Sorry to hear the ladies can't make it. I guess Mrs. BHV will need to fill Mrs. Comet's shoes from the last event.

But wait... I've been dialoging with one other local wine enthusiast. It is possible that he and his wife may attend... if they can locate a babysitter. I trust they would be welcome and we could accomodate them?

Re: Wine

I'll be bringing a Fonseca '85, and one of the '04 Le Cadeaus - either "Rocheux" or "Cote Est"... to be determined.

Looking forward to Sunday!

You are one party animal, BHV!

Updated roster:

irwin (1)
Festiva (1)
PH (1)
Gentleman farmer (1)
BHVineyard (2)
Cometspider (1)
Two possible BH Vineyard local wine enthusiasts (2?)
So, we are either 7, or 9.
Tom: Perfectly ok if your buddies come, but post something and let me know so I can relay it to the Rooster Cafe.
You can send me an email directly also.
irwin at irwinweiss dot com

Man, is this shaping up to be a memorable event.

Warm Smoked Salmon
with Potato Custard and Osetra Caviar
1985 Charles Heidseick "Champagne Charlie"

Chilean Sea Bass "en Barigoule"
with Parmigiano Reggiano
2000 Chateau de Chamirey Chardonnay Mercurey

Seared Foie Gras with Oxtail
and Candied Root Vegetables
2002 Carlisle Zinfandel

Medallions of Venison
with Chanterelles, Pears,
Gooseberries, Pine Nuts and Turnips
2001 Nuits St. Georges, Saint Clos de Marc Premier Cru
2004 Le Cadeau Pinot Noir

Selection of Cheeses
1985 Fonseca VP

Trio of Banana Tart,
Warm Chocolate Cake
and Malt Panna Cotta
1999 Philippe Delesvaux Coteaux du Layon Sélection de Grains Nobles

I'm eating light until tomorrow night!

irwin - Why not bring one of your bottles of Piper Heidsieck NV and I'll bring another for "welcome bubbles?"

Also, someone will need to bring a camera, as my current software/internet connection issues will preclude me from being any use in this department this time.

PH

Got the camera covered!

Thanks Gf!

PH

quote:

Originally posted by PurpleHaze:
Man, is this shaping up to be a memorable event.

Warm Smoked Salmon
with Potato Custard and Osetra Caviar
1985 Charles Heidseick "Champagne Charlie"

Chilean Sea Bass "en Barigoule"
with Parmigiano Reggiano
2000 Chateau de Chamirey Chardonnay Mercurey

Seared Foie Gras with Oxtail
and Candied Root Vegetables
2002 Carlisle Zinfandel

Medallions of Venison
with Chanterelles, Pears,
Gooseberries, Pine Nuts and Turnips
2001 Nuits St. Georges, Saint Clos de Marc Premier Cru
2004 Le Cadeau Pinot Noir

Selection of Cheeses
1985 Fonseca VP

Trio of Banana Tart,
Warm Chocolate Cake
and Malt Panna Cotta
1999 Philippe Delesvaux Coteaux du Layon Sélection de Grains Nobles


PH

Most excellent menu and fantastic wine choices. I am drooling all over my laptop.

Jump a plane grun! Theres's still time, and a place at the table.

PH

PH-- Ok on the Piper H.
Should be a fun time. Thanks in advance GF for the photos.
6PM start!

quote:

PH-- Ok on the Piper H.

PH

The BHVs are on their way down to you. Be gentle with them.

Thanks, Board-O, for softening them up.
I look forward to your post-dinner reviews and photos.

Holy cow!! Man was this one morning I would have liked to sleep in!

A wonderful evening with wonderful folks. Great to see the MD gang and the BHVineyard and Mrs. BHV. The meal and wines were spectacular.

Details and pics to follow.

PH

Wow. I did sleep in. All the way to 6:30.

I thought the food was super last night. People in the DC area, Columbia, Annapolis, wherever, should go to the Rooster Cafe, and mention that you heard about them on WS. (Bring your own wine--the weakness there is the winelist, which I am sure Mark would concede. He'll charge you a corkage, but you will be so happy with the food!)www.roostercafe.com

Anyway, on the wines we had:
They were quite varied and this makes it harder to pick a WOTN. How do you compare a Carlysle Zin, with its power, to a dessert wine, or to the Chardonnay?
But, having said that, I think for me, the WOTN was the 2000 Chateau de Chamirey Chardonnay Mercurey that Gentleman Farmer brought. It paired fantastically with the sea bass. It was refreshing, minerally, non-oaky, and at its peak. It had a lingering finish. This wine was noteworthy for some clean limestone and some very subtle citrus notes.
I really liked the dessert wine too. 1999 Philippe Delesvaux Coteaux du Layon Sélection de Grains Nobles. Terrific color, great balance. Nothing too prominent in its velvety array of citrus and honey, but not oversweet. Topped off the night quite well.
The Carlisle Zin was powerful and potent. It had an amazingly long finish. Nothing subtle about this baby. Hits you in the nose and palate with drama. Tobacco, chocolate, and berry notes. Maybe leather.
I am not terribly knowledgeable about vintage port, but the Fonseca was fortunately decanted. Also a powerful entry.
The Burgundy I brought, the Nuits St. George, Saint Clos de Marc, 1er Cru-2001 was consumed right after the Zin, and I think was overpowered by it. It opened up as time went by, but needs more bottle time and maybe a different food pairing.
The 2004 Le Cadeau is essentially a barrel tasting. It is underready, and difficult for me to predict whether it will be great or merely very good. Based upon BHVinyard's prior success with the 2003 and the 2002, it has history on its side, (which is the position in which the bottle should rest for 2 more years).
The Champagnes got us started, and the Piper was reliable, and the Charles Heidseick had nice toasty taste, and was stellar.
As for the food, that opening dish with the warm smoked salmon was awfully good. That Brendan (the waiter) brought out extra caviar was greatly appreciated by all. The sea bass was first-rate, and I was surprised when the chef indicated it was the first time he made it. The average guinea pig is treated substantially worse, let me tell you.
The Foie Gras was terrific, and I liked the venison as well. The Venison might have been just a smidgeon overdone, but it went well with its appurtenances.
The trio of desserts was wonderful.

Thanks to all for coming.

Sounds great. It also sounds like the order in which some of the wines were served should have been a little different. I messed up two pairs of wines by serving them in the wrong order. Oh well, live and learn.

What a terrific meal! Many thanks to those who worked so hard to get us together again before x-mas. The teeth were rather "hairy" this morning. I have no idea if both BHVs surf this domain or not, but it was a pleasure to meet the other half of the equation. Le Cadeau is making outstanding pinot. Supporting their Cause is all the merrier when you like and admire the management.

I agree with Irwin on the WOTN- the pairing with the sea bass was just about perfect. The pan fried edge to the sea bass was just magnificent. There were no clunkers on the table, but certainly the zin I brought didn't quite fit- the oxtail and candied vegetables were not in a red sauce as I imagined, oh well. Still, the wine is well made. I must say that I enjoyed the 2004 Le Cadeau Bergstrom tremendously. It splits the difference between the 2002 and 2003, with a decided lean towards the fuller, riper 2003. A special note should be given to my #2 WOTN: 1999 Philippe Delesvaux Coteaux du Layon Sélection de Grains Nobles. It was fantastic, a monument to what a boytrized, chenin blanc from the Loire can be. It could last decades, and we probably committed major infantcide last night. Both of the red burgundies probably could have used more decanting time, each sip was better than the previous one. The Fonseca tasted like it was just bottled- fresh and exuberant. I wouldn't even venture a guess at the drinking window.

Looking forward to some Italian wines to help warm up a cold January night!

I will defer to Irwin’s take on the wine lineup. His analysis is uncannily similar to my impressions, save for the Nuits St. George, Saint Clos de Marc, 1er Cru-2001. More bottle time or a couple of hours decanted would have vaulted it near the top of my list.

As for the food courses, let’s take ‘em one-by-one…

The warm smoked salmon and caviar held a wonderful and ample surprise. The platform of potato custard was truly delightful – creamy and rich, yet delicate and a perfect choice to blend and balance the familiar flavors of the predominant features of the dish.

The sea bass was more than satisfying in several respects, flavor and portion size included! The preparation yielded flakey chunks of meat with subtle herb de Provence flavors and the accompaniment of baby zucchinis and yellow patty pan squash added even more subtlety and color. The tenderness of the vegetables and the texture of the fish was quite a match.

Given my affinity for foie gras, I was eagerly anticipating the oxtail combination – and it did not disappoint! The combination had a melt-in-your-mouth texture, and the sweetness of the candied root veggies helped highlight the buttery flavor of the foie gras.

Although the venison may have been ever so slightly overdone, tenderness with particular cuts can be tricky. One thing for sure, the flavors jumped off the plate. Each accompaniment along with the sauce added its own personality of taste and texture that stood well on its own and in a perfect match combined.

The cheese selection could not have been a better choice to follow the venison. Paired with the Fonseca, my taste buds danced from one experience to another. From creamy to lip smacking and back, it was a difficult task to choose a favorite, but I would give a nod to the aged provolone. It was sharp and piquant without being harsh. Hints of rosemary highlighted the cabra romero, and the smoothness of the le chevrot was outstanding.

The dessert course continued the adventure of complimenting flavors for the entire meal. The choice of a banana tart with malt panna cotta was outstanding. Given this natural pairing, the inclusion of the warm chocolate cake, ice cream, a raspberry coulis, and whipped cream brought us back to the velvety impressions that began with the first course.

Folks, let me tell you, the Rooster Café is a must. From the moment we arrived you could tell how much Mark and his staff cared about our experience. Sincerity is a rare commodity nowadays, and they made us feel like we were in the dining room of their home rather than their business. Brendan’s attention was top notch and his service as photographer added a special touch to a very memorable night.

To Irwin, PH, Festiva, cometspider, and Mr. and Mrs. BHV, thanks for sharing together another evening. You are what great food and great wine are all about. See you in January!

Gentleman farmer has e-mailed me some great pics. I'll transfer mine to CD at home tonight and post from work tomorrow along with his. My high speed connection at the house is down...

I concur with irwin on many of his notes. I found the Mercurey to be very intruiging and crisp, with minerally and tropical flavors. A great match indeed with the fish dish.

The 1985 Heidsieck "Champagne Charley" was remarkably fresh and vibrant, and had just enough backbone to stand up to the very lightly smoked salmon. Another nice pairing.

The Carlisle Zin (my first) was a delicious, rich Zinfandel. I think cometspider's selection stood up nicely against the richness of the foie gras, and the sweetness of the vegetables. The oxtail was absolutely delicious, and I picked every little shred from the plate.

I loved the Nuits St. Georges, and think irwin may just be being modest, since it was his contribution. Lovely cherry fruit mingled with interesting secondary nuances. The "Pinor Noir" experts at the table, Mr. and Mrs. BHVineyard ooohed and aaahed when this wine was served. I put it in my top 3 for the evening.
The 2004 Le Cadeau barrel sample was surely just a baby, but it was a thrill to taste it and listen to the people responsible for it's existance talk about it. If my experience with the 2002 and 2003's, and BHVineyard's expectations for the 2004 are any guide, they will have another winner on their hands. The venison was a little tough, but very flavorful. The sauce was incredible, and I must admit to pulling a couple pieces of bread from the basket so as not to waste a drop. The breads, all fresh baked, were fabulous.

The 1985 Fonseca was decanted a scant hour before tasting. It was a powerful, dark and intense port with dried fruits and an incredibly long finish. It's the type of wine I could easily spend a couple hours nurturing next to a fireplace. Still very young. Amazing....

The Delesvaux SGN was lovely, balanced and full of ever changing flavors. It was fun to hear different people at the table comment on the different fruits and flavors they picked out of this wine. Glad I have more.

I agree with irwin on the restaurant and chef. Absolutely first rate. If he were located in a better, more easy to find location there would be lines around the block. Seriously good kitchen at the Rooster Cafe. Kudos to chef/owner Marc Schek!

PH

Who started the fire in the breadbasket anyway?
(Can't wait to see the picture of the post-fire basket).
Did I miss it, or was flambeed wicker on the menu?

I'd forgotten about this. It's probably why Festiva wants his bride along on the next offline!! Keep him out of trouble!!

PH

Advice to cometspider and Festiva re: the great breadbasket conflagration...

Admit nothing

Good times, people.

You guys are blowing this way out of proportion. Aside from Mrs. BHVineyard exclaiming "Oh, the humanity!", it really wasn't a big deal... It was just a little campfire! Don't you think Purple Haze's Delasvaux would have paired beautifully with a bunch of S'Mores??? Ah, it takes me back to my days as a boy scout.

Besides, we had the right people on hand to handle the situation: Gentleman Farmer could have investigated the fire and ruled it 'spontaneous combustion', clearing me of any wrongdoing. Irwin could ha