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Archive for Cabernet Sauvignon

Harlan part 2

Aug22

Restaurant: Cut [1, 2, 3, 4]

Location: 9500 Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90212. (310) 276-8500

Date: November 28, 2023

Cuisine: Modern Steakhouse

Rating: Amazing special meal

_

Michael Palmer arranged this incredible Harlan tasting dinner in two parts. Not only did he procure the wines, but he organized with Piero Selvaggio our total takeover of the Cut lounge and a custom menu.
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Classic Spago Tuna cones with that crispy/sweet shell.
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Wagyu beef rolls.
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Uni yuzu toast. The ingredients were great but I didn’t think the yuzu worked well with the rich uni.
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For the second night (odd vintages) of our 2 part Harlan tasting we returned to Cut. This time they put us in the private room instead of the bar. Nice and quiet, but very bright and didn’t have quite the ambiance.
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Tonight’s menu was again a completely custom awesome menu by the very talented team at Cut.
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Comte Cheese Custard. Dungeness crab, red wine shallot chutney, black truffle.
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With the truffles. This was an awesome dish, rich, creamy, with a hint of red wine sweetness and surprisingly, for a crab dish, and excellent pairing with the big cabs.
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The Spago bread selection
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Red Wine Poached Maine Lobster. Japanese potato, bacon lardons, beurre rouge. Again you wouldn’t think that lobster went with big cab, but between the bacon flavor and the rich red wine butter sauce it totally did.
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Wolfgang just straight up joined us for the dinner.
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Cauliflower Mushroom Risotto. 36 month aged parmigiano reggiano, red wine essence. An absolutely first class risotto, very creamy and cheesy, with a perfect mancurata.
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Roasted Loan of Venison. Sautéed Brussel sprouts, red wine poached pears, cipollini onion jus. First of two red meats!
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Australian Wagyu New York. Cream of sunchoke, ricotta gnocchi, whole grain mustard jus. This one was even better.
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He brought out this incredible Italian cheese.
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Briacacio Cheese. Grilled fruit & nut bread, cream of shallot, market blackberry jam. Really just an awesome blu cheese. Like a super gorgonzola.
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My son’s favorite — Quad Chocolate Cloud Gelato – The base is made this time with Valrhona 70% Guanaja Chocolate and then layered with Dark Chocolate Cream Cheese Ganache, Nestle Buncha Crunch, and chopped Oreos! — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #Valrhona #chocolate #oreos #ganache #icing #nestle #crunch
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This was another incredible meal. Everything was perfect. Wines were interesting and the food was amazing. Company was the best of all. Thank you Michael and Pierro for organizing!

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The chef and team.

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The gang.
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Puck is very full.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Related posts:

  1. Harlan part 1
  2. Harlan at BOA
  3. Sauvages – LQ goes Italian
  4. Tata’s Two
  5. Chengdu Impression
By: agavin
Comments (0)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: BYOG, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cut, Gelato, harlan, Piero Selvaggio, Wine, Wolfgang Puck

Harlan part 1

Jul07

Restaurant: Cut [1, 2, 3, 4]

Location: 9500 Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90212. (310) 276-8500

Date: September 5, 2023

Cuisine: Modern Steakhouse

Rating: Amazing special meal

_

Michael Palmer arranged this incredible Harlan tasting dinner in two parts. Not only did he procure the wines, but he organized with Piero Selvaggio our total takeover of the Cut lounge and a custom menu.
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The special menu.
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A5 Wagyu on Chicharrones! Delicious.
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Tempura fried oysters with caviar. I don’t normally love fried oysters, but these were great.
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Blue fin tuna on wonton crisps.
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The chef.
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Black Trumpet Mushroom Chawanmushi. Crispy 36 month aged Prosciutto di Parama. Very unusual egg custard with a smoky rich “thick” top and a definitive bacon flavor.
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Long Island Black Bass. Creamy eggplant, roasted figs, red wine reduction. Normally you wouldn’t think fish would go with Harlan but the smoky eggplant and the incredible sweet cabernet reduction really brought it together. I licked the plate clean!
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Chanterelle Mushroom Risotto. 36 month aged parmigiano reggiano. Fabulous risotto with a perfect texture and mancurata. It was mild, with no pepper and not as much cheese as I would have liked on its own, but it did pair great with the wines.
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Roasted Liberty Duck Two Ways. Really nice duck breast and confit leg bits. The breast had a hammy gamey quality and the leg meat was braised with a bit of black pepper — really fabulous.
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Australian Wagyu Westholme New York Strip. Bone marrow custard, sauce bordelaise. Very tasty meat amped up by the addition (and I spread it on top) of the bone marrow flan.
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30 Month Aged Comte. Grilled fruit & nut bread, market blackberry jam. Really spectactular cheese dish. Sweet, but I ate the entire bread and jam because the 3 way pairing was divine.
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Pure and Concentrated Evil — Kentucky Mud Pie Gelato — Expresso Knob Creek Bourbon Custard Gelato base with layers of house-made Crushed Oreo Valrhona Fudge Ganache, and house-made Vanilla Coconut Cream Cheese Icing — The Plaid Mode of Gelati and includes a hefty Caffeine kick — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #coconut #valrhona #chocolate #ganache #expresso #bourbon #custard #oreos #icing
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Overall, this was a really special dinner. The wines were incredible, even if California isn’t my favorite, and the food was out of this world. The special room — aka full longue takeover — and hyper attentive service under Pierro made it a one of a kind evening!

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The gang.

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For more LA dining reviews click here.

Related posts:

  1. Harlan at BOA
  2. Fallen (Haige) Star
  3. Không Tên – Brunch
  4. Favori Dinner
  5. On Fire – Wasn’t
By: agavin
Comments (0)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: BYOG, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cut, Gelato, harlan, Piero Selvaggio, Wine, Wolfgang Puck

Harlan at BOA

Feb10

Restaurant: BOA Steakhouse

Location: 9200 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069. (310) 278-2050

Date: December 13, 2019

Cuisine: Steakhouse

Rating: Pretty good food, mediocre service

_

Continuing my December run of Steakhouse dinners is a huge Harlan vertical.
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This was originally intended to happen at Arthur J Steakhouse in Manhattan beach, but was redirected to BOA Sunset. Now BOA has decent food, but it’s run by Innovative Dining, which has a style-over-substance approach and medium service. On the plus side they do waive corkage, but this has some costs (more on that later) and they are huge, mobbed, and not super attentive.
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We had a nice outside table, but it wasn’t a private room and was quite loud.
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The menu.

In order to better organize the food/wine progression I formed a 6 course “plan” with Yarom and Larry. This consisted of seafood/salad, red apps, steak 1, steak 2, steak 3, desserts.

Course 0: Aperitifs

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From my cellar: 2007 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Rosé Brut. VM 97. The 2007 Comtes de Champagne Rosé is a total knock-out. Racy and exuberant in the glass, the 2007 wraps around the palate with stunning textural depth and resonance. The 15% still Pinot adds structure and persistence to a creamy, inviting Rosé Champagne that will leave readers weak at the knees. Hints of rose petal, dried cherry, cinnamon and dried flowers meld into the sublime finish. This is about as good as it gets. Wow! (Drink between 2018-2038)
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Salted butter.
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Passable bread, but nowhere near as good as The Royce, Mastros, or many other steakhouses.

 

Course 1: Seafood / Champ

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2002 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut. VM 97. Taittinger’s 2002 Comtes de Champagne is a great way to kick things off. Rich, radiant and lush, with all of the exotic ripeness of the year in evidence, the 2002 Comtes delivers the goods. This bottle is perhaps a bit more forward than others have been, but it is nevertheless very fine. (Drink between 2017-2037)
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COLOSSAL BLUE CRAB COCKTAIL. Nice chunks of crab meat.

Course 2: Salads / Whites

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2012 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis 1er Cru Séchet. VM 92+. Stony aromas of white pepper, biscuit and white truffle. Dense and energetic, with a distinctly savory saline quality leavening the intense lemon and mineral flavors. Finishes stony and very long, with terrific energy and grip. Very youthful in the early going.
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From my cellar: 1996 Robert Ampeau & Fils Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières. 94 points. Golden yellow, big, reductive so we decanted it for an hour, more accessible & opened up to reveal a rich, relatively full bodied wine, not at its peak.
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BLT WEDGE. applewood smoked bacon, crisp iceberg, tomato, avocado, creamy bacon dressing.
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TABLE-SIDE CLASSIC CAESAR. This is just the romaine waiting to be prepped.
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The empty bowl.
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Mustard.
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Condiments.

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Whipping up the dressing.
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The Caesar itself. Very peppery and tangy. Nice. One of the best restaurant caesars. Not quite as good as my own homemade one, but very good.

Course 3: Red Apps

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1993 Harlan Estate. VM 97. What a joy it is to taste the 1993 Harlan Estate. The aromatics alone are captivating. Wonderfully nuanced and expressive, the 1993 is peaking today. Time has softened the tannins, yet there is plenty of depth, especially for a wine of this age. Readers can look forward to another 5-10 years of exceptional drinking. Although the vines were naturally younger when the 1993 was made than they are today, and winemaking has evolved, the reality is that the 1993, like many of these wines, really needed quite a bit of time to be at its very best. (Drink between 2017-2023)
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1993 Harlan Estate. VM 96. It is fascinating to taste the 1996 Harlan Estate after the 1999. Tightly wound and almost Old World in spirit, the 1996 is compelling from the first taste. Although the 1996 doesnâ’t have the natural Napa Valley opulence that runs through so many other wines in this tasting, itâ’s balance is simply impeccable. Scents of tobacco, leather, cedar and spice add aromatic intensity. For a 21 year-old wine, the 1996 is still quite powerful. As good as the 1996 is, there is a perceptible aggressiveness in the tannins that are hardly, if ever, seen in todayâ’s wines. (Drink between 2017-2027)
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TABLE-SIDE PRIME STEAK TARTARE. quail egg, house-made pickles, grilled toast.
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All mixed up. This was a decent tartare, but not as good as at the Royce. Maybe too much in the pickle department.

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Toasts and extra pickles.
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ROASTED BONE MARROW. red onion jam, kimchee, micro herbs, grilled bread. Not that huge a marrow fan.

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GOAT CHEESE BAKLAVA. pistachios, black truffles, frisee. This was awesome. Sweet and cheesy with great texture. A savory dessert hybrid.

Course 4: Lamb and Fries

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1998 Harlan Estate. VM 92. Good full red-ruby. Coolish but attractive nose combines blueberry, violet, licorice and lavender; still quite primary. Then juicy and intense if on the lean side, with a captivating floral freshness, brisk acidity and surprising succulent persistence. This will never be an expansive style of Harlan Estate but I like its intensity and verve and give it the edge today over the 2000. The high quality, and satisfying ripeness, of this wine is no doubt largely due to the fact that only a tiny quantity of juice was bottled under the flagship label.
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1998 Harlan Estate. VM 95+. Good medium ruby-red. Slightly high-toned aromas of dark raspberry, spicecake, licorice and minerals. Densely packed, ripe and savory, with its very ripe, slightly inky flavors of dark berries and licorice extended on the back end by strong saline minerality. This highly concentrated, powerfully structured wine boasts excellent acidity and the ripe tannic spine for further positive development in bottle. Finishes with a repeating licorice quality and outstanding palate-staining length. (14.5% alcohol) (Drink between 2019-2039)
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sonoma lamb t-bones. Okay, but not like the amazing ones at The Royce.

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TRUFFLED CHEESE FRIES. Gluttonous, but yummy.
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HAND CUT CRISPY FRIES. Why bother when there are cheesy ones?

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CRAB & BLACK TRUFFLE GNOCCHI. Excellent.

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Brussels Sprouts with Bacon.

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My “civilized” first meat course plate.

Course 5: Ribeye

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2000 Harlan Estate. VM 93. The 2000 Harlan Estate is in a beautiful place today. Soft, open-knit and nicely mellowed by age, the 2000 is absolutely gorgeous, with soft contours to match is engaging personality. Mocha, black cherries, leather and spice are all quite forward in this succulent Harlan Estate. The 2000 might not be a profound Harlan Estate, but it is a striking wine that is peaking today and that should continue to drink well for at least another few years. (Drink between 2015-2020)
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From my cellar: 2000 Harlan Estate. VM 95. Good deep ruby-red. Blackcurrant, minerals, graphite, mocha and leather on the nose. Sweet and tightly wound, with a violet topnote and terrific depth of flavor. This powerfully structured wine has plenty of meat on its bones. The tannins are huge but refined. This must be among the three or four longest wines of the vintage, with the violet quality persisting on the aftertaste. (I retasted the 2002 on this occasion, and this elixir of a wine continues to be one of the greatest California cabernets of my experience, with a knockout nose of black raspberry, minerals, tobacco and crushed stone; a superconcentrated essence of cabernet on the palate; and an almost confectionery finish of incredible persistence. My latest sample merited a solid 98.)
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2000 Harlan Estate. VM 95. Open-knit, sensual and perfumed, the 2005 Harlan Estate is super-expressive today. Like so many 2005s, the Harlan is a bit lacking in intensity and overall structure relative to the very best years. The 2005 is a terrific choice for drinking now and over the next 15-20 years. At some point during that arc of time, the 2005 is likely to become a bit frail, but that does not appear to be imminent. Even after thinning to a cluster per shoot, the clusters and berries were large, which required some bleeding in the tanks, a technique that is not often used at Harlan Estate. (Drink between 2017-2027)
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21 day dry aged bone-in ribeye.

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With garlic.
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MAC N CHEESE. Ok, but I’ve had better.
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SEASONAL MUSHROOMS.
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LOBSTER MASHED POTATOES.

Course 6: Tomahawk

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2006 Harlan Estate. VM 95+. Deep ruby-red. Captivating aromas of redcurrant, sage, leather and game, lifted by a floral note. A sweet, juicy midweight, quite primary and closed today but with lovely inner-mouth floral lift apparent already. This is about sweetness more than sheer opulence. Most impressive today on the very long, building finish, which features suave but firm tannins and excellent lift to its lingering flavors of red fruits, forest floor and tobacco. A great performance for the year and sure to be long-lived.
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2009 Harlan Estate. VM 97. Bright, saturated ruby. Alluring aromas of blueberry, cassis, licorice, minerals, mocha and nutty oak. At once thick and lively on entry, then densely packed and compellingly deep in in the middle palate, with its dark fruit, smoke and graphite flavors conveying a subtle savory quality that nicely buffers the wine’s sweetness and alcohol. At once harmonious and gripping for the year, this reverberating, palate-staining wine spreads out on the back end without losing its verticality–if that’s possible! Impeccable tannin management here. (Drink between 2020-2040)
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2010 Harlan Estate. VM 100. The 2010 Harlan Estate is a total head-turner. Powerful, dense and exotically ripe – as so many wines are in this vintage – the 2010 dazzles with magnificent intensity. Baritone inflections run through the black cherry, graphite, smoke, tar and licorice flavors. Heat spikes at the end of what was generally a cold growing season yielded wines that bring together structure and fruit density. (Drink between 2018-2037)
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Tomahawk.

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Sautéed Broccoli Rabe.

Course 7: My Gelato

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Mango Coconut Cheesecake Gelato — this one is serious — Mango Cheesecake base layered with house-made Graham Crackers and house-made Coconut Cream- Ceese Icing and sprinkled with Candied Mango –created by me for @sweetmilkgelato –#SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #mango #cheesecake #creamcheese #coconut #icing #GrahamCracker #CandiedFruit

Moose Avenue Gelato — Ice cream fans should get the joke — pure Tahitian Vanilla gelato base layered with Valrhona Milk Chocolate Ganache and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups –created by me for @sweetmilkgelato –#SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #vanilla #valrhona #chocolate #ganache #Reeses #PeanutButterCups

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“Plated.”
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The pre Harlans.
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And the Harlan lineup.

Food was pretty solid. It’s not nearly as good as The Royce, but it’s better than more hack steakhouses like Del Friscos or terrible ones like Taylor’s. The place is gigantic and a bit of a factory. It was very crowded with holiday parties and the like. Service was okay but a bit distant.

They did waive corkage. But on the minus side, and perhaps because of this, they didn’t touch the bottles (maybe a good thing), so we did everything. AND they very strictly limited us to TWO glasses each. At first they blamed this on being crowded and said “we can get you more later” but the manager had informed the service not to. We asked repeatedly and were denied. When two of us went up to the bar and got a single extra glass each the manager tracked down a third person and TOOK THE GLASS. And he told the staff not to give us any more. This is pretty unforgivable and violates the rules of hospitality. It’s one thing to not bring a whole extra set, but it’s totally different to circumvent active efforts on the part of a guest to get a glass. Whoever had this idea should just be tossed out of the restaurant business. Two stems was just not sufficient to work through our wine. 3 barely was. Even with breaking up the food into so many flights, several of the courses needed three stems.

My plan to break up the courses — despite a tiny bit of grumbling — worked much much better than the single wave of steaks and sides. If we had tried that here we would have had to get through 8 Harlans in about 10 minutes! Gulp!

The wines were excellent. I liked the 90s ones best myself as I like a bit of age on my wine. The 2010 was so young and hot (alcoholic) and slutty, although it had a certain hedonistic pleasure to it.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

or more crazy Hedonist dinners here!

Related posts:

  1. Dinner at the Borgese’s
  2. Double Eagle is Pretty Standard
  3. Italian House Party
  4. Bubbe’s Kitchen – Traktir
  5. Top Island Seafood
By: agavin
Comments (2)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: BOA, BYOG, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gelato, harlan, hedonists, Hollywood, steakhouse

Sloan not on Loan

Oct09

Restaurant: Private Chef, David Slatkin

Location: Bel Air

Date: August 23, 2019

Cuisine: American

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Somehow this season I keep getting “dragged” into New World themed meals, so it’s back again to the house of my friend and wine journalist Jeff Leve for a slate of Cabernet Sauvignon featuring top wines from Sloan.
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Member Jeff’s lovely backyard and features food by private chef David Slatkin.

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Our host Jeff, and to his left one of the principals at Sloan.
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Chef David Slatkin leans in.

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2014 Sloan Asterisk. VM 93. A gorgeous second wine, the 2014 Asterisk has a lot to offer. Succulent red cherry, plum and pomegranate fruit give the wine much of its racy personality. In 2014, the Asterisk has terrific energy and brightness, with pretty floral and savory notes that add perfume. There is so much grace and class here, but readers should expect the slightly slender style that is typical of the year. (Drink between 2020-2024)  Jeff Level 92. Soft, fresh, sweet and elegant, the purity in the fruit and the open, forward, refined style are the hallmarks of this wine.
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2010 Sloan Asterisk. VM 91. Dark red cherry, plum, mocha, tobacco, licorice and spices flesh out in the 2010 ASTERISK. Rich, round and creamy, the Asterisk shows plenty of SLOAN ESTATE personality in a juicy, approachable style. The tannins could use another year or two to soften, but the wine’s balance is terrific. The blend is 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and drops of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. (Drink between 2014-2023)  Jeff Leve 93. Purity, refinement, and elegance, with soft, silky tannins and sweet ripe fruits in a forward style that is drinking at close to peak today.
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Meat and Cheese board — always yummy!
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Beef tartar with crisps. A always love beef tartar.
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2015 Sloan. VM 97. The 2015 Sloan is a powerful, dramatic wine endowed with tremendous textural depth. A rush of blackberry jam, grilled herbs, leather and licorice builds as this flamboyant wine shows off its alluring personality. Even with all of its obvious intensity, the 2015 possesses a good deal of freshness and structure. It is a tremendous wine by any measure. (Drink between 2022-2040) Jeff Leve 99. Deep, dark, brooding, powerful, rich, lusciously textured and packed with layers of sweet, polished, black, dark red and blue fruit. The tannins are soft and polished giving the wine the right balance between tannins, power and elegance.
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2012 Sloan. VM 97. The 2012 Sloan is dark, sensual and voluptuous to the core. Soft edges and radiant, luxurious fruit add to the wine’s undeniably raciness. Absolutely impeccable, the 2012 Sloan is also a fabulous example of the year at its best. (Drink between 2020-2032)  Jeff Leve 98. Deep, dark and powerful, the wine is equally round, plush and polished. Mouth-filling, sweet, multi-layered and complex, the fruit has a great sense of purity that comes through easily. If you like young Cabs, pop it now, else this will age for decades.
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2009 Sloan. VM 96. The 2009 SLOAN ESTATE has fleshed out beautifully since last year. Exciting and totally voluptuous, the 2009 covers every inch of the palate with layers of mocha-infused dark fruit. The 2009 boasts striking inner perfume and sweetness, with generous plum, cinnamon, melted road tar and Christmas cake notes that wrap around the highly expressive finish. I imagine the 2009 is a vintage that will enjoy a broad window of drinkability starting pretty much upon release. The 2009 is 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. SLOAN fans will note the Merlot is a little higher than normal in 2009. (Drink between 2014-2027) Jeff Leve 95. Forward, easy to drink, medium/full-bodied with an open, lush character and plenty of blackberries, espresso, fudge and smoke. The wine is soft and refined in the finish.
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Delicious meaty pasta. Nice textural bite to the thick pasta.
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2009 Abreu Cappella. Jeff Leve 98 Silk and velvet textures make the wine. This is such a great style. The showy, perfectly ripe fruits, soft, polished tannins, and layers of ripe, sweet, fresh and fleshy berries never quits. The fruit filled finish, with its nuances of smoke, dark cocoa, licorice and espresso hang wth you for ages. Drink this now, or wait a decade. This is a very special wine.
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2012 The Debate Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vineyard. 96 points. Dark fruit and chocolate on the nose. The palate was dark berries, red cherry, mahogany, chocolate and a hint of sage on the finish. The finish was full and lingering. A great bottle of wine So much better than the Dr Crane I had two weeks ago.
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2013 Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon T6 Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vineyard. Jeff Leve 100. Just stunning in every sense of the word. Still inky dark in color, the wine is opulent, silky, sexy, lush and pure. Concentrated, balanced and energetic, the texture is polished velvet and the fruit tastes as good as it feels. It’s a knockout wine! The last time I tasted this was in 2016 and I noted it could eventually hit triple digits. Today, I no longer wonder as this is so above and beyond, it deserves 100 Pts.
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Quail and mushrooms.
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2007 Araujo Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard. VM 95+. Good full ruby-red. Vibrant aromas of deep black raspberry, licorice and violet; quite expressive considering it was bottled about a month prior to my visit. Then dense, deep and very primary, with powerful yet suave flavors of blackberry, smoke, licorice, minerals, chocolate and earth spreading out to saturate the palate. An infant today but the wine’s superb persistence and finishing perfume suggest it will rank among the best vintages of this bottling. If there is ever a classification of Napa Valley cabernet vineyards, the Eisele Vineyard would clearly be a grand cru.  Jeff Leve 94. Clearly not a wine of power, this is all about the elegant nature, soft tannins, balance, lift and vivacity. There is a purity to the fruit that shines though, along with touches of toasty oak, licorice, smoke and black fruits. This is ready for prime time drinking today.
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2006 Colgin IX Estate. Jeff Leve 98. Spicy, suave, silky and intense, the fruit is perfectly ripe, sweet, fresh and pure. The wine offers that unique combination of density paired with refinement, lift, complexity and length. And this is still young, so pop a cork now to check it out, if you have a few bottles, or age it for another decade to see what happens.
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2006 Harlan Estate. Jeff Leve 98. Wow! Talk about a wine with a lot going on. Initially, you discover the multiple layers of fruit. But it is the refined character, the soft, polished, silky tannins and the complexity that keeps you going back for another taste of all that ripe, deep fruit. Powerful, but elegant, this is gorgeous. Still young, it’s a nice time to start opening your bottles, but there is no hurry, as they are going to age for decades with ease.
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Duck breast.
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2002 Abreu Cabernet Sauvignon Madrona Ranch. 96 points. Deep ruby, dark fruit, med. tannins, long finish; delicious, but out shone by the 05 Spottswoode, possibly related to a longer decant. I suspect this wine is still evolving & it needs more time or a longer decant; delicious!
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2002 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select. Jeff Leve 97. It’s been ages since I last tasted this gem. It is hard to believe, this is almost 18 years old. The color remains dark. The fruit, which has softened over the years, continues to hold on to its youth. The oak is better integrated. But this is still about the power and layers of decadent berries, so I’d wait another few years before popping another cork.
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2010 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select. Jeff Leve 96. Massive, powerful, concentrated and loaded to the top with layers of ripe, dark berries, jam, smoke, espresso, vanilla and licorice. Still primary, it is not ready for prime time drinking yet, as everything still needs to come together.
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Beef.
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2008 Sloan. VM 95. Bright medium ruby. Pure and high-pitched if reticent on the nose, offering aromas of blackberry, licorice, violet, menthol and sweet oak lifted by an element of dusty stone. Wonderfully suave, fine-grained and light on its feet, with a sexy oak element complementing the black raspberry, mineral and spice flavors. Very dense but not at all heavy, showing terrific floral energy and a light touch for this bottling, with no sign of dehydrated berries. The fruit still conveys a distinctly primary character but the wine’s verve makes it delicious already–in fact, I’m tempted to say that anyone who doesn’t love this is a spoilsport or a masochist. Wonderfully harmonious wine with the underlying spine to support a long evolution in bottle. The substantial dusty tannins show some obvious new oak. (Drink between 2018-2035)  Jeff Leve 96. Ready to drink, medium/full-bodied, soft, fresh and polished. The wine serves up its smoky, blackberry, black cherry, smoke, coffee bean and chocolate essence with little effort.

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2001 Sloan. VM 92. Good deep ruby-red. Ripe aromas of bitter cherry, blueberry, dark chocolate, violet and brown spices. At once ripe and dry, with good energy and firm structure leavened by a truffley sweetness and leather and tobacco leaf notes that reminded me of Bordeaux. A very nicely delineated, juicy, classically styled wine that finishes with firm tannic spine. But hardly an easy style, and in need of a bit of patience. (I much preferred this to the 2000 version, which was distinctly more leafy and peppery. With less flesh and depth, this wine’s tannins come across as a bit dry and green, in the style of the vintage.)  Jeff Leve 96. Still holding on to its youth, the wine is massive, powerful, dense and intense. It is also a bit oaky, although there is more than enough ripe, sweet, dark fruits, chocolate, licorice and smoke to keep you satisfied.

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2013 Sloan. VM 97. A huge, backward wine, the 2013 Sloan is deep, powerful and explosive, with huge dark fruit and tons of torrefaction, licorice and menthol notes that add gravitas. Readers will have to be patient with the 2013. All the pedigree of this great vintage is evident, but the tannins need time to soften. At times, the 2013 reminds me of the 2001. Jeff Leve 97. Smoky, with an espresso tone on top of all the layers of inky, dark black and blue fruits. Powerful, concentrated, lush and rich, the fleshy character retains freshness and purity, awarding you a long, mouthcoating finish.

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Cheese plate.
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Soufflé.
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Homemade chocolate chip cookies.
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The wine line up.

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From my cellar: 2002 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut. BH 97. There is a distinctly phenolic character to the secondary-tinged yet super-fresh nose reflects notes of bread, yeast, pear, baked apple, spice and a hint of citrus. The bold and full-bodied flavors possess superb complexity while being underpinned by a notably fine but dense mousse, all wrapped in a gorgeously persistent finish. This is a seriously impressive effort and one of the best of the Krug Brut vintage series released in many years. Note that while this should continue to age effortlessly, it could certainly be enjoyed now. (Drink starting 2017)
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Cigars!
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After the dinner proper a couple of us retired up the stairs to a lovely terrace on top of the yard and sipped our “bonus wine” (the 2002 Krug).

Great evening, even if the wines were bruisingly intense.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Related posts:

  1. Sauvages Bordeaux
  2. Memorial Day Pig
  3. Sauvages 71Above
  4. Epic Ocean Party 2015
  5. Kali Cabernet
By: agavin
Comments (0)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Cabernet Sauvignon, California Wine, David Slatkin, Jeff Leve, Slone, Wine

Sauvages 71Above

Dec17

Restaurant: 71Above [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]

Location: 633 W 5th St., Los Angeles, CA 90071

Date: October 26, 2018

Cuisine: New American

Rating: Awesome in all ways

_

71Above is one of my favorite LA restaurants and I’ve been many times. Today the location plays host to a special aged Cabernet Sauvignon lunch with our Sauvages group with a special menu prepared by chef Vartan Abgaryan and a number of guest chefs.

Besides being located on the 71st floor (950 feet up!) of the US Bank building, being the highest restaurant west of the Mississippi, and showcasing the food of Chef Vartan Abgaryan, it’s owned and operated by my friend Emil Eyvazoff!

The main dining hall is gorgeous but we were in the private room for today’s lunch.
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Here the crew is gathering in the private room — same view, different quadrant.

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Our special menu, designed custom by Emil and Vartan.
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2016 Domaine Pernot-Bélicard Beaune 1er Cru Pertuisots Blanc. 90 points.
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1995 Kalin Cellars Chardonnay Cuvée CH. JG 94.  The 1995 Kalin Cellars “Cuvée CH” Chardonnay is a beautiful bottle of wine that has reached its apogee of maturity, wafting from the glass in a pure and classy bouquet of pear, a touch of passion fruit, delicate notes of browned butter, hazelnuts, beautiful, salty soil tones, gentle smokiness and a very deft framing of new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, focused and perfectly balanced, with a fine core of fruit, bright framing acids, lovely complexity and a long, vibrant and very classy finish. A beautiful example sourced from the Charles Heinz vineyard, the 1995 Kalin Cuvée CH is at its apogee today, but will have no trouble cruising along for many years to come.
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Amazing bread and butter.
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2003 Peter Michael Chardonnay Ma Belle-Fille. VM 90+. Deeply pitched aromas of dried apricot, baked apple and vanillin oak, with a suggestion of tropical fruits. Broad and dry in the middle palate and not yet expressing itself. A bit edgy and phenolic on the finish, with slightly aggressive alcohol. Morlet says this is better than the 2002, but today it’s very closed.
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Roasted Okinawan Potato. Za’atar, pomegranate, lebneh, lime. Super bright and zesty with nice Mediterranean flavors.
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1968 Inglenook Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon. I don’t know exactly which bottling.
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1973 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County. VM 94. Chateau Montelena’s 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County is a real oddity. Not to be confused with the more famous 1973 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, the Sonoma County is a different wine, but very much compelling in its own right. Still remarkably fresh and beautifully layered in the glass, the 1973 impresses for its brightness and purity. Sweet red berries, crushed flowers and savory herbs add naunce on the sculpted finish. What a revelation this is.
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1975 Louis M. Martini Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection. 88 points.
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Steak Tartare. Red onion, ginger, lime, toasted rice, mint, potato chips.
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1981 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection. 92 points. Impeccable, almost unbelievable bottle condition. Cork looked brand new, with the penetration of a wine that was 2 years old, not 36 or 37… Caymus was misprinted on the cork and chants of “Rudy!” ensued….we started to wonder if this was fake. Lovely old California, with soft woody notes, and black tea.
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1984 Sullivan Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Rutherford.
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1984 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Cask 23. 95 points. Aromas of candied cherry, funk, earth and dried blackberry. Still quite young on the palate with flavors of cherry, dried blackberry, earth and a touch of mint. Ends with a big fruit filled finish of 40 seconds. A great bottle of wine.
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Agnolotti. Cacio e pepe with puffs of delicate cheese inside. I could have eaten 6 plates of these!
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1994 Cabernet Sauvignon Buckeye Vineyard.
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1995 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley. VM 87. Full ruby-red. Crushed blackberry, bitter cherry, dark chocolate, licorice and oak spice on the nose. Bright, intensely flavored and juicy, with penetrating fruit and hints of leather and fresh herbs. But rather small in scale, finishing with decent length and a faint greenness.
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1996 Diamond Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Gravelly Meadow. VM 89-92. Very good deep ruby color. Penetrating nose of cassis, minerals and violet; offers an almost sappy sweetness. Fat and sweet in the mouth, with nicely integrated acids and a lively hint of mint. Finishes with rather suave, tongue-coating tannins. Very nicely balanced and stuffed with fruit.
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1996 Diamond Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Red Rock Terrace. VM 87-89. Deep ruby. Aromas of spicy, crystallized dark berries. Supple and lush, with good concentration and enticing sweetness. Minerally suggestion of graphite. Finishes with dusty, even tannins and a slightly edgy quality. An expressive wine that should give early pleasure.
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Young chicken. Smoked eggplant, za’atar, olive, pickled raisin, walnut basil.
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1997 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate. VM 93. Bright, dark red with ruby tones. Mellow aromas of currant, raspberry, smoke, spices and earth, complemented by sexy oak-spicy perfume and emerging notes of leather and pungent minerality. Utterly pliant and fine-grained, with inviting currant and cherry fruit accented by fresh herbs, menthol and licorice. Like a traditional Médoc wine in the way its subtle green components add complexity and lift. This energetic midweight spreads out to saturate the entire palate with a fine dusting of serious tannins. Very strong juice!
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1997 A. Rafanelli Cabernet Sauvignon Terrace Select. 95 points.
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1998 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain. VM 97. Ironically, the 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain from a much weaker vintage than 1997 on paper, is a much more interesting wine. Huge and explosive on the palate, the 1998 boasts serious depth and concentration. Iron, smoke, anise and dark red/blackish fruit all swirl around in the glass in a striking, nuanced Cabernet that is among the wines of the year in Napa Valley. If there is a dark horse in this tasting, the 1998 is it. Beautiful.
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1999 Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon. VM 93. Bright, saturated medium ruby. Very ripe, sweet, aromatic nose combines bitter cherry, currant, chocolate, espresso, baking spices and licorice. Expansive, sweet and mouthfilling; almost shockingly large-scaled for this wine. Velvety and seamless, with ripe acids giving the wine shape. Subtle notes of currant leaf, maple syrup and game. Finishes rich and long, with sweet tannins. Seems riper and more textured than recent vintages of this wine. After 24 hours in the recorked bottle, this showed cassis and bitter chocolate flavors, an even firmer structure and compelling sweetness.
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Pork. Parsnip puree, charred shishitos, grapes, tarragon.

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Emil just “had” to have some steak too, so some hanger steak.
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2018 Valdespino Manzanilla Deliciosa en Rama. Very dry sherry — not my thing despite the fact that I LOVE PX.


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Cheese. Domestic selections with seasonal accompaniments.
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Bread for said cheese.
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Macchiato.
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Wine with a view.
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My bad notes.
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Half the gang.
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And the other half.
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Left to right: Emil, chef Vartan, and one of his assistant chefs.
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Sommelier Catherine Morel with Albert in foreground photobomb.
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The view of Glendale.

Heading down!

Overall, 71Above is just a seriously well conceived and executed one-of-a-kind restaurant. Really, it’s more like a NY, Singapore, or Tokyo kind of concept. First of all, the view is just awesome. I can’t wait to come back on a really clear day. Particularly once they begin brunch service, a nice winter day will offer an observation deck like panorama.

But then Emil and crew built out such a lovely space to capture the drama. It’s modern, but welcoming. Not too loud, you can here the conversation and the music both. And from when you enter off the double elevator ascent it folds from one experience to another: lounge, dining room, more intimate corridors, chef table, quiet and romantic view areas in the back, and a series of two adjustable private dining rooms. The attention to architectural detail is amazing.

Today’s lunch excelled on all counts. Service, food, company, and of course — despite the fact that I don’t really love California wine — the wines. It’s clear that past about 30 years these wines were really nice. The 80s in particular are in a really sweet spot. Too bad so many of them now are made in the giant extracted style.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Related posts:

  1. James Beard at 71Above
  2. 71Above Birthday
  3. Wine in the Sky – 71Above
  4. The High Life – 71Above
  5. 71Above – Knights Who Say Wine
By: agavin
Comments (0)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Cabernet Sauvignon, DTLA, Emil Eyvazoff, lunch, Sauvages, Vartan Abgaryan, Wine

Dirty Dozen Cabernet

Oct02

Restaurant: Doma [1, 2]

Location: 362 N Camden Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210. (310) 277-7346

Date: August 16, 2017

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: Good food, big “formal” space

_

The Dirty Dozen is a sub group of the Hedonists that does themed blind tasting meals a couple times a year.

Tonight’s was again at Doma, a newish (2012) Beverly Hills Italian very much in a 90s (high end) vibe. The theme — again oddly for Italian — is California Cabernet. And even more oddly, Doma is “closed” supposedly for a month, but a skeleton crew came in and cooked our dinner. The manager pretty much served us. lol.

The Doma interior is large, formal, very white tablecloth and so different than more hip Italians like Bestia.

The white wines tonight were not blind and were served before dinner proper.

Jen brought this bonus: 2006 Taittinger Champagne Brut Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne. VM 97.5. The 2006 Comtes de Champagne is striking, especially in the way it brings together elements of ripeness and freshness in a hypothetical blend of the 2002 and 2004. Smooth and creamy on the palate, the 2006 is all about texture. There is a real feeling of density and weight in the 2006, qualities I expect to see grow with time in the bottle. All the elements fall into place effortlessly. The 2006 has been nothing short of magnificent both times I have tasted it. Comtes de Champagne remains the single best value (in relative terms) in tête de cuvée Champagne. I suggest buying a case and following it over the next 20-30 years, which is exactly what I intend to do. There is little doubt the 2006 Comtes de Champagne is a magical Champagne in the making.

A bonus from my cellar: 2015 Vietti Roero Arneis. 90 points. Light, fresh, bright. Lemon meringue and green apples. Some mineral notes.

Flight 1:

Onion, balsamic, fontina cheese flatbread. Delicious. I could have eaten a whole pizza of these.

Warren brought: 2002 Blank Cabernet Sauvignon. RP 98. VM 88. This beautiful hillside vineyard is situated behind the Dominus Estate in Yountville. The 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Paradise Hills Vineyard (100% Cabernet Sauvignon) has turned out even better than I predicted seven years ago. Made by Helen Turley when she was the consultant at Blankiet from tightly spaced, steep hillside vineyards planted by her husband, John Wetlaufer, it exhibits a beautiful nose of flowers, high quality unsmoked cigar tobacco, creme de cassis, chocolate, espresso and blueberries. Extraordinarily young, fresh and fabulously concentrated, this wine still impresses with its intensity, complexity and youthfulness. It will probably not peak in quality for a decade, and has 20-30 years of further aging potential.

agavin: eucalyptus, hot. 8 votes.

Dave brought: 2002 Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve. RP 95. Put them all together and you have the 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve, a sensational 14,000-case cuvee that is one of the benchmarks for what Napa Valley is capable of achieving. Its dense purple color is followed by copious notes of smoky barbecue, creme de cassis, white chocolate, blackberries, charcoal and truffles. Full-bodied, fleshy and succulent, with sweet tannins in the finish, this 2002 has not yet hit full maturity. Give it another 2-4 years of cellaring, and drink it over the following two decades. I asked the winemaking team what the final blend was for the 2002 Private Reserve, and to the best of their recollection, the largest component was from Steinhauer Ranch (50%), followed by St. Helena Home Ranch (23%) and tiny percentages of Bancroft, Rancho del Oso, Chabot, Marston, and some Cabernet Franc from Howell Mountain.

agavin: oak, hot. 7 votes.

Yarom brought: 1999 Philip Togni Cabernet Sauvignon. RP 91. I was never as enthusiastic about the 1999 vintage for Napa Cabernet as some of my colleagues, and the late-released 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate displays the green, herbaceous element that was one of my disquieting observations about this vintage when it was first reviewed. Still very young, with a deeper color than the 2007 with just a touch of lightening at the edge, it reveals notes of forest floor, roasted herbs, black currants, and a hint of mint. Medium to full-bodied, pure, and extremely youthful, it has another 20 years ahead of it.

agavin: corked in my opinion. 0 votes.

Flight 2:

Tartar with egg. Solid.

LEC brought: 1994 Mayacamas Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon. JG 92+. The 1994 Mayacamas cabernet sauvignon is another stellar bottle in the making, that offers up a classic aromatic mélange of black cherries, dark berries, chipotle peppers, a fine, complex base of soil, cigar ash and woodsmoke in the upper register. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and rock solid at the core, with impeccable focus and balance, bright acids and plenty of ripe, perfectly-integrated tannin on the long, complex and youthful finish. This superb bottle will need at least another six of seven years in the cellar to fully blossom, and over time should prove to be one of the very best vintages of Mayacamas cabernet from the decade of the nineties. If only all of the top wineries in California were still making wines with this sort of pedigree and cellaring potential! Fine juice.

agavin: bright and fruity. 2 votes.

From my cellar: 1998 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Martha’s Vineyard. JG 94+. This was the first time that I had the pleasure to taste the 1998 vintage of Martha’s Vineyard and the wine is excellent. The bouquet wafts from the glass in a ripe and classic constellation of sappy cherries, blood orange, a touch of red currant, eucalyptus, a fine base of soil, cedar and fine spicy complexity in the upper register. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and now nicely open for business as it closes in on its twentieth birthday, with a superb core, impeccable balance and a very long, complex and moderately tannic finish. A classic in the making.

agavin: nice, drier, long finish, eucalyptus. 10 votes. 3rd place overall. One of my better rankings.

Erick brought: 1995 Colgin Cabernet Sauvignon Herb Lamb Vineyard. RP 98. I realize perfection in wine, like perfection in anything, is in the eyes of the beholder, and there are those who believe perfection is simply unobtainable. But in my mind, the 1996 and 1995 come close to perfection. Why? First of all, these extraordinary expressions of Cabernet Sauvignon are awesomely concentrated and endowed, while at the same time elegant and amazingly harmonious. The equilibrium between the wines’ component parts – new oak, alcohol, tannin, acidity, and extract – is right on, with nothing out of place. The 1996 and 1995 could be mistaken for identical twins, although close examination reveals that the 1995 has a slightly firmer tannic edge, and the 1996 slightly lower acidity. However, both possess Colgin’s tell-tale opaque black/purple color, phenomenal aromatics consisting of blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, cassis, subtle new oak, and a notion of floral scents (is it acacia or lilac?). In the mouth, both wines are full-bodied, remarkably supple and opulent, with a purity and presence of fruit that must be tasted to be believed. Their finishes last for 45+ seconds. I suspect each of these wines will get even better over the next 5-10 years before reaching their full plateau of maturity, where they should remain for two decades or more. They are the quintessential examples of Cabernet Sauvignons that marry power with elegance. As a friend said after tasting a Colgin Cabernet Sauvignon, “they float like a butterfly, but sting like a bee.” I am not sure Mohammad Ali or Ann Colgin would agree with that, but it paints another picture of these extraordinary wines. These wines are made by Helen Turley, the prodigiously talented winemaker/consultant.

agavin: herby, tart, menthol. 11 votes. 2nd place overall.

 

Flight 2:

Walnut and radicchio risotto. I love risotto, and this was well cooked, but the walnuts could have been better and the radicchio gave it a touch of bitterness.

Avi brought: 1997 Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon. RP 98. A blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc, the 1997 is just short of perfection from this great vintage in Napa Valley. A spectacular wine, it was the first made by Rosemary Cakebread. Production was quite high, as the new plantings started to fully produce, with 4,800+ cases declared. This is wine that fills the olfactory senses with gorgeous ripeness, blueberries, black raspberries, blackberries and cassis, while spring flowers and a touch of oak still lingers in the aromatics. When the wine hits the palate, the extraordinary intensity, purity and multi-dimensional complexity all seem to converge with a cascade of fruit, glycerin and richness. Like most Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignons, it is only 13.8% alcohol. This is a magnificent wine, a young adolescent in the scheme of its potentially fascinating evolution and should have a good 25-30+ years left in it – although it’s strutting its stuff at present. Certainly in the first two decades of Spottswoode wines this is clearly one of the most compelling efforts.

agavin: deep purple, rhone-like. 4 votes.

Robin brought: 2001 Paul Hobbs Cabernet Sauvignon. RP 91-94. The 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa has hit its plateau of maturity where it should rest for another decade. Sweet, juicy, sexy black and red currant fruit intertwined with licorice, earth and subtle oak aromas jump from the glass of this dense plum/purple-colored wine. Attractive, round, fleshy and voluptuously textured, this fully mature, loaded 2001 can be drunk now and over the next ten years.

agavin: deep. 4 votes.
 Larry brought: 2001 Dominus. RP 98. A brilliant showing for Christian Moueix’s well-known Napanook Vineyard, the 2001 Dominus is a blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 10% Petit Verdot. A classic in the making, this is a flawless, seamless example of elegant, complex Napa Cabernet Sauvignon that possesses a Bordeaux-like personality. This gorgeous, sexy, opulent, dense ruby/purple-colored wine reveals sweet caramel, mocha, creme de cassis and kirsch notes intermixed with a hint of espresso roast as well as underbrush. Ripe, long and full-bodied with well-integrated tannin, acidity, alcohol and wood, this prodigious 2001 is drinkable now and over the next 25+ years given this estate’s longevity track record. A virtually perfect wine, it is one of the most complex 2001s at present.

Flight 3:


Parpadelle with ragu Bolognese. Very good, although not quite as good as Felix.

John brought: 2005 Colgin Cariad Proprietary Red Wine. RP 100. The blend that Colgin fashions from three vineyards owned by David Abreu (Madrona, Thorevilos and Howell Mountain) is called Cariad. The 2005 Proprietary Red Cariad consists of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc and 9% Petit Verdot. Offering up spring flowers and garden aromas, sweet blueberry and black raspberry fruit, a touch of charcoal embers, graphite and background toast, it is fleshy and full-bodied, and again, meriting a three-digit score. This is absolutely remarkable wine. As it sat in the glass, it developed some rather compelling chocolaty, licorice undertones. This is a great classic to drink over the next 20-25 years. By the way, for those interested, the cooperage generally chosen is dominated by Taransaud barrels, but there are at least four different coopers.

agavin: hot. 5 votes.

Brian brought: 2006 Shafer Hillside Select. RP 92-94. A slightly more compact version of the great Hillside, but nevertheless youthful, the 2006 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select has a dense purple color, some notes of damp earth, cedar wood, forest floor, red and black currants, and toast. Some austere tannins kick in in the finish, but the wine is full-bodied, ripe and rich. An outstanding effort, but not one of the monumental vintages for Hillside Select, it should be drunk over the next 20 years.

agavin: rich, hot, long finish, tropical skittles. 32 votes. First place of the night. Brian gets the free dinner!

Amanda brought: 2007 Bond Vecina Proprietary Red Wine. RP 100. A perfect wine, the 2007 Vecina provides a prodigious display of blackberries, charcoal, black currants, burning embers and a La Mission-Haut-Brion-like hot rock/gravelly character. The most tannic as well as most concentrated and layered of the 2007s, this is a long-term, but utterly brilliant wine. In many ways it reminds me of the Harlan Estate itself given its prodigious build and potential for extended longevity. It merits 4-5 years of bottle age and should drink well for three decades thereafter.

agavin: super dense, eucalyptus, coconut. 8 votes.
 Mark brought: 2007 Maybach Materium. RP 99. The prodigious 2007 Materium exhibits an even more opaque purple color, and ratchets up the level of intensity and aromatic complexity. Blackberry, black raspberry, blueberry, and cassis aromas intermixed with notes of crushed rocks, spring flowers, and toasty new oak are found in this beauty. Outstanding intensity along with full-bodied power and beautifully integrated acids, tannins, alcohol, and wood suggest this 2007 should hit its peak in 5-7 years, and evolve for three decades or more.

agavin: dense & hot. 9 votes.

Only here did I start to get full. Veal with potatoes. Fine, but not exciting.

Dave was getting hungry also before this course and ran down the block and brought back parmesan truffle fries!

Flight D for Dessert:

2003 Château La Tour Blanche La Tour Blanche. RP 92-96. The La Tour Blanche ‘03 offers yellow flowers, melted candle wax and honey on the nose with Muscat-like aromas developing in the glass. The palate is well-balanced on the entry with lemon curd and honey notes, though it needs just a little more acidity to give it tension and freshness. The finish is quite linear, springs no surprises, and just drifts a little when you seek more tautness and race. Still, this is a pleasurable, if not profound La Tour Blanche. Drink now-2020+ Tasted April 2013.

Apple bread with ice cream. Tasted like French Toast.

My cryptic notes.

The lineup The gang.

Overall the food was pretty good. Not as good as last time — noting that they are technically closed. Service was slow despite the place being empty, as the manager pretty much did it himself, but they were extremely nice and accommodating.

Wines were solid for the Dirty Dozen and being Cabernet (which I don’t really like). Only one “bad” or spoiled and a whole mess that were great.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

or more crazy Hedonist dinners here!

Related posts:

  1. Dirty Dozen Ride Again
  2. Dirty Dozen at Doma
  3. Dirty Dozen – Locanda Veneta
  4. Kali Cabernet
  5. Steak in the Blind
By: agavin
Comments (0)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Beverly Hills, Cabernet Sauvignon, California Cabernet, Dirty Dozen, Doma, formal, hedonists, Italian cuisine, Wine

Kali Cabernet

Jul29

Restaurant: Kali Dining [1, 2, 3, 4]

Location: Beverly Hills

Date: July 24, 2015

Cuisine: New American

_

My Sauvages group returns to Jim’s gorgeous Beverly Hills backyard for its annual gather. Food is again by Chef Kevin Meehan of Kali Dining. The wine theme is Cali Cabernet.

The setting is lovely enough, and the company good enough to entice me to a California wine lunch!

We dine under these awnings.

The starter wines while we assemble.

Flight 0: Introduction


NV Château Miraval Côtes de Provence Rosé.

2012 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Saint-Aubin Le Banc. Burghound 88. There is a trace of post-bottling SO2 along with a touch of reduction so I would suggest decanting this if you’re going to try a bottle in the next year or so. The equally well-detailed middle weight flavors possess a lovely mouth feel before concluding in a dry, clean, linear and saline-inflected finish. This is really quite good for a St. Aubin villages and worth considering for value; in fact this would make for an excellent house white.

1992 Domaine Francois et Antoine Jobard Meursault 1er Cru Les Genevrières. Burgound 87. This is now fully mature with ample notes of honey and sweet secondary notes on the nose that are followed by rich medium-full flavors that deliver a nicely complex finish of moderate length. There is no benefit to further cellar time and when the decline begins, I suspect that it will be relatively rapid. I would suggest drinking this now and over the next few years as it presently lacks a bit of vibrancy and this will only become more pronounced with age. Tasted twice with consistent notes.

agavin: this bottle was in amazing shape. Gorgeous.

Quinta da Raza Vinho Verde Raza.

Flight 1:


1991 Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve. 93 points. Very dark red color, no bricking, slightly clear 1mm margin. PNP, drank 1 glass over 2+ hours. Ohhh this is glorious! Fabulous all the way around. The nose sings with a perfume of damp earth, pencil lead, saddle leather, florals, mint, red fruits, cassis, and tobacco. The palate is seductive and alluring with a brilliant texture, silky and perfectly balanced, intense on the attack and the mid palate with forest floor, cassis and cherry fruit, fine grained tannins, tobacco, leather, well integrated oak, all of which follows into a very, very long 60+ second finish. You’d never guess this was 23 years old. I agree with Jeff Leve’s recent note as this is a dead ringer for classic, world class Bordeaux. Classic Napa at its finest. This is what Napa needs to strive for.

1987 Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve. VM 90+. Very good full medium ruby. Currant, black cherry, roast coffee, cedar, leather, tobacco, truffle and black olive on the flamboyant nose. Sappy, youthfully tight flavors of currant and tobacco leaf, with a faint gamey nuance. Very ripe and rich but adamantly dry. Strong finish features big, ripe tannins. A superb bottle, far closer in character to my memory of this wine than the more politely styled example shown at the group tasting.

From my cellar: 1991 Dominus Proprietary Red Wine. Parker 99. In a blind tasting, both the 1990 and 1991 wines were identified as being French by all eight tasters. I pulled these wines from my cellar to insert as ringers, so I was particularly miffed at not getting their origin correct. The 1991 is the finest Dominus to date, although the 1994 may eventually rival it. The wine is incredibly expansive, rich, complex, fragrant, concentrated, and compelling in all respects. The opaque ruby/purple color is followed by huge quantities of sweet jammy fruit nicely touched by tar, licorice, and earthy scents reminiscent of the aroma of fresh black truffles. The wine is extremely concentrated, opulently-textured, and voluptuous, with huge reserves of juicy fruit. It is a marvelous Pomerol-like wine of exceptional purity and harmony. Although approachable, it requires 2-4 more years of cellaring; it should last for 2-3 decades.

agavin: I’m biased, but it was my favorite wine of the day.

1974 Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Napa. 87 points. Nice dark maroon color, going a little bronze at the edge, with not much sediment or cloudiness. Black cherry fruit, earth and mint flavors. Still some drying tannins on the finish, which shows a bit of mocha/coffee. Very nice, aged Oakville Cabernet.

Hamachi crudo with radich and a kind of pesto.

Flight 2:


1994 Joseph Phelps Insignia Proprietary Red Wine. Parker 98. The 1994 boasts an inky/purple color along with a glorious nose of black raspberries, blackberries and black currants that is still somewhat primary despite nearly 18 years in bottle. The Phelps team kept this cuvee in 100% new French oak for 28 months. Its magnificent structure, intensity and purity of fruit, ripeness, balance combined with authoritative power and the magnetic appeal of this full-bodied, Bordeaux-styled wine are extraordinary. This amazing effort is just coming into its best years, and should drink well for at least another 15-20 years.

agavin: corked bottle 🙁 but swiftly replaced by:

2002 Joseph Phelps Insignia Proprietary Red Wine. Parker 100! The 2002 boasts an inky/purple color along with notes of graphite, violets, blackberries, creme de cassis and hints of charcoal and barbecue in addition to a full-bodied, multilayered mouthfeel that builds incrementally with great purity, staggering fruit concentration, and a long, velvety, 50+-second finish. This prodigious effort should continue to drink well for 20+ years.

agavin: a blockbuster of superb juice.

1997 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon Estate. Parker 98. There are 10,200 cases of the remarkable 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate. Opaque purple-colored with a dense, chewy, full-bodied personality, it displays abundant cassis, mineral, and earth notes. This brilliantly made, super-concentrated, pure, blockbuster possesses sweet tannin as well as a terrific finish. Having added additional weight since last year, this sumptuous, multilayered, profoundly concentrated Cabernet contains 14% alcohol. It is a candidate for 25-30 years of longevity. Anticipated maturity: 2003-2030.

1994 Groth Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve. Parker 89. The luxury-priced 1994 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve reveals a dark plum/purple color, and lavish quantities of toasty new oak in the smoky, vanillin, and cassis-scented nose. This forward, soft, medium to full-bodied wine possesses very good to excellent concentration, but the abundant wood flavors push the taster’s tolerance to the limit. While this Reserve offering is undoubtedly excellent, I did not detect the depth or concentration necessary to support aging beyond a decade.

1996 Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red Wine. Parker 95-97. The 1996 Proprietary Red (a blend of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon with the balance Malbec, Petit Verdot, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc) is not a very weighty (14.3% alcohol) offering. It has become more delineated with a year of bottle age, offering up classic creme de cassis, smoked meat, coffee, prune, and toasty new oak scents. Concentrated, with fabulously high extract, sweet tannin, and full body, this wine has an elegant feel on the palate, but is still a blockbuster. Anticipated maturity: now-2025.

Black garlic risotto with parmesan crisp. An awesome wine food.

Here is some of the black garlic — which is just fermented garlic.

Flight 3:


2001 Ridge Monte Bello. Parker 99. A resoundingly great effort from this iconic producer, Ridge’s 2001 is a spectacular, still young but promising wine. Interestingly, 60% of the production from the winery’s 108 acre Monte Bello Vineyard made it into the 2001’s final blend (their 40th anniversary, by the way). The unusual blend is 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, a whopping 36% Merlot, and 8% Petit Verdot. It also carries 14.2% alcohol, which is high for this estate. On the back label, the conservative Paul Draper writes that “5-8 years of bottle age will bring generous rewards, and 20 years will bring full maturity.” At age 10, it is still an infant in terms of development, and I would not be surprised to see this 2001 last 40 years. A dense ruby/purple color is accompanied by extravagant, generous aromas of pen ink, lead pencil shavings, spice box and black fruits. The wine is full-bodied and silky textured, but secondary nuances have not yet begun to develop as it is still very primary, tasting more like a 3-4 year old Monte Bello than one that is ten years of age. Nevertheless, it reveals spectacular concentration, a voluptuous texture, a rare opulence for a Ridge Monte Bello, and an incredible finish. The upside is enormous and this cuvee may prove somewhat atypical due to the huge percentage of Merlot in the final blend and the higher than normal alcohol. But make no mistake about this Monte Bello – it is a great wine. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2040.

2001 Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve. Parker 97. Production: 10,000 cases; Alcohol: 14.2%; Blend: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon; Harvest Dates: September 4 to October 10. The 2001 was produced from six vineyards, Chabot, Home, Bancroft Ranch, Rancho del Oso, Quarry and Tre Colline. An early spring with both frost and heat spikes gave vignerons a roller coaster ride early on, but a torrid May and June were followed by a surprisingly cool August and fabulous weather in September and October. The harvest started early for the more precocious terroirs and finished relatively late for the cooler ones. A spectacular effort, the 2001 exhibits a youthful opaque purple color as well as great fruit concentration and intensity. There is a more complete tasting note printed elsewhere in this issue in the article on the 2001 California Cabernet Sauvignons.

2000 Jones Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. Parker 90. This winery continues to fashion brilliant Cabernets, as evidenced by their successful, strong, powerful 2000 Cabernet Sauvignon. It boasts great fruit along with loads of black creme de cassis notes intermixed with melted licorice, all offered in a medium to full-bodied, supple-textured style.

1999 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon. Parker 98. The sumptuous 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon is a dark ruby-colored wine with mouth-watering aromas of highly expressive blackberries awash in toasted oak and roasting spices. Medium to full-bodied, thick, concentrated, and exquisitely balanced, this mouth-coating tour de force is densely packed with jammy black fruits and cassis liqueur. It combines elegance with power in a manner reminiscent of Chateaux Margaux’s prodigious 1990. This velvety-textured wine is complete, with magnificent depth of fruit, a profound personality, and the requisite structure for long-term cellaring. Bravo! Projected maturity: 2006-2020.

Duck breast and foie gras with black figs. Super combo between the fatty foie and those soft sweet figs.

Flight 4:


2004 Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve. Parker 96. The two flagship wines of this brilliant estate, which straddles the Sonoma and Napa county lines at the top of Spring Mountain, include the 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve (98% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Petit Verdot). Sixty-eight percent of the fruit comes from Sonoma and 32% from Napa. It exhibits classic notes of creme de cassis, licorice, cedarwood, incense and a hint of toasty oak in the background. Full-bodied, opulent, profound deep, rich and full with velvety edges, the tannin can be detected, but it is wonderfully integrated in this mountain-styled Cabernet. It continues Pride’s impressive track record with these special cuvees. The 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve can be drunk young or cellared for two decades or more. More nuances and complexity will undoubtedly emerge over the next 4-5 years.

1997 Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red Wine. Parker 98. The finest proprietary red produced by Pahlmeyer to date is their 1997 (a blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, and the rest Petit-Verdot, Cabernet Franc, and Malbec). Production is 3,300 cases, and the wine tips the scales at 14.7% alcohol. A super-rich, blockbuster effort, it exhibits an opaque purple color in addition to a fabulous bouquet of black fruits, espresso, cocoa, mocha, and flowers. A prodigious red, with low acidity, spectacular concentration, and fabulous purity as well as overall symmetry, it can be drunk now, but promises to last for 20-25 years.

2004 Harlan Estate The Maiden. Parker 92-95. I was blown away by the 2004 The Maiden, which out of bottle is even better than it was from barrel. This wine exhibits a rather flamboyant scorched earth, lead pencil, incense, licorice, and blackberry and cassis-scented nose and flavors. The wine has superb concentration and is opulent, fleshy, and very much in keeping with the style of the vintage. Despite its accessibility, I suspect this wine will drink well for at least two decades.

2004 Diamond Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Red Rock Terrace. Parker 94+. The 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Red Rock Terrace comes from a 7-acre parcel on Diamond Mountain originally owned by the late Al Bronstein and his widow, Boots. The wine exhibits a dark ruby/purple color, beautiful density and richness, impeccable balance, wonderful purity and depth, a full-bodied mouthfeel, and a striking elegance. Still young and vigorous, it should hit its peak in 5-6 years, and should last 20-25 years thereafter.

Beef tenderloin with potatoes and charred leeks — black garlic sauce. Really nice meat.

Flight 5: Dessert (wine)


1967 Rieussec. Parker 84. Rieussec made a very fine 1967. Not having tasted it for some time, I suspect this wine has been fully mature since the mid 1970s. It is lighter in style and body than some of the more recent vintages of Rieussec, but richly fruity and spicy, with a roasted, grilled nut aroma.

agavin: Totally disagree with Parker as our bottle was drinking nicely, I’d probably give it a 92.

The wine lineup.

Chef Kevin.

Some of the gang.

Bonus wine after lunch. 1988 Domaine de Trévallon. 86 points. A bit cloudy and thin.
Overall, a delicious afternoon — food and wine both! I’m not much of a Cali Cab fan, but because most of these were 15-20 years old they were drinking pretty well.

Related posts:

  1. Big Bottle Madness at Kali Dining
  2. Memorial Day Pig
  3. Châteauneuf-du-Pape in the Sun
  4. Sauvages at Oliverio
  5. Big and Bold on the Beach
By: agavin
Comments (3)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Cabernet Sauvignon, California Cabernet, Kali Dining, Kevin Meehan, Sauvages

ThanksGavin 2011 – The Third Wave

Nov27

Given that we went out to the Zoo all day while my cousin Abbe cooked up this followup to the official Thanksgiving dinner, she insists that it should really be called the ThanksFlitter (her last name). Regardless, the gluttony continued.

The 2006 il Cocco. This guy makes only 3000 bottles a year, and he does ALL the labor (field and cellar) himself.


Parker 93. “The 2006 Brunello di Montalcino is a beguiling wine laced with all sorts of black cherries, minerals, spices, licorice and menthol. All of the aromas and flavors are layered together through to the exquisite, refined finish. The 2006 shows a level of richness and density this bottling has lacked in some previous vintages. Today the tannins remain a touch austere, but another few years in bottle should do the trick. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2026.”


The cheese spread I bought at Di Bruno’s.


A medium aged goat cheese. Chalky goodness.


An American farmhouse buttery cheddar.


Mimmolette.

A stinky washed rind.


And a medium body blue cheese.


And quince paste which always makes cheese better.


Various appetizers, some recycled from the night before.


Muhammara.


A little champagne.

Parker 94. “The 2007 Laurel, a blend of 65% Garnacha and 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, is deep purple-colored with a bouquet of wet stone, Asian spices, black cherry compote, and incense. Dense and sweet on the palate with tons of spice, it is super-concentrated, rich, and smooth-textured. Give this lengthy effort 2-3 years of additional cellaring and drink it from 2013 to 2027.”

This is an amazing wine, deep grape.


Parker 91. “The 2005 Finca Libertad is a blend of 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Cabernet Franc, and 30% Merlot aged for 18 months in new French oak. The Cabernet Franc portion of the blend was sourced from 100+-year-old pre-phyloxera vines. Dark ruby in color, it exhibits a complex aromatic array of toasty oak, cinnamon, earth notes, pencil lead, cassis, and black currant. This is followed by a medium-bodied, elegant wine with savory flavors, considerable complexity, and enough structure to evolve for another 2-3 years. This lengthy effort should be at its best from 2011 to 2020.”


Classic Mexican “gulf coast style” rice pilaf. Chicken stock, garlic and onions in there. These recipes are mostly from Mexican Everyday.


The main dish: Chipotle Shrimp. Tomatos, chipotles, garlic, broth, cilantro. This had a good bit of heat.


Flounder in the same sauce.


Avocado.


Various condiments: lime and fresh tortilla from a Spanish place by the Italian Market.


Chopped onion, queso fresco.


“Classic Mexican pot beans” with Abbe’s special twist of roasted poblanos and Thanksgiving smoked turkey. Very tasty, although they had the usual effect.


Swiss chard sautéed in olive oil and garlic.


And the sherry comes back out for dessert.


The spread.


Vegan brownies. Hmmm.


A chocolate chip cake with chocolate sauce. It isn’t that pretty but it tasted great.


My grandmother’s special brownies.


These were supposed to be Grandmom’s blondie’s, but they were made vegan and so ended up a little weird.


Another plum tart.

Overall, another great feast from Abbe. You can check out her pork spectacular last year too.

For more ThanksGavin dining, click here.

Related posts:

  1. ThanksGavin 2011 – The Main Event
  2. Bibou – ThanksGavin 2011 Prequel
  3. ThanksGavin 2011 – The Italian Market
  4. Thanksgiving – Pork Insanity
  5. Thanksgiving Proper
By: agavin
Comments (1)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: brownies, Brunello di Montalcino, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cheese, Cooking, Dessert, il Cocco, Mexican, Muhammara, Quince, ThanksGavin, thanksgiving, Thanksgiving dinner, Wine

Ultimate Pizza – The Comeback

Oct06

After long hiatus, Ultimate Pizza is back (click the think for posts on the components). We’ve brewed up a new batch of dough, and called up some friends and family.

For those of you who don’t know, Ultimate Pizza is our super homemade pizza where we make everything from scratch. In the past I’ve written separate articles detailing elements such as the Dough, Sauce, Pesto, and Toppings.


Every dough batch is different. For more on making it, see here. After three days cold fermenting in the fridge this batch had a weird spiderwebby quality and was very sticky. But that wasn’t anything a little dusting of flour didn’t solve. And baked, it tasted great as always.


This 1997 Barolo served as a good opener, warming up the palette.


The first pizza on the block. Starts with basic totally fresh raw tomato sauce made with Santa Monica Farmer’s Market Marzano tomatoes and mozzarella.


Then some parmesan, basil.


Mushrooms.


Figs, marcona almonds.


And after baking. They aren’t always pretty, but they are good!


I “found” this 1966 Chateau Lafite-Rothchild in my cellar and figured it wasn’t getting any better.

Parker says: “Except for the 1966 and 1870 vintages of Lafite-Rothschild, these wines were poured on virgin territory on my palate. Isn’t it ironic that the most disappointing wine (forgetting the spoiled 1875 Lafite-Rothschild, which had frightful levels of volatile acidity) was the youngest wine, the 1966 Lafite. With a light to medium ruby/garnet color, this wine exhibited a classy, weedy, herbal, Cabernet-dominated nose, soft, washed-out flavors, and little body and length. It is also beginning to dry out. I suppose if one were to taste a 30-year old Cabernet from Monterey County, California, it might reveal similar characteristics. The 1966 Lafite-Rothschild has consistently been a major disappointment from what is an irregular, but very good vintage.”

But we had good luck with this bottle, and it was actually rather wonderful.


The next pizza. Fairly similar, but no sauce.


Finished with balsamic glaze.


Then a cheesier mushroom one.


Finished.

Then my special salmon pizza, which I do just with olive oil and rosemary (picked from the garden).


Then add a mixture of creme fraiche (detail on that here), dill, and chives, plus capers and onions.


And lox. Yum!


The 2004 il Cocco riserva. Only one barrel made!


Another fairly normal pizza, with figs and mushrooms.


My “famous” tikka masala pizza. Masala sauce instead of tomato. Corn, cilantro, goat cheese, mozzarella balls, morel mushrooms, almonds, scallions.


Cooked. This is an amazing (and strong flavored) pizza.


Mirella (one of our frequent pizza chefs) likes to make unique pizzas. This “Lebanese Pizza” began with her homemade muhammara sauce, which is a Lebanese sauce made from peppers, walnuts, olive oil and various other things. She baked it fairly simple.


Then added amazing fresh burrata on top and fresh mint. This was also fantastic.


Another tomato sauce based pizza, with parmesan, figs, goat cheese (a slightly aged chevre from an artisan California dairy), marcona almonds, scallions.


Baked.

And as the last pizza of the evening, my Formaggio Maximus. Olive oil, a little pesto. Fresh chanterelle and lobster mushrooms. Corn, figs, almonds, a little basil, and nearly every type of cheese I have: parmesan, mozzarella, pecorino, goat, and gorgonzola dulce.


Baked.

Then key to the FM is a big blog of burrata and an olive oil and balsamic drizzle.


Dessert time. A giant raspberry macaroon.


And a sinful red velvet, chocolate, and cream-cheese icing cake. Oh the suffering. The worst thing about this cake is that half was left over and I personally ate all of it over the next four days.


The next day for lunch we whipped up a few more pizzas. Here another variant of my tikka masala pizza.


On the stone.


And finished. I do so love this pizza.


Then a green pesto and salad pizza. The greens are arugala tossed with black pepper and fresh meyer lemon juice.


Baked.


Two buns in the oven.


An even greener pizza.


Which we left in about 1 minute too long.


And my special “tuna salad” pizza. Tomato sauce, fresh chunk Italian tuna, parmesan, pecorino, capers, red onions, and arugala salad.


Baked.

That sure was a good amount of pizza!

For more Ultimate Pizza posts, click here.

Related posts:

  1. Ultimate Pizza – The Sauce
  2. Ultimate Pizza – Day 2
  3. Ultimate Pizza in Review
  4. Ultimate Pizza – The Birthday
  5. Ultimate Pizza – Day 3
By: agavin
Comments (2)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Barolo, Bordeaux wine, Cabernet Sauvignon, California, Château Lafite Rothschild, Dessert, Dough, Lafite-Rothschild, Pizza, pizza sauce, San Marzano Tomato, Santa Monica California, ultimate_pizza, Wine

Memorial Day Pig

Jun08

One of my friends always throws a “hog wild” Memorial Day BBQ.


The beginnings of the spread.


Pulled pork! This stuff was mouth watering good.


Baked beans cooked in molasses.


BBQ. This was a little sweet for my taste, even the hot.


BBQ turkey.


All this needed some wine from my cellar.

The shafer had enough age to be really nice, although I had cork problems. Parker gave it 90, “The Cabernet Sauvignon Stag’s Leap District has jumped in quality as John Shafer‘s son, Doug Shafer, abandoned sterile filters in favor of no fining and only a polishing, coarse filtration at bottling. That, plus less acidification, giving the wines a higher PH, has resulted in a more revealing and beautiful expression of the gorgeous fruit obtained from the Stag’s Leap District vineyards. The 1992 Cabernet Sauvignon Stag’s Leap includes 7% Cabernet Franc and 4% Merlot. It offers a wonderfully pure cassis nose, a velvety texture, plenty of ripeness, and some structure and tannin in the medium to full-bodied finish. It should drink well for 10-15 years. This winery continues to build on their fine reputation, pushing the quality to higher and higher levels. Shafer’s 50-acre estate vineyard, located in the heart of the Stag’s Leap District, is supplemented by an additional 70 acres in Carneros. The winery continues to be innovative, offering a very good Sangiovese called Firebreak that has a small percentage (usually less than 20%) of Cabernet Sauvignon included in the blend for color and bulk.”

The 2001 Beaucastel is wonderful as always, 96 points. “Beaucastel has been on a terrific qualitative roll over the last four vintages, and the 2001 Chateauneuf du Pape (which Francois Perrin feels is similar to the 1990, although I don’t see that as of yet) is a 15,000-case blend of 30% Grenache, 30% Mourvedre, 10% Syrah, 10% Counoise, and the balance split among the other permitted varietals of the appellation. This inky/ruby/purple-colored cuvee offers a classic Beaucastel bouquet of new saddle leather, cigar smoke, roasted herbs, black truffles, underbrush, and blackberry as well as cherry fruit. It is a superb, earthy expression of this Mourvedre-dominated cuvee. Full-bodied and powerful, it will undoubtedly close down over the next several years, not to re-emerge for 7-8 years. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2025.”

And the Brunello also 96, although it needed a few more years. “The 2004 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Vigna Paganelli emerges from the glass with masses of scorched earth, leather, tar, licorice, menthol and dark fruit. The Riserva shows a touch more inner sweetness, richness and depth in its fruit than the regular bottling, plus a bit more French oak as well. For now, the Riserva is quite reticent and requires air, but with time its awesome richness and power come through in spades. This dark, brooding and authoritative Riserva from Il Poggione is simply gorgeous. Readers who don’t want to pay the premium for the Riserva in 2004 need not worry; I tasted the 2004 regular bottling (twice!) while preparing this article and it is every bit as promising as my review last year suggested. In 2004 the Paganelli vineyard was harvested on the 13th of October, quite late for this estate. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2039.”


Salmon for those who aren’t into pig!


And spicey hot links!


Then the desserts start to come.


Fruit tart, pie, cupcakes for the kiddies.


This yummy red velvet cake with a cream cheese frosting.


And ice cream from Sweet Rose Creamery. Mint, salted carmel, vanilla, caffe luxxe coffee, strawberry etc.

Related posts:

  1. Thanksgiving – Pork Insanity
  2. Food as Art: Ortolan
  3. Son of Saam – Actually more Bazaar
  4. Food as Art: Sam’s by the Beach
  5. Thanksgiving Proper
By: agavin
Comments (1)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Barbecue, bbq, Cabernet Sauvignon, California, Counoise, Dessert, Memorial Day, pork, side dishes, Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, vegetarian, Wine

An Evening at Malibu Wines

Jun05

It was my brother-in-law’s birthday, and a warm California Friday in late may, so his wife organized a little get together in the Santa Monica mountains at Malibu Wines. Now, I’m not super partial to California wines in general (too mechanical and over-oaked) or SoCal ones in particular (just not as good as their NorCal counterparts). But this little place in the mountains has a pretty good gig going with regard to spending an evening with friends.


We’ve had a lot of rain this year and the mountains were beautiful, the air hovering just under 80. The vineyard basically has a big green with tables that you can bring whatever food or non alcoholic drinks you want. They play live music on weekends (with dancing) and sell you their wines at the tasting room bar. There is no cover.


The stage. It gets pretty crowded and there was actually a good amount of dancing later in the evening.


We mostly stuck to this central coast 2002 Cabernet. It wasn’t bad, maybe 90 points. The couple years has taken the edge off the oak and it was certainly well made, if a little by the numbers.


But what is a wine picnic without cheese?  I stopped before hand at the local cheese shop, Andrew’s Cheese Shop. On the left is Abbaye de Bel’loc and the right a soft goat cheese from France.


In the front we have Epoisses (gooey washed rind fun), on the right Stichelton, a beautiful rich English blue cheese, and on the left a Spanish sheep milk cheese.


And sense this wasn’t in the house, some pate. Goose and duck liver with truffles on the left and French Country Pate on the right. Both intensely meaty. Andrew’s not only sells cheeses and condiments, but a few meats as well.


Someone else brought some grape leaves stuffed with rice (Greek style). There was a lot of other food I didn’t photo too.


Some more condiments from Andrew’s. Various crackers. They have really good crackers — albiet expensive.


Quince paste (the orange jelly stuff), conveniently chopped into cubes. You add it to your cracker and cheese for some extra punch.


My sister-in-law makes a yummy spinach dip.


And this being a birthday we had a rather jumbo cake to finish out the evening.

Related posts:

  1. Food as Art: Sam’s by the Beach
By: agavin
Comments (0)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Andrew's Cheese Shop, Cabernet Sauvignon, California, Cheese, Food, Malibu Wines, Santa Monica Mountains, Stichelton, Wine

Son of Saam – Actually more Bazaar

Feb12

Restaurant: Saam [1, 2, 3]

Location: 465 S La Cienega Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90048. 310.246.5555

Date: February 10, 2011

Cuisine: Spanish influenced Molecular Gastronomy

Rating: Awesome, even better than The Bazaar.

_

I’ve been to The Bazaar (REVIEW HERE) about 8-10 times. For the last four or so of these I’ve been trying to get into Saam, which is their “secret” prix fixe only room. Mostly because it’s only open Thurs-Sat it took me a while to manage it. So made it the destination of our fifth official Foodie Club outing.

For those who don’t know, Saam and the Bazaar are the children of Jose Andres, perhaps America’s leading practitioner of  my favorite culinary style: Spanish Molecular Gastronomy. This school of cooking, a radical interpretation of the preparation of food, was begun at El Bulli outside of Barcellona. Jose Andres cooked and studied there with master chef Ferran Adrià. I first encountered Jose’s cooking in Washington DC at Cafe Atlantico, and it’s own restaurant within a restaurant, Minibar.

I’ve eaten molecular a number of times in Spain, for example at Calima and La Terraza. The Bazaar and Saam brought molecular style to LA, and now Jose also has a new and very tempting pair of restaurants in Vegas. My colleague at Kevin Eats was lucky enough to make that pilgrimage.

Saam is a separate room, offering only a single continuously evolving prix fixe. They do however adapt very adeptly to dietary restrictions, as we shall see in a moment. But like most molecular prix fixes it begins with a specialty cocktail. In this case a champagne sherry concoction.

The sherry.

Some of our fellows kicking off the evening.

“The Golden Boy.” If you zoom in you can see the little golden speckles. It tasted like sherry and champagne.

Tonight’s menu. Click to embiggen.

“Lotus Root Chip.” Star Anise dusting. Like a very salty potato chip with a slight licorice flavor.


The first of my wines. The only beef I had with this otherwise perfect restaurant is extremely steep $50 corkage! Very displeasing. And they have a 3-4 bottle max, plus the Bazaar recently raised it’s corkage from $20 to $35. Contrast that with the Bistro LQ FREE corkage where we opened 8 bottles! I really despise these steep corkages.

Parker 97, “The 2004 Reserva, according to Remirez is “a great vintage, a lot of nerve, like 1994, that needed a long aging period”. Opaque purple in color, it offers up a splendid bouquet of sandalwood, incense, Asian spices, balsamic, and black cherry. Layered, opulent, and impeccably balanced, it is a monumental effort.”

“Tuna Handroll 2009.” Like the typical tuna tartar on a potato crisp — but a cooler shape.

“Bagel & Lox Steam Bun.” The dim sum style steam bun topped with salmon roe. Inside must have been some cream cheese or similar. Very interesting interplays of texture and taste.

“Olive Oil Bonbon.” Spanish extra virgin olive oil, coated in sugar and dusted with sumac and Maldon sea salt. Pretty amazing, a bit of candied crunch and pure olive oil is released. Very candy like.

“Black Olives Ferran Adria.” Instructions on how to make these can be found here. The pureed juice of the olives is coated in a thin gel. They are colored black with squid ink.

The olive bursts easily in the mouth, exploding intense oliveness into the mouth.

Spherified green olives. The “olives” are after spherizing marinated with olive oil, garlic, rosemary, and orange. This is the first of many Vegetarian Substitutions (VS), as the squid ink in the black olives isn’t exactly veggie.

“Jose’s Combination.” Jamón Ibérico de Bellota with a blob of real caviar. This ham is regarded as the best in Spain, and among the best in the world. They are fed on acorns. Salt on salt here. A very savory combination.


“Jicama wrapped Guacamole.” Micro cilantro, corn chips. The VS for above.

“Pastrami Saul.” Crunchy potato taquito filled with veal “pastrami.” Crunchy, salty, meaty.


“Tortilla de Patatas ‘New Way’.” Potato foam, egg 63, caramelized onions. The VS for above. This is a fairly radical reinterpretation of the classic Spanish Torilla de Patatas (what we might think of as a potato omelet). Egg is mixed with a potato foam and micro chives and caramelized onions.

“Buffalo Wing.” Looks like fried chicken (and it is), but Wow. Boneless, with a dab of spicy sauce and a blue cheese aioli. An explosion of flavor.

Just like it’s more plebeian cousin, it leaves a good grease stain.

“Ottoman Carrot fritter.” Apricots, pistachio sauce. VS for the chicken. A deep fried ball of flavor, with a very exotic taste.

“Not Your Everyday Caprese.” The mozzarella has been through the same sphere process as the olives above, then we have a peeled cherry tomato, tomato seeds, a bit of basil, sea salt, little crackers, and a very fine house made pesto genovese (with extra virgin olive oil). I’m not even a raw tomato fan and this is delectable. The pesto cheese combo really makes it. This pesto is as good as mine (recipe here).

“Crispy Nigiri.” A bit of red snapper on a blob of crispy Spanish rice.

“Chipirones en su Tinta.” More or less a classic Spanish dish, octopus in it’s own ink. Plus some squid ink chips. Very soft and tender meat, complemented by the sweetness of the ink.

Ink art. A tradition with me.

“Zucchini with Zucchini air.” VS for the octopus.


Parker 94. “The 2007 Laurel, a blend of 65% Garnacha and 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, is deep purple-colored with a bouquet of wet stone, Asian spices, black cherry compote, and incense. Dense and sweet on the palate with tons of spice, it is super-concentrated, rich, and smooth-textured. Give this lengthy effort 2-3 years of additional cellaring and drink it from 2013 to 2027.”

This is an amazing wine, deep grape.

“Hot and Cold Foie Soup with Corn.” The top is a delicious foam that tastes like sweet corn soup, underneath is the salty rich foie soup. I first had a variant of this dish at Cafe Atlantico. I’m very fond of these rich little soups.

“Traditional Gazpacho.” Not only is it pretty, but it’s a nice example of the classic.

“Banh Mi.” A brioche bun with wagyu beef, tofu, cilantro, pickles, pickled carrots, and a kind of mayo. Tasty tasty sandwich. A mix of soft and crunchy too, but the pickles give it a very distinct tang.

“Banh Mi, vegetarian.” VS, same as above, no meat.

“Linguini and Clams.” Another reinterpreted dish. A very sweet and sour, dishy and salty thing going on. Soft textures.

“Cauliflower ‘cous cous’.” VS for clams.

“Kurobuta Pork Belly.” Massively flavorful bacon chunk, with a spanish cheese infused turnip mouse and little carrots. Yum yum, heart stop heart stop.

“Brussel Sprout Leaves.” Lemon purée, apricots, grapes, lemon air. No hint of bitterness, and the fruit tangs nicely zest up the sprouts.

“Black truffle risotto.” This was an optional supplemental dish. Instead of the normal Italian risotto rice it used a premium Spanish one, calasparra bomba, and extra virgin olive oil instead of butter. Very tasty, but as the first truffle dish I’d had since our crazy 27 course Truffle Night, it gave me funny flashbacks.

“Philly Cheese Steak.” Air bread, cheddar, Wagyu beef. This is on the Bazaar menu, but it’s so damn good. The crispy bread is filled with liquid cheddar goodness.

“Hilly Cheese Steak.” Air bread, cheddar, mushrooms. The VS version of above. Monkey man will get you!


We move on to a sweet wine as we approach the end of the savory courses.

Parker 94. “The auction lot of Prum 2009 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese A.P. #22 differs from the “regular” Auslese in a manner analogous to the relationship between the two corresponding Spatlesen, the most striking aspect of the present cuvee being its uncanny sense of near-weightless delicacy. “This came from a good but not absolutely top-class parcel,” notes Manfred Prum, “but one that got quite a bit of botrytis which we permitted to develop and then selected-out very late.” Given that description, one has to say this was the noblest of rot, so subtle and positive was the flavor concentration and creamy textural allure it engendered, while in no way freighting the wine or lending a taste of botrytis per se. Indeed, this strikes me as the finer of the two non-gold capsule Sonnenuhr Auslesen I tasted, incorporating underlying nut paste richness and a cloud-like sense of wafting sweet floral perfume. Furthermore, this introduces a salinity that renders the finish saliva-inducing and compulsively swallow-able. It should dazzle for 30-40 years.”

“Japanese Baby Peaches.” Burrata, hazelnuts, arugula.Really interesting. The peaches were so tart off the trees that they were soaked in simple syrup. Paired with the blobs of burrata (a favorite of mine), the nuts, and arugala it was pretty divine.

“Dragon’s breath popcorn.” The pre dessert. A gimmick, but neat.

Carmel corn “boiled” in liquid nitrogen.

It tastes like… carmel corn, but you can exhale it through your nose for a dragon-like effect.

Mutant lamp in the room.

“Rose Clementine.” Clementine ice cream, shards of extruded sugar, and rose water ice cream and foam. I really like the exotic taste of rosewater, reminding me as it does of Istanbul and Persian weddings.

“Chocolate Eucalyptus.” Extruded chocolate ganache with a peppermint meringue and eucalyptus ice cream. Very nice and creamy chocolate band, with a soft mouse-like texture. The ice cream is the eucalyptus, which went well but makes me think of spa steam rooms.

Video of one of us breathing the dragon.

“Birthday spun sugar.” Tastes… sweet.

“Sexy Little Sweets.” Passion fruit and raspberry pate-fruits. Mint white chocolate, regular chocolate, and various bonbons. The passion fruit pate was my favorite.

“Crown of Sugar.”

The room itself.
The Bazaar is great, and Saam is even greater. The presentation is nicer, and it has more experimental dishes. I’d wish they’d go even wilder. This is exciting food with strong combinations of flavors and unexpected textures.
As I said earlier my only beef is with their agressive corkage policy. I know restaurants make a good share of profit on their wines, but I like to pick my own.

For a meal and The Bazaar proper, click here.

Or for other Foodie Club meals, click here.

Related posts:

  1. Food as Art: The Bazaar
  2. Bistro LQ – 27 Courses of Trufflumpagus
  3. Food as Art: La Terraza
  4. La Cachette Bistro part deux et trois
  5. Gjelina Scores Again
By: agavin
Comments (6)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Aging of wine, Auslese, Bazaar, Cabernet Sauvignon, California, Chateauneuf du Pape, Dessert, El Bulli, Ferran Adrià, Figeac, Food, Foodie Club, José Andrés, Los Angeles, Molecular Gastronomy, Olive, Restaurant, Restaurant Review, reviews, Riesling, Saam, side dishes, The Bazaar, vegetarian, Wine tasting descriptors

Food as Art: Sam’s by the Beach

Nov09

Restaurant: Sam’s by the Beach [1, 2, 3]

Location: 108 W. Channel Rd.(PCH)Santa Monica, CA 90402. 310-230-9100

Date: Nov 7, 2010

Cuisine: Cal French International

Rating: Stellar food and unparalleled service.

ANY CHARACTER HERE

We’ve been regulars at Sam’s for about a decade and it never disappoints. First of all, Sam himself is perhaps the friendliest and most hospital restauranteur in the city. I was impressed when I first went there a single time in 1999, and then about two years later returned. He not only remembered me, but exactly what I’d ordered. Sam is originally from Syria, but his cooking could loosely be called French. However, this isn’t traditional old-fashioned French, but blends a very modern palette of flavors in a particular way that can only be called Californian. There are Syrian influences, but also Japanese, and other more eclectic tastes. A lot of seasonal and other high quality ingredients are used, and through and though, there is the balanced touch of a very refined chef. The place itself is small and quirky, with a charming intimacy. We bring our two year old, who is treated like a prince, but it’s also suitable for an elegant yet intimate occasion.

The space, quiet at 5pm sharp avec toddler. But the time we left an hour and change later it was full.

From my cellar comes the Caymus 1992. Parker gives it an 89 (which seems too low). Right now, it’s matured into a fantastic bordeaux-like wine, although with a tiny touch of bitterness on the finish. “Caymus has one of the most enviable track records of any California winery. Having followed their Cabernet Sauvignons since the early seventies, I find it remarkable that this winery has never gone through a slump. Not many wineries, anywhere in the world, can match the Wagner family’s consistent record of success. The 1992 Cabernet Sauvignon exhibits gobs of toasty oak and cassis fruit in a ripe, opulent, full-bodied, round, generous style that is ideal for drinking over the next decade.”

Le menu de jour.

Sam has very good bread, served with an olive-oil sesame dip.

Our 2 year-old got a special course of penne pomodoro. Not the house specialty, but better than he required.

A seasonal butternut squash soup, chunky style, with olives.

“Roasted beet salad, mixed with onions, tomato in aged balsamic dressing, with Feta Cheese croquet.”

“Grilled Japanese Calamari, strips of Calamari grilled with green onions and dry spices served with Mediterranean cous-cous.” The squid was tender, and flavored with a very exotic palette of eastern spices. The cous-cous had a bit of fire to it.

Special risotto with pear and pomegranates, topped with fresh Santa Barara Uni (Sea Urchin). I love this dish. The risotto itself is not made with a lot of butter like a standalone Italian risotto, but when paired with the richness of the Uni and the sweetness of the fruit is lovely. One of the best “western style” Uni dishes I’ve had.

Special “pumpkin mouse” ravioli in a cream, butter, and sage sauce.

“Lamb Chorizo Risotto, Carnaroli rice prepared with lamb sausage, fresh spinach, feta cheese, in meyer lemon broth.” This isn’t your typical Italian Risotto either, but it’s spectacular, and much lighter. There is a lovely tang from the lemon, and the sharp goat cheese, and the sausage is to die for.

Special rack of Lamb in a dijon mustard vinaigrette. The lamb was tender. The sauce has a fantastic vinegary tone, bright with the mustard, but not overpowering. I had to sop it up with bread afterward. Served with various vegetables and ratatouille.

Sam makes spectacular traditional French desserts. These profiteroles are perfect, modernized only by the substitution of ginger ice cream.

His creme brulee is straight up traditional, and it’s the second best I’ve ever had in the world (there was this one in Avignon…).

My personal favorite, the bread pudding. Topped with a creme anglais, it is warm, rich, and soft, with a chocolate botom.

Peak down at that goodness!

Year after year Sam keeps us coming back with a winning combination of personal service, and a unique style of very high quality cooking.

A second review of Sam’s can be found here.

Related posts:

  1. Food as Art: Melisse
  2. Food as Art: Ludobites 6.0
  3. Food as Art: Bistro LQ
  4. Food as Art: Capo
  5. Food as Art: The Bazaar
By: agavin
Comments (6)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Cabernet Sauvignon, California, Carnaroli, Caymus Vineyards, Dessert, Feta, Food, French, Restaurant, reviews, Sam's by the Beach, Sea urchin, Squid, Syria, Syrian, Wine
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