Text 5626, 119 rader
Skriven 2011-01-08 21:24:00 av JIM WELLER (1:123/140)
Ärende: Visitors
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We had a pleasant surprise visit from Ray and Neekha this weekend.
He had a snowmobile to sell and some other business to wrap up.
Neekha brought Meaghan, her best friend from Peace River along and
they soon called Jamie, her best friend in Yellowknife over. (Jamie
is Yellowknife's and perhaps the world's only Inuit-Filipina.) The
three girls have been inseparable these past 48 hours.

I wanted to make Saturday's supper special so I dug up a prime rib
roast from the freezer that I had been saving for just such an
occasion. For the spice rub I used Back Eddy steak seasoning,
additional black pepper and some dried rosemary that I whizzed into
a powder in my spice mill along with a teaspoon of flour to improve
crusting and a teaspoon of sugar to enhance browning. Into a 550 F
oven for 20 minutes to brown and then slow roasted for 4 hours with
the oven turned off. When I went to check on it, it was still very,
very rare... unacceptable to all but me so I gave it half an hour
more at 400 while I warmed up the oven for the Yorkshire puddings, a
favourite of Ray's. I then put water in the pan (the roast was on a
raised rack), tented it with foil and held it on the stove top with
the burner on its lowest setting for 45 minutes while I made the
puds. Even for all that, it was still medium-rare, very moist and
buttery tender. It was still too rare to please most of the diners,
so when I sliced it I dipped the slices in the hot Au Jus for a few
seconds before serving (not my own centre cut piece though!)

Sides of mashed chipotle sweet potato, Brussels sprouts, and
cauliflower went well. As well as the Yorkshire puddings I made a
batch of "dough gods", pancake shaped pan fried slices of bread
dough, a favourite of Neekha's. Meaghan, who is Cree, commented that
they were like weird bannock. (I had made English tea biscuits
earlier that morning for breakfast... more weird bannock!)

For wine, I uncorked the bottle I had found in my Christmas
stocking. The cutsey name made me dubious, Leopard Frog Kiss & Tell,
as did the frog on the label. But this was the exception to the rule
about cute or ferocious animal wines and whimsical names. It was
magnificent... deep garnet, almost black, long legs, a bold nose,
berries and cherries, soft tannins, balanced acidity, complex layers
of fruit, herb and spice tastes, not hot despite its high alcohol
content, a lingering, slightly smoky finish.

From the maker's website:

KISS & TELL RESERVE Limited Release 2004

"Leopard Frog is the vision of winemaker and proprietor David John
Bate, a 4th generation Canadian and the 13th recorded generation of
the Bate family of English and Swiss descent to work the lands of
Europe, North America, Australia and Africa.

Kiss & Tell Reserve personifies the perfect balance between Old
World elegance and New World verve. A couture blend of Old World and
New World varietals hand-harvested, hand-selected and hand-crafted
to create a truly enchanting lifestyle experience, Kiss & Tell
Reserve delivers a wealth of immediately gratifying sensations but
also promises a more complex relationship with time. Old World
Elegance, New World Verve.

Winemakers' Notes:

Vintage 2004
Varietal Shiraz (38%) Merlot (38%) Malbec (12%) Mourvedre (12%)
Wine of Origin Stellenbosch
24 months in French oak:
Combination of new wood and second fill wood
Alcohol 14.5%
Production 16 Barrels

(Even though his boutique winery only produces 16 barrels a year, at
least one case found its way to the wine store in Fort McMurray
where Raine works part-time!)
              
Tasting Notes:

Appearance Deep opaque magenta core extending to medium purple rim
pushing a watery edge. Clear, brilliant lustre and luminosity with
strong legs that foreshadow full bodied wine. Nose Big, bold first
impression with nuances of wild blackberries, ripe raspberries,
black cherries and sweet black licorice complemented by whiffs of
West Indies spices such as whole cloves, nutmeg and black
peppercorns. Hints of chocolate and dusty earthiness allude to apt
use of wood. Taste Mouth filling with soft, seductive tannins.
Well-balanced acidity underpins velvety mouth feel. Initial
intensity of flavours include black plums, burnt black cherries and
candied black currants finessed by mid-palate nuances of red
peppers, rosemary and Burgundy anise with trailing undertones of
vanilla and cinnamon. Rounded, lingering farewell with smoky,
humidor box finish.

Notes From The Winemaker: Deep, intense, nearly opaque vivid garnet
red with clear, brilliant lustre and luminosity and strong legs that
foreshadow full bodied wine with substantial tannins and fruit
characteristics. On the nose: Big, bold first impression anticipates
richness of fruit characteristics forthcoming in wine. Intriguing,
immediately attractive aroma invites further investigation. Subtle,
appropriate acknowledgement of wood. Complex bouquet lingers nicely
on the nose. On the palate: Mouth filling with soft, seductive
tannins. Well balanced acidity and well knit bone structure. Unique
marriage of Old World and New World varietals unfolds complex,
harmonious, subtle layers of sensations with nuances of
blackberries, black currants, plums and peppers intermingled with
hints of chocolate and coffee. Velvety, sensuous finish and well
rounded, lingering farewell."

Sadly, with it's limited production and distribution I may never get
to taste it again.

 

Cheers

YK Jim


... It was so good I entered into a trance

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