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Subject: DC CRUE Eat & Drink-a-Thon: Caucus Room

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Fred

Wine Thief
Posts:2673

07/19/2004 1:37 PM
Fantastic time folks! Great food (I could eat that Caviar Mousse for breakfast) Awesome wine, and even better company. Sitting at the end provided it's share of positives and negatives. As alway's the wine service at Caucus is very good. The food was very good as well except I must side with Dinwiddie that my steak last time was better. The mousse was fantastic, the Pecan pie was good if not a bit dry. Apparently Mrs Raybanz makes the best pecan pie on the planet. One of these day's she'll have to prove it. I have more but I also have a pile of work to do. As work vino My WOTN was the Grenache followed by the Worthy and the Dow. That was the second 94 I've had and quite frankly I didn't think it was as good as the Warre. But I think with some more decanting time it would have been better integrated. Fred Winemaker: Chateaux 2by4

"It's better to have your enemies inside the tent pissing out, then outside the tent pissing in." -- Lyndon Johnson

travelrep

Northern Virginia

Barrel Filler
Posts:1091

07/19/2004 1:41 PM
So do you use American or French 2x4's?? T-Rep

Fred

Wine Thief
Posts:2673

07/19/2004 2:00 PM
Principally French oak, and not pressure treated.

"It's better to have your enemies inside the tent pissing out, then outside the tent pissing in." -- Lyndon Johnson

norm herring User is Offline

Grape Sorter
Posts:234

07/19/2004 6:42 PM
I will post my comments on the wine later- and it was Michigan wine. I do want to apologize to Raybanz as he was a moving target for my wine glass. Early in the evening I noticed the table by my glasses had a slight gap- where they had put two tables together. I tried to push them closer without success and I then just tried to be careful- but 10 or so tastes of wine later careful is more difficult-- and my port glass slipped into the void between the tables and gave a quick Raybanz a reason to jump. And Ray is quick-thank goodness. Then they brought me coffe and set it in the same spot and sloshed on the table and the table cloth looked like modern art. Sorry Ray-- and give my best to Rita-- Joyce and I enjoyed meeting her.

Pool Boy

Laurl, MD (DC suburb)

Master of Wine
Posts:13672

07/19/2004 7:26 PM
And I have pictures of the damage.

www.roguefood.com -- www.cellartracker.com

Fred

Wine Thief
Posts:2673

07/19/2004 7:40 PM
I wanna see, I wanna see. I've never seen anyone move that quick after having that much vino.

"It's better to have your enemies inside the tent pissing out, then outside the tent pissing in." -- Lyndon Johnson

ChangeMe

Barrel Filler
Posts:1475

07/20/2004 4:21 AM
Quote: I wanna see, I wanna see. I've never seen anyone move that quick after having that much vino. Despite my youthful appearance, I'm an old pro at drinking a lot and then having stuff spilled on me A splendid evening all around. I'm glad mrs. capitolkat was a late addition to the party because mrs. raybanz (of the deservedly famous pecan tart) had a blast talking to her. I got a strategic location between TJ, capitolkat, and fred, but will have to wait till next time to trade guffaws with Dinwiddie, Juggernt, Irwin, et al. The food was good. It would have been great except for the slightly dry pecan pie. I started with a cheesy and delicious little cast iron crock of oysters rockefellar. If the ribeye wasn't as good as it usually is, it must usually be pretty awesome, because I had a great piece of meat. The jus/gravy that came with the steak was also excellent. The mrs got the caviar mousse on cucumber with tomatoes and olives. The tomato bites were excellent; the olive bites were good but not as harmonious as the the tomato bites. I think the salty/briny flavor of the olives competed a little too much with the caviar. The mrs. then got the seafood ravioli and poached lobster which was also declared first rate. The side dishes (I had the mashed potatoes and sauteed mushrooms), the bread and finger food (olives and marinated tomatoes), and the coffee were all great. Juggernt got the double play as he brought the WOTN for me (1999 Lynch-Bages) and the mrs. (2003 Mulderbosch SB). Very strong honorable mentions from me for the 2002 Neal Rutherford Zin and 1999 Classic McLaren Grenache La Testa. I could have lingered over the reds (and my steak) for an extra hour or two and been quite pleased. Sigh....

ChangeMe

Grape Truck Driver
Posts:27

07/20/2004 10:59 AM
Down at our end of the table we didn't spill anything. It was remarkable how young Raybanz, Rita and Fred look. I have a vague recollection of looking that young once. I started with a tomato and red bell pepper bisque with parmesan and split a Caesar salad with my wife. She had tuna, which was perfectly cooked and came with some veggies. I had rack of lamb, which was deboned and nicely arranged with some couscous held in place with a swath of spinach. Nice demiglaze. I would echo the inability to mix with everyone as the only issue of the evening. Total chat time with Dinwiddie and Karen, TJ, Fred, Raybanz & Rita, and CapitalKat and Mrs. CK, were probably under 15 minutes for the whole night. The wines were quite good. I liked the Champagne. The Michigan wine was surprisingly good. Of course the Lynch-Bages was very fine and supple. WIth the long ride back to Baltimore ahead of us I tried to taste more than drink. My wine of the night wasn't consumed that night at all! Since we didn't get to the Barolo I brought, I snatched it from the table on the way out and brought it home. Had it Sunday night and Monday and it was really powerful, intense and deep. Thanks to all of you for letting me retrieve it. And thanks to several for letting us take the ribeye bones home to our dog. She was pleased, as well.

juggernt

Tampa, FL, USA

Wine Bottler
Posts:3380

07/20/2004 12:35 PM
I didn't think the ribeye was all that good, actually. I liked the garlic crusting, but all in all, I give it a firm "meh." The lobster was a tad overcooked, but still okay. Everything else was pretty damn tasty. I had the house salad and the seared foie gras. The potatoes, 'shrooms, and spinach were fine. After hearing Fred rave about the mousse, I wish I had given it a whirl. None of the wines WOWED me, but they were all very good.

Visit The Butcher Block at http://www.butcherblocktampa.com/

norm herring User is Offline

Grape Sorter
Posts:234

07/20/2004 1:00 PM
Irwin I echo your comments on the lack of opportunity to chat with fellow forumites. It was a good looking group and the table was attractive and the service was superior. I enjoyed meeting Juggernaut and the rocket scientist and I got a wave off to Irwin and his MRS. Ms CK had a good time mainly because of an immediate bond with MS Raybanz. They both talked about what a wonderful lunch they could have with friends and a bottle or two of the 2003 Mulderbosch Sauvignon Blanc- maybe not so much lunch but Mulderbosch. Ms CK then revealed our plans to travel to S. Africa next March and what was one day devoted to Cape vineyards- now is probably two days to sample the wines . I've said it before that seldom does a white wine get mentioned for wine for the night but this time there were a couple of wines that made my palatte pay attention. The Billecart NV Salmon Brut was a wonderful toasting wine that kicked off the eventing with pear notes, good balance , bright acidity, and a smooth finish. Later the Patz &Hall 02 Chard surprised me with its spicy beginning, mellow but not overly buttery flavor and absence of strong oak. . I'm not a big Chard fan but I would buy this wine as it's a wonderful summer alternative to Pinot Gris or Sauvignon Blanc. I've spoken about the Mulderbosch- Ms CK's wine of the night . The Michigan wine was an 02 Traminette from Tabor Hill winery in South west Michigan. It's a Gurwertz clone developed by Cornell U about 10 years ago crossing Guwertz and Reisling. I'm really glad it was pleasing as we enjoy it with casual summer dining- Juggernaut- who has a good taster- could not believe it was a domestic. I find it bright, slightly sweet but not overly so, with floral nose, a good acid balance and sufficient heft to give it a decent finish. Others have spoken to the Neal 02 Rutherford Zin and 01Cab. The Zin is ready to drink now with good fruit and finish. I don't think it will last too many years while the Cab needs a few more years to show its stuff. The McLaren Grenache was quite tasty but I have no notes of individual characteristics. I lingered over the Lynch-Bages trying to discern any particularly telling qualities. In reflection it was balanced, smooth , but I discerned no particlular notes - maybe my taster was going down hill at this point. I don't think it was closed , but it was certainly hiding any indentifiable notes from me. Since I brought the Worthy and others have given it a high grade I'll accept their comments- and it could use about a two hour decant before drinking. It will hold its own- in my mind -for 5-7 years Irwin - I'm glad you cleared that up as I was going to punt on the tasting note for the Barolo- as I have nothing between the Lynch-Bages and the Port. The Port took a fall in the gap in my table- but not before I got a taste. Ms CK and I have just recently started sampling Ports and the 94 Dow was a good example of the Dow vintner's work. Full bodied, dark red/brown, coats the tongue, looong finish. TJ- the Spanish wine certainly stumped us as I was in the Aussie Shiraz camp- Great complexity, earth tones, some dark fruit, and a slighly musty finish that will probably blow off or dissipate with age. On the food- Ms CK was disappointed with her steak au poiv. It was dry and not as flavorful as a $41 steak should be, and we both thought the sides were uninspired- the mashed potatoes and creamed spinich were extremely average. We both enjoyed our starters- Ms CK with the fois gras, and I had the tempura soft shell crab. As mentioned the pecan tart was dry and I would like to bet both MS CK and Ms Raybanz can beat the pants off that presentation. My WOTN- It was too close to call between the Worthy, Patz&Hall, Neal Zin, and in a totally different direction- The Traminette. Cheers-- friends

norm herring User is Offline

Grape Sorter
Posts:234

07/20/2004 8:17 PM
TJ- I'm looking to see the results of my decorating the table-- Where are those pics???

Pool Boy

Laurl, MD (DC suburb)

Master of Wine
Posts:13672

07/20/2004 9:10 PM
I will try to get them uploaded tonight. IIRC, they are very artistic. Sort of like an ink blot.

www.roguefood.com -- www.cellartracker.com

Pool Boy

Laurl, MD (DC suburb)

Master of Wine
Posts:13672

07/21/2004 12:45 AM
There are, fortunately or unfortunately, very few pictures. And virtually none of the attendees. I guess we were all having too much fun! I did set up an album for you to view the pictures, please take note of the Art by CapitolKat!! Here's thelink . I think it works, let me know if you have any trouble!

www.roguefood.com -- www.cellartracker.com

texaswino

Barrel Sampler
Posts:2184

07/21/2004 2:24 AM
Nice pics, but do you have to spill so much wine????

Budman

Master of Wine
Posts:11841

07/21/2004 8:45 AM
TW... Must be a DC Cru ritual!

ChangeMe

Grape Truck Driver
Posts:27

07/21/2004 11:04 AM
TJ: Nice pictures, but what the heck were you guys doing spilling all that stuff at the north end of the table? The photo of the wine bottles has only one empty Champagne bottle. I think the Piper didn't make the photo.

Pool Boy

Laurl, MD (DC suburb)

Master of Wine
Posts:13672

07/21/2004 12:34 PM
Quote: Nice pics, but do you have to spill so much wine???? Capitolkat must have transferred his catlike reflexes to raybanz...He moved kitty-cat fast!

www.roguefood.com -- www.cellartracker.com

juggernt

Tampa, FL, USA

Wine Bottler
Posts:3380

07/21/2004 12:54 PM
I left my camera on the table here, or there would have been more pics, especially of the people.

Visit The Butcher Block at http://www.butcherblocktampa.com/

juggernt

Tampa, FL, USA

Wine Bottler
Posts:3380

07/21/2004 1:53 PM
Here are my notes. They're not full enough for full TNs because I was busy socializing. P-H NV Champagne: Creamy and toasty, like Champagne should be. A bit of a sharp nose. Billecart NV Brut: Smooth effervescence, not aggressive like many sparklers. Crisper than the P-H. Mystery Wine #1 (Norm's Michigan Gerwurz/Riesling clone/blend): Big floral nose. Peach and mango on the palette. Sweet without being cloying. Patz & Hall Chard: Pear and vanilla on the nose. Spiciest white I've ever tasted. Worth a 2nd try, I think. Mystery wine #2 (Numathia Toro 2000): This one had us all guessing. Many of us thought it was a Zin. Jammy nose, like a Shiraz, pepper and blackberry on the palette. Neil Zin: Spicy plum with a hint of milk chocolate. Norm said "freshness you can drink all year 'round" Neil Cab '01: Obviously a cab, but more candy than I expected. Very, very tight. I left mine sitting for a while and it showed a great deal of cherry. Worthy Cab '01: Also very tight. Another obvious cab. Big, big fruit, spicy graphite overtones. Continued to grow. Later showed an interesting hint of caramel. Mulderbosch SB '03: I didn't get any! It was certainly a hit with the ladies, though, so WOTN for me Lynch-Bages '99: "What wine should taste like." Very good, not great LB. Well-balanced. A bit too straightforward. I expect a little more complexity out of my Bordeaux. It was difficult to pick much out of it. '99 Classic McLaren Grenache La Testa: Smells more like a Zin. Candied fruit, rhubarb, and cherry. Well-balanced but a bit understated. Other folks liked this more than I did. Dow '94 Port: Sweet licorice nose, licorice, golden raisin, and minemeat on the palette. If the Worthy had had like 6 hours in the decanter or 6 years in the cellar, it would have probably been my favorite. The Rocket Scientist's only wine quote was "I finally realized that I just don't like cabs."

Visit The Butcher Block at http://www.butcherblocktampa.com/

Pool Boy

Laurl, MD (DC suburb)

Master of Wine
Posts:13672

07/23/2004 6:47 PM
OK. I finally finished my TN links. Here they are-- Billecart Salmon Brut Champagne NV Piper Heideseck NV Champagne 2002 Tabor Hill Winery Traminette SW Michigan 2002 Patz & Hall Chardonnay Dutton Ranch 2000 Numanthia Toro 2002 Neal Rutherford Zinfandel 1994 Dows Vintage Port I must confess I barely had more than a sip or two of this. Between that and palate fatigue I cannot really comment. D’oh!! 2003 Mulderbosch Sauvignon Blanc I regret that we did not get the whole table to try this wine, myself included as the folks who did try it raved about it. I must get me to a shop to buy a bottle and try it. Is it a readily available thingie? 1995 Fratelli Revello Barolo It was unfortunate we did not get to this wine at all. I’d love to see what this would have tasted like. But perhaps it’s better we did not get to it, or I might be poorer now, having perhaps dashed off to go buy me some Barolos. I had a great time. The food was pretty good, but my softshell crab tempura thing was the best thing. The bone-in rib eye was delicious and large, but it was not mind blowing. The shrooms side was pretty good, too. The wine was quite good. The company and conversation was great. I was sitting between raybanz and juggernt and was basically squarely in the middle of the table. This was nice since I could also talk to dinwiddie, his wife and son pretty easily, as well as with capitolkat. It was a bit more difficult to chat with the outlying folks, but I did manage a convo with Mrs. juggernt about UM and some more abbreviated convos with irwin and Fred. As always, the thing that is great about these larger get togethers is that you get to meet everyone and share lots of wine and have a great time. But it's also that much more difficult to get to chat with everyone since once you're seated you are pretty much in the same spot all night. Ah well, all the more reason to do this more right? All in all a very nice evening!!

www.roguefood.com -- www.cellartracker.com

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