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+--- Thread: Saintsbury Wine Dinner at Pewter Rose Bistro, Charlotte (/thread-6776.html)
- wondersofwine - 05-01-2006
I lost my little memo book but have the menu to prompt my memory of this dinner April 20th. Moet & Chandon White Star in flutes and then fried sotocenere and black walnut won-ton as the hors d'oeuvre with 2005 Saintsbury Vincent Vin Gris. This play on Vincent Van Gogh is an okay blush wine.
Chilled poached shrimp with carrot and haricots verts julienne strips/streamers tossed with pomegranate-carrot juice dressing with hazelnut oil. 2003 Saintsbury Brown Ranch Chardonnay. (Brown Ranch is owned by Saintsbury whereas most of there grapes come from outside vineyards). The shrimp dish was very good. The wine was better than many California chards.
Seared tuna with jasmine rice, sesame-spiked vegetable "spaghetti" and a mild coconut-curry sauce with 2003 and 2004 Saintsbury Carneros Pinot Noir. 2003 was a more challenging vintage but the results were nice. I enjoyed both vintages.
Rack of lamb marinated in balsamic, honey and lavender, grilled and served with Tallegio mac-n-cheese. 2004 Saintsbury Lee Vineyard Pinot Noir, 2004 Saintsbury Stanly Ranch Pinot Noir and 2004 Saintsbury Toyon Farm Pinot Noir. This was my favorite course of the meal. The single vineyard Pinots are new for Saintsbury. They have been buying grapes from Lee Ranch since 1982 and Stanly Ranch since 1984 and own Toyon Farm (planted in the 90's I believe). My clear favorite was the Stanly Ranch Pinot Noir. Very enjoyable. Dessert was raspberry spanikopita with tasty phyllo-wrapped raspberries, roasted nuts and bittersweet chocolate pate. I thought I detected a blue cheese filling which I did not care for but liked the phyllo and berries. 2004 Saintsbury Brown Ranch Pinot Noir Chairman's Cuvee. Saintsbury wine library was lost in the warehouse fire in San Francisco so we had a more recent Brown Ranch. Nice but probably not showing its full potential. I was impressed with a Brown Ranch from the 90's at the tasting two years ago in Charlotte. Dick Ward is from North Carolina originally and likes to return for this every-other-year event.