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Archive for Malibu

Quick Eats – Malibu Pier

Oct06

Restaurant: MALIBU FARM cafe

Location: 23000 E Pacific Coast Hwy, Malibu, CA 90265. (310) 456-8850

Date: February 19, 2022

Cuisine: Brunch

Rating: Solid quick brunch

_

Today my family made a quick stop at the Malibu Pier for some brunch.
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At the base of the pier is their restaurant, but it had a 2 hour wait or something. Look at this terrible February weather!
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The view looking back.1A4A2885
So we headed toward the end of the pier and the cafe.
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The menu.
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The cute room.

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Swedish Mini Pancakes. Whipped cream and Berries. The pancakes were for my son but I ate the cream and berries, it was pretty good.1A4A2893
Grilled Salmon on Brioche Bun, Black Olive Aioli, Arugula, Tomato, Red Onion, White Rice with Quinoa.
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Crab Cake Sandwich on Brioche Bun, Lemon Aioli, Avocado, Tomato, Cabbage Slaw, Baby Potatoes.
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Surfer’s Rancheros. Fried Eggs, Squash, Potatoes, Salsa, Corn Tortilla, Sour Cream, Avocado, Feta, Peppers, Onions, Black Beans, Slaw.

Fine casual modern brunch fare in a scenic location. We will have to go back sometime and try the real restaurant.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Related posts:

  1. Quick Eats – Margo’s
  2. Quick Eats – Courtyard Kitchen
  3. Quick Eats – Maradentro
  4. Quick Eats – Spoke
  5. Quick Eats – Porta Via
By: agavin
Comments (0)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Brunch, Malibu, MALIBU FARM cafe, Malibu Pier

Weird Sausages by the Sea

Aug08

I was lucky enough to be invited again to a absolutely fabulous wine dinner hosted by my friend Eric Cotsen at his lovely Malibu pad. The group was mostly Hedonists, with a few other pals of Eric’s mixed in. Eric has these diners regularly and they feature an awesome setting, great company, wonderful food, and amazing wines provided by both him and the guests.

You can see the ocean is right there! Like under the house.

The bright and eclectic decor is so Malibu!

And the wines that everyone brought are hidden in socks and served in a giant blind free-for-all, but we start off with some whites.

NV Billecart-Salmon Champagne Brut Rosé. VM 92. Pale orange. High-pitched red berry, orange zest and jasmine aromas, with suave mineral and smoky lees notes adding complexity. Spicy and precise on the palate, showing very good punch to its strawberry and bitter cherry flavors. Opens up smoothly with air and picks up a bitter rhubarb quality that lingers onto the long, tightly focused finish. This bottling showed more brawny character than many past renditions of this cuvée, but with no lack of vivacity.

From my cellar: 2006 Bouchard Père et Fils Corton-Charlemagne. VM 96+. A reserved, indeed even reluctant nose of fresh and stony green fruit and citrus aromas that offer real depth leads to precise, minerally and exceptionally powerful full-bodied flavors that possess huge amounts of dry extract on the hugely long finish. This is still sorting itself out but the quality of the raw materials is impeccable and it possesses impressive potential, which will require at least a decade to realize. One of the finest examples from this appellation in the 2006 vintage.

2014 Aubert Chardonnay Eastside Vineyard. 95 points. Nose of butterscotch, beeswax, glycerin, pear, minerals and a touch of honey, very aromatic, flowery nose, of rose and salvia, more of the same on the palate, still very young and slightly subdued, very tasty during the 90 minute dinner, big body, mouth filling, intense fruit, long, flavorful finish of pineapple, salvia, and sage. Better in 2 years.

agavin: lots of malo, but some acid too.

2012 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis 1er Cru La Forest. VM 94. Soil-driven aromas of apple, biscuit, chlorophyll, fern, anise and flowers. Quite rich, sappy and concentrated, conveying a strong impression of dry extract and stony minerality. Powerful, very solidly built premier cru with a very long finish tinged by licorice. I would not be surprised if this wine needs a good seven or eight years of cellaring to approach its peak.

Various cheeses.

And marcona almonds.

Eric brought out a set of his own reds to be tasted first (blind). They all shared a common “2007” theme, not that we knew that until later.

2007 Clos des Papes Chateauneuf du Pape. Parker 99-100. One of the top wines in this incredible vintage is Avril’s 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape, which is the normal blend of 65% Grenache, 20% Mourvedre, 10% Syrah and the rest of mix of permitted varieties. Brought up all in older foudre, it’s a blockbuster, almost over-the-top, effort that gives up notes of kirsch, incense, dried flowers, spice and pepper. Deep, full-bodied, massively concentrated, unctuous and downright sexy, it needs another 2-3 years of cellaring and will have 30 years or more of overall longevity.

2007 Dominus Proprietary Red Wine. Parker 98. The 2008 Dominus may eclipse the 2007, but it may just be a matter of style. The 2007 Dominus, the quintessential model of haute couture, is pure elegance exhibiting a seamless integration of wood, tannin, alcohol and acidity as well as a complex bouquet of cedar, new saddle leather, sweet kirsch, black currant and plum fruit and a notion of licorice. Both the 2007 and 2008 Dominus should drink well for 25-30 years. 
2007 Harlan Estate The Maiden. Parker 93. As outstanding as the 2008 is, it is eclipsed by the brilliant 2007 The Maiden, perhaps the finest second wine yet made here. Sweet tobacco leaf, fruitcake, creme de cassis, black currant and licorice aromas emerge from this round, opulent, voluptuously textured wine. It is very much in keeping with the 2007 vintage. Enjoy it over the next 10-15 years.

agavin: ours was corked 🙁

2007 Joseph Phelps Insignia Proprietary Red Wine. Parker 99. Aged 24 months in new French oak, this infant 2007 exhibits an inky/purple color along with notes of graphite, spring flowers and smoky oak. This full-bodied, classic Insignia reveals fabulous depth, ripeness, texture, viscosity and richness. Still young and unformed, it should evolve for 25 or more years.

Tonight had a “game” theme, so we had a whole slew of sausages from whacky animals. This first one is Alpaca Hot Italian!

Then goat garlic basil.

And camel French apple — near universal favorite. Never had camel before!

Ostrich!

Alligator bayou. A little mushy and weird.

Rattle snake with rabbit and Jalepeno. I’m sure there was more rabbit than rattlesnake.

Yak bratwurst. My second favorite after the camel.

Kangaroo bratwurst. Not bad.

Camel chipotle cheddar. Not nearly as good as the first camel.

Ostrich egg scrambled in the egg. That’s just one egg worth and it filled up two halves of the shell!

Some beef for later.
 The chaos of the early tasting.

And people sampling the sausages.

 Next we move outside to the fiery seaside table.

A light vegan salad with herbs. Almost Vietnamese or Thai in style.

Risotto.

Green vegetables. Nice crunch.

Roasted carrots. Great for carrots.

And this amazing filet mignon with a rich savory BBQ sauce.

For dessert this awesome salted caramel gelato with chocolate chunks.

And one of the richest brownies I’ve ever had. Amazing.

The chef plates and entertains!

Oh, and fruit. For those who eat fruit!

While eating all this we sat around drinking all these wines (blind at first):

2002 Domaine Perrot-Minot Clos Vougeot. VM 91-94. Medium ruby. Expressive, nuanced aromas of black cherry, animal fur, smoke, minerals and nutty oak. Sweet, superripe and generous, with surprisingly opulent black fruit and mineral flavors. Finishes with substantial but fine, horizontal tannins and enticing sweetness. Like so many Clos Vougeots from this vintage, the tannins seem nobler than usual.

agavin: our bottle was off. Corked?

2005 Marcassin Pinot Noir Three Sisters Vineyard. 93 points. Like a very young red burg.

2005 Domaine de la Vieille Julienne Châteauneuf-du-Pape. VM 93+. Inky ruby. Ripe, powerful boysenberry and blueberry aromas are deepened by musky tobacco and dark chocolate. Weighty dark berry flavors verge on thick; initially brooding but brightens with air, picking up an energetic, stony character. Red fruits build on a long, sappy finish. A serious style, and not for those who demand elegance.

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.

2001 Gaja Barbaresco Riserva Che Storia. 91 points. Young, highly structured Neb.

2003 Angelo Gaja Sperss. Parker 93. Gaja’s 2003 Sperss is made from vineyards in Serralunga and offers better balance than the Conteisa. It is plump and juicy, with a generous core of dark fruit, tar and menthol supported by a massive, imposing structure. The wine offers notable length although there is a suggestion of heat on the finish. This powerful, brooding Sperss will require patience, even if today it gives the illusion of being a relatively accessible vintage for this wine. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2023.

From my cellar: 1990 Vega Sicilia Unico. Parker 96. Served from magnum, the 1990 Unico (a blend of 80% Tinto Fino and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon) possesses and extraordinarily, opulent bouquet with cassis, blood orange, Italian cured meat and crushed stone. It is extremely well defined and powerful yet succinctly focused. The palate is ripe and sweet on the entry. Vibrant red fruit, orange peel, marmalade, Asian spices all vie for attention. There is great weight and potency, building in the mouth that is rich in glycerine and climaxes with a spicy, meaty finish that tightly grips the mouth. It has a Right Bank, Cabernet Franc like persona. This is a lovely, decadent Unico that is surfeit with fresh and vitality, a Rubenesque Unico of some style. 109,548 bottles produced. Drink now-2030.

agavin: as Amanda put it, hints of saddle leather. Really delicious though, and many though the WOTN.

1970 Beychevelle. Parker 85. Fully mature with a spicy, plum-like bouquet, and some caramel aromas, the 1970 Beychevelle is round, fruity, quite silky and soft, and nicely concentrated. It lacks complexity and the depth of the best 1970s, but is still quite attractive. Anticipated maturity: Now. Last tasted, 4/88.

2003 Greenock Creek Shiraz Roennfeldt Road. Parker 96. The 2003 Shiraz Roennfeldt Road offers up an ethereal perfume of sandalwood, incense, lavender, Asian spices, and blueberry compote. Rich, dense, and very long in the finish, the wine’s 18.5% alcohol pokes through with a touch of heat. For that reason, it is likely to be controversial.

1995 Diamond Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Volcanic Hill. 92 points. A throwback. The nose was a nice mix of cassis and cedar. Over two hours, it put on weight and went from a nice but lightweight to a medium weight, concentrated but still light on its feet cab. The last sip was the best suggesting that this still has many years of positive development in front of it.

2012 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Cask 23. VM 91. The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon CASK 23 is the biggest and richest of these wines from Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars. Broad and expansive on the palate, the 2012 is quite pretty, but stops short of being truly exciting. Blue and black fruits, violets and sweet spices add nuance on the perfumed, generous finish.

2006 Colgin Cariad Proprietary Red Wine. Parker 98. Meriting the same rating I gave it at its release, the 2006 Cariad is composed of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc and 7% Petit Verdot. One of the stars of the vintage, this thrilling, opaque purple-colored wine offers up sweet espresso, jus de viande, blackberry, blueberry, flower and chocolate aromas. A fabulous texture, tremendous purity, sensational brightness and authoritative flavor intensity allied to striking complexity and elegance are the signature of this creative blend from the David Abreu vineyards of Thorevilos and Madrona Ranch. Six hundred cases were produced. Give this wine another 3-4 years of cellaring and enjoy it over the following 15+.

2010 Joseph Phelps Insignia Proprietary Red Wine. Parker 95. A gorgeously intense bouquet of lead pencil shavings, spring flowers, black currants, blackberries, and subtle smoke and foresty aromas jumps from the glass of this full-bodied, rich, concentrated wine with soft tannins, a multidimensional mouthfeel, and a long, rich finish displaying well-integrated acidity, tannin, alcohol and wood. This beauty is one of the top Insignias produced over recent years. It should age easily for 20+ years.

2007 Hundred Acre Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Ark Vineyard. Parker 100! A perfect wine, the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Ark Vineyard (1,300 – 1,400 cases) from Howell Mountain is one of the great efforts from this high elevation terroir. It offers notes of burning embers, black raspberries, blueberries and flowers, a full-bodied opulence, wonderful intensity, but the wine is not weighty or overripe. Fleshy and voluptuous with terrific floral notes, it should drink well for 15-20 years.

Arnie’s rare 2005 Levy & McClellan Red. VM 94. Deep medium ruby. Complex, expressive nose offers black raspberry, licorice, brown spices, mocha, smoke, minerals and nutty oak. Wonderfully lush and creamy-sweet for the year, with Graves-like mineral, gravel and smoky notes (from barrel this wine struck me as brooding and Latour-like but today its fruit character is more red). Ripe, harmonious acidity and broad, lush tannins make this cabernet remarkably presentable-not to mention long on personality-for a 2005, but it also has the structure for an extended evolution in bottle. Even in 2005, this young vineyard on volcanic soil produced just over two tons of fruit per acre, according to Bob Levy.

Have a few wines!

Overall, another fun evening. Lots of great wine, company, and food. What more can you ask?

For more LA dining reviews click here,

or more crazy Hedonist dinners here!

Toss me down another chunk of yak!

Related posts:

  1. Big and Bold on the Beach
  2. Epic Ocean Party 2015
  3. Wine on the Beach
  4. Valley Heat
  5. Cotsen’s Again!
By: agavin
Comments (0)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Eric Cotsen, hedonists, Malibu, Wine

Epic Ocean Party 2015

Jul17

I was lucky enough to be invited again to a absolutely fabulous wine dinner hosted by Eric Cotsen at his lovely Malibu pad. The group was mostly Hedonists, with a few other wine pals of Eric’s mixed in. Eric has these diners regularly and they feature an awesome setting, great company, wonderful food, and amazing wines provided by both him and the guests.


You can see the ocean is right there! Like under the house.


Eric has these crazy high tech nitrogen dispensers that preserve (and aerate) the wines. He even has sets of glasses with etched number and letter combos so you can pair to the wines. Tonight there were two white wines in here as the set of 6 reds he opened had bottles too big to fit.

During this early phase of the party all the wine is served as a blind free-for-all. Eric himself served up seven wines (blind) as follows, with a red theme of “syrah.”


2009 Mollydooker Verdelho The Violinist. 90 points. Floral and flashy Verdelho with a pretty, light golden hue and fresh cut flowers on the nose. Behind a veiled buttery texture, sweet grapefruit, star fruit and quince shine with a round and full mouthfeel. This Portugese white grape provides a real twang on a long, detailed finish.

I really hate this Sine Qua Non lead “no vintage etc on the front” trend.

2012 Sine Qua Non In the Abstract. VM 94. The 2012 White Wine In The Abstract represents a return to a much more opulent style after a few years in which the Sine Qua Non whites were a bit more energetic than is typically the case. Honey, apricot, mint, orange blossom and spices meld together in a huge, viscous wine that covers every inch of the palate. The purity of the fruit here is simply striking.

2005 Pax Syrah Cuvée Christine. VM 90. Deep violet. Strongly perfumed aromas of raspberry and baking spices, complicated by a sexy floral tone. Immediately appealing, with vibrant strawberry and raspberry flavors, energetic mineral notes and fine-grained, silky tannins. Very suave stuff, with deeper cherry and dark berry flavors developing with air. This is 100% syrah this vintage, sourced from seven different sites.

agavin: tannic mess

2007 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Landonne. VM 95. Vivid purple. Heady aromas of candied red and dark fruits, incense, violet and smoky minerals. Cherry-cola and blackberry compote flavors show an intriguing blend of richness and vivacity, with bright mineral snap on the back half. Finishes sappy, sweet and extremely long, with resonating floral and spice notes. This wine blends the richness and power of the Turque with the vivacity of the Mouline and should age effortlessly.

agavin: I thought this had a nasty funk to it, almost corky.

2002 Shafer Relentless. VM 88. Good full ruby. Musky aromas of bitter chocolate and espresso turned oakier with aeration. Bright, penetrating black raspberry fruit offers excellent intensity but comes across as a bit hard-edged. Turned a bit drier on the back end under its load of oak.


2012 Sine Qua Non Syrah Stock. VM 94-96. The 2012 Syrah Sticks & Stones is gorgeous. The radiance and suppleness of the year comes through in spades. Dark red cherries, plums, cloves, violets and rose petals wrap around the silky, super-expressive finish. The 2012 should drink beautifully pretty much right out of the gate. This is the last vintage in which White Hawk fruit is part of the blend.

agavin: big and a bit grapey

2007 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Mouline. VM 94. Deep ruby. A highly complex bouquet evokes dark berry preserves, potpourri and cola, with a smoky overtone. Juicy and precise, with penetrating black raspberry and bitter cherry flavors firmed by zesty minerality. Rich but light on its feet, with a bright, focused finish that features suave floral pastille and spice nuances.

2007 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Turque. VM 93+. Opaque ruby. Dark berries, cherry-cola, licorice and Indian spices on the pungent nose. Deeply pitched blackberry and floral and licorice pastille flavors brighten with air and show an intense spicy quality, along with a touch of mocha. Clings tenaciously on the finish, which strongly repeats the cherry and licorice notes. In a more brooding style than the Mouline and years away from maturity.

During this early phase, there are a variety of munchables:


Cheese plate. Lots of fermented milk.

Spreads.

Carbs.

This steak quesadillas were pretty awesome.

Tomato cheese toasts.

I list the wines brought my myself and the other guests in one big block. In practice these were consumed first blind before dinner, then brought to the table to be revealed and finished.


From my cellar: 2001 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Combettes. Burghound 92. Ripe and extremely opulent intense citrus fruit and white flowers coupled with medium weight flavors dripping with minerality and enough fat to buffer the bracing acidity. There is a subtle underlying complexity and this is remarkably intense, assertive and precise yet there is excellent power and depth as well.

agavin: Meadows is so stingy, this was a very nice, even reductive white Burg.

2003 Domaine Perrot-Minot Mazoyères-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes. VM 93. Bright ruby-red. Musky aromas of minerals, cola, licorice and chocolate. Then juicy, powerful and fresh, with highly concentrated flavors of blackberry, violet and licorice; fruitier in the mouth today than on the nose. This boasts terrific volume and density. Finishes with round, sweet tannins and superb length. With extended aeration this showed a deep roasted nut character without losing its fresh blackberry and blueberry flavors.

agavin: Many of us thought this might be wine of the night. It was certainly great for a “cheap” Grand Cru Gevery.

1996 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande. VM95+. Deep ruby-red. Very sexy aromas of currant, blackberry and brown sugar, all lifted by an ineffable floral quality from the thoroughly ripe cabernet sauvignon that comprises three-quarters of the blend. Dense, fresh and thick with extract; a wonderful combination of texture and guts. Has a core of steel and a powerful structure I haven’t found in more recent vintages from this chateau. A very serious style of Pichon-Lalande, with much less merlot than usual. Finishes with terrific length and grip. Drink between 2005 and 2025.

agavin: nice. good thing too as I have 6 bottles of it in my cellar.

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.

agavin: a little cloudy/funky, but good.

From my cellar: 1998 Guigal Cote Rotie la Mouline. Parker 97-100. The 1998 Cote Rotie La Mouline boasts a dense purple color in addition to an astonishing, pure nose of jammy blackberry, currant, and cherry fruit intermixed with honeysuckle/apricot liqueur. Exceptionally seamless, full-bodied, and voluptuously-textured, with extraordinary flavors, this fabulous La Mouline is structured and tannic. Anticipated maturity: 2003-2020.

From my cellar: 2007 Paolo Bea Sagrantino di Montefalco Secco Pagliaro. 94 points. This is a big, powerful, and absolutely beautiful Sagrantino from Bea. The fruit is lush, rich and dynamic. Acid is right and tannins are still strong. It was an amazing wine on all levels, but I think it will be even better in a few years when the tannins calm a bit more. When it hits that spot, it will be truly majestic.

agavin: I brought this bonus both because I was just at the winery and because I wanted to show off an unusual grape. The format isn’t so great for it though. Blind there are too many wines, people might enjoy it, but don’t notice. Revealed they focus on the big names.

1959 Marqués de Murrieta Rioja Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial. 93 points. Drinking quite well and not really showing 50+ years of age. Drinking like a 10 to 15 year old Rioja. I believe Jeff said he bought it in the late 1980’s. The nose has cherries, slight dried herb notes, a bit of an old wood note; very pretty. Great acidity without being out of whack. Cherries, cherry juice layered on the palate with earthy notes. Long finish. Happy Birthday Jeff and thank you for quite a treat!

agavin: an oldie but a goodie!

1994 Dominus Proprietary Red Wine. Parker 97. Deep garnet-brick colored, this has quite a perfumed nose with notes of potpourri, game, anise, baking spices and kirsch plus hints of toast and yeast extract. Generously fruited and full bodied, it offers a medium-firm level of grainy tannins, crisp acid and a long, layered finish.

1993 Harlan Estate Proprietary Red Wine. Parker 95-97. The 1993 should be as prodigious as the 1992. It is an opaque purple-colored wine with spectacular ripeness, purity, and potential. Dense, full-bodied, with a chocolatey, toasty, mineral, and blackcurrant-scented nose, this wine has a rich, full-bodied, chewy texture nicely buttressed by ripe tannin. In addition, the wine reveals more noticeable tannin in the finish, particularly when it is compared to the 1992 or 1994. This is another 20-25 year wine.

2002 Pride Mountain Vineyards Reserve Claret. Parker 96-100. The 2002 Reserve Claret (two-thirds Merlot, one-third Cabernet Sauvignon and a tiny dollop of Petit Verdot) is the most flashy, exuberant and flamboyant of this trio. Close to full maturity, it offers complex, intense, pervasive notes of unsmoked cigar tobacco, licorice, graphite, spring flowers, blueberries and blackberries. Gorgeous ripeness, full-bodied opulence, decent acidity, and ripe, silky tannin make for a hedonistic as well as intellectually provocative wine. This rich, mountain-styled proprietary red can be drunk now and over the next 10-12 years.


2006 Sine Qua Non A Shot In The Dark (Syrah). Parker 100! The soon-to-be-released 2006 A Shot in the Dark is composed of 96.5% Syrah and 3.5% Viognier from the 11 Confessions Vineyard in the cool Santa Rita Hills. Performing better from bottle than it did from barrel, this prodigious red exhibits incredibly velvety tannins, a seamless style, and no noticeable oak (which is remarkable given the fact it spent 32 months in barrel). Dense purple to the rim with an extraordinary perfume of blueberry pie, blackberries, soy, Asian spices, and hints of forest floor and charcoal, this is a complex, rich, seamless, well-balanced tour de force in winemaking. A full-bodied, exuberant, unabashedly California Syrah, it will offer stunning drinking over the next 10-15+ years.

1992 Bryant Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. Parker 91. Over the next year readers should be on the lookout for some of the 1,000 case production of Don Bryant’s Cabernet Sauvignon from an old vineyard on Pritchard Hill near the Chappellet Vineyard. Bryant’s 1992 Cabernet Sauvignon offers an impressive black/purple color, rusty tannin, immense concentration, full body, and enormous richness in the finish.

2005 Colgin IX Syrah Estate. Parker 95. Colgin is one of the reference points for just what heights mountain-grown Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux varietals, and more recently, Syrah, can achieve in Napa Valley. This beautiful estate and winery overlooking Lake Hennessey is owned by Joe Wender and his wife, Ann Colgin (equally renowned for her auctioneering skills), who are assisted by David Abreu, the well-known Bordeaux wine consultant, Dr. Alain Raynaud, and Allison Tauziet, who has skillfully replaced the brilliant Mark Aubert. As the scores and tasting notes suggest, this was an exceptional tasting. Colgin’s 2006s are among the finest wines produced in the vintage.

2001 Lokoya Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder. Parker 100. An utterly perfect wine that exemplifies this extraordinary vintage for North Coast Bordeaux varietals is the 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder, which comes from the Jackson family’s Veeder Peak Vineyard. Unfortunately, slightly less than 300 cases were produced, so availability is limited. A dense opaque blue/purple color is followed by notes of lead pencil shavings, ink, blueberry liqueur, raspberries and black currants. The wine is super intense as well as extremely full-bodied and opulent with great structure, purity and density. (I know this sounds weird, but when I smelled and tasted it, it reminded me of the 2010 La Mission Haut Brion that I had tasted a month earlier, no doubt because of its volcanic/hot rock-like character.) This phenomenal wine is a modern day legend from Napa. Still a youngster in terms of its development, it should hit its peak in another 5-6 years and keep for 30+.

agavin: slutty!

2007 Gargiulo Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Money Road Ranch. Parker 92. The least expensive offering, the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Money Road Ranch (a 1,000-case blend of 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Merlot), offers copious aromas of espresso roast, new saddle leather, cassis, spice box, and red currants. A judicious touch of oak provides a spicy character, the tannins are sweet and soft, and the wine is fleshy, full-bodied, expansive, and savory. The most approachable of these cuvees, it should drink beautifully for 15 or more years.

2009 Cliff Lede Cabernet Sauvignon Cinnamon Rhapsody. Parker 93. The 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Cinnamon Rhapsody is quite a bit richer and rounder than the Stags Leap. It boasts striking inner perfume and gorgeous textural richness all the way through to the generous, creamy finish. The blend is 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot, 1% Malbec and 1% Merlot. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2024.

2012 Wayfarer Pinot Noir Mother Rock. Parker 89+. The 2012 Pinot Noir Mother Rock was made from Dijon clones 777 and 37. It reveals an attractive dark ruby color as well as beautiful strawberry and black cherry fruit, underbrush and spice characteristics. Medium to full-bodied and earthy, with good acidity, it should drink nicely for a decade. 400 cases were produced.

agavin: hear is an outlier!


Dinner itself was enjoyed here at the outside table and its warming firepit.

Pea soup with parmesan crisp.

Pasta with asparagus and mushrooms. Quiet nice actually.

Salad of tomatoes, corn, and mozzarella.

Lamb chops with curried spinach. Yum!

Part of the crew as the evening wears on.

Grabbed from Eric’s cellar (by me actually):

1988 Climens. Parker 96. The 1988 reveals layer upon layer of honeyed pineapple-and orange-scented and -flavored fruit, vibrant acidity, high levels of botrytis, and a fabulously long, yet well-focused finish. It is a great wine.

Bread pudding with vanilla ice cream.


The night included a tour into Eric’s large, crowded, and chaotic cellar (only partly pictured).

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  5. Big and Bold on the Beach
By: agavin
Comments (3)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: cotsen, Eric Cotsen, hedonists, Malibu, Wine

How many Saddles to Peak?

Dec26

Restaurant: Saddle Peak Lodge [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]

Location: 419 Cold Canyon Rd, Calabasas, CA 91302 (818) 222-3888

Date: December 18, 2014

Cuisine: Modern American

Rating: Great ambiance and terrific game oriented food.

_

Ever year, both in the summer and winter, we Hedonists return to Saddle Peak Lodge. It’s pretty much the perfect venue for both a winter or summer food and wine blast, with gorgeous lodge patio, game driven food, and awesome wine service. For those of you who don’t know, Hedonist events have amazing wines (each diner brings at least one bottle).


Saddle Peak Ranch used to be a game lodge back in the early part of the 20th century. The rich and famous used to come up and hunt Malibu’s finest, such as this poor fellow. Now the deer are just served up on the menu.


Our private room.

2004 Taittinger Champagne Brut Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne. AG 96. I am thrilled with the way the 2004 Comtes de Champagne continues to evolve in bottle. A few years ago, the 2004 was quite focused and linear, in the style of the vintage, but more recently, the wine has begun to fill out beautifully. The 2004 remains bright, with a full range of citrus, white flower and mineral nuances that dance on the palate. A brisk, saline-infused finish rounds things out beautifully in a Comtes that impresses for its crystalline purity. I expect the 2004 will always remain a bit cool next to the more opulent 2002, but it is still drop-dead gorgeous.


1979 Château Rieussec. Parker 84. A lightweight Rieussec that does not have the intensity and richness of vintages such as 1981 or 1983, it does offer an elegant, well-made, less powerful wine that is light enough to be served as an aperitif.


Special liver. Somehow, this free food arrived on ours plates. It was kinda disappointing though, small, and not the best bit of “whatever it is.” The prep was good though.


And the sauternes looks good in the glass.


From my cellar: 1993 Robert Ampeau & Fils Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières. Burghound 92. A fully mature and expressive nose of elegant secondary fruit and floral aromas introduces intensely mineral-driven, pure and beautifully well-detailed middle weight flavors that possess excellent depth and fine length. This is drinking perfectly now and should continue to do so without effort for at least another decade. Tasted only once recently.


An amuse of tomato soup.


Pretzel bread.


Chef’s daily selection of market oysters.


We tried to organize the Burgundies into a flight.


From my cellar: 1978 Remoissenet Père et Fils Richebourg. 84 points. Shrill on the palate. Not a great wine. Fill looked excellent, and there was some fruit, but way too much tannin.


1988 Remoissenet Père et Fils Richebourg. 84 points. I liked this one even less, or maybe about the same.

1996 Louis Jadot Richebourg. Burghound 92. The nose offers a blast of powerful black fruit and flavors that are dense, intense and amazingly long. This is a big-bodied wine with dusty, muscular tannins and penetrating, potent flavors culminating in a slightly warm though nicely complex finish. Impressively constructed and while this does not offer the refinement and finesse of the best of this range, the unusually concentrated, robust Richebourg character is admirable.

agavin: best of the 3 by a longshot.


Venison Carpaccio, horseradish, avocado, parmesan, capers, ciabbata.


1986 Lafite-Rothschild. Parker 100. The 1986 possesses outstanding richness, a deep color, medium body, a graceful, harmonious texture, and superb length. The penetrating fragrance of cedar, chestnuts, minerals, and rich fruit is a hallmark of this wine. Powerful, dense, rich, and tannic, as well as medium to full-bodied, with awesome extraction of fruit, this Lafite has immense potential. Patience is required. Anticipated maturity: 2000-2030.


Spanish octopus, fingerling potato, tequila vinaigrette, chermoula.


1999 Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia. Parker 88. Dense ruby-colored, with a tight personality, the 1999 Sassicaia offers up aromas of smoke, vanilla, and red as well as black currants. Medium-bodied, with high tannin and excellent purity, this elegant, restrained, moderately concentrated effort needs another 2-3 years of cellaring. It should keep for 12-15 years. The abundant tannin in addition to a certain austerity may prove troublesome in the future.


Caesar salad, garlic croutons, Parmigiano-Reggiano.


2005 Giuseppe Mascarello Barolo Monprivato. Parker 94+. The 2005 Barolo Monprivato is a very pretty, harmonious wine endowed with tons of purity in its fruit. All of the telltale aromas and flavors of Monprivato are there – geraniums, roses, spices and flowers – but backed up by quite a bit of heft and body as well. Today, the 2005 Monprivato is quite tannic, but it should come around with a few more years in bottle. In some ways, the 2005 reminds me of the 1999, another vintage in which the Ca d’Morissio was not produced. Monprivato is typically one of the hardest wines to accurately assess when young, and only time will tell what heights it ultimately reaches. For now, the future certainly seems bright. This is a mysterious, seductive Monprivato that will be fascinating to follow. Mascarello was especially selective with his Monprivato and only bottled about 50% of his production. He also blended in the juice kept separately for the Ca d’Morissio, which in this vintage is about 20% of the final blend as opposed to the more typical 10% in vintages when the Ca d’Morissio is produced. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2035.


Roasted Pink Lady apple salad, endives, St. Agur blue cheese, pecans.


Butternut squash agnolotti, cranberry port reduction, purple kale, pine nuts.


1995 Penfolds Grange. Parker 92. An impressive Grange that may ultimately prove to be underrated, like many wines from this vintage, the 1995, a blend of 94% Shiraz and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, exhibits a saturated plum/purple color and a sweet blackberry liqueur nose intermixed with cassis, licorice, and new oak. The wine is textured, jammy, full-bodied, with impressive levels of extract, glycerin, and black fruit flavors. It is long, ripe, with unobtrusive acidity and tannin. Anticipated maturity: 2004-2018.


1996 Penfolds Grange. Parker 96. Deep garnet colored, 1996 Grange is scented with stewed plums, warm cherries and mince meat with hints of Ceylon tea, black olives and Chinese five spice. Medium-full bodied and with a generous amount of flesh on the palate, it gives very crisp acid and a medium-firm level of grainy tannins, finishing long. The layered complexity of this wine is just beginning to emerge, promising better things to come.


1990 Paul Jaboulet Aine Hermitage la Chapelle. Parker 100. The 1990 La Chapelle is the sexy and opulent. I had the 1990 at the Jaboulet tasting, and again out of a double magnum three months ago. On both occasions it was spectacular, clearly meriting a three-digit score. The modern day equivalent of the 1961, it deserves all the attention it has garnered. The color remains an opaque purple, with only a slight pink at the edge. Spectacular aromatics offer up aromas of incense, smoke, blackberry fruit, cassis, barbecue spice, coffee, and a touch of chocolate. As it sits in the glass, additional nuances of pepper and grilled steak emerge. There is extraordinary freshness for such a mammoth wine in addition to abundant tannin, an amazing 60-second finish, and a level of glycerin and thick, fleshy texture that have to be tasted to be believed.


1995 Chateau Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape Hommage A Jacques Perrin. Parker 96. The 1995 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Jacques Perrin reveals a black/purple color, and a huge nose of Provencal herbs, smoked olives, grilled meats, and sweet, jammy black-cherry and black-raspberry fruit. Full-bodied, and oozing with extract and glycerin (nearly concealing the wine’s formidable tannin levels), this blockbuster Chateauneuf du Pape will need a minimum of 10-12 years of cellaring; it should keep through the first half of the next century.


Dover sole.


New Zealand Lamb Rack.


Saddle Peak Wild Game Trio, served with chef’s accompaniments.


Elk with bacon.


Buffalo short ribs.


Venison.


Durham Ranch Bison T-Bone 20 oz.


2005 Harlan Estate Proprietary Red Wine. Parker 97. Not unexpectedly, the 2005 Harlan Estate performed slightly better than it did last year. As these wines often do, it continues to put on weight as it is bottled very late by Napa standards, and there is no fining or filtration. The 2005 exhibits a gorgeous thick-looking, ruby/purple color in addition to a beautiful nose of burning embers interwoven with creme de cassis, roasted meats, sweet black truffles, and spring flowers. A hint of lead pencil shavings also emerges from this cuvee, which seems to want to be both a Pauillac and a ripe vintage of La Mission Haut Brion. Full-bodied, dense, pure, and revealing sweeter tannin than I remember, it can be drunk now, but it will no doubt display even greater complexity in 10, 20, and 30 years.


1974 Ridge Zinfandel Monte Bello. Surprisingly intact. It had some kind of nostalgic meaning to Yarom and Ron, and Yarom points out how rare it must be — if there are even any left. The Zin wasn’t a big production wine anyway, and so now 40 years later, not so many.


2005 Verite Le Desir. Parker 99. This blend of 87% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc and 2% Malbec (the highest percentage of Merlot ever used for Le Desir) reveals notes of truffles, mocha, wild mountain berry fruit, crushed rock and coffee. Fabulous fruit, tremendous viscosity and opulence and a full-bodied, voluptuous texture result in a wine that is hard to resist even though it remains an adolescent in terms of development. It should provide pleasure over the next 15+ years.

In magnum, a mega monster!


Sautéed Vegetable Selections.


Lobster Mac & Cheese. Good but needed more lobster.


Truffled French Fries, Parmesan, Parsley. Awesome. Black Garlic Ketchup on the side.


Onion Rings, Black Garlic Ketchup. Amazing.


Sautéed Wild Shimeji Mushrooms. Really yummy.


2003 Giuseppe Quintarelli Amarone della Valpolicella Riserva. AG 93. Kirsch, cloves, leather and licorice are some of the many notes that emerge from Quintarelli’s 2003 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Riserva. Dark, powerful and brooding, the Riserva is a bit less marked by the year than the straight bottling. Here it is the wine’s explosive, full-bodied finish that stands out most. This is a fascinating wine from Quintarelli. I am a bit surprised to see a Riserva in 2003, but it works, and beautifully. When they are on, these wines are utterly hypnotizing, as is the case here.

agavin: had a grapefruit note that was totally odd for an Amarone!


Cheese plate.


Bread for the cheese.


2001 Sine Qua Non Mr K The Noble Man (Chardonnay). Parker 97. While richer, sweeter, and more unctuous than the Iceman, 2001 Mr. K The Noble Man (Chardonnay), a Trockenbeerenauslese look-alike, possesses nervy, vibrant acidity that is hard to imagine in a wine of this mass and richness. The residual sugar is 255 grams per liter, with an amazing 11.1 grams per liter of acidity, and 11.7% finished alcohol.


Chocolate coffee pot de crème with espresso crème, chocolate-covered coffee beans, and almond coffee dust.


Chocolate raspberry brownie.


Banana huckleberry croissant bread pudding with white chocolate ice cream.

This was a total blow out event. The food was impeccable and the service warm. We had so much wine we left them a little overwhelmed, but that’s par for the course. Plus we had a really great mix of people and some of the most awesome wines. Tonight was particularly killer in the wine department as you have seen.

Click here for more LA restaurant reviews,

Or for Hedonist extravaganzas.

 

Related posts:

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By: agavin
Comments (2)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Dessert, hedonists, Malibu, Saddle Peak Lodge, Wine

Big and Bold on the Beach

Aug22

I was lucky enough to be invited again to a absolutely fabulous wine dinner hosted by Eric Cotsen at his lovely Malibu pad. A number of us Hedonists attended. Eric has these diners regularly and they feature an awesome setting, great company, wonderful food, and amazing wines provided by both him and the guests. All the wines are served blind (more or less).


You can see the ocean is right there! Like under the house.


Eric has these crazy high tech nitrogen dispensers that preserve (and aerate) the wines. He even has sets of glasses with etched number and letter combos so you can pair to the wines. Tonight there were two white wines in here as the set of 6 reds he opened had bottles too big to fit. The whites turned out to be Corton Charlemagne’s, but I forgot to get photos.


From my cellar: 2004 Henri Boillot Bâtard-Montrachet. Burghound 95. Perhaps the most backward and reserved wine to this point as the nose reveals only hints of white flower and green fruit aromas that are framed in a subtle touch of pain grillé but the flavors explode on the palate as there is a chewy texture to them yet there is ample minerality present, particularly for Bâtard. This too is blessed with abundant dry extract and a finish that won’t quit but for all of the size and weight, this is impeccably balanced. This has that “wow” factor and in terms of style, it’s almost like a muscular Chevalier.

agavin: drinking really nicely, with a ton of acid (which I love).

Eric hires various private chefs for his dinner series. We start with some appetizers, including this cheese plate.

A kind of tomato soup, but perhaps more akin to a salsa.


Blue cheese, mushroom, balsamic pizza. This is similar in style to some of the pizzas I make myself, and quite delicious.


A more vegetable pizza. Good, but not as much my thing as the blue cheese one.


A tuna tomato olive pizza. Good too, and as we shall see constructed from extra ingredients from dinner.


Fish cake sliders.

The wine (below) is all served up front blind in numbered socks. I’m a bit ambivalent on this format. On the plus side, there are tremendous wines, and the blind format equalizes them all. Negatively, there are just so many (20+) and unless one took out a notepad and recorded notes and even which numbers one tried (there are repeats too like black 1 and blue 1) it’s hard to even remember if you tried a wine and half impossible to remember what it tasted like by the time they are revealed an hour or so later.


1998 Shafer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select. Parker 94. The 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select is a candidate for wine of the vintage. It continues to gain weight, and is better each time I retaste it. Its opaque purple color is accompanied by gorgeous aromas of graphite, vanilla, black currant liqueur, and minerals. This rich, full-bodied Cabernet offers sweet tannin, a layered texture, and a finish that lasts for 45-50 seconds. It is a splendid accomplishment in a difficult vintage. Anticipated maturity: now-2017.


2000 Shafer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select. Parker 93. The 2000 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select was performing even better this year than it was last year. While not as weighty and ageworthy as some of the more hallowed vintages, it is a seriously endowed wine. Deep ruby/purple to the rim, with a gorgeous nose of creme de cassis, licorice, graphite, spice, and cedar, it is more forward than most vintages, but full-bodied, concentrated, and beautifully seductive. Drink it over the next 15 or so years.


2001 Shafer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select. Parker 100. I should not be surprised that the 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select merited a perfect rating since I rated it 99 eight years ago. I also gave the 2002 Hillside Select a perfect rating. Kudos to Doug and John Shafer for creating two perfect wines in back to back vintages. The 2001 is a big wine (14.9% natural alcohol), but the alcohol is buried beneath an avalanche of creme de cassis, wood smoke, toast, licorice and spring flower characteristics. Super full-bodied with fabulous fruit purity, a broad, expansive mouthfeel, lots of glycerin and a huge upside, this 2001 is still an infant at age ten, but it is approachable as well as compelling to smell and taste. It has at least another three decades of aging potential ahead of it and is one of the great young, legendary classics from Napa Valley. It was a privilege to taste. There are approximately 2,000 cases of this cuvee which comes from Shafer’s hillside vineyards in the Stags Leap area and is aged 32 months in 100% new French oak.


2004 Shafer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select. Parker 98+. The Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select has been one of Napa’s true first-growths since the early 1990s. The 2004 exhibits a dense opaque purple color along with spectacular, almost surreal levels of fruit that are never heavy, overripe or flawed. Its beautiful notes of creme de cassis, licorice and subtle oak (this cuvee spends 32 months in 100% new French barrels), skyscraper-like texture and extraordinarily long finish are all superb. This is a great wine from a great family who has done everything necessary to produce a world-class wine that can compete with any wine made from the Cabernet Sauvignon grape. You can’t say enough positives about the Shafers. Drink this 2004 Hillside Select over the next 20-25 years, although it could be even more stupendous in 40-50 years.


2006 Shafer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select. Parker 96. The 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select, which was just released, is a stunningly rich effort displaying notes of licorice, cassis, camphor and subtle toast along with a full-bodied, powerful texture and richness. Very pure with surprisingly sweet tannins for a 2006, it’s long finish lasts over 40 seconds. It should drink well for 25+ years.


2007 Shafer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select. Parker 98+. The 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select has the potential to be a perfect wine in 5 to 6 years. Although it has shut down since I tasted it last year, it is unquestionably Shafer’s finest Hillside Select since the 2001 and 2002. It needs 2-3 years of bottle age and should keep for 35+ years. This selection is made from the Eisele clone of Cabernet Sauvignon planted in a choice 50-acre parcel. It takes concentration, graciousness and complexity to its highest level in Napa Valley. An inky/blue/purple color is followed by sweet aromas of blueberries, blackberries, charcoal and subtle toast. The wine possesses fabulous concentration, a seamless/flawless personality, a textbook integration of alcohol, wood, tannin and acidity, an almost endless finish and a voluptuous texture. Exhibiting more tannin and structure than it did last year, this is a colossal wine that will still be going strong in 2050.


1983 La Mission Haut Brion. Parker 90. This was the first vintage made under the administration of Jean Delmas. The most notable and dramatic change made at La Mission-Haut-Brion since 1983 became a more refined, polished, sophisticated style without the pure mass of older vintages, but also without the excesses of tannin and volatile acidity that sometimes plagued ancient vintages. The 1983, a very good vintage in the southern Medoc and Graves, is a relatively lightweight La Mission (particularly compared to the 1982) that is fully mature. Complex notes of smoked herbs, cigar tobacco, black currants, sweet cherries, damp earth and spice box jump from the glass of this dark garnet-colored wine. Medium-bodied with silky tannins, well-integrated, low acidity and abundant perfume, this fully mature 1983 should be consumed over the next decade.


1989 Latour. Parker 89. An evolved dark ruby color reveals amber at the edge. The nose offers aromas of caramel, coffee, ripe black cherry and currant fruit, cedar, and spice box. Although medium-bodied, with low acidity, the wine lacks richness in the mid-palate, and is surprisingly abrupt in the finish. It is a very fine, delicious Latour, but it is hard to believe it will attain the weight and flavor dimensions its producers suggest. Anticipated maturity: now-2020.

agavin: this was a contentious wine. I liked it, so did many others. Some hated it.


1995 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande. Parker 96. What sumptuous pleasures await those who purchase either the 1996 or 1995 Pichon-Lalande. It is hard to choose a favorite, although the 1995 is a smoother, more immediately sexy and accessible wine. It is an exquisite example of Pichon-Lalande with the Merlot component giving the wine a coffee/chocolatey/cherry component to go along with the Cabernet Sauvignon’s and Cabernet Franc’s complex blackberry/cassis fruit. The wine possesses an opaque black/ruby/purple color, and sexy, flamboyant aromatics of pain grille, black fruits, and cedar. Exquisite on the palate, this full-bodied, layered, multidimensional wine should prove to be one of the vintage’s most extraordinary success stories. Anticipated maturity: 2001-2020.

agavin: Blind, I instantly knew this was a Paulliac. It couldn’t have been anything else.


1981 Ridge Cabernet York Creek. Another contentious old wine. I thought it tasted like… well… mature cab.


2007 Colgin IX Syrah Estate. Parker 95. There are 475 cases of the 2007 IX Syrah Estate, which offers up flowery, roasted meat, balsamic, tar, and blackberry characteristics in a full-bodied format. The wine reveals sweet tannin, and layers of fruit, including a note of lavender that emerges as the wine sits in the glass. It should drink well for a decade.


2007 William Cole Cabernet Sauvignon Cuvée Claire. 94 points. Remarkably soft for it’s age, as if it already had 15 years of bottle age. Drank like a silky, mature Margaux from a ripe vintage, but with Napa’s fruit forward stamp. An excellent food wine. I only wish it had a longer finish.


2003 Hartwell Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Misté Hill. 92 points. Very nice deep purple/red, hardly showing any signs of age yet. Big nose with lots of cabernet fruit coming through. In the mouth this one is very, very dry. The tannins are nicely integrated, though I’m sure my wife would consider them somewhat overpowering at this point. Lots of herbal stuff going on here, and I’m thinking a lot of anise and eucalyptus dominating with the black fruits coming through the back. This wine is really very nicely rounded, but it needs a fatty food to cut through those tannins.


2008 Morlet Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Coeur de Vallee. Parker 98. The inky/purple-tinged 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Coeur de Vallee is a 250-case blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon and 24% Cabernet Franc. It offers up complex notes of unsmoked high class cigar tobacco, creme de cassis, subtle barbecue smoke, licorice and pen ink. Full-bodied with outstanding texture, purity and length, this awesome Cabernet Sauvignon can be enjoyed over the next 25-30 years.


1994 Penfolds Grange. Parker 91. This is the first vintage where Grange went to a bottle with laser-etched identification numbers to preclude the possibility of fraudulent bottles. The wine, a blend of 89% Shiraz and 11% Cabernet Sauvignon, shows some toasty oak mixed with notes of root vegetables, damp earth, blackberry liqueur, prune, and licorice. The wine is dense, full-bodied, not terribly complex in the mouth, but layered and rich. I would not be surprised to see the rating on this wine improve as this youthful Grange continues to evolve. Anticipated maturity: 2004-2020.


2001 Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve. Parker 98-99. Remarkably, the 2001 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon may be even better. Staggeringly pure notes of creme de cassis, violets, licorice and graphite soar from the glass of this inky/purple-colored wine. Composed of 98% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Petit Verdot, and tasting like it is 2-3 years old, it is a stunningly pure, rich, full-bodied, prodigious example of high elevation mountain Cabernet Sauvignon that will not reach full maturity for another 5-7 years, and should age beautifully for another two decades or more. It is a magical wine to smell, taste and contemplate.


1980 Bertani Amarone della Valpolicella Classico. 93 points. amber brown in color. chemical on the nose.


2007 Domaine de Marcoux Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes. Parker 98. The 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes is still an infant in terms of development. Composed of 98% Grenache from 100- to 110-year-old vines, and made from incredibly tiny yields, it boasts a dense ruby/purple color followed by a sweet kiss of kirsch liqueur, incense, camphor, truffles, and lavender. The wine hits the palate with sensational richness, a full-bodied, multilayered texture, awesome purity, and remarkable freshness as well as vibrancy. The tannins are velvety, the acids provide uplift and delineation to the wine’s enormous richness and depth, and the finish lasts nearly a minute. This 2007 is still very young and unevolved, so 2-4 years of cellaring is recommended. It should age for 25 or more years.

agavin: very young and very pure. I wouldn’t have guessed it was a CNDP, it tasted more like a 09 Bordeaux. The balance was perfect though.


From my cellar: 1998 Henri Bonneau Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve des Celestins. Parker 98-100. The glorious 1998 Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve des Celestins has finally finished its alcoholic fermentation, tipping the scales at a whopping 16%, much like the surreal 1990 Reserve des Celestins. The deep ruby/purple-colored 1998 exhibits a glorious nose of brandy-macerated black cherries, aged beef, smoke, licorice, pepper, lavender, and sweet figs. Enormous in the mouth, yet remarkably light on its feet, its unctuous texture oozes fruit, glycerin, and extract. There is not a hard edge in this silky-textured, voluminous, majestic Chateauneuf du Pape, the likes of which seem to be incapable of being duplicated anywhere else in this appellation, or the world. This is a singular wine of great intensity and power with multiple dimensions. Liquid Viagra meets Rabelais! Anticipated maturity: 2008-2035.

agavin: I opened this hours before and it was still a brooding monster at the start of the dinner, but lots and lots of enormous fruit. Really lovely with a lot of complexity, but then again, I buy what I like.


2001 Tua Rita Redigaffi Vino da Tavola. Parker 96. The 2001 Redigaffi, an exceptionally deep ruby with an exotic nose of chocolate covered cherries and plum jam along with additional notes of coconut and roasted coffee, has the tell-tale super richness and density of perfectly ripe Merlot, lush, enveloping, plush, and concentrated. Drink: 2005-2020.

agavin: monster Italian merlot


We ate outside around this giant table. It’s surprisingly warm with that fire in the middle.


A slightly bitter salad much to my taste, with, unusually, cilantro.


Broccoli rabe, which I also like a lot.


These sweet potatoes (or butternut squash?) were great, with cinnamon and a good kick.


Seared tuna with tomatoes (like the pizza above).


Sliced steak. Simple, but a nice cut and went very well with the heavy reds.


2005 Rieussec. Parker 96. A bit sweet with very little acidity. Pleasant enough.


1988 De Suduiraut. Parker 88. The 1988 reveals a textbook, light gold color with a slight greenish hue. Although it does not display the weight of the 1990 or 1989, it has better acidity, high alcohol, and considerable sweetness. It is somewhat disjointed, needing time to knit together. It is impressive if its components are evaluated separately, but it is less noteworthy when reviewed from an overall perspective. There is bitterness as well as fiery alcohol in the finish.
The wine does not offer much delineation, so cellaring should prove beneficial as it does have admirable levels of extract. Suduiraut can make powerful, rich wines that are often rustic and excessively alcoholic and hot when young. I am told they become more civilized with age, and certainly older, classic Suduiraut vintages have proven that to be true. I feel this estate’s propensity to produce a luxury cuvee (Cuvee Madame) in vintages such as 1989 tends to have a negative impact on the regular cuvee.

agavin: parker didn’t love it, but there was a ton of 1988’s typical acid, which I very much enjoyed.


Berries and clotted cream. Yum!


Our host. He’s such the wine stud that he did not one but two giant food/wine events in the day, having flown up to Napa and back for a huge 100 point wine lunch!


Jesus, savior of Labradors. Notice the blanket, clearly this is a regular spot.

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By: agavin
Comments (2)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: cotsen, Eric Cotsen, hedonists, Malibu, Malibu California, Wine

Wine on the Beach

Jul25

This week I was lucky enough to be invited to a absolutely fabulous wine dinner hosted by Eric Cotsen at his lovely Malibu pad. A number of us Hedonists attended. Eric has these diners regularly and they feature an awesome setting, great company, wonderful food, and amazing wines provided by both him and the guests. All the wines are served blind (more or less).


You can see the ocean is rather close! Like under the house.


The chefs whip up our feast.


Eric has these crazy high tech nitrogen dispensers that preserve (and aerate) the wines. He even has sets of glasses with etched number and letter combos so you can pair to the wines.


2005 Mayacamas Vineyards Chardonnay. Mineral driven, with a touch of oxidation on the palate. Finishes with a huge bright Chablis like burst of acidity, and then a slightly odd finish. I liked it for its uniqueness, and that bracing acidity. I would have guessed it was a Chablis.


2008 Aubert Chardonnay Reuling Vineyard. IWC 93. Pale, green-tinged yellow. Reticent but pure aromas of crushed stone, flowers and herbal tea. Broad, classically dry and powerful, with primary fruit flavors currently overshadowed by soil-driven minerality. This is chewy-verging-on-thick and seems the least expressive of this set of chardonnays today. Tasted blind, I would have sworn this was a Batard-Montrachet (albeit a slightly hot one).


1988 Chateau Margaux. Parker 89. In a somewhat chunky, full-bodied, rather muscular style, with a dark, almost opaque garnet color and a big, smoky, earthy nose, with hints of compost, melted asphalt, black fruits, mushrooms, and new oak, this wine lacks the elegance one expects from Chateau Margaux, but does have plenty of tough-textured tannin and an almost rustic, corpulent style to it. The wine is mouth-staining as well as mouth-filling, but in a relatively chunky style.


1988 Petrus. Parker 91-94. This wine has become increasingly herbaceous with the tannins pushing through the fruit and becoming more aggressive. The wine started off life impressively deep ruby/purple but is now showing some amber at the edge. It is a medium-bodied, rather elegant style of Petrus with a distinctive cedary, almost celery component intermixed with a hint of caramel and sweet mulberry and black cherry fruit. It has aged far less evenly than I would have thought and is probably best drunk over the next 8-10 years.


1988 Lafite-Rothschild. Parker 94. Broodingly backward and in need of considerable bottle age, the 1988 is a classic expression of Lafite. This deeply-colored wine exhibits the tell-tale Lafite bouquet of cedar, subtle herbs, dried pit fruits, minerals, and cassis. Extremely concentrated, with brilliantly focused flavors and huge tannins, this backward, yet impressively endowed Lafite-Rothschild may well turn out to be the wine of the vintage!


1988 Latour. Parker 91. The best showing yet for a wine from this under-rated vintage, the dark garnet-colored 1988 Latour reveals slight amber at the edge. A bouquet of melted tar, plums, black currants, cedar, and underbrush is followed by a sweet entry, with medium to full body, excellent ripeness, and mature tannin. It is a classic, elegant Latour with more meaty, vegetable-like flavors than are found in a riper year, such as 1989 and 1990. The 1988 has just begun to enter its plateau of maturity, where it should remain for 25 years.


1988 Mouton-Rothschild. Parker 89. The 1988 has an aroma of exotic spices, minerals, blackcurrants, and oak. In the mouth, it is a much firmer, tougher, more obviously tannic wine than the 1989. It is a beautifully made 1988 that will last 20-30 years, but the astringency of the tannins is slightly troubling. Patience will be a necessity for purchasers of this wine.


1988 Haut Brion. Parker 92. A more firmly structured Haut-Brion, built somewhat along the lines of the 1996, this dark garnet-colored wine is showing notes of licorice, underbrush, compost, truffles, dried herbs, creosote, and sweet black cherries and currants. Medium-bodied, rich, but still structured, this wine unfolds incrementally on the palate, showing superb density and a lot of complex Graves elements. It is just beginning to hit its plateau of full maturity.


A nice cheese plate with a variety of fermented dairy and some excellent truffle honey.


Slightly spicy salmon in little sesame crisps with flying fish roe. Very nice.


Fig on toast with cheese and a bit of mint.


Lamb chops and a dijon sauce. I saw the labradors eyeing these!


A pizza-like quesadilla (or vice versa).


Avocado with a bit of Jalepeno.


Salmon on pizza-like bread with creme-fraiche and capers. Good, although not as good as my version :-).


After a bit we all moved outside to this lovely table with a firepit. The waves were crashing UNDER us!


2002 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Bougros Cote de Bouguerots. Burghound 94.  The subtle hint of wood spice this displayed in its youth has now been completely absorbed which gives full rein to the wonderfully complex nose of minerals, white flowers and a hint of crushed oyster shells that introduces muscular, powerful, deep and broad flavors that are blessed with superb length and terrific vibrancy. Those that may doubt that Bougros merits its grand cru status need only experience this wine to be persuaded. A great effort that is drinking well already though for my taste, it needs another 2 to 4 years in the cellar first. I have tasted this wine many times with consistent notes.


1993 Masson Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Les Vergelesses. I couldn’t find anything on this wine, and I’m not even sure I tasted it. That’s the trade off with tasting blind, as I would have for sure.


2008 Domaine Joseph Roty Charmes-Chambertin. Burghound 93. A pungent mix of wood spice, earth, red berry fruit, game, smoke and an interesting menthol note highlights the moderately animale character of the rich, full, refined and pure broad-shouldered flavors underpinned by ripe and very firm tannins that culminate in a moderately austere and still very backward finish. This will require moderate cellar time to be at its best, which at this early stage I would estimate at 12 to 15 years.


2005 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Galitzine Vineyard. Parker 97. The 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Galitzine Vineyard comes from the fifth leaf of this estate vineyard and in this vintage contains 4.5% Merlot. The wine was aged for 22 months in 100% new French oak. Opaque purple-colored, its distinctive aromatics leap from the glass. Toasty oak, scorched earth, a hint of truffle, black cherry, black raspberry, and blackberry liqueur aromas are quite mesmerizing. On the palate, this sizable effort is firm, full-bodied, and structured, demanding 6-8 years of cellaring. It falls a bit short of the flagship Cabernet Sauvignon in terms of complexity but bear in mind that this is still a very young vineyard.


From my cellar, 1999 Fougeray de Beauclair Bonnes Mares. Burghound 91. Saturated deep ruby color, whiff of new oak to go with the explosive black raspberry fruit and almost liqueur-like flavors with lots of sweet pinot sap, buried tannins and excellent length. It is very ripe and powerful yet not over the top and remains beautifully elegant.

I was disappointed at how this was drinking now. I think it needs a bit more time to open up and gain more secondary notes. There was still a good amount of oak on it, and I like all my oak gone in a burg.


1997 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Fay Vineyard. Parker 87. As long time readers know, I have not been overwhelmed by the winemaking direction taken at Stag’s Leap. That said, this 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon Fay Vineyard exhibits a dark ruby/purple color in addition to an attractive nose of minerals, Asian spices, black currants, and earth. The wine is medium to full-bodied, with good acidity, ripe tannin, and a slightly compressed finish. This elegant, but unexciting effort should drink well for 10-12 years.


2000 Plumpjack Cabernet Sauvignon Estate. Parker 87-89. The only 2000 I tasted was the Cabernet Sauvignon Estate. It reveals the vintage’s charm, sweet tannin, and lovely ripe fruit, but those characteristics are slightly negated by the fact that it does not have the depth, persistence, layers, or concentration of a great Napa vintage.


Tomato, basil, burrata or mozzarella, and a fried eggplant thingy.


2000 La Mission Haut Brion. Parker 100! One of the wines of the vintage, the 2000 has barely budged in its evolution since it was bottled and released in 2002. After ten years in bottle, it still reveals a dense opaque purple color along with a potentially sensational bouquet of blueberries, black currants, graphite, asphalt and background oak. Extremely powerful, full-bodied and superbly concentrated with good acidity and high but round tannins, this massive La Mission-Haut-Brion should take its place among this estate’s most hallowed vintages when it hits full maturity in another one to two decades. I was surprised by just how youthful this wine tasted at age 12. If tasted blind, I would have guessed it to be around 4 to 5 years old.


2003 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande. Parker 95. The brilliant, opulent, fleshy 2003 Pichon Lalande (65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, and 4% Petit Verdot) possesses a high pH of 3.8 as well as 13% alcohol. Reminiscent of the 1982 Pichon Lalande (which never shut down and continues to go from strength to strength), the dense plum/purple-colored 2003 offers gorgeous aromas of blackberries, plum liqueur, sweet cherries, smoke, and melted licorice. Fleshy, full-bodied, and intense, displaying a seamless integration of wood, acidity, tannin, and alcohol, this beauty can be drunk now or cellared for 20 years or more.


2003 Domaine du Pegau Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Da Capo. Parker 100! For the fourth time, the Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee da Capo has been produced, and for the fourth time, it has received a perfect score although I might back off the 2000’s perfect score based on the fact that it seems to be more of an upper-ninety point wine than pure perfection these days. The 2003 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee da Capo has distanced itself ever so slightly from the 2003 Cuvee Reservee. Before bottling and immediately after bottling, these two wines’ differences were not as evident. At present the Capo reveals that extra level of flavor, power, complexity and richness. It is a big wine (16.1% alcohol – less than in the 1998, but more than in the 2000 and 2007) boasting a dark plum/garnet color as well as a stunning bouquet of aged beef intermixed with pepper, herbes de Provence, and steak au poivre. This unctuously textured, full-bodied Chateauneuf possesses enormous body, huge flavors and sweet, velvety tannins. Still youthful, it has not yet begun to close down, and I’m not sure it ever will given this unusual vintage. It is a modern day classic that should continue to provide provocative as well as compelling drinking for 20-30+ years.


2006 Arkenstone Cabernet Sauvignon Obsidian. 95 points. This was young and full throttle, still showing a harsh oak treatment on the palate and finish that covered the quite ripe red fruit. Long vanilla cream finish. While the fruit was big enough with the heavy oak, seemed disjointed and overdone in this lineup. Revisit in 5yrs unless you aren’t shy of oak.


From my cellar, 2004 Cantine del Castello Boca Piemonte Conti. I brought this because it’s sneaky, and this was a blind tasting. The 2004 isn’t drinking nearly as well right now as the 2003. It has a lot more structure and needs several years to mellow out.


Conterno Barolo Monfortino Riserva. I couldn’t see what year this was, but it was classic mid aged barolo and full of stiff tannins.


Filet in “special” marinate and sauce with a bit of salad and wasabi mashed potatoes. The sauce was great, close to one of those Kentucky style bourbon type steak sauces.


2001 De Suduiraut. Parker 98. A prodigious effort, possibly the finest Suduiraut since 1959, the medium gold-colored 2001 offers notes of creme brulee, caramelized citrus, Grand Marnier, honeysuckle, and other exotic fruits as well as a pleasant touch of oak. With terrific acidity, a voluptuous/unctuous palate, and sweet, powerful flavors buttressed by crisp acidity, it is a phenomenal Sauternes.


1988 Coutet Cuvee Madame. Parker 99. Tiny quantities are made of Coutet’s Cuvee Madame, a spectacularly rich Barsac that, along with Yquem, is the quintessential example of what heights a great sweet wine can achieve. The 1988, 1989 and 1990 vintages are nearly perfect wines. The 1990 is the richest and most powerful, but the 1988’s extraordinary perfume is other-worldly. All three wines offer a profound bouquet of smoky, toasty new oak combined with honeyed peaches and apricots, as well as coconuts and a touch of creme brulee. With extraordinarily rich, full-bodied, marvelously extracted personalities, as well as wonderful underlying acidity, these are spectacular wines.
As a postscript, many readers may not realize that Coutet’s Cuvee Madame is only released in great vintages. It is produced from the oldest vines and most botrysized grapes.

My favorite of the deserts wines by far. Really fabulous.


Tokaji Aszu Disznoko. Also nice, with that crisp acidity mixed in with the sweet.


Chocolate soufflé. It maybe had a bit of coffee in it and it certainly didn’t suck.


A kind of sticky toffee pudding type cake. Rather lovely.

This was just a great great evening. A wonderful setting with fun company — and the wines! There were some real bruisers here. Although I’m still not a massive fan of the blind and unordered format. I think the wines themselves are best enjoyed 2-4 at a time in pretty strict sequence. You can’t appreciate a great Chardonnay after tasting an 88 Petrus. That part isn’t about the quality, but subtle wines can’t be appreciated side to side with massive ones.

Still, not complaining, as many of the bruisers were really first rate wines. Hehe. The food was great too and I miss the sound of the waves crashing. Several of my old places were on the beach, but now I’m up higher. More view. Less surf.

More crazy Hedonist adventures or

LA dining reviews click here.


I miss my own puppy. But this guy had great ears.

Related posts:

  1. Fraiche – Ultimo Wine Dinner
  2. Food as Art: Sam’s by the Beach
  3. Hedonism at Saddle Peak Lodge
  4. Sam’s by the Beach – Mom’s Annual Dinner
  5. Memorial Day Pig
By: agavin
Comments (4)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Bordeaux, Chablis, Chardonnay, Chateau Margaux, cotsen, Eric Cotsen, hedonists, Malibu, Petrus, Wine

The New Nobu

Jul02

Restaurant: Nobu Malibu [1, 2, 3]

Location: 22706 Pacific Coast Hwy. Malibu, CA 90265. (310) 317-9140

Date: May 29, 2013

Cuisine: Japanese Fusion

Rating: Maintains it’s very high standards, and price.

 

In my continuing quest to eat the oceans of the earth clean in the form of sushi I returned to one of my “old” haunts, Nobu Malibu — but in it’s new glamorous ocean-side location.


The various Nobus represent the corporate version of the Japanese-Peruvian fusion begun by Nobu Matsuhisa at his eponymous Matsuhisa (REVIEW HERE). While not quite as inventive as the original, the Xerox job is pretty darn good. Food quality is extremely high and highly consistant. The atmosphere is fun. The only deficit is the price, which is perhaps 40-50% higher than most similar restaurants, like say Takao (REVIEW HERE). And it’s not like these are cheap either!


The new location is really quite stunning. The outside is covered on 2-3 sides with couches and tables. Too bad it’s so cold along the ocean in Malibu, on all but the warmest of summer nights, even the heat lamps aren’t enough to make those girls in their little dresses comfortable.


The inside looks great too, and it’s huge!


Just two of several wood lined chambers.


And an inside/outside patio covered in heat lamps.






2003 Domaine de la Vougeraie Vougeot Clos du Prieuré. 90 points. Pleasant wine, golden hued with a clear ring around the base. Sticky pitted fruit and white florals on the nose, with a bit of light oak. Wet slate minerals also pleasant on the nose. Lower in acids than some newer vintages, but it does still make my mouth water. There is a pleasant mouth feel, with the orchard fruits joined with some nuttiness and wood. More like a West Coast wine than and aged bourgogne blanc. I wouldn’t think this refreshing as some whites, but enticing nevertheless. Decent fruit on the finish with that touch of acid keeping my mouth wanting something wet to refresh it.


“Yellowtail Sashimi with Jalapeno.” The total Nobu classic, but it still holds it’s own. This version is as good as any i’ve had.


A Matsuhisa classic, “Toro tartar with caviar and a miso ponzu.” I’ve always loved the combo of the rich fatty toro and the acidic punch of the sauce. This theme of adding acidity to the fish is a consistant one.


“Miso Soup.” Classic, and as expected.


Special “salmon sashimi” with ponzu, onion, and mayo. Very tasty.


“Red snapper carpaccio” with ponzu, salt, and a bit of chili. Great, but a little salty.


2009 Raul Pérez Rías Baixas Muti. IWC 91. Bright yellow-gold. Deeply pitched aromas of smoky lees, bergamot, apricot pit and salty minerals. Viscous, palate-coating orchard and pit fruit flavors are enlivened by juicy acidity and complemented by honeysuckle and a hint of spun sugar. Wild, complex and singular wine with strong finishing cut and sappy persistence. This is far removed from your classic albarino.


“Sashimi Salad.” Another Nobu classic. The dressing has this nice flavor and texture I’ve always liked, and the mildly seared tuna is succulent. The overall salad is a bit salty, but Japanese cuisine usually is.


“Lobster taco.” Slightly underwhelming.


“Tuna taco.”


“Tai sweet shiso with cripsy shiitake.” Tasty and crunchy.


“Cauliflower special.”


“Shrimp Tempura with Ponzu Sauce.” More classics. I’ve always loved these little fellows. Basically the normal Shrimp Tempura, but pre sauced, and in smaller bite sized chunks. Addictive, but eat quickly before it sogs up.


“Black Cod with Miso.” Another Nobu classic, and delicious as always.


Our sushi plate. There is Tamago (egg), salmon, albacore, scallop, freshwater eel, and king crab.


Our dessert spread.


“Chocolate and banana spring rolls,” plus various ice creams and sauces, a crepe.


And this “coffee shaved ice” with coffee cake crumble and coffee/chocolate sauce.

Overall, the food is just like is always was here at Nobu. The atmosphere is stellar and it would be really cool to eat outside on a hot summer night (although they don’t usually serve dinner outside due to the cold). There must be an army in the kitchen too because the stuff appeared minutes after we ordered (except for the sushi). All in all, it’s a great experience, if a tad manufactured and divorced from its chef driven origins.

The only problem: the price. Nobu is expensive. This meal for four was $600 with tax and tip. Given that the food isn’t that far off from Paiche, it hardly deserves to be three times as expensive!

Check out more LA Sushi places I’ve reviewed here.

Related posts:

  1. Food as Art – Nobu
  2. Food as Art: Sushi House Unico
  3. Matsuhisa – Where it all started
  4. Takao Top Omakase
  5. Matsuhisa – The Private Room
By: agavin
Comments (3)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Dessert, Japanese cuisine, Japanese Peruvian, Malibu, Nobu, Nobu Malibu, Nobu Matsuhisa

Summertime Peak

Jun21

Restaurant: Saddle Peak Lodge [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Location: 419 Cold Canyon Rd, Calabasas, CA 91302 (818) 222-3888

Date: June 14, 2013

Cuisine: Modern American

Rating: Great ambiance and terrific game oriented food.

_

For the middle Hedonist dinner of the year, we return to Saddle Peak Lodge. It’s pretty much the perfect venue for both a winter or summer food and wine blast, with gorgeous lodge patio, game driven food, and awesome wine service. For those of you who don’t know, Hedonist events have amazing wines (each diner brings at least one bottle) and this event has several 100 point blow out wines.


Saddle Peak Ranch used to be a game lodge back in the early part of the 20th century. The rich and famous used to come up and hunt Malibu’s finest, such as this poor fellow. Now the deer are just served up on the menu.


It’s located in the middle of gorgeous Malibu Canyon.


Which on a lovely summer night is pretty incredible.


We dine al fresco in the summer (except last year when it rained in July!). The menu can be found here.


2000 Bollinger Champagne La Grande Année. Burghound 92. Not surprisingly, this resembles the 1999 except that it’s less expressive with developing aromas of floral, lemon and brioche that complements well the pure and detailed flavors that are less concentrated than its older brother but just as long. I like the elegance and finesse but wish it had just a bit more mid-palate density.


Pretzel bread.


2010 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre. Burghound 93. A wonderfully elegant and highly expressive nose consists of white flower, oyster shell and iodine aromas that are very much in keeping with the powerful yet refined broad-scaled flavors that possess both excellent volume and concentration, all wrapped in an explosive and gorgeously long finish. The combination of punch and civility is most beguiling.


Mushroom cappuccino.


2010 Domaine Dublère Corton-Charlemagne. Burghound 92-94. Yet again the recent sulfur additions render the nose impossible to fairly evaluate though the underlying fruit appears notably ripe. This sense of ripeness is confirmed by the rich and phenolically mature moderately-scaled and mineral-driven flavors that conclude in an explosive and almost painfully intense finish. By the standards of the appellation, this is not really a big wine though it is impeccably well-balanced which will permit it to amply reward up to a decade of cellar time.


A bit of salmon on blini with creme fraiche and caviar.


1996 Bouchard Père et Fils Bonnes Mares. 94 points. Deep ruby, bright and vibrant. A rich, fruity and slightly oaky nose. Lighter on the palate; red fruit with good minerality and finishing with good acidity – quite 96. Starting to show some signs ofdevelopment on the palate, with air, but still quite tight. A lighter, seemingly higher acidity take cf the denser fleshier Jadot version, silk v velvet. GC weight with the structure more acidity than tannin driven I think. Decent but come back in five years for some secondary development.


Mix beets salad, rye crisps pistachio puree, blood orange and shaved fennel.


2001 Faiveley Mazis-Chambertin. Burghound 92. A moderately pitched nose that exhibits only traces of secondary nuances also features notes of cool red berry fruit¡ earth and a hint of the classic Mazis sauvage character that continues onto the delicious¡ well-detailed and intense middle weight flavors that exude a fine minerality on the mildly austere but not dry finish. There is a bit of unabsorbed wood that is present on the finish though it’s not enough to really detract from the overall sense of harmony. While this could easily be enjoyed now¡ for my taste there is just enough unresolved structure to warrant allowing this to continue to age for another 5 or so years.

Mix beets salad with basil whipped burrata cheese, rye crisps pistachio puree, blood orange and shaved fennel.


1969 Marqués de Murrieta Rioja Castillo Ygay Etiqueta Blanca. This older Rioja wasn’t drinking perfectly, but it was soft and interesting.


Caesar Salad with garlic croutons and Parmigiano-Reggiano.


1978 Rioja Bosconia Cosecha. Also interesting.

Golden corn soup with truffle foam, pea forchette, pecorino, prosciutto chip and potato croutons.


1984 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon. Parker 90. This wine has consistently been a crowd pleaser, with its impressive dark color, rich, jammy, cedary, licorice, chocolatey, cassis, and olive-like aromas and flavors, and full-bodied, unctuously-textured style. It is a big, chewy, flashy, oaky style of Cabernet. Although fully mature, there are no signs of decline.

Maine lobster salad poached in orange buerre blanc with miso carrot, hazelnut sabayon, teeny carrots, radish,
turnips, ginger vinaigrette and espelette wontons.


1964 Château Belgrave. 97 ponts. This older Bordeaux was drinking fabulously. Having lost all sour and bitter notes it just had that nice soft old wine thing going.

Bosc pear salad with red oak and baby gem lettuce, Laurel Chenel goat cheese, shaved red onion, toasted walnuts, blueberry and fig vinaigrette.


1968 Inglenook Cabernet Sauvignon. Also in great shape.

Ahi tuna sashimi with Hawaiian papaya, cilantro, red onion, Hawaiian papaya, avocado, orange-ginger and pea tendrils.


1989 La Fleur de Gay. Parker 95. Possibly the finest Fleur de Gay made, this rich, very large-scaled, tannic wine has a compelling nose of cassis, licorice, white flowers, minerals, and other sorts of black fruits along with some subtle new oak. Full-bodied, with great delineation, purity, and dazzling concentration and intensity, this is a fabulous example of a Fleur de Gay and a wine that seems capable of lasting at least another two decades.

Seared venison Carpaccio with horseradish aioli, avocado mousse, herb vinaigrette, parmesan crisps, mizuna,
fried capers, tomato seeds and grilled ciabbata bread.

Wild mushroom agnolotti glazed in truffle buerre monté, with sautéed Shimeji mushrooms and parmesan foam.


1990 De Suduiraut. Parker 88. The evolved, medium gold color of the 1990 is prematurely advanced, raising questions about future longevity. It possesses plenty of intensity, and an unctuous, thick, juicy style, but high alcohol and coarseness kept my rating down. There is bitterness as well as fiery alcohol in the finish. The wine does not offer much delineation, so cellaring should prove beneficial as it does have admirable levels of extract. Suduiraut can make powerful, rich wines that are often rustic and excessively alcoholic and hot when young. I am told they become more civilized with age, and certainly older, classic Suduiraut vintages have proven that to be true. I feel this estate’s propensity to produce a luxury cuvee (Cuvee Madame) in vintages such as 1989 tends to have a negative impact on the regular cuvee.


Fatted liver of a certain fowl, rumored to be on the endangered list. With brioche and black cherry reduction. Yum!


1989 Lynch Bages. Parker 99+. The 1989 has taken forever to shed its formidable tannins, but what a great vintage of Lynch Bages! I would rank it at the top of the pyramid although the 1990, 2000, and down the road, some of the more recent vintages such as 2005, 2009 and 2010 should come close to matching the 1989’s extraordinary concentration and undeniable aging potential. Its dense purple color reveals a slight lightening at the edge and the stunning bouquet offers classic notes of creme de cassis, subtle smoke, oak and graphite. Powerful and rich with some tannins still to shed at age 22, it is still a young adolescent in terms of its evolution and will benefit from another 4-5 years of cellaring. It should prove to be a 50 year wine.

Wild Game Trio – the Chef’s sampling of three different game meats with individual accompaniments. There is Elk (in the front?).


And in the back buffalo short ribs and some other game.


Just a few game plates!


1988 Guigal Cote Rotie la Landonne. Parker 100. An opaque purple color and a closed but exciting nose of truffles, minerals, Asian spices, and fruitcake. When the wine hits the mouth with its enormous weight and extraction of flavor, one can’t help but be seduced by such enormous richness and purity. Nevertheless, there is still a remarkably high level of tannin (sweet rather than astringent), a youthful, unevolved fruit character, and flavors that stain the palate. After tasting this wine, one feels like brushing one’s teeth … it is that rich.


Duck with morel mushroom sauce.


1999 Chateau Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape Hommage A Jacques Perrin. Parker 96. The recently released 1999 Chateauneuf du Pape Hommage a Jacques Perrin is closed and less expressive than the 2000, and perhaps more elegant and less weighty. Nevertheless, it is an enormously endowed effort revealing notes of licorice, blackberry and cherry fruit, melted asphalt, tapenade, truffles, and smoke. Chewy, with more minerality than most vintages of this wine possess, it requires a minimum of 6-8 years of cellaring. It should last 35-40 years.

Pan roasted Skuna Bay salmon with roasted baby beets, shaved fennel, glazed cauliflower, purple kale, heirloom cherry tomatoes and puffed salmon skin.


2000 Stonyridge Vineyard Waiheke Island. A new world Bordeaux blend.


Mash potatoes.


2007 Colgin IX Proprietary Red Estate. Parker 100. The staggeringly rich, complex, harmonious, impeccably well-balanced 2007 IX Proprietary Red Estate (1,400 case produced) exhibits aromas of spring flowers, cedarwood, Asian spices, licorice, blueberries, and blackberries. A distinct liqueur of minerals buttresses the full-bodied, massive concentration, giving an overall impression of elegance, purity, and harmony. This is another seamless tour de force in winemaking.


Mac & Cheese.

2001 Joseph Phelps Insignia Proprietary Red Wine. Parker 99. The sensational, prodigious 2001 Insignia Proprietary Red Wine (89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot and 3% Malbec) has never performed better. Still extremely youthful with a dense purple color as well as a beautiful bouquet of cedar, charcoal, incense, creme de cassis and black cherry jam, fabulous intensity, a multidimensional mouthfeel and a skyscraper-like texture, it is a Napa classic that is still very youthful and belies its age of ten years. Like its stablemate, it should age impeccably for 35 or more years. Kudos to Joseph Phelps Vineyards!


Sweet potato fries.


2005 Larcis-Ducasse. Parker 98. This great terroir on the Cote Pavie has long been recognized as one of the most privileged spots in St.-Emilion, but it was not until the wunderkind duo of Nicolas Thienpont and Stephane Derenoncourt took over in 2002 that the wine finally began to live up to its potential. Old timers who remember the 1945 Larcis Ducasse will attest to how great this cuvee can be. Sadly, fewer than 3,000 cases were produced of the 2005, a blend of 78% Merlot and the rest primarily Cabernet Franc with a small dollop of Cabernet Sauvignon. Yields were a modest 27 hectoliters per hectare. This stunning effort reveals one of the most extraordinary aromatic displays of the vintage, offering up notes of sweet roasted herbs, jus du viande, black olives, espresso roast, creme de cassis, and kirsch liqueur. Extremely full-bodied, opulent, and lavishly textured with plush tannin as well as an ethereal elegance, a sublime personality, glorious sweet purity, and a layered texture, this amazing St.-Emilion is destined to become a legend.


Asparagus.

2010 Willi Schaefer Graacher Domprobst Riesling Auslese. Parker 95. Representing a late picking incorporating considerable late-botrytis shriveling, the Schaefer 2010 Graacher Domprobst Riesling Auslese A.P. #10 delivers effusively scented and lusciously mouth-filling pink grapefruit, purple plum, pear, and apple allied to the sort of deep nuttiness of cashew and pistachio that so frequently characterize this site at its best. A lip-smackingly, saliva-inducingly saline and scallop-like savor render the urge to take the next sip irresistible, and peat-like smoky inflections contribute botrytis-induced intrigue. The combination of richness and exuberance; density with refreshment; subtly oily texture yet transparency to minerality render this profound Auslese unforgettably distinctive and worth following for four decades.


Apple cinnamon bread pudding served with salted caramel ice cream.

Bittersweet chocolate crémeux with oak barrel ice cream, Devil’s food cake, and mango baked kataifi.

Daily selection of house-made sorbets served on ice. Blackberry, mango, and raspberry.

Caramelized white chocolate pot de crème with blackberries, white chocolate pistachio fudge and pistachio sorbet.


Farmer’s market caramelized pear beignets with crème anglaise.

Chocolate molten whiskey cake with Guinness ice cream and Bailey’s whipped cream.

Yuzu meringue tart with graham cracker, raspberry sorbet and crispy raspberry meringue.


A lineup of just some (but not nearly all) of the bottles!


Yarom and one of our wonderful servers.

This was a total blow out event. The food was impeccable and the service fantastic. Plus we had a really great mix of people and some of the most awesome wines. The vibe outside on the lovely warm Malibu evening was perfect too.

Click here for more LA restaurant reviews,
Or for Hedonist extravaganzas.

Related posts:

  1. Hedonists climb the Peak
  2. Hedonism at Saddle Peak Lodge
  3. Food as Art: Saddle Peak Lodge
  4. Hedonists at STK again!
  5. Never Boaring – Il Grano
By: agavin
Comments (0)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Allen Meadows, Corton-Charlemagne, Dessert, Foodie Club, game meat, hedonists, Malibu, Saddle Peak Lodge, Wine, Wine tasting descriptors

Food as Art – Nobu

Feb19

Restaurant: Nobu Malibu [1, 2, 3]

Location: 3835 Cross Creek Road # 18, Malibu, CA 90265 (310) 317-9140

Date: February 16, 2011

Cuisine: Japanese Fusion

Rating: Maintains it’s very high standards, and price.

 

In my continuing quest to eat the oceans of the earth clean in the form of sushi I returned to one of my “old” haunts, Nobu Malibu. The various Nobus represent the corporate version of the Japanese-Peruvian fusion begun by Nobu Matsuhisa at his eponymous Matsuhisa (REVIEW HERE). While not quite as inventive as the original, the Xerox job is pretty darn good. Food quality is extremely high and highly consistant. The atmosphere is fun. The only deficit is the price, which is perhaps 40-50% higher than most similar restaurants, like say Takao (REVIEW HERE). And it’s not like these are cheap either!

From my cellar, parker gives this Rhone white 94 points. “The 2006 Chateauneuf du Pape blanc (80% Roussanne and the rest Marsanne, Picpoul, and Bourboulenc) possesses classic notes of orange marmalade, honeysuckle, and rose petals, a full-bodied, unctuous texture, gorgeous purity and richness, and a stunningly long finish. It can compete with the finest full-throttle, dry whites of France as well as the world. It is difficult to find a better white Chateauneuf du Pape than Beaucastel. Much like their reds, their whites are made in a style that is atypical for the appellation. It is put through full malolactic, and one-third is barrel fermented, then blended with the two-thirds that is aged in tank. Extraordinarily rich and honeyed, it is ideal for drinking with intensely flavored culinary dishes.”

In the glass, this has a nice yellow/amber color not seen in duller (read generic Chardonnay) wines.

“Yellowtail Sashimi with Jalapeno.” The total Nobu classic, but it still holds it’s own. This version is as good as any i’ve had.

“Sashimi Salad.” Another Nobu classic. The dressing has this nice flavor and texture I’ve always liked, and the mildly seared tuna is succulent. The overall salad is a bit salty, but Japanese cuisine usually is.

“New Style Sashimi.” Classic again. Apparently this is very Peruvian, although I wouldn’t know directly as my closest contact to that country was an hour spent in Lima airport. However, the halibut is supremely tender, and the warm olive oil, ponzu and sesame thing gives it a toasty richness.

“Shrimp Tempura with Ponzu Sauce.” More classics. I’ve always loved these little fellows. Basically the normal Shrimp Tempura, but pre sauced, and in smaller bite sized chunks. Addictive, but eat quickly before it sogs up.

“Rosemary crusted Scallops in sweet and sour crust with cilantro sauce.” This was my first new dish of the night, and it was pretty incredible. The pseudo fried crisp on the scallops was a bit sweet, and the cilantro sauce mild, but it all went together perfectly, and inspired marriage of textures and flavors.

“Lobster Sweet and Sour.” Another new dish, and pretty delectable. Tender lobster on a spinach bed, with a subdued sweet and sour sauce and then the whatever-it-was on top adding a bit of texture.

“Austrialian Wagyu Beef, butter truffle sauce and crispy onions.” Yum. The beef was almost like candy, sweet and rich. The onion-ring-like crisps were good for soaking up the sauce.

Marbling!

“Miso Soup.” Classic, and as expected.

A bit of sushi.

In the front, Tai (red snapper) with shiso, toro (tuna belly). The white thing with frisy stuff on top I can’t remember.

In the middle, Kani (king crab leg) sushi.

In the back, Unagi (Fresh Water eel).

The white stuff in the middle. Ika (squid) with shiso leaf and a bit of ginger.

The yellow chunks Tamago (sweet omelet).

On the left Ikura (salmon roe) and on the right Uni (sea urchin).

Completely stuffed, we rolled out of here well satisfied. My only complaint is that Nobu is so expensive. For example the “Toro Tartar w/ Caviar” is $36 compared to $25 at Takao — identical too.

Related posts:

  1. Food as Art – Takao
  2. Food as Art: Sushi House Unico
  3. Food as Art: Pearl Dragon
  4. Food as Art – Sushi Sushi
  5. Food as Art: R.I.P. The Hump
By: agavin
Comments (3)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Beaucastel, Château de Beaucastel, Chateauneuf du Pape, Cooking, Food, Fusion cuisine, Home, Japanese, Japanese cuisine, Japanese Food, Malibu, Malibu California, Nobu, Nobu Malibu, Nobu Matsuhisa, Restaurant, Restaurant Review, Sushi
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