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A few weeks ago my husband and I celebrated my birthday with a dinner at Cyrus in Healdsburg. As we had previously enjoyed the inventive cocktails and wines at the bar, we were anxious to try the full cuisine in the dining room. On our last visit bartender Scott Beattie had impressed us with a “Rubarbtini”, one of his many libations that use seasonal and locally-sourced fruits and herbs. Since it was early May, we wondered which seasonal dishes chef Douglas Keane would feature on the dinner menu. Below are our selections for a three-course meal:

Canapés and an Amuse Bouche
These nibbles stimulated the palate with contrasting elements of flavor, temperature, and texture.

NV Agrapart & Fils Brut “Terroirs” Blanc de Blancs, Grand Cru                            

Similar to: NV Lancelot-Royer - Blanc de Blancs Cuvee des Chevaliers ($44)   

This crisp, lean sparkler was made from Chardonnay sourced from grand cru vineyards in Avize. Although I typically prefer blanc de blancs from le Mesnil, this champagne had a lovely balance of acidity and nutty creaminess that paired well with the canapés. 

First Course

Thai Marinated Lobster with Avocado, Mango and Hearts of Palm              

Roasted Beets with Mandarins and Pistachios

The citrus garnishes made the first course particularly refreshing, while the beet and nut combination gave a slightly earthier component.

2006 Paul Pernot Puligny Montrachet ($40)                                                      

This young Puligny showed notes of lemon, crisp acidity and subtle oak. This wine selection highlighted the bright flavors in the first course. 

Second Course

Crispy Poussin with Fava Beans and Morels, Thyme Jus                              

Lamb Loin with Black Rice, Haricot Verts, Capers and Raisins

I simply loved the crispy Poussin, a spring chicken, sourced from a farm in nearby Sonoma. It was extremely tender, dripping in its own juice and thyme, but cooked perfectly to give its skin a contrasting crunch. The lamb was a heartier dish that emanated earthy, meaty flavors which paired nicely with the spicy dark fruit character of the St Joseph wine pairing.

2004 J.L. Chave Saint-Joseph Offerus                                                           
Similar to: 2004 Saint Cosme - Saint Joseph ($32)

On the nose this classic Rhone Syrah displayed notes of olive, lavender, and grilled meats. It had a rich dark color with concentrated flavors of red and black fruits such as plum, red currant and blackberry.

Third Course

Artisanal and Farmhouse Cheeses with Breads, Fruits, and Accompaniments

Chocolate Malt Ice Cream, Butterfinger, Chocolate Almond Croquette

The desserts provided the final touches on the meal, from the creamy texture of triple cream cheese to the cooling sensations of chocolate malt.

Mignardises

The final dessert cart offered a selection of fruit candies, homemade marshmallows, and chocolates.

Our meal at Cyrus was extremely well-balanced and executed with keen attention to detail. I look forward to returning in another season to try new dishes from a different flavor perspective and explore more of the selections from their international wine list.

I often get asked the question, “How do I learn more about wine?” The first thing I suggest is tasting as much as possible. Developing excellent sensory evaluation skills is paramount in wine education. Of course, the ideal scenario would be to travel to a noted wine region, make arrangements to visit an array of wineries, meet the winemaking staff, taste their selections and ask questions.

Unfortunately, many of us don’t have that luxury. However, your friendly retailer can offer the opportunity to expand your palate with regularly scheduled tastings. Boutique retailers and tasting bars are popping up everywhere, with all different specialties. With all these new opportunities, keeping yourself busy with tastings is a breeze!

Most retail tastings are open to the public and are quite reasonable on the pocketbook. Sampling a variety of wines in one venue is usually much more affordable than ordering a flight at a “shee shee” wine bar or restaurant. As a bonus, you get to take home a little education and in many cases have the opportunity to meet the import representative, winemaker or winery owner. If you’re lucky, the retailer might have a sampling of finger foods, cheese, bread and perhaps charcuterie.

May 1, 2008 marked an exciting new development for Vinfolio, Inc. as we launched our first in a series of public tasting events. This is not revolutionary, but for an online wine retailer, it is stepping out of the “e-box”, so to speak. Being exclusively online, we don’t often have the chance to meet and interact with our clients. This was the perfect setting to thank everyone for their loyal patronage.

Our downstairs neighbor, Coffee Bar, teamed up with us to co-host a “Global Discoveries”-themed event, featuring favorites from Cyrille Hanson’s “Tales of the Vine”. Twelve attractively priced gems from Europe and the Southern Hemisphere were showcased, generating tremendous excitement from attendees. It was the first time many had ever tasted an Italian Grechetto; Tempranillo from Toro, Spain; or a Montepulciano from Abruzzo, Italy, and senior staff members were on hand to field questions. Our first event was so successful that Coffee Bar’s upper lounge was packed to the gills; not surprisingly, everyone wanted to know when the next event would be.

We’re already busy setting up a more events for 2008 and the next tasting is coming up soon. Bay Area locals, save the date! We hope to see you on Thursday, June 12th for a tasting of California and Oregon Pinot Noir. More details to follow, but Doug Wilder, our California and Oregon buyer, will put together a lineup showcasing some of the brightest stars working with this ever-popular varietal. To learn more about the upcoming Pinot Event, contact David Ruvalcaba, Vinfolio Marketing Manager, at druvalcaba@vinfolio.com.

The Vinfolio Team hopes to see you at one of our tastings soon. In the meantime, don’t forget to exercise your palate on a regular basis!

Gevrey-Chambertin is the largest commune in the Cote de Nuits and has 9 grand crus and 26 premier crus in addition to the village level vineyards. The soil of Gevrey is composed of Comblanchien limestone and Bajocian marl (primarily clay). Classic Gevrey is characterized by a full, sturdy, rich and earthy style. Undoubtedly, the finest premier cru in Gevrey is Clos St-Jacques (6.7ha). Many would argue that it should be elevated to grand cru status; a similar argument has been made for Chambolle-Musigny’s Les Amoureuses or Vosne-Romanee’s Cros Parantoux.

There are only 5 owners of Clos St-Jacques:
•    Armand Rousseau
•    Louis Jadot
•    Michel Esmonin
•    Bruno Clair
•    Jean-Claude Fourrier
 
Rousseau is the finest producer of Clos St-Jacques and as testament to his belief in the power of this wine, Rousseau serves the Clos St-Jacques after four other grand crus - Mazis, Ruchottes, Charmes, and Clos de la Roche - and just before the Chambertin and Clos de Beze. From this vineyard, there are also negociant bottlings, but they don’t compare to the Domaines above.  

A fine Clos St-Jacques is the quintessential example of breed, power, finesse, and classic Gevrey earth. I am constantly on the lookout for my favorites of Rousseau Clos St-Jacques from the 1993, 1999, 2001, and 2002 vintages. These represent all that is classic Gevrey and all that is Burgundy.

Vinfolio has the following wines from Clos St-Jacques currently in stock:

2006 Bruno Clair - Gevrey Chambertin Clos St-Jacques 1er Cru (BH 91-93) $159

2004 Dominique Laurent - Gevrey Chambertin Clos St-Jacques 1er Cru (WS 92) $75

1983 Maison Leroy - Gevrey Chambertin Clos St-Jacques 1er Cru (BH 88) $149 

When planning your trip to Napa Valley, you’ve probably checked off of your list every dinner you’re planning to have, although you may not have considered where to enjoy your lunch. The best kept "secret" is brunch at Redd in Yountville (secret because not many gourmands have experienced it yet). 

Chef Richard Reddington has grown to great acclaim from years of honing his skills in both France and the Bay area. His style is as he describes it, "Napa Valley Food" - fresh, seasonal, and scrumptious. In my mind it beats dinner, allowing for a quieter atmosphere and brighter ambiance when the sun is streaming through the front windows.

I recommend starting with a glass of bubbly, such as the Egly-Ouriet Brut Prestige. Make sure to order some doughnut holes for the table at the time of the wine order. They’ll come piping hot to the table with chocolate, caramel, and raspberry dipping sauces. A stunning start. The highlight for brunch for me is a sashimi of hamachi served over sticky rice with edamame and lime ginger sauce. Other stunners are the breakfast pizza (you can ask to substitute smoked salmon for the prosciutto), huevos rancheros (traditional with chorizo), a lobster club sandwich with bacon and lemon aioli, and the caramelized diver scallops with cauliflower purée and balsamic reduction. For dessert, my top take is the peanut butter – milk chocolate Gianduja (a Swiss hazelnut chocolate confection), served with a peanut honeycomb parfait.

A nicely balanced Kistler Chardonnay will blend with most of the menu. With the meats, which are not overly hearty, a proper pinot will do. Go California with the Brewer Clifton or some Etude from Carneros. Corton le Rognet if you want some Burgundy for the table. Buy some bottles from Vinfolio to take with you. Corkage is nominal. Try it out and make a day of it, with a few winery visits in Rutherford as well (limos recommended). When you’ve finished, please reply to this blog and tell me if I was spot on with the suggestion.
 

2000 Egly-Ouriet - Brut Prestige Millesime $105

2003 Kistler – Chardonnay Hudson Vineyard (IWC 93, WS91) $84

2001 Kistler – Chardonnay Hudson Vineyard (IWC 95, WS 91) $89

1993 Ambroise, Bertrand – Corton Le Rognet (WA 90, WS 91) $125

2005 Brewer-Clifton – Pinot Noir Rio Vista Vineyard (WA 93) $47

2005 Etude – Pinot noir Temblor Vineyard Estate (VF 93) $60