Tasting 4 Tasmanians (!?!) @ Terry's 2º Piso (We Had Other Wines, Of Course).

Over a week ago, JC de Terry asked me to put a small group together to taste some small-production Tasmanian wines which the winery sent over for evaluation. I sent a few texts out to some friends much more experienced with new world wines than I - J-Lab and Johnny said they were in. Thus, sometime last week, we met at Terry's 2ºPiso. I arrived early, and, not having had lunch, I had my usual "Don Quijote" bocadillo (jamón Serrano, manchego, extra-virgin olive oil and freshly marinated crushed tomatoes) and a glass of rosado.

After around 30 minutes, J-Lab and Johnny arrived. JC followed from a meeting shortly after. We didn't waste any time, immediately commandeered a bigger table and got down to business.

We were to taste 4 wines from Sugarloaf Ridge, a boutique winery located in cool climate south east Tasmania, overlooking Frederick Henry Bay.

2010 Sugarloaf Ridge Sauvignon Blanc - This was, for me, the best of the 4 from the winery. Sweet, somewhat creamy ripe, wild-honeyed passion fruit and guava. Much, much subdued gooseberry, grass and grapefruit and fleshier compared to the sauv blancs of Marlborough, NZ. Bright, nicely curved and fresh, I found it quite pleasant. Upon inquiring as to its probable retail price, J-Lab and I were shocked to find out it was relatively expensive for a new world sauv blanc. Though not much in gross terms, I noted that it was more expensive than the Raimbault Pineau Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé that JC carries (which Miguel, Rene and I really like and regularly buy). J-Lab said he'd probably buy it at up to P800, but not much more than that.

2008 Sugarloaf Ridge Chardonnay - Bit of toasty oak on the green apple, lime and citrus nose. Good purity and sharp focus, but the citrus/lemon/lime notes were far too aggressive for me.

We were each then served an amuse bouche of crab and caviar - which we liked so much, JC gave us another round.

2010 Sugarloaf Pinot Gris - All of us tasting are quite familiar with pinot gris. While I am much more familiar with pinot gris from Alsace, I have, occasionally, gotten to try some from the new world. This particular one, we noted, was unusually dark golden for a just-released vintage. The best I can describe the nose and flavors is "nondescript". This was, by far, the strangest pinot gris all of us tasted. Nobody liked it, to say the least.

Johnny: bothered and bewildered, but obviously not bewitched.

Miguel had then joined us, and JC started breaking out his own wines and more food...much to our great delight.

2008 Raimbault Pineau Sancerre - Lovely wine. My favorite expressions of sauvignon blanc are definitely from Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé, though I do also like the ones I've had from Grgich Hills (Napa Valley). Pure, focused, tense, excellent acidity (firm, bright, crisp, but not sharp), very mild gooseberry, gentle grapefruit, faint mandarin orange, harmonious. Loved it...

...especially when paired with a couple of excellent specimens of chèvre from JC. These favored sauv blancs from the eastern Loire are regionally paired with goat's cheese - and with good cause.

2008 Plácet Rioja Blanco - Produced by Palacios Remondo, part of Spain's renowned Alvaro Palacios group. Probably the most complex viura I've had. Notable balance and harmony in its citrus, mild lemon, leesy touches of moderate vanilla/oak. This made Johnny, Miguel and I stand up and take notice. With the following dishes, it went very well. I recall either Miguel or Johnny (possibly both) called this their wine of the night.

One of the few vegetarian dishes I would actually order myself.

Deep-fried sea bass, crisp outside, so moist & juicy inside

An awe-inspiring platter of cold cuts.

Silent reverence....

...and irrepressible desire.

We then tasted the 2008 Sugarloaf Pinot Noir (which I, unfortunately, forgot to take a solo photo of). It had a pervasive and persistent aroma of rusty water to it that I immediately noted. JC and J-Lab agreed. After several minutes, the rust subsided but was still there. J-Lab commented on how very dark it was for a pinot noir. JC commented that some rouges from Nuits-St-Georges can get as dark. Very deep, dark, concentrated, candied fruit. Vaguely spicy, quite minerally. Cola, noted J-Lab. A few minutes later logs of wood emerged; too much for my taste. J-Lab said he found it an interesting pinot noir though.

Miguel takes a whiff.

Chuleton time! With fries, roasted garlic and piquillos to boot!

Johnny hogged the roasted garlic.

2006 Abbotts Cumulus Reserve Minervois - From the Minervois appellation in far southern France Languedoc Roussillon region, close to the Spanish border. The wines I've tried from there I have generally found too ripe-roasted and alcoholic for my tastes - but not this one (maybe the vintage speaks here?). Deeply-veined, moderately spicy berries. Judicious use of oak (probably very little new). Slight pepper, blackberry, cassis, raspberry liqueur, moderate oak and related spice. Neat and clean. Very nice in itself and excellent with the chuleton. At a mere P830/bottle, it is a no-brainer buy and enjoy with grilled steaks.

¡Un millón de gracias de nuevo, JC, y hasta la proxima!

Rene's Birthday Lunch 2010.

A little over a week after Rene's birthday dinner, he hosted a lunch for the Usual Suspects (sans Aaron who was abroad at the time , and Keiichi, who, though now Tokyo-based, will always be one of the group). Lucky us, the meal was again prepared by Tita Bella, Rene's doting mom-in-law.

Ever girlishly svelte, Tita Bella is cool, composed and collected in her immaculate kitchen - one wouldn't guess she's just minutes away from preparing a multi-course meal for a pack of hungry wino-gourmands. I'd be pulling out my hair from tension if I were in her position.

As we trickled in, Rene popped open some bright, linear, tartly citrus-fruited Champagne Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Brut NV.

Rene, Miguel, Johnny & J-Lab

J-Lab, myself & Miguel.

By the time all the other guys had arrived, Rene opened up another bottle of champagne.

Champagne Devaux Grande Reserve Brut NV - J-Lab's bottle. I know he opened one of these before, but when escapes me now and, after 1-½ hours of traffic on the way home, I've not the will to search through my notes. Rounder, less severe, creamier and softer fruited than the previous bubbly, this had a "pillowy" middle and showed more pinot noir characteristics (e.g., a faint milkiness to the fruit). "A bit short" noted J-Lab, but, for me, as a welcome glass with which to ease into lunch, this was more than acceptable.

Arnie, Rene, Greg, Miguel, Johnny, J-Lab & the Stockbroker

The Menu

We eventually made our way to the dining room and seated for lunch...and what a feast it was.

Two-Way Dumplings: Pan-Fried & Steamed

I adore well-made steamed dumplings, and these were certainly well-made - not at all greasy inside, the pork mixture stuffing lightly herbed and seasoned. Though I do not normally go for gyoza or other similar dishes, I found myself jockeying for more from the extra platter on the lazy Susan. The dipping sauce, unlike most of those served in restaurants, was light, graceful, pure, clean - subtly enhancing the dumplings instead of dominating them.

Tita Bella always has extra servings and I assumed Arnie, Johnny and Greg who had not been in her home before would be too shy to grab more before I could, but I was mistaken. Arnie and Greg, fast learners, beat me to the last couple of pieces. With these we had...

2002 Léon Beyer Riesling Reserve - My bottle, one I opened with Rene and Miguel over 2 years ago at one of the last of Sunshine & Rob's last Gourmandise dinners. In the traditional Beyer style, this was a virtually bone-dry riesling showing tense and somewhat severe, white pear, hint of white grapefruit, dry stone fruit and citrus, permeated with a general fruit pit character (also noticed by Arnie and Johnny). The goût de pétrole was there, but quite subtle. Arnie noted, and I agreed, that this was a good pairing with the dumplings.

Next was the soup course of...

Hot & Sour Soup with Chinese Black Vinegar. I wish all hot and sour soups could be made this way - well-balanced, the interplay of heat and acid precise and harmonious - nothing jutted out and the attack on the palate firm but not shocking. Lots of succulent slices of mushrooms in this. I had a second bowl.

A dish of Deep-Fried Shrimp Balls with Toast and Sweet & Sour Sauce followed. Again, though deep-fried, there was not at all any greasiness, whether within or without. The sauce had more depth than its simple name suggests, as well as a whisper of earthiness. Tiny pinches of the 5-Spice powder that came with it added an exotic and coyly suggestive dimension of flavor. Everyone had extra helpings. I managed to snatch only one extra piece of this. Miguel and Arnie were quicker to the draw.

In the meantime, 3 vintages of La Rosée de Pavie had been opened - I recall 2003 and 2005, but the third vintage escapes me.

I only got to try the 2003 and 2005, and managed to get a shot of only the 2003. I tried a few of Perse's rosé and all merely 1 or 2 years from vintage. They are quite pleasant and quite hefty for rosé, especially rosé from Bordeaux. As with most rosés, even those of Tempier, I prefer them younger, leaner and fresher. I drank down my pours of both, however.

The 2nd-time-around Birthday Boy.

Because of the generous extra portions on hand for the taking, I started glancing at the menu occasionally in order to pace myself. I counted 5 courses to come, so I figured I'd start slowing down and avoid multiple servings thereafter. I didn't turn out that way.

Noodles with Glazed Pork Belly & Shiitake Mushrooms

No sooner had I made the silent vow, this dish shattered it. I am a sucker for pork belly, and this was absolutely melt-in-your mouth, the sauce decadently rich and earthily, sweetishly sticky (Tita Bella's version of humba, Rene said). I gobbled silently...and had a second helping, my justification being that I'd skip dinner that night (it actually turned out that way). By then, four bottles of the red line up had been pouring.

Noticing that I was focused on the food, Rene thoughtfully made sure I got pours of some reds as I, honestly, didn't pay them much attention (admittedly, I'm no big fan of having reds with Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese or Thai cuisine).

2001 Les Forts de Latour - Rene's bottle, a wine of which I bought a couple of cases at a measly US$30-something/bottle several years ago (shockingly/currently offered by Flickinger's at US$250/bottle). This was a bit tightly wound at first and needed around 20 or so minutes in glass to come around. Commanding, masculine, loamy, solid, cedary, tar and black gravel infused dark fruit complexed with mushroom, moderate dark minerality, old leather, walnut skin and slight violets. Solid structure, good bones. Very nice, as I remember it.

2001 Château Léoville Barton - Greg's bottle. Not as full and finer-boned as the preceding wine, this seemed comparatively/slightly linear but neater and with a classic, austere cut to its over medium-bodied gravel, tar, wood spice, dried herbs infused black cherry over cassis, cedar and leather. Very neat and nicely poised. Firm acidity and structure. Everything tucked in neatly. A dapper wine. Good show from St-Julien.

1995 Château Sociando-Mallet - Rene's bottle. I'm pretty sure I've had this before, but I cannot seem to find any of my own notes on it. In any event, this, as I recall, was notably heftier, fleshier and less austere in fruit than the '01 Léoville Barton and with less acidity. Not as big-boned as the '01 Les Forts, but more than the '01 Léoville Barton. Slight sanguine topnote, licorice, brown spice, cedar, violets, cassis, black cherry, slight raspberry, tobacco, bit of gravel and loam. Well put-together, Sociando always seems to punch above its weight class - and it was one of the more notable 2009s I got to try in Bordeaux this past March as well.

I actually got to try a bit of the Stockbroker's 1992 Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve later in the meal, but I was too overwhelmed by then to do it justice of taking proper mental note. The guys seemed to like it though.

The Fish Fillet with Spicy Sauce and Pearls of the Orient followed in tandem. The lightly salty and nicely piquant sauce drizzled over the pearly rice grains revitalized my already flagging appetite - a viagra for the stomach, if you will. Stuffed though I was after my double helping of noodles and pork belly, I roared through the helpless fish and 2 cups of the fragrant rice. I wished for more of my dry Beyer riesling, but it was long gone by then.

This was a killer - Baked Rib-Eye in Chinese Special Marinade - the very first time, I believe, that I've ever had a baked rib-eye and I have no idea what was in Tita Bella's special Chinese marinade. All I can tell you is that I grabbed more than my fair share of this, throwing all caution to the wind and kicking prudence to a roadside gutter. I knew I was way deep into over-indulgence by then, but long past caring. It was that good.

So much so as to later inspire an uncharacteristically somber toast to the (by then absent) chef.

Dessert was Almond Jelly, Mango Purée & Tapioca Balls - at once refreshing, rich, yet gentle on the now distended bellies in attendance. I can still feel on my palate the gently firm yet yielding texture of the almond jelly - not at all like and infinitely more interesting than the ones ubiquitously served in Chinese restaurants.

So blissfully groggy from the food was I, it was all I could manage to have one final glass of champagne with Miguel and Rene as we, the last, lingered until dusk. Happy birthday yet again, Rene, and, to Tita Bella, a world of thanks for yet another stunning feast. I didn't have dinner that night and wasn't even hungry the next morning. Calories be damned. This is what makes life enjoyable.

A White Burg @ Je Suis Gourmand.

Dinner last night was with Catha & the kids at Je Suis Gourmand. Since the farewell dinner the Stockbroker and I are organizing there falls on a schoolday, the kids will not be able to attend, so they asked to have dinner there a few times before the old favorite finally shuts its doors by year-end. I, of course, am more than willing to oblige their request.

The youngest was the most insistent.

The restaurant was pretty much packed with the usual mix of expats and locals when we walked in a little past 7pm. We had the usual appetizers...

Terrine of Foie Gras (file photo)

Escargots à la Bourguignonne, 3 orders (file photo)

Roasted Portobello Mushrooms with Oeuf Cocotte (file photo)

...and one special for the night.

Phyllo-Wrapped Foie Gras & Mushrooms with Salad Greens

My French Onion Soup was especially good that night, the broth deeper and more intense than usual, the onions' caramelization sheer perfection.

My 2nd son said his above-depicted Prawn and Tomato Bisque was also quite good.

I had brought along 2 bottles of Burgundy that night, one white from the Côte de Beaune and a red from the Côte de Nuits. Catha opted to just have white that evening, so I stuck to that.

1999 Domaine Etienne Sauzet Puligny Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatières - Intense, rich, spicy wild honey, ripe pear, apple and lemon cream, moderate vanilla, with hints of nutmeg, orange blossom essence and underlying white chocolate that eases upward past mid-mouth and into the finish. As it warmed, the lemon notes became more apparent. Slightly over medium-bodied, smooth and luxurious, but no way in-your-face like a typical Napa chardonnay. Very, very nice. Lovely balance; and it went well with my main course of...

...Trio of Prawns, Scallops & Chilean Sea Bass Pasta.

Cheers!

Desserts followed. We ordered one each, save that the eldest just shared with the youngest as the latter claimed to be quite full by that time.

Home-Made Banana Ice Cream with Chocolate Bits for me.

Pears in Wine for Catha (her favorite dessert in JSG).

Molten Chocolate Cake with Berries shared by the bookend boys.

Lemon Soufflé for my 2nd son (this is his current JSG favorite).

Marc stopped by the table a couple of times for a chat and offered us some digestifs after our coffee and espresso. It was, as always, a wonderfully comforting meal at Je Suis Gourmand. It goes without saying that we will follow Marc to his new restaurant, wherever it may wind up being located.

Thursday Steaks & Wine @ Mamou.

Today's lunch, the 2nd December 2010, was at Mamou with Miguel, Rene & Santi. A pre-Christmas lunch, as it were. I was a bit delayed by unusually heavy noontime Makati traffic, so Mig & Rene were there ahead of me. Santi followed shortly. In the meantime, we ordered our food and popped open a bottle of bubbly to start.

Champagne Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Rosé NV - My bottle, one I picked up at CAV (at a good price - just P2800/bottle) on the way to Mamou (a bit stressed from the traffic, running late, difficulty in finding parking and a sudden work-related call during the latter, I felt the need for some bubbly to ease me into the meal). Notably fresh, straightforwardly exuberant, vibrant and lively strawberry, slight redcurrant, bit of orange, citrus over ripe pear with perky yeast and fresh bread highlights. I've had this many times, but this bottle was exceptionally good (or, maybe, I just really needed it). Either way, I really enjoyed this one. It definitely hit the spot. At it's price, it's a no brainer.

Halfway through our first glasses, Santi arrived and our 2 orders of Spaghetti Bottarga hit the table.

This, like at the last wine lunch here a little over a month ago, was perfect. Before that, when I first tried Mamou's version of this, the bottarga was a bit too subtle. The past 2 times, though, were excellent. I now join Catha and the Doc in naming this my favorite spaghetti bottarga in Manila.

Just as we were finishing off our pasta, our 2 orders of Dry-Aged US Prime Grade Bone-In Rib-Eye were served.

File photo

With these, we had orders of Red Steak Rice (one each for Santi & Miguel) and White Steak Rice (one each for Rene and I), Mamou's Bacon and a platter of Asian Duck with Chinese Chorizo Red Rice (all of which I neglected to take photos of).

With the steaks, we enjoyed a 12 year old Napa.

1998 Araujo Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard - Rene's bottle. I first tried Araujo wine from him during a dinner at Santi's place back in June 2008 - the 2000 vintage of their 2nd wine called "Altagracia". Back then, I already noted that the style:

...does not appear to be from the "the bigger, the better" school of wine-making. Though I would certainly not mistake it for Bordeaux or Old World, it does not display the over-bearing, syrupy consistency, tons of oak or telltale coconut-creamy/sweet butterscotch smell of a typical, big napa cab. Rather, it shows comparative restraint (a good thing for me) without sacrificing the straightforward honesty and rich flavors of its its kind.

Big (but not blocky), rich (but not ostentatious), this wine shows off its comparatively viscous, sweetishly ripe molten black fruit, mere hint of pruniness, crème de cassis, licorice, touch of toffee and sweet tobacco with some refinement.

A little over a month later, I got to try another of Araujo's wines during a dinner featuring California cult cabernets, specifically, the 1993 Araujo Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard. I had similar perceptions of Araujo's style:

Much less dense and brooding than the previous red, this had mild leather nuances to its dark fruit, cassis and violets. There was some minerality, but very, very subtle compared to the Grace. The wine itself was much more focused, purer in fruit and lighter on its feet as well.

This was one of the wines I was most curious to try, having recently had the second wine (the 2000 Altagracia from Rene Fuentes II) which I found to be much more elegant and understated in style than most Napa cabs I've tried. My assessment holds true to this 15-year-old first wine - it was as elegant as its bretheren go, and was my third favorite wine of the evening.

The subject wine re-confirmed my preference for the Araujo style of Napa cabs: mellow, deep, markedly good depth, balance and harmony. Not at all in-your-face. This is a few shades under legitimate Napa cab full body, notably smooth, warmly supple mid-mouth, soft-fruited, precise ripeness, with grace and poise. Faint minty topnote, cedar, violets, mildly earthy dark fruit, sweetish red berries, just a pinch of underlying tobacco and wood spice with slight red spice in the finish. Lovely wine, probably the most poised and elegant Napa cab I have had. Very different in character compared to the darkly serious, masculine Montelena and the Bordeaux-esque Dominus (two of my favored Napa cab producers). A great treat indeed - and it was fantastic with the steaks.

Our combined efforts made short work of the hunks of meat, the last few minutes spent shaving off the delectably rich last bits from the bone.

In the meantime, an older red had been opened to gently breath. The main courses done, we settled at a table outside for the next bottle with a platter of Fuet & Cheese with Honey.

1979 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande - My bottle, but I'm not sure if this one came from my batch from KL Wines or Cellaraiders (I've opened many of these over the past 4 years). This one had a very good fill, but the cork was damp past halfway up (no signs of going past the cork though). Not the best '79 Pichon Lalande I've had - actually the most advanced one I've ever opened. Santi initially noted it seemed slightly flat. After around 25-35 minutes of breathing in glass, it did show nice enough age-sweetened, cassis, underlying and discreet dark gravel and pencil-lead notes, bit of dark plum, black cherry, raspberry and violets. Just a notch or two over medium-bodied. Graceful and feminine, yes, but the fruit was pretty tired. Oh, well, not all can be gems, can they? Still, not a bad wine. Certainly acceptable, if not much more than that.

Miguel and I got the last two pours of the bubbly to wash our palates, we all got some coffee and double espressos and headed off to our respective homes. The Pichon's less-than-stellar performance was more than made up by the bubbly and Rene's Araujo. The excellent steaks and company certainly didn't hurt. Thanks, guys.

¡Salud y hasta la proxima!