Posts tagged ‘cellar’
Latour & the Wine Cellar Continue to Impress
A spectacular dinner took place in the award-winning Wine Cellar of Restaurant Latour on July 19th, featuring some of the world’s most sought-after labels. The value of the bottles of wine together totaled over $50,000 and paired perfectly with a custom menu (pictured below) prepared by Chef de Latour John Benjamin. Owner Gene Mulvihill was in attendance and this special meal did not disappoint.
Crystal Springs’ Executive Chef Michael Weisshaupt called the gathering “amazing.” He said, “There is no dinner I have ever seen with better wines than this one tonight.”
Sommelier Susanne Lerescu shared her thoughts on the event: “To me this was a serious dinner. In fact, I would call it a once-in-a-lifetime dinner. To taste all these wines in one night is a sommelier’s dream and as good as it gets. These are some of the very best wines ever produced (pictured below) and most people don’t even get to try one bottle in their lifetime.”
Perhaps the biggest highlight of the evening was the uncorking of a 1929 vintage of Chateau Latour.
“The 1929 Latour was opened, tasted and poured immediately. An 83-year-old wine doesn’t need to be decanted, since it is now delicate and fragile,” explained Lerescu. “Many times I compare wine to us humans – after living a full lifetime, you don’t want to play rough anymore. So we just caressed the glass the wine was in and slowly took in the light aromas it offered, subtle notes of dried fruit and a little cedar; but when sipping the wine I was surprised about the dried cherry flavor it offered, the little hint of tobacco leaves and the balance it showed. The finish was so smooth and surprisingly long. I like to be surprised by a wine and this 1929 Chateau Latour did just that!”
Rooms in the wine cellar can be rented out for private parties for all occasions. Call 973-827-5996 ext. 3 to reserve.
Primitivo: The Barolo of the South
By Samantha Shaw, Assistant Sommelier, Restaurant Latour
Recent DNA testing has shown Primitivo to possess the exact same genetic makeup as the popular California grape, Zinfandel. Oddly enough, both varieties’ origins are traced back to Croatia. And while the grapes may be identical in theory, the wines they produce have distinct differences. Whereas Zinfandel is one of the largest varieties produced in California, Primitivo is found most often in southern Italy where the grape is keen to the naturally warmer climate.
Primitivo’s home province is Apuglia (sometimes called Puglia), located in the “heel” of Italy’s boot, pictured below. Like Zinfandel, wines made from Primitivo have notes of plum and spice, but because of different growing soils and climate, the fruit character is less jammy and the structure more akin to old world wines, with rustic notes of earthy spice as well as tamed fruit flavors.
The wine cellarhere at Crystal Springs has reached its utmost capacity, filled to the brim with the best wines of the world. Though we’re certainly not complaining, it is a constant battle trying to find a new home for wines we take in. Nevertheless, when you come across a gem like Milleuna’s Majara Primitivo, 2007, you simply can’t say no. Produced in southern Italy, the Majara (shown below) is a perfect portrayal of the Primitivo grape in all of its glory.
When Head Sommelier Susanne Lerescu and I tried this wine last week, we were both blown away – aged for almost 10 years, but still packed with dark red fruit, and still clearly maintaining its lively acidity, meaning this wine will only get better with age. (I would drink it now, if only it were acceptable to drink Primitivo at 11 a.m. on a Wednesday!) This is a food wine 100 percent; dark red meat would compliment this rustic red. Just imagine what’s consumed in Italy, and it would taste great with that. All of it. Over the years it has no doubt softened a little in body and texture, making it approachable to drink now.
This wine is bold, packed with a punch at every sip, and bursting in the mouth. It’s said that if a wine sipped makes you yearn for another sip, then it’s good. If that’s the case, the Majara is a great wine because it makes you want to finish the bottle (with some friends of course). You don’t even taste the heat, though 2007 was a very hot vintage. The way the grapes form, these vines require no trellising, which means they are grown right from the ground. However, there is a small canopy above them to shield the grapes from too much sun so they don’t over ripen. In fact, the 2007 was so warm that some of the grape skins were burnt, but Milleuna used that to their advantage, and it gives the wine a subtle sweetness right on the finish.
If you come across this wine, buy a couple of bottles, and don’t save them just for special occasions. This wine alone IS the special occasion.
* Join us Sunday, May 6th in the Napa Room at the Crystal Springs Clubhouse for a Wine Education Seminar and Cellar Tour from 2:30-4:30 p.m! The cost is $30 per person for the public and $25 per person for social members. Call 973-827-5996, ext. 3 to register!
