Monday, December 31, 2007

Christmas Dinner

Shane’s Notes

Jen and I hosted Christmas dinner this year. We served a variety of wines to please everyone’s palate. Although we hadn’t planned it this way, Italian wines dominated the evening. We started before dinner with a Roederer Brut (California) for those who prefer dry wine and two bottles of 2006 Saraccao Moscato d’Asti for those who prefer sweet wine. The Mosacato was a bit sweet for my mom but my dad absolutely loved it. Here is Jen’s 12/6/07 review of the Moscato. “The palate showed very bright flavors of papaya and lemon curd. It was honeyed, minerally and frizzy. Jen said the finish showed “lingering fruity succulence.” It was simple but absolutely delicious.”

While enjoying the opening round of wines, we opened presents. Jen and I received a Riedel magnum decanter, assorted bubble bars from Lush, a framed movie poster from Gone with the Wind, a DVD of 2001 A Space Odyssey (perhaps the greatest movie ever made) and Payne and Diel’s book on German wines. For our special presents to each other, Jen bought an Hermes tie for me (knowing that I would never buy one for myself) and I bought a set of Akoye pearl earrings with a matching necklace for her.

My brother announced that the Roederer was too dry and the Moscato was too sweet. So, I rummaged through our collection searching for something to satisfy him. Jen suggested the Ermacora Pinot Grigio. I reluctantly agreed. “Reluctantly” because I love it and we haven’t had a chance to blog it yet. However, your guests have to come first. I remember pouring some for my brother and then the bottle was empty. I’m not sure where it all went.

Soon, all the bottles went the way of the Ermacora. I had a Prosecco in the fridge that also meant for me and Jen but it too was sacrificed to our Christmas guests. My brother really enjoyed it and kept saying that it was sweet up front with a dry finish. What he really meant to say was that it was fruity yet dry.

Jen and I opened the 2004 Agostino Pavia Barbera d’Asti, Moliss ($15.99) for ourselves
for dinner. I decanted for about a half an hour and was glad I did. It was an excellent Barbera and a great food wine. The palate showed red and black fruit up front sweetened by oak. This was a great example of using oak to amplify rather than bury the flavors.

Dessert included a rich, chocolate cake, so I broke out a Dow 2000 LBV ($19.99). I looked back through our notes and, to my amazement, we have never blogged this wine. I’m sure we’ve had at least a half dozen bottles of it. We absolutely love Dow’s slightly drier style with a subtle, complex, elegant palate. We will blog it the next time we drink it.

After everyone left, Jen I finished off the Dow. It was a great way to cap off a really magnificent Christmas.

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