut Nature - a sparkling wine from the Cava D.O., the grapes of which (55% parellada, 45% chardonnay) come from vineyards of Mas Baltà in the Alt Penedès comarca (Catalunya). What immediately struck me in this cava was its very fine, yet persistent mousse. I rarely see such a delicate stream of small bubbles in the cavas I've had. Even the mouthfeel was vaguely champagne-esque, almost still from the attack but expanding and frothing upon reaching mid-mouth and beyond.

Light, clean, well delineated, crisp, steely green apple dominates with well-blended, demure citrus notes. Towards the back, there is a bit of leesiness and the faintest hint of yeasty bread. Admirable focus and purity in fruit. Very clean and refreshing (no woodiness or oakiness there), if simple and straightforward.

Everyone was enjoying the Lavosh Bread and Dip so much, including myself. Some asked our waiter what went into the vaguely fruity, sweetly-spicy dip aside from the obvious olive oil and balsamico, but he replied that it was a secret. Fair enough, we just continued dipping the excellent lavosh in it. I had to eventually remind the others that we had a lot of food coming - after all, man does not live on bread alone.

When Jimmy Alba and Mon Infante finally arrived (ironically, amongst us, they live closest to Café Ysabel), we then were served a Salad of Mixed Greens and Smoked Salmon....

...the lightly honeyed dressing of which Bob immediately noted to have a touch of curry spice in it. I actually didn't notice that until I tasted it. A breath of curry spice indeed, which added an interesting twist and a touch of complexity to the simple greens and smoked salmon. Mon and Oscar apparently enjoy this a lot since they requested for extra servings of the greens. Oscar experimented with some of his extra greens by using the lavosh's dip as a dressing, and pronounced it delicious.

Thereafter, we had a warmly familiar and comforting Lentil and Chorizo Soup.

Full of earthy and spicy flavors, this hearty soup was perfect for such a rainy night. I happen to love both lentejas and chorizo, and, so, particularly enjoyed this.

This was followed by the evening's main course, Filleto a la Gino's with Garlic Mashed Potatoes. I really enjoyed the particularly creamy garlic mashed potatoes situated atop small pieces of chopped vegetables, and, apparently, so did Oscar and Mon who requested extra portions of this as well.

With this juicy, melt-in-your mouth tender meat course, I served a new and reliable favorite of mine.

2001 Bodegas Beronia Rioja Gran Reserva - Bodegas Beronia is located in Ollauri, Rioja Alta, named after the Berones people who occupied the general area since the 3rd century B.C. Employing "modern" techniques (i.e., oak ageing is shorter than the traditional method and French oak is used together with American oak), their wines are more suave, lighter on their feet and less ponderously woody than "old school" Riojas, as accurately noted by Mackie. The grapes used in this were tempranillo (87%), mazuelo (8%) graciano and (5%). As Spanish wine aficinados already know, 2001 was an exceptionally good Rioja vintage.

I can't seem to get tired of drinking this wine, though I've had it several times before - it never fails to please. Those who follow my blog will preobably recall that I first got to try this wine courtesy of Johnny Revilla during our Kokotxas Night this past February. My tasting notes then were as follows:

Youthful, but in stride and very enjoyable now. The nicely rounded dark fruit is subtly laced with tobacco, cedar and spice box. The topnotes are typical strawberry and red berry. A few shades over medium-bodied, the wood is judicious and in good harmony. Wonderful, a definite buy for me.

What I can add now is that there is an apparent, but gentle, mildly toasted/spicy oak/vanilla note to the wine as well as the slightest hints of cinammon and toffee (most likely also due to the wood-ageing).

Last, but certainly not the least, was our dessert of sinfully rich Gino's Molten Chocolate Cake with Rum Raisin Ice Cream, which I paired with...

2007 Celler Piñol Vi Dolç (Tinto) - Another Catalàn wine, this time from the comarca Terra Alta, made up mainly of late harvested, over-matured grenache grapes from old vines. I've written about Piñol's 2005 Vi Dolç before - first having tasted this at Gene's 50th birthday dinner, paired with decadent chocolate treats. This 2007 version was very similar.

Jimmy noted that the wine's heady, opulently raisined and chocolate aromas included a pervasive sort of brown sugar scent that I identified as molasses - with which he and Bob agreed. These aromas were sweetly and viscously mirrored on the palate like a pasito with a kilometric, piercing, raisin and chocolate finish (this wine always reminds me of raisinets).

This is an unapologetically hedonistic dessert wine - virtually without any acidic lift and cloyingly sweet - but it doesn't try to pass itself off as anything else. It is what it is, and I enjoy it that way - few wines, to my mind, aside from Banyuls and Rasteau's vin du naturel, can really pair well with rich chocolate desserts, but this can.

Stuffed to the gills, we lingered on over cups of coffee and tea, as well as a few more stories and jokes. Most enjoyable evening. Many thanks to Gene and his crew for such an enjoyable meal - it didn't escape me that the pianist, likely after overhearing the guys speaking in Spanish, started playing old Spanish songs without need of being asked. Nice touch to the evening.

...y, a mis amigos, ¡Salud y pesetas!

L-R: Mari Cacho, Mackie Cui, Oscar Rodriguez, Jimmy Alba, Mon Infante, Bob Paradies and Sal Lacson

Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle Dinner.

A little over a week ago, Bacchus International's Alex Lichaytoo invited me to a special dinner he organized in honor of Maison Paul Jaboulet Aîné Export Manager Cristophe Brunet, scheduled for the 5th May 2009 at Shangri-La's RED. Alex also mentioned that he would be pouring no less than 7 vintages of Jaboulet's top-of-the-line Hermitage La Chapelle, all of which are readily available at Bacchus. Remembering well the 1996 that I so enjoyed during the IWFS Philippine Branch's 25th Anniversary Dinner, I checked my schedule, saw I was free, and, happily confirmed my attendance. Knowing that the Doc and Stockbroker, among other friends, would also be there was added incentive as we hadn't been able to get together for quite a while.

Thus, on the appointed date, we gathered for the much anticipated dinner.

As usual, the Stockbroker was the most liesurely dressed among us three...

Aside from us three, Cristophe and Alex.

...but not too far away from Bernie and Clifford in casualness.

The family Jaboulet has long been one of the leading and oldest producers of France's Rhône region, having owned vineyards there since 1834. Passed down the family through generations, in 2006, the Jaboulets sold their interests in the maison to the current owner, Compagnie Financier Frey, that also owns 1855 classified 3rd Growth, Château La Lagune. Producing an impressive array of wine from different appellations: from, amongst others, the Côtes du Rhône, Côtes du Rhône Villages, Crozes-Hermitage, Gigondas, Châteauneuf du Pape and Condrieu, Jaboulet's traditional and bio-dynamic production goes all the way up to what is generally accepted as the two top red Rhône wines, namely, Hermitage and Côte Rôtie. Hermitage La Chapelle, however, is the red crown jewel of Maison Jaboulet.

The steep environs of the Hermitage appellation is located in northern Rhône, south-southeast of Côte Rôtie, Condrieu, Château Grilet and St-Joseph. Both white and red wines are produced in Hermitage, the former normally a blend of marsanne and roussanne, while the latter predominantly syrah. Hermitage's soils are mainly granite and clay/chalk. Jaboulet credits the complexity of its 100% syrah La Chapelle (named after the small early 13th century chapel of St. Cristophe over-looking the steeply terraced vineyards) to the diversity of soils of its Hermitage plots (i.e., les Bessards, les Greffieux, le Méal and les Rocoules), the fruit of which, from vines 40-60 years old, make up their top wine.

We started off with some canapés...

...and glasses of La Chapelle's "little brother"...

2004 Jaboulet Hermitage La Petite Chapelle - made from fruit of the same plots as La Chapelle, and, as I understand, from the same aged vines as well, the difference is, for this wine, higher yields (15-25 hectoliters per hectar as compared to the top wine's 10-18)and, consequently, comparatively lesser depth, concentration, structure and ageing potential. The trade-off here is, likely, earlier drinking windows - better approachability at a younger age. A relatively recent line of Jaboulet, the Petite Chapelle's auspicious maiden vintage was 2001, a generally good vintage for the Rhône.

This is presently a rather good, if somewhat straightforward and simple, wine that shows off well defined and focused cherry, raspberry, blackcurrant, slight black pepper and mild cedar and oak notes. There is a touch of dried herb character (more thyme than rosemary, I think) as well. Properly austere in body and flavors; it tastes and smells very correct, if not particularly stimulating .

Quite charming, though, undeniably easy to drink now, whether alone or with, I imagine, some unaggressively sauced roast duck and shoulder of lamb. This would be a good and easily affordable introduction to Hermitage.

We, thereafter, took our seats for dinner proper, Alex re-introduced the guest of honor, and Cristophe, for the benefit of those new to Jaboulet, it's wines, Hermitage and the Rhône in general, a brief, informative talk.

Dinner was then served.

Our first course was a delightfully cool and fresh Terrine of Lobster and Prawns with Crispy Parma Ham & Saffron Mayonnaise paired with...

2002 Jaboulet Hermitage Chevalier de Sterimberg - Jaboulet's Hermitage blanc, made up of marsanne with a significantly lower proportion of roussanne. This bottling is was named after Gaspard de Stérimberg, a knight who, in 1235, built the earlier mentioned chapel dedicated to St. Cristophe. 2002 was, to put it lightly, an extremely challenging vintage for the northern Rhône blancs; and a 2002 Guigal Hermitage Blanc I opened a few months ago, let's just say, was no strong argument for whatever little merit this vintage may be imagined to possess for the blancs.

The wine, however, properly chilled, exhibited typical Hermitage blanc scents and flavors of lightly wild-honeyed and spiced, honeysuckle, white stone fruit, and almond paste. There was also the typical waxy/oily mouthfeel to this barely medium bodied blanc which was most apparent after the strike and at mid-palate, but not as hefty or broad as Hermitage blancs from riper years. The roussanne seems to make its presence felt past mid mouth with a cleaner, firmer acidity and a bit of steel taking over the floral. White stone fruitiness towards and through the finish. Fair enough a white Hermitage; charming more in the nose and the front-end to just past the middle.

As a match, it was good. The vaguely nutty, front-end honeyed stone fruit played well with the lobster and prawns, and the firmer, cleaner, more linear back-end acted as a foil to the saffron mayonnaise's creaminess.

The second course of Duck Leg Confit atop Braised Lentils with Truffle Foam and Duck Jus was initially served with the two youngest La Chappelles of the evening.

2005 and 2004 Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle - The difference between the two vintages was apparent from the outset as the 2005 clearly had warmer, riper, oakier and comparatively more forward aromas than the 2004; whereas the latter's were reticent and more herbal and mineral in character than the openly fruit-froward and oaky 2005. Said difference was mirrored in the mouth, where the 2005 showed a heftier and ripely sweetish fruit middle with more cinammon/toasty/creamy oak than the restrained, tighter and less ripe 2004.

Marked vintage weather differences surely explained the contrast in the two wines' respective characters. 2005, on one hand, was generally a warmer, drier vintage for French wine-producing regions which allowed for very good ripening and concentration. On the other hand, Cristophe confirmed that their area in the northern Rhône experienced some rain (sometime in August, I believe) before harvest month. This is not to say that 2004 is not a good vintage. On the contrary, I personally prefer the cleaner, firmer, more streamlined, less oaky, more classic profile of 2004. Upon my query, Cristophe confirmed that he believes that the 2005 saw more new oak exposure than the 2004 - likely, to my mind, because the richer fruited 2005 could take more oak.

Be it as it may, Cristophe felt that the two young vintages were understandably closed at this point (La Chapelles, like most fine wine, normally need more time to truly show their true charms), and, so, called for the next two vintages of the evening to be served to overlap with the next course of Roast Lamb with Vegetable and Herb Couscous, Gremolata and Lamb Jus.

2003 and 2001 Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle - Between these two wines as well was a readily apparent contrast in vintage characteristics. The 2003, more like the 2005, was riper, more forward and lusher in fruit than the 2001 but with a more savory, meatier, less creamily oaked character than the 2005. The 2001 had more acidic lift and came off a bit linear, more somber and backward, which is pretty much the same as when I tested a bottle a few years ago with the Doc and Stockbroker. The 2003, to my mind, is a wine to be enjoyed sooner and I'd wait a few more years to see if the more vin de garde styled 2001 will open up more.

1997 and 1995 Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle - Things got a lot more interesting with these vintages; as I mentioned earlier, La Chapelles need many years to strut their stuff - and these two were in fine stride. Showing off their complex characters, both proudly displayed their mature, smoky dark cherry, raspberry, cassis, truffle, bacon fat, roast meat, leather, tobacco, garrigue and cedar notes gently flecked with black pepper. The 1997 seemed comparatively sweeter and softer in fruit and more approachable than the earthier, more savory, solidly structured 1995. Both were excellent, clearly showcasing, in two distinct manners, the true beauty of mature La Chapelles.

These were excellent specimens, to be sure. The Stockbroker agreed and opined that, between the two, he preferred the better structured 1995. I, personally, would enjoy the 1997 on its own and pair the 1995 with a nice dish of roast venison, wild boar or grilled, herbed rack of lamb.

With the penultimate course of Assorted Cheese, Lavosh, Crackers, Quince Paste and Fresh Grapes, the oldest wine of the evening was served.

1985 Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle - This wine had the most alluring bouquet of subtle game, sweet bacon fat and smoky cedar delicately lacing the seamlessly silky-smooth, pure, soft raspberry, cherry and cassis elixir. Discreet, well-worn leather, walnut, truffle and tobacco notes finely woven into the underlying cassis added even more complexity and depth. Great balance, if not as firmly structured as the 1995 at this point. Contemplative, intellectual, yet suave and confident, excellent wine.

Of the mature wines that night, I would recommend this vintage to be enjoyed now and as often as possible, together with the 1997. The 1995 will most likely improve even more in the next 5-8 years.

Dessert of Chocolate and Lebuchen Lava Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream was then served...

...with glasses of Graham's "The Tawny" Port.

A Lavazza double espresso and a few more stories with Bernie and Oscar ended yet another memorable wine dinner. I would have loved to linger over more port and a cigar, but it was a working day the next day after all.

Many thanks, Alex, for inviting me; and bon voyage to Cristophe. It was a great pleasure meeting you and learning even more of Jaboulet's wines. I will surely try some of Jaboulet's Domaine de Thalabert Crozes Hermitage as you recommended.

Special mention must be made to Red's excellent sommelier, Ace. As passionately emphasized by Cristophe, proper serving temperature can make or break a wine's showing at any tasting. Ace took every effort to insure that all the evening's wines were served at their best. Good show, Ace.

La Tienda, 1st May 2009.

My children, after seeing my posts on past La Tienda dinners, had been asking me if they could try the dishes. My wife and I figured my family would like the dishes as well, so La Tienda was my choice for my 44th birthday dinner. This was the day after Aaron's olive oil and wine tasting lunch. Earlier on, Miguel, though in Barcelona (then at the airport, actually, on his way to Milan), graciously arranged my menu with Chef Javi Lecumberri.

Still sick and a bit out of sorts because of my medication, I prudently vowed to minimize drinking wine - so I limited myself to one glass each of white, rosé and red. Naturally, with the typical Spanish dishes, all wines were from Spain. I had forgotten to bring my camera, so had to take photos with my phone's camera - please excuse the poor quality of some shots. Anyway, I didn't take many as I was busy enjoying the food, wine and company - besides, I ordered all my old favorites which I have written about thrice before: here, here and here. Just to complete this post, however, I will pull food shots (some by Miguel) from our previous La Tienda dinners.

We were 9 persons in all: my wife and 3 sons, my dad, brother, sister-in-law, youngest sister and myself. My other sis who lives in the US called me during the dinner to wish me a happy birthday. Our menu was a litany of favorites. To start, we had:

Escalivadas (a typical Catalonian dish)

Boquerónes (fresh anchovies)

Pulpo à la Gallega (octopus as served in Galicia)

Kokotxas (a typical Basque dish made from fish ganglions)

With these excellent starters, I paired...

2007 Laxas Albariño - From Rias Baixas, a D.O. in Galicia that includes Condado do Tea, Val do Salnés and O Rosal. Albariño is a white wine grape that most all authorities consider performs the best in Rias Baixas (and I definitely agree, having tried several Portugese versions, alvarinhos, which have been comparably insipid). Albariño wines are typically dry, brightly/sharply acidic and floral. As such, in Galicia, they are traditionally paired with seafood dishes the area is famous for.

This wine, as before, displayed fresh, brightly dry, crisp, vibrant mineral/flint touched, slightly grassy green apple, guava, grapefruit, gooseberry and a bit of ripe lemon. There is a slight, appetite-enhancing almond bitterness that comes in towards the back. Its sharp acidity gives over-all lift to the fruit, making for a lively and refreshing wine.

With the aforementioned dishes, it was perfect. Even my youngest sister, who doesn't drink as much wine as the rest of us, loved it.

The next gustatory salvo was made up of Paella de Verduras (made with Basmati rice) and Besugo al Horno...

With which I served...

2007 Marco Real Homenaje Rosado - a grenache based rosado from Navarra, east-northeast of Rioja. I've written about this crowd pleaser of a rosado so many times, I need not belabor how good a wine it is, how well it pairs with many Spanish and Filipino dishes or how good a deal it is at its price.

This rosado was a great match with the paella de verduras and the garlic-laced besugo al horno. It has never let me down either with assorted tapas at Terry's 2º Piso. Even my two teen-age sons can't get enough of this.

Thereafter came the Chuleton...

...which I paired with...

2002 Bodegas Alion Tinto Reserva - I've written about this maker, owned and run by Spain's pride, Vega Sicilia, and have had, on numerous, separate occasions, their vintages 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004:

With 18 hectares of tinto fino (what they call tempranillo in Ribera del Duero), this bodega's maiden vintage was in 1991. The Reserva Tinto is (the) only one wine produced by this bodega, no white or crianza or anything else. Only 100% new French oak is ever used - rare these days in Spain where many use a lot of less expensive American oak - but, then, if anyone there can afford 100% new oak barrels all the time, it, obviously, would be Vega Sicilia. Barrel ageing is 16-20 months.

I decanted this upon arriving at the restaurant and, so, it had been breathing for around 2 hours by the time I started pouring with the meat course.

In a word, it was delicious. Firm and strong, rich in blackberry, cherry, some raspberry, kirsch, chocolate, licorice, cedar and vanilla/oak. Good acidity keeps the richness in check, precluding it being cumbersome and flabby, the oak very well integrated. Marginally leaner than the 2001 and 2003, but with seemingly better acidic balance. This is also clearly much more ready to drink at this point. Loved it, and so did my brother and sis-in-law. I believe my dad liked it too.

The other long table next to us was filled with abuelas, likewise celebrating a birthday I believe. They kept the resident "Trio los Panchos" busy with requests for Spanish songs as they sang along. We didn't mind at all, it added to the celebratory air; we actually sang along with a few songs. They even played a couple of old songs "Pregúntale á las Estrellas" and "El Reloj y La Vela" which my late mom used to sing to my dad when they were young.

For dessert, we had Torrejas de Leche which we ate so fast, I wasn't able to photograph it. Nice milky ice cream served with it. Very nice. Double espressos ended my memorable birthday meal.

Javi and Miguel, many thanks for helping make my birthday dinner so enjoyable. It was really great and my whole family enjoyed the food, festive ambiance, everything. Until the next!

Thursday Olive Oil & Wine Tasting Lunch at Café Ysabel.

I've been suffering from a upper respiratory tract infection since Monday, which turned into fever and chills Tuesday night. Thus, I had to miss a wine lunch with the Doc and Stockbroker, as well as two wine tastings this week - no sense drinking fine wine or attending evaluative tastings when one's nose and palate are impaired by sickness and medication. Feeling materially better on Thursday (30th April 2009), I attended the lunch/olive oil/wine tasting hosted by Aaron and Jo Palileo at Chef Gene Gonzalez's San Juan culinary landmark, Café Ysabel.

I was really looking forward to this event since I've never been to an olive oil tasting before. Apparently, Aaron's family business imports and distributes olive oil as well as wine.

Since I had to pass by the office first and deal with the rainy day Makati traffic, however, I arrived almost an hour late. The guys had finished the olive oil tasting proper, but Gene thoughtfully took the time to guide me through them anyway, with, of course, a welcome glass of well-chilled, clean, roundly fruited and brightly crisp 2004 Freixenet Cava Cuvée D.S., one of the better locally available cavas I've tried.

Though, admittedly, I wasn't able to taste all of the olive oils, Gene made sure I was able to taste the Taris Erkence Extra Virgin Olive Oil - a Turkish first cold press, light on the palate but suavely commanding in presence, with an earthy character to its definitive olive flavor. Slathered on bread with a light sprinkle of Le Saunier de Camargue Fleur de Sel, you need not much else but a good glass of wine. A bit of simple, flavorful and rustic goodness, that's the way I like it. There were also some very nice, boldly flavored olives on hand that gave the oil a nice push.

We then joined the others already seated at the wine room for lunch proper, 8 in all, including myself. Gino and Gianinna, probably still busy, joined us much later on.

L-R: Johnny R, Arnie, Jo, Aaron, Gene, Marty and J-Lab.

We started off with Pissaledière, southern France's version of pizza, a specialty of Nice. With this we had...

2007 Fra Guerau Montsant Rosado - Montsant is a Catalonian (northeastern Spain) DO wine region surrounding better known Priorat. Quite dark for a rosé, almost like a claret. Aaron has since informed me that this is made up of syrah, merlot and tempranillo.

This is probably the darkest, fullest, heftiest and most intensely flavored rosé I have ever had, the only other coming close (in heft, but not color) is the 2005 La Rosée de Pavie (the Stockbroker loaded up on a few cases of the latter at only $9 per bottle a few years ago, as I recall). At 13.5%abv, it has the same alcohol level as many traditional Bordeaux reds.

I have no idea what the proportions of the grapes are in this, but I sure did taste the strong influence of syrah. Lots of ripe, spicy, mildly black peppery raspberry and cherry in this. Slight cassis with Provençal-esque nuances underneath, with a pronounced minerality and a faintly medicinal character surfacing mid-mouth. Smooth enough, it is a heavy yet mellow rosé. Nice match for the pissaledière, particularly the black olives. I would imagine this heavyweight rosé would have no problems pairing with roast rack of lamb.

Next, with a very nice and comforting Bean & Chorizo Stew (Gene would not agree with the parallels drawn by some to fabada), we had...

2005 Sierra Cantabria Rioja Crianza - From the outset, this displayed typical Rioja tempranillo flavors: a strawberry and slightly plummy base with topnotes of tartish cherries. The fruit was ripe, but nowhere near the usual super-ripeness of old world 2005s, but nicely fresh. I liked the balance of the acidity just coming over the the fruit.

Firm wine, a good, straightforward, proper Rioja crianza. The wood is well in check and proper, allowing the wine a nice lift that made it a good contrasting match with the soft, earthy goodness of the beans, and, it was also sturdy enough to stand up to the slightly spicy chorizos.

Those looking for typical 2005 over-ripe fruit bombs heavily laced with oak should look elsewhere. Me, I liked this honest and proper Rioja crianza. Good typicity. I would buy this wine.

1999 René Barbier Gran Reserva (Penedès) - Very good vintage for the Pendès DO (also in Catalunya), much better than in Rioja, probably comparable to the vintage of Ribera del Duero, but at the same level as Navarra.

First things first; everything in its place - this is clearly a superior wine compared to the immediately above discussed. However, this is much more mature and a Gran Reserva at that, a different animal altogether - definitely it cannot be anywhere near in price to the latter - and shouldn't fairly be compared head-to-head thereto.

This was a suave, confident, more complex wine with violets on the nose and chocolate, leather and slight kirsch to the mellowed, well-knit, softly mature fruit. Warm and somber. I would buy this wine and could definitely drink this on rainy evenings at home.

With the next course of Oil Can Chicken with Soubise and Colcanna Potatoes*, we had the next two reds....

*There must have been a last-minute change in the menu as I don't remember any Colcanna potatoes.

2006 Brancaia Ilatraia - A very young IGT from Tuscany. For those not familiar, IGT stands for "Indicazione Geografica Tipica" - simply put, it is a relatively modern Italian classification that allows for grapes not native or traditional to an area to be used in making wine. Some so-called "Super Tuscan" (a term coined by Parker) IGTs are Sassicaia and Solaia (both use cabernet sauvignon & cabernet franc), Tignanello ( a blend of sangiovese & cabernet sauvignon) and Masseto (almost pure, if not pure merlot).

I didn't get to read what grapes went into this wine, but it was definitely driven by ripely sweet dried fruit that had an almost raisiny character to it. Reminded me somewhat of a recent Amarone I had. There were minor notes of dried fig, dates and a whisper of tobacco and leather in this sweetly ripe wine. A bit of heat on the nose, but that is very understandable for a wine so young. Lots of buttressing wood, but I think this will integrate well. Lowish acid, rounded fruit - contrived and manipulated to me.

Personally, this is not a style I favor, but I think this could be a crowd pleaser, especially for those who like Australian reds, since it is neither a stern nor challenging wine - quite the contrary, it is easily approachable and richly flavored, if not intellectual or materially complex. I would buy this wine, however, for guests who like this style.

2004 Portia Ribera del Duero - A tad thin on the palate with sourish cherries, a hint of mocha and slight vanilla/coconut cream/oak (likely American oak was used). Simon Cowell's favorite terms "boring" and "forgettable" come to mind. There is nothing wrong or particularly objectionable about this wine, it just doesn't have anything that makes an impression on me at this point. I expected a little more ripeness and character from such a warm vintage. As it was, it didn't even show me any vintage characteristics at this point, and I doubt it ever will. Even if this were sold cheap, I wouldn't buy this wine.

We then moved on to the meat course, Viking Prime Rib with Mixed Mushrooms and Pepper à l'Espagnole. I failed to take a picture of this prime rib dish, but, take my word for it, it was huge and served in man-sized chunks, nicely bloody just how I like it - and, as I imagine, as would have the ancient Nordic marauders as well. With this meaty madness we had...

2003 Valdubón Reserva Ribera del Duero - I recall that this wine drew similar reactions from Gene and J-Lab, in that they both thought this to be quite oaky - to the point that Gene said it came off as more Rioja than Ribera del Duero.

I agree that spicy/toasty oak/vanilla was very apparent in this wine's aroma and flavors. Coconut-cream, cinammon and toffee notes indicate to me a lot of exposure to/ageing in new, predominantly American oak barrels, possibly in barriques. Long-ageing in predominantly American oak is a traditional Rioja style - so that's likely why Gene said it came off as a Rioja.

It's dark fruit, while ripe, roasted and plummy, seemed to lack freshness and push, thereby allowing even more emphasis on the wood - which possibly contributed even more to the Rioja-esque feel.

2006 Brancaia Tre - I failed to ask what went into this wine, but it tasted of sweetish-tart cherries, raspberries, a bit of leather and spicy wood. Nicely firm structure, good focus..

It was pleasing enough up front, revealing some violet nuances mid-mouth and towards the back, but failed to see things through to the end - the finish a bit abrupt and abandoning. It feels like it is holding back.

This is still a very young wine, it likely may have gone to sleep already. As it is now, it comes off superficially as a pleasant, somewhat charming, but simple wine. It may have something interesting to say in the future, but I can't be sure. It might, but only time will surely tell.

Its firmness and focus made it pair acceptably with the prime rib, which, since not aggressively flavored, did not emphasize the wine's relatively short finish.

2005 Château Pouget - A grand cru classé, a little known 4th growth in the 1855 Classification - I do not recall ever having tried any wine from this château, so was thankful for the opportunity.

This wine was initially quite reluctant, giving off a rusty, somewhat stemmy, bell pepper-like aroma which Jo also noted. In the mouth, it was very tight. Given that in my last tasting of a wide range of '05 Bdx (late May 2008, UGC tasting, Vinexpo HK) I felt that most Médocs had gone to sleep, I nursed my glass for approximately 45 minutes or so, just sniffing once in a while, before re-tasting.

After material aeration, it did open up (and I told Aaron that it did) giving off delicately cedar-and-violet-laced notes of plum, cassis, black cherry, a whisper of licorice and fine, dark minerality.

Nice finish/length. Quite proper and austere, not showing the ripe/roastedness of the vintage (which is not necessarily a bad thing). I'd guess that this will turn out to be more like an old school Margaux (which is a good thing, for me, anyway) and would certainly like to revisit this wine in around 4-5 years to see how it comes along.


2005 Schild Estate Ben Schild Reserve Shiraz - The only new world wine of the lunch. I guess this was opened last as, after already having gone through 9 wines (including the cava), anything less large would, possibly, wind up tasting like water - and large this southern Aussie wine was in fruit, no question about that.

Rich, rounded, big, yet very pliant, entertainingly chewy mouthfeel. Undeniably very ripe, the dark fruit was sweet with a baked character to it. There were minor notes of black pepper, bit of chocolate and, to a lesser extent, violets.

Dense and viscous in its ripe-fruited sweetness, taking into account the chocolate notes, I guess this was meant to pair with our dessert of Milk Chocolate Amaretto Sans Rival with a Brazilian Mango Sorbet. Pity though that this (assumed) pairing didn't come to my mind as I devoured my dessert so fast (sans rival happens to be one of my favorite desserts - has been since 5th grade) I forgot to take a picture of it, much less sip the wine.

By itself, I found the wine too cumbersomely rich and a bit cloying. Would I have enjoyed it with the chocolate sans rival? Perhaps, an indulgent "running with the ball" type of pairing. I am no big fan of pairing reds with chocolate, though. I've tried it several times, and the only truly memorable match I've had thus far has been a 1979 Domaine du Mas Blanc Banyuls Cuvée St. Martin (from Bernie Sim) which I served with Chocolate Marquis on a bed of Macerated Cherries during the 23rd February 2007 dinner of the Manila Gentlemen's Club.

A double espresso wound down things for me - little did I suspect that this would turn into yet another 6+ hour wine lunch. That seems to be happening all too often as of late. Gene snuck in a few winks during the dessert course until roused by my question as to the origins of the sans rival. Of course, of those present, only he could answer that definitively, and with detail to spare.

And so ended an extended olive oil and wine tasting lunch. Great way to end the week and kick off a 3-day weekend - especially since the next day was to be my birthday. Many thanks Aaron and Gene for inviting us, and hosting and entertaining us in such fine fashion.