On Tuesday February 3, Sandy and I convened at the Contemporary Resort’s California Grill for my Birthday Dinner. It has become a mini-tradition. Hold the phone! Why Feb 3, when everyone knows that the anniversary of my birth falls on Feb 2? Answer: Walter doesn’t work on Sundays and Mondays. You may ask, “Who is Walter?” Answer: the superb server at Cali Grill who has an assembled pack of patrons who wouldn’t accept a table outside of his section. {Side note: preferred seating in the Cali Grill is a window table that offers a primo view of Disney’s nightly fireworks extravaganza over Cinderella’s Castle]. On Tuesday Walter was assigned a less favorable location. No matter, we go where Walter goes. It’s that simple. Now, to the dinner.
The Martini Course
It is with great relief that after a 2yr hiatus Tanqueray Gin has returned to the bar. And specifically it’s Tanqueray’s flagship Gin: No. 10. In 53yrs of drinking Martini’s I can attest that Tanqueray 10 is without peer. I ordered it “up” with blue cheese stuffed olives, a bit dirty (with 3 extra olives on the side for a Sandy snack). By the way, Cali Grill takes “dirty” seriously & Walter gave me the skinny and I have been sworn to secrecy not to reveal its mystical essence. [for a deeper dive into my appreciation of Martini’s http://summerofjim.com/?p=110700]
First Course: Duck Thai Curry
Smoked duck, fragrant rice, red coconut curry and Napa cabbage salad. It was a perfect blend of smoke tinged shredded duck and rare duck breast over flavorful curry sauce. The Napa Cabbage provided a wonderful fresh crunchiness to the dish. I loved it. And the Merry Edwards Pinot carried the course. Rich layering of flavor that didn’t overtake the complexity of the duck, but stood beautifully alongside.
The Wine: Merry Edwards Pinot Noir ’23 (Russian River, Sonoma County)
The 2023 Pinot Noir Russian River Valley matured for nine months in 37% new French oak. It has slowly unfurling scents of cranberry, rhubarb, Earl Grey tea leaves, forest floor and dried herbs. The full-bodied palate offers concentrated, autumnal flavors. It’s structured by fine-grained tannins and mouthwatering acidity and has a long, layered finish. 92pts Wine Advocate; 93pts James Suckling; 92pts Wine Enthusiast
Second Course: Venison Strip Loin
Roasted beets, herbed beet gnocchi, pomegranate gel, parsnip purée and glazed baby turnips. I’ve enjoyed Venison many, many times over the years; but none can equal the pure tenderness of Cali Grill’s iteration. The lush flavor literally melts on your palate. The veggies & sauce add a dimension of texture and taste that raises the level of the dish to extraordinary. The Groth Cab added music to this course. Perfectly scaled, scent, texture and depth of flavor were balanced to a “T.”
The Wine: Groth Cabernet Sauvignon ’22 (Oakville, Napa)
An impressive value for an Oakville AVA Cabernet, Groth’s 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon is a bit reticent and slow out of the chute, but aeration brings out nice aromas of black cherries and subtle cedar notes. A blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot, it’s medium- to full-bodied but streamlined and silky, showing impressive length and elegance for the vintage. The new-oak component comes in at 45%, imparting just enough structure to ensure a decade’s worth of drinkability. 92pts Wine Advocate;
92pts James Suckling; 95pts Decanter
Third Course: Flourless Chocolate-Espresso Cake
Spiced chocolate crémeux, ancho chile-caramel sauce and candied nut crumble. I’m not a huge fan of chocolate; but I am fond of flourless chocolate cake which I find less sweet and if it had been my choice I would have wedded this dessert to a cocoa dusted Cali Cab. I found the Tokaji was misplaced alongside this dish. I thought the wine would have been better with any of the other dessert options on the menu. The wine itself was glorious, and in my opinion the best of the 3 wines served. Long before Ch. d’Yquem and the wines of Sauternes earned their fame, the wines of Tokajiwere recognized by European royalty as the bees’ knees for sweet (dessert) wine. There is one wine for chocolate based desserts that I love: Late Harvest Monastrell (Mourvèdre) from Spain.
Royal Tokaji Aszú 5 Puttonyos ’18 (Tokaji, Hungary)
Bright and beautiful, this harmonious version integrates mouthwatering acidity with a rich range of pureed apricot, dried raspberry and orange marmalade, with hints of praline, crystallized honey and sea salt. There’s a plushness to the texture without being weighty; this is long and expressive on the finish. Furmint and Hárslevelü. Drink now through 2038. 93pts Wine Spectator; #66 Top 100 Wines
