Wine Flight - May 2008

- First Course -

Maine Lobster Chowder and Asparagus-Dungeness Crab Flan
with Crispy Soft Shell Crab Legs, Lemongrass, Thai Chili
and Toasted Pumpkin Seed Gremolata

to be paired with

2006 Black Bart Marsanne, Stagecoach Vineyard, Napa
$14/gls $48/btl

From the esteemed Stagecoach vineyard comes this gorgeous Marsanne, grown and crafted by one of our favorite and most reliable producers, Krupp Brothers. Marsanne is an aromatic white varietal originating in the Rhone region of France. It is often honeyed and floral and is effortlessly seductive. As one of the best Marsannes in California, the Black Bart epitomizes the highest qualities of this gorgeous grape, with honey, peach, pear, and floral aromas mingling around an intense and focused core of a wine that is rich and creamy without being heavy. It will be heavenly with the silky Maine Lobster Chowder and will really highlight the lemongrass while taming any overt spiciness from the Thai Chili.

A staff favorite, this fabulously food-friendly Pinot is a second label project from a top-rated Pinot producer in the Sonoma Coast appellation. (Sorry, can’t tell you exactly who!). Cep means root vine in French, and this name gives you an indication as to the producer’s trust in and faithfulness to the idea of terroir. Letting the expression of the land come through the wine pays off here, giving us a Pinot that bursts with ripe cherry and offers up elements of sarsparilla, wild strawberry, clove, and a bit of mushroom-y earthiness. It is quite juicy, but clean and with refreshing acidity rather than any cloying sweetness. We just love it with the mild gaminess of the squab and the tomatoes in this second course, and we think you will, too.

The beautiful Riesling from the Erdener Treppchen vineyard made by the totally original Ernst Loosen is the perfect wine to segue from the Sushi and Sashimi break into our Third Course of Alaskan Halibut with a White Soy-Wasabi Butter Sauce. This deliciously sweet yet balanced and crisp Riesling will keep your palate refreshed and ready for more. Riesling is considered one of the world’s great wines, and it is highly food-friendly, especially the Kabinetts, which are usually drier, and especially with seafood and Asian flavors. It stands to reason then that this wine from the steep hillsides of Germany’s esteemed Mosel-Saar-Ruwer winegrowing region, with its complex yet light and delicate crisp flavors of jasmine, pear, white tea, and honey will be lovely accompaniment to our Alaskan Halibut.

- Fourth Course -

James Ranch Lamb Rack and Short Ribs,
a Mélange of English Peas and Spring Potatoes,
and a Sauce of Pinot Noir and Pork Broth
with Smoked Sea Salt

to be paired with

2005 Modus Operandi "Vicarious” Red, Napa Valley
$18/gls $65/btl

With only 100 cases produced, the Modus Operandi Vicarious can truly be considered a boutique wine in the best sense of the term. This relatively new project is a labor of love for Winemaker and Partner Jason Moore, former Dallas waiter and wine lover who followed his passion to Napa and fulfilled his dream of making big, ripe wines that are nevertheless food-friendly and conducive to an amazing dining experience. Moore’s philosophy fits in perfectly at The Kitchen, and so does his wine. This gorgeous red blend is a medium-bodied, fruit forward effort with loads of black currant and red cherry and an underlying spiciness that will compliment the lamb nicely. The Cabernet-based blend is also very lush and mouth-filling with a lovely, lingering finish. We are excited about this new and talented winemaker and look forward to sharing our discovery with you.

Chateau de Jau is by far one of our most favorite dessert wine producers. The Daure´ family owns and manages their vineyards located in the foothills of the Pyranees on ancient slate terraces facing southeast toward the Mediterranean that produce delicious dessert wines at the outer extremities of the Banyuls and Rivesaltes appellations. Winemaker’s notes describe this light amber wine as offering up flavors and scents of orange marmalade and exhibiting a wonderful balance of sugar, acidity, and alcohol that make for a very special wine of character and depth - a wonderful accompaniment to our moist warmed Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese-Lemon Swirl ice cream. One exciting note is that we will be visiting these vineyards and meeting the producers during our upcoming trip to France, so we will be able to share our first-hand experiences with you when we return from this magical region.