Once again. Jonathan Lachs and Susan Marks from Cedarville invited Larry Stein and I to help out at the Cedarville Table for the Rhone Rangers tasting. We always get together for dinner afterward, so this year, Larry secured a table for six at Piperade.

I invited Chrisitne Huang and Alder Yarrow to join us. Alder and I had never met, but based on his notes on his wine blogVinography our palates align. We had corresponded and unsuccessfully tried to connect previously.

WCWN folks and especially ebob denizens know Chrisitne. If you move fast enough, you may catch up to her in either the advertising or skiing meccas of this country. We are lucky to have her in the Bay Area for a while. She credits me with her first taste of Pegau. What a monster I may have wrought!

We had nearly an hour to kill btween the tasting and dinner, so I drove Christine on a loop that included Chrissy Field. The Presidio, The Cliff House, Ocean Beach and Golden Gate Park. We arrived on time, feeling very relaxed.

Piperade is another of Gerald Hirigoyen's successful restaurants, but you can't help thinking his soul is really in this one.G. H. and Piperade

A recent change of menu prompted my recon visit on Thursday. I had a chance to meet John who handles the bar and Tom, the chef. I tried some of the new menu items, and bounced a few wine pairing ideas off of John, who was more familiar with the menu. Tom solicited my honest opinion (both goiod and bad) about the new items. We both thought the Aspargus Flan that anchored the Chilled White and Green Asparagus with Duck Proscuitto needed some flavor lift. I suggested adding snap peas to the puree. He achieved the same effect with sugar. It was a fantastic match with our kick-off glass of 1985 Krug.

I've included Alder's wine notes, since we think alike, and heck, he's already done the work.

Light bronze in the glass this wine had a lovely aged nose of old parchment and browned butter. In the mouth it had very fine, small bubbles in loose clusters, with primary flavors of browned bread, parchment, and a bit of pomelo zest. The wine still posessed a nice acidity which supported a supple mouthfeel and moderate finish.

The Basque Tapas style menu with it's abundant choices lent itself well to the variety of wines that were brought to share.

Taloa (flatbread) with Seared Sea Scallops and Chile & Chorizo Relish
1996 Chateau de la Gardine Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc, Vielles Vignes
A light gold color with a tinge of brown in the glass this wine had heady aromas of candied nuts. In the mouth it had a gorgeous feeling on the palate with light flavors of citrus, cashews, cream anglaise, and a light touch of mustiness as it headed for a nice long finish.

Warm Sheep's Milk Cheese and Ham Terrine with Apple Salad and Aged Sherry
1992 Eitelsbacher - Karthauserhofberg Riesling Spatlese
Pale gold with a hint of green in the glass, this wine has a bright, fresh nose with aromas of fresh quince and minerals. In the mouth it has a slight spritz to it with flavors of green apples and jasmine that might be brighter if the wine had a bit more acid to it. (my note: one of the finest food/wine matches of the night. The Serrano and Manchego flavors were very concentated yielding a saltiness that this excellent riesling complemented.

Veal Stew "Axoa" braised with Peppers
2000 Pago de los Capellanes, Tinto Riserva, Ribera Del Duero
Medium garnet in the glass, this wine has a perfumed nose of sweet oak, cherry cordials, and a hints of tobacco. In the mouth it is round and balanced with fine tannins that support primary flavors of cherry cola and black cherries that drive to a very long finish laced with sweet oak.

At this point, we became Guinea pigs for Christine who wanted some opinions on the `99 Pavie from a Premier Cru .375 that has become the catalyst for a persistant ebob discussion. Neither Larry nor I like modern styled Bordeauxs, so we wern't impartial judges. Didn't hide it's alcohol well. Alder's notes: A medium ruby color in the glass this wine has a perky nose that manages to be both meaty and fruity at the same time, with a hint of chocolate and cherry mixed into aromas of baking meats. In the mouth it posesses a claret-style brightness of fruit with primary flavors of cherry, mocha, and cola that taper to a pleasing but slightly hot finish.

Piperade has some great stews and daubes. The Basque stew we had earlier was terrific, so we ordered he other two to go with the Pegau.
Piperade with Sauteed Serrano Ham and Poached Egg.
Spring Pork Daube with Fava Beans and Morels

1990 Domaine de Pegau Chateauneuf-du-Pape Cuvee Reserveee
Medium ruby in the glass this wine has an old world nose of barnyard and bacon fat that gives way to light notes of black fruit. In the mouth it is soft and supple with gorgeous tannins that wrap around a core of dried canberries, cherries, and worn leather. The wine has a perfect balance and a gorgeous finish. (my note: this wine is in no danger of fading. I commented that it seemed to get younger as the evening progressed.

1985 Noel Verset Cornas -- corked

Marinated lamb chops with manchego potato gratin.

We matched these with a couple of `90 Cote Rotie's from old vines, but traditional vs modern winemaking styles:
1990 Gentaz-Dervieux "Cote Brune" Cote-Rotie
This wine is a bright medium ruby color in the glass with a nose of bacon fat cranberries and woodsmoke. In the mouth it is old school Northern Rhone all the way, with soft cranberry and pomegranate flavors, incredibly well integrated tannins, just enough acidity to power the whole train, and a long, long, smooth, smooth finish.

1990 Rostaing "Cote Blond" Cote-Rotie
This wine is a bright medium ruby color in the glass with a powerful nose of candied violets, sweet oak, and a hint of lavender. In the mouth it is all black raspberries and cherries with a very silky mouthfeel that is supported by an excellent tannic structure that trails off into a powerfully long and dynamic finish.

Selection of artisanal cheeses
1975 Bodegas Toro Albala Pedro Ximinez Gran Riserva, Cordoba, Spain
This wine is the color you get when you mix brown and purple finger paints together in elementary school. It has a strong nose of sundried raisins and figs. In the mouth it is slippery and thick with primary flavors of chocolate, espresso, and figs and a high level of sweetness.

Orange blossom beignets & Caramel custard
1999 Hallgartener Jungfer Reisling-Rheingau Spatlese
Pale, pale gold in the glass this wine has a typical light kerosene aspect to its nose, with aromas of apples and honeydew melon. In the mouth it is medium-sweet with a slight spritz and contains primary flavors of unripe apples and crushed limestone that tapered to a finish that had a dried apricot note. With a little more acid it might be a more lively wine, but the flavors were undeniably tasty.

The beignets were fabulous. The perfumy fruitiness of the Orange Blossom addition played against the fried and doughy flavors of the beignets.