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Rosé Rules

Sep28

Restaurant: Kali Dining [1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6, 7, 8]

Location: Beverly Hills

Date: August 11, 2017

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 all Rosé! Yeah, like 35+ bottles of Rosé from around the world.

The setting is lovely enough, and the company always great!

Kirk went all out arranging and drummed up a tremendous number of rosés of every conceivable type.

3 big buckets worth.

Good thing it was a hot summer afternoon.

Things start off with cheeses, olives, almonds etc. Food was all by Kali chef Kevin Meehan, who always does a fabulous job.

Hamachi crudo. Olive spread. Nice bright flavors.Black barely risotto. Black garlic, toasted cheese. A very nice whole grain with a creamy garlic herb vibe.Sea bass on fava beans and fresh tomatoes. Basically a Guazzetto.Hanger steak with potatoes and pesto.

Perfectly fresh watermelon.

The food was super tasty as always from Kevin, although perhaps I could have done with an extra course or two and a dessert, and maybe more cheese to sop up all that wine.

Trying to work through all that rosé we kept on hanging out and eventually our host opened this minor bottle:

1990 Château Margaux. VM 98. RP 100. Full ruby-red. Wonderfully perfumed nose combines redcurrant, plum, mocha, minerals and rose petal. Plush, fat and rich, with great sweetness and class. This has utterly compelling mouthfilling richness. Finishes smooth and endless, with great breadth. This wine showed fabulous potential from barrel, but this is the first truly outstanding bottle I’ve had. Drink 2005 through 2035.

I’m too lazy to write up ALL these rosés, but I did take pictures of each of them for the veritable record — in order too! And at the very bottle my sparse little notes on each.

By: agavin
Comments (0)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Kali, Kali Dining, Kevin Meehan, lunch, Rose, Sauvages

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.

By: agavin
Comments (3)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Cabernet Sauvignon, California Cabernet, Kali Dining, Kevin Meehan, Sauvages

Châteauneuf-du-Pape in the Sun

May06

Restaurant: Kali Dining [1, 2, 3]

Location: Beverly Hills

Date: April 25, 2014

Cuisine: New American

Who says wine is just for diner, today I was invited to a Châteauneuf-du-Pape themed lunch with food cooked by chef Kevin Meehan of Kali Dining. Who says you can’t drink before 5?!?

2012 Mas de Gourgonnier Les Baux-de-Provence Rosé. Hard to find, but a picture perfect afternoon wine.

1978 Château Mont-Redon Châteauneuf-du-Pape. 91 points. View from the Cellar 95. Medium garnet colour, very bright and clear. Mature nose of medium intensity, with dried fruit, wet cedar wood and earthy forest floor, incense and sweet spice. Palate is medium bodied, elegant and velvety with dried plummy fruit, notes of chocolate, some floral nuances and sweet spice. Finish is medium with just a hint of tannins. Acidity is medium and mouthfell is velvety. Complete mature and complex wine, lovely.

1981 Chateau Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape. Parker 95. One of the all-time great classics, the 1981 is fully mature and should be consumed. It’s a big, sweet, candied fruit bomb offering notes of smoke, pepper, dried herbs, truffles, leather, cedar, as well as black and red currants. Full-bodied and opulent, it is one of the most delicious, complex, and stunning Beaucastels ever made. Anyone who has magnums of this wine has the equivalent of liquid gold. Out of regular bottle, I would recommend consumption over the next several years. agavin: pretty wow for a 33 year old CNDP!

From my cellar: 1985 Chateau Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape. Parker 91-93. One of the most charming Beaucastels since it was first bottled (and still holding on today), is the gorgeous 1985. Its medium ruby color reveals considerable amber/pink at the edge. This offering demonstrates that a wine does not need a lot of tannin and power to age well; it’s all about balance. Velvety-textured, opulent, sweet, and appealing, this remains a classic Beaucastel.

1990 Chateau Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape. Parker 96. Two great back to back vintages are the 1990 and 1989. The more developed 1990 boasts an incredible perfume of hickory wood, coffee, smoked meat, Asian spices, black cherries, and blackberries. Lush, opulent, and full-bodied, it is a fully mature, profound Beaucastel that will last another 15-20 years.

Foie Gras truffles. They look like chocolate truffles, but each is a solid ball of foie! With truffles, asparagus, and various flowers. Paired perfectly too.

1989 Les Cailloux (Lucien et Andre Brunel) Chateauneuf du Pape. Parker 88. Les Cailloux’s regular cuvee has evolved into a blend of 65% Grenache, 20% Mourvedre, 10% Syrah, and 5% miscellaneous varietals aged both in barrel and foudre. The backward 1989 appears to be fully mature. More narrowly constructed than the 1990, it offers up notes of soy, seaweed, lavender, black cherries, figs, and plum-like fruit in a medium-bodied, structured, but delicious style.

1990 Domaine de Beaurenard Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Boisrenard. Parker 95. This wine saw a small amount of aging in new oak cask, resulting in a more international style when released. Still youthful, the dense ruby/purple-colored 1990 exhibits a classy nose of black fruits, spice box, vanillin, and kirsch liqueur. Full-bodied and pure, with a subtle touch of oak, this fleshy, stylized, yet authoritatively flavorful, rich Chateauneuf du Pape has reached its plateau of maturity, where it should remain for 7-8 years.

Venison Carpaccio. Another perfect 10 pairing.

1998 Pierre Usseglio Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee de Mon Aieul. Parker 94-98. The 1998 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee du Mon Aieul is close to full maturity. Dark plum/garnet, with a nose of licorice, lavender, seaweed, blueberry, and black raspberry, the wine is full-bodied, still very fresh, but complex, with silky tannins and a broad, savory mouthfeel. Everything seems resolved, and the wine looks to be at its peak of complexity. It should hold here for another 3-4 years, but last easily for 10-12. In terms of the best vintages of Mon Aieul, I would have to rank the 2003, 2006, and 2007 superior to the 1998, which was the debut vintage of this cuvee from proprietors Jean-Pierre and Thierry Usseglio.

2000 Pierre Usseglio Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee de Mon Aieul. Parker 95. The profound 2000 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee de Mon Aieul (85% Grenache and the rest equal parts Syrah, Mourvedre, and Cinsault) tips the scales at 15% alcohol. From an old vineyard and cropped at 15 hectoliters per hectare, and aged only in foudre, it boasts a dense purple color in addition to an exquisite nose of violets, minerals, blueberries and blackberries. Pure and concentrated, but atypically tannic, it requires considerable aging as it is one of the vintage’s more backward, broodingly powerful efforts. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2020.

2001 Pierre Usseglio Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee de Mon Aieul. Parker 97. The 2001 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee de Mon Aieul (85% Grenache and equal parts Syrah, Mourvedre, and Cinsault) tips the scales at a prodigious 15.8% alcohol. Half of the wine is aged in neutral wood foudres and the other half in tank prior to being bottled unfined and unfiltered. The sources for Mon Aieul are three vineyard parcels with vines averaging between 75 and 87 years of age. The 2001 is much more structured and backward than the 2000, 1999, or 1998. The color is a dense purple, and the bouquet offers sweet but reserved aromas of blackberries, raspberries, crushed rocks, and kirsch liqueur. It possesses superb texture, enormous body, and tremendous purity as well as overall symmetry. The tannin is high, but it is largely concealed by the wealth of fruit and extract. Give it 3-4 years of cellaring, and drink it over the following 15-18. This fabulous 2001 will provide fascinating comparisons when tasted alongside the 2000, 1999, and 1998 over the next 10-15 years.

2003 Pierre Usseglio Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee de Mon Aieul. Parker 97. Deep, layered and rich, the 2003 Domaine Pierre Usseglio & Fils Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee de mon Aieul is comprised almost all of Grenache and always comes from three lieux-dits: La Crau, Guigasse and Les Serres. Aged all in tank and showing none of the negative traits of the vintage, it has a rich, meaty bouquet of semi-mature red and black fruits, wild herbs, melted licorice, dusty minerality and roasted beef. Full-bodied, gorgeously pure and seamless, with solid underlying structure and a core of sweet fruit, it is a brilliant wine. I don’t see any upside to holding bottles, yet given the balance, richness and mid-palate depth, it should continue to hold for another 5-8 years and certainly drink nicely well past that.

Mushroom risotto with parmesan crisp. Yum!

2000 Domaine du Pegau Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Reservee. Parker 95. The 2000 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Reservee may be one of the few 2000s that is better than its 1998 counterpart. A deep ruby/purple color is accompanied by sweet aromas of creme de cassis, kirsch liqueur, cedar, licorice, and pepper. It smells like an open-air Provencal market. Sweet, fat, opulent, and voluptuous, with fabulous fruit concentration, sweet tannin, and a long, 45+ second finish, this powerful, deep, seamless 2000 is impeccably well-balanced. A tour de force in traditional Chateauneuf du Pape, it is accessible now, but should age easily for 15-20 years.

1998 Domaine de la Mordoree Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee de la Reine des Bois. Parker 98-99. This wine went through a long closed period. It was sensational to drink a year or two after bottling, then the wood tannins in the wine’s structure took over. It remained in that state until about two years ago, when it began to slightly open up, and now it seems to be coming into full form. It still has a good 10 years of upside, and potentially 20 more years of drinkability. Still dense ruby/purple, with notes of blueberry liqueur intermixed with graphite, smoke, crushed rock, and white flowers, the wine is full-bodied, beautifully pure, and all evidence of any barrique aging has been completely assimilated into the wine’s fruit and character. This is a beauty that is just now living up to its full potential. Bravo!

1998 Henri Bonneau Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve des Celestins. Parker 96-98. This wine is reminiscent of Roger Sabon’s Le Secret des Sabon, with a style that borders on Italian Amarone. Powerful, full-bodied, alcoholic flavors, redolent with truffle, meat juices, roasted herbs, tar, sweaty saddle leather, plum, and soy, are incredibly complex but also provocative, and no doubt controversial. In the mouth, the wine is fleshy, full-bodied, thick, and juicy, pushing the level of ripeness to the limit. A distinctive and singular effort, as all Henri Bonneau’s wines are, this wine is silky and velvety, but should continue to drink well for another 25-30 years. agavin: My WOTA (afternoon).

Filet with onion puree and potatoes. Great pairing, great dish.

1990 Domaine Deletang Montlouis Moelleux Les Petits Boulay. 91 points. Great stuff for cheese!

Cheeses from Andrew’s Cheese shop in Santa Monica.

The lineup (minus one or two).

The gang (notice the sunny side hat fest).

chef Kevin!

Overall, a delicious afternoon — food and wine both! As a Burgundy nut, a often forget all the Châteauneuf-du-Pape in my cellar, but it’s really great stuff — and so consistent. We didn’t have a mediocre wine today, just good and great ones.

By: agavin
Comments (3)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Beaucastel, Château de Beaucastel, Chateauneuf du Pape, Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC, Domaine de Beaurenard, Foie gras, Kali Dining, Les Cailloux, lunch, Sauvages, Wine

Big Bottle Madness at Kali Dining

Sep27

Restaurant: Kali Dining [1, 2]

Location: 13488 W Maxella Ave Marina del Rey, CA 90292 Apt #559

Date: September 25, 2013

Cuisine: New American

Rating: Foie-tasktic

Independent chef Kevin Meehan (below) executes a concept he calls “hosted dinner party” via his company Kali Dining. You sign up for a special meal and join him at a big communal table in Marina del Rey. He also happens to belong to my Hedonist group (cooking up that same group’s start of summer blast) and so we thought we’d hit him up at his place for a wine dinner.

Our young and talented chef.

The table. Finding it is the challenge, as the location is hidden within the gargantuan Stella apartment building right in the center of the Marina. Alcohol is BYOB, which is great by me.

1998 Jacques Prieur Corton-Charlemagne. IWC 91. Very expressive leesy, oaky aromas of roasted nuts, clove, nutmeg and vanilla. At once powerful and generously textured, with pliant mineral and smoke flavors nicely framed by ripe acids. I find this quite approachable for Corton-Charlemagne, and long on the aftertaste. Seems more substantial today than it was from bottle last spring before the end of the alcoholic fermentation.

Drinking quite nicely right now.

2010 J. Hofstätter Gewürztraminer Kolbenhof. IWC 91. Deep straw-yellow. Superripe aromas of tropical fruits and sweet spices lifted by rose petal and lavender notes. Then bright, rich and focused in the mouth, with persistent flavors of ripe peach, apricot and mango. Closes with cinnamon and grapefruit nuances on the long, brisk finish. Very well done.

From my cellar: 1996 Domaine Joseph Drouhin Charmes Chambertin. Parker 92. This medium-to-dark ruby-colored wine has a fine nose of deeply ripe blackberry and cassis. On the palate, this well-concentrated, thick, complex, and harmonious wine is replete with loads of black cherries and spices. It has extremely ripe and supple tannins in its long finish.

Kevin showed me this. Unfortunately, I didn’t put anything in the image for scale, but this is about 10 inches long. The single liver of a single duck! Sometimes I feel like that!

1990 Francesco Rinaldi e Figli Barolo Le Brunate. Parker 96. The 1990 Barolo Riserva Brunate is very much a mirror image of the vintage; fat, rich and opulent, with gorgeous inner perfume and superb balance. It is awfully hard to pick a favorite here, as both wines are drop-dead gorgeous. Wow! Despite the wine’s huge fruit the tannins and structure remain formidable, and this is one case where the 1990 may very well age at the same pace as the 1989. In fact, this is one of the few 1990s that comes across as needing more time! In any event, the 1990 Barolo Riserva Brunate is a monumental, towering wine from one of Barolo’s icon producers. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2025.

Very, very nice.

Kumamoto Oyster with a bit of ham and yuzu. Nice combo of briny, salty, and sour.

2001 Azienda Bricco Rocche (Ceretto) Barolo Brunate. 92 points. Impressive nose of flowers (roses?) and vanilla and cedar, with notes of tobacco and wild berries. Aromatics are wonderfully rich and complex, but still elegant and subtle. Hard to pinpoint everything. On the palate, there is a very strong new oak character which, along with the hefty tannins, dominates right out of the bottle. Very tight and woody up front. But the wine softens and opens up nicely with time in the decanter and glass, alowing some delicate cherry (and chocolate?) flavors to shine through, along with hints of earth and smoke. Medium-full bodied with medium acidity, excellent structure, a bold, yet silky mouthfeel, and a nice, long, well-defined finish. Obviously this wine is still quite young. It seems as if there is a lot burried underneath the wood and tannins which can’t yet properly be expressed. The potential is there. Give it time.

A summer salad of gazpacho sorbet, black garlic, tomatoes, and hamachi. A tomato water consume is poured over.

Very fresh and bright.

Lana, never one to hold back, brings: 2006 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia. Parker 97. The 2006 Ornellaia (magnum) is a massive, towering masterpiece. There is awesome depth and richness to be found in the glass. Flowers, minerals, tar smoke and dark fruit are all woven in an intricate fabric of almost indescribable elegance and power. Tonight the 2006 Ornellaia is absolutely moving in its beauty and expressiveness. Vintage 2006 will go down as one of the all-time greats in Tuscany, and Bolgheri in particular, as all of that region’s benchmark wines are spectacular. The 2006 shows the intensity of the small berries that were harvested that year, with exceptional concentration, acidity and freshness, qualities that are precious and exceedingly rare when they are found in a single wine. In 2006 the final blend is 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot. Simply put, the 2006 Ornellaia is a must-have bottle. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2031.

Awesome! (albeit a bit young)

Yummy rosemary bread.

And lots of butter (on request).

2010 Achaval Ferrer Quimera. Parker 91. The 2010 Quimera is a blend of 27% Malbec and 24% Cabernet Sauvignon alongside Petit Verdot and Merlot, raised in 40% French new oak for 14 months, the remainder one year old. It has a complex, almost “mulchy” bouquet: one that evokes undergrowth and tertiary aromas that are well-defined and cerebral. The palate is medium-bodied with fine, slightly chewy tannins surrounding a core of blackberry laced with licorice and a hint of star anise. The finish is focused and taut, bestowed with an extremely fresh citric finish. Old World meets New – with style. Drink 2014-2022.

1999 S. Anderson Cabernet Sauvignon SAV. 90 points. Nice balanced wine with mellowed tannins, dark fruits and some green pepper. I generally don’t prefer any green pepper notes, but this was still good.

Risotto with parmesan crisps and pesto drizzle. I’m a risotto whore and this didn’t disappoint.

1998 Chateau d’Yquem. Parker 95. The 1998 Yquem (95 points) is a great success. Made in an elegant style, it is not a blockbuster such as 1990, 1989, and 1988. It is well-delineated, with wonderfully sweet aromas of creme brulee, pineapples, apricots, and white flowers. Medium to full-bodied, it is not as sweet as the biggest/richest Yquem vintages, but it is gorgeously pure, precise, and strikingly complex. Already approachable, it should evolve for 30-50 years … without a doubt.

Foie gras with fennel and eggplant in a sweet sauce. An unbelievable pairing with Lana’s big bottle of Chateau D’Yquem!

2007 Azelia Barolo Margheria. IWC 94. Deep red. Very ripe aromas of cherry, strawberry, licorice, smoke and mocha. Sweet, plush and seamless, with terrific concentration to the red fruit and mineral flavors. This wonderfully round 2007 saturates the entire palate without leaving any impression of heaviness. The wine’s superripe finishing flavors of dark berries are leavened by excellent mineral lift. A superb showing, but I’d wait at least five or six years before pulling the cork.

2007 Fattoria Le Pupille (Elisabetta Geppetti) Saffredi Maremma Toscana IGT. IWC 91. (a blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and alicante Dark ruby. Light red berry and plum aromas along with riper coffee and dark chocolate nuances. Dense and rich but nicely focused, with a creamy texture to the black cherry, dried herb and milk chocolate flavors. Puts on considerable weight in the glass and displays a seductive floral quality on the long finish. Harmonious acidity gives this concentrated blend a light touch and an overall impression of refinement.

Duck breast with beet sauce and crispy beets. Lovely. The crisps were very salty which paired nicely with the sweetish meat.

2004 Araujo Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard. IWC 94. (includes about 3% each cabernet franc and petit verdot) Saturated ruby-red. Highly nuanced, Graves-like aromas of black plum, raspberry, warm stones, tobacco, minerals and nutty oak. Sweet, suave and wonderfully fine-grained wine with a fleshiness given shape by harmonious acidity. A step up in intensity from the ’03 bottling, with the petit verdot component adding aromatic character and structure. Finishes with lingering sweet notes of cherry and currant.

Lana brought this homemade baklava in that a friend made.

I just have to show the big bottle again.

Panna cotta with berries. Sweet and simple. The custard was quite firm.

As usual, Chef Kevin whipped up another fabulous feast, better than most modern American restaurants are doing in LA. And we doused it with a crazy volume of wine. The foie gras / d’Yquem pairing was a standout — a classic for a reason!

For more Hedonist meals click here.

For more LA reviews click here.

The view out the apartment window.

By: agavin
Comments (2)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Barolo, BYOB, Corton-Charlemagne, Dessert, hedonists, Kali Dining, Marina del Rey California, Wine

Uni All the Way Down

Aug26

Restaurant: Kali Dining [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]

Location: 13488 W Maxella Ave Marina del Rey, CA 90292 Apt #559

Date: August 16, 2013

Cuisine: New American

Rating: Uni Awesome

Independent chef Kevin Meehan of Kali Dining is a friend of mine from my Hedonist group and even cooked up that same group’s start of summer blast. Kali Dining is his concept for hosted “dinner party,” where you sign up for a special meal and join him at a big communal table in Marina del Rey.

This is about half the table. Finding it is the challenge, as the location is hidden within the gargantuan Stella apartment building right in the center of the Marina. Alcohol is BYOB, which is great by me. The below wines were “paired” and brought by moi and and fellow Foodie Club co-president Erick.

1990 Robert Ampeau & Fils Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières. Burghound 93. A truly wonderful nose of simply knockout complexity features notes of yeast and baked bread along with now fully mature aromas of a variety of floral notes and spice hints that gives way to mineral-suffused round intense and detailed medium full flavors that also offer outstanding depth on the sappy and mouth coating finish. This is drinking perfectly now. A beautiful effort of real style and grace.

These are three main hosts, on the left foreground Keven Meehan, and on the right guest chef Octavio Olivas from the Ceviche Project and on the far left his wife. Kevin has worked in the kitchens of Mirabelle, L’Orangerie, Bastide, Patina, and more, having lead the kitchen at Cafe Pinot for several years.

Octavio serving up some of tonight’s special ingredient.

The them tonight is everyone’s favorite spiny fellow: Uni! This is all fresh from Santa Barbara.

2009 Jean-Max Roger Sancerre Cuvée C.M. A rare artisanal Sancerre from one of its top producers this had a striking minerality and crispness that paired brilliantly with the oysters below.

Oysters with champagne mignonette, uni, and caviar. Really fantastic, three kinds of briny notes that balanced perfectly.

Baby heirloom salad with burrata.

2006 Cantine Lento Lamezia Greco. Another unusual white I thought would go well with Uni. This Southern Italian had a strong oxidized quality, but still plenty of fruit. Really quite nice.

Hamachi cerviche with uni. Leche con tigre, corn nuts, bits of seaweed, tomato, and a slice of orange. The leche was much more subdued here than in typical preparations and that actually allowed us to taste the subtlety of the hamachi and uni. Really nice blend.

An uni free version.

A very nice bit of rosemary bread.

2012 Collestefano Verdicchio di Matelica. IWC 94. Pale straw-green. Knockout aromas of quince, pear, white peach and white flowers are complicated by lemony minerality on the vibrant, captivating nose. Rich and broad on entry, then explosive in the middle palate, saturating the mouth with bright, lively floral and fresh citrus flavors that are intensified by penetrating acidity. Finishes extremely long and creamy-rich, expanding to coat the palate and teeth with lingering white peach and floral flavors. The bright acidity conveys an almost weightless mouthfeel to this seamless, rich, extremely concentrated wine. You can tell that owner Fabio Marchionni studied white wine in Germany. This is but one of many outstanding vintages for this wine. Let me be clear: I think it is probably Italy’s single greatest white wine buy.

Uni risotto with pork rinds and a bit of pesto. Yum! This was a fabulous rice full of richness and flavor. The pork rinds also gave it a bit of crunch which was spectacular.

A different, vegetarian, version.

1993 Louis Jadot Clos Vougeot. Burghound 93. This has finally reached its full maturity with an earthy and beautifully complex nose that is backed by big¡ dense and very intense flavors that possess solid underlying material all underpinned by largely if not completely resolved dusty tannins and a long finish that offers excellent richness. This has only just reached its maturity and there would be no risk in allowing this to age for up to another decade as it will last for a lot longer than that. Multiple¡ and largely consistent¡ notes.

Top end blue fin tuna with pesto, onion, and potato. My wife declared this one of the best tunas she has ever had.

1996 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley. IWC 89-92. Deep ruby-red. Spicy aromas of cassis, black plum, black cherry, roasted nuts and shoe polish. Fat and sweet, with good depth of flavor and harmonious acidity. Thick but ripe tannins coat the tongue.

Beef rib eye cap with uni hollandaise, potato, onion, pesto, and squid ink onion marmalade. The combo of the beef, marmalade, and uni sauce was spectacular. Possibly the pesto was superfluous, but it was a lovely dish.

2009 Castello Ducale Falanghina. Another coastal seafood Italian. Crisp and fresh with a bit of sapidity.

Uni, avocado mousse, cookie crisps, and I can’t remember what the white thing was. Good, but the weakest of the dishes. Probably uni isn’t really made for desserts. Haha.

The uni free version.

This was the wine damage.

Overall, a lovely dinner. This is a fun format allowing for lots of conversation. The food was fantastic, as I’ve come to expect from chef Meehan, with each dish flavorful and well balanced. I love the freedom to pair wines ahead of time too. Great fun.

For more Foodie Club meals click here.

For more LA reviews click here.

The view out the apartment window.