Wines with Easter Dinner

[James Roscoe]

I know many of you are not participants in this particular festival, but it is a good excuse to roast a lamb. In fact for most of my life it was the only day of the year I was served lamb. For others I realize ham is the festive meat of choice. I am even seeing adds for turkey and rib roasts in the newspaper. What are you eating on Sunday? More importantly, will you be pouring anything special? What wines will you pour? How much asparagus will be consumed? What is the dessert of choice? Let's roll it out here!

I'll be having dinner at my sister's in Maine and I'm in charge of the wines. She's doing a crown roast of pork, so I think I'll be taking a 2006 home made bubbly, a 2009 home made Riesling and a 2007 Mountain Road Pinot Noir (Warm Lake Estate second label). While not meant for dessert, I'm also taking my sister several packs of DiCamillo biscotti (on sale - buy 1 get 1 free).

I shall be joining friends in Jaffa for their festive meal. The only thing that I can be certain will be on the menu will be a whole grilled lamb. At an educated guess, I would think there shall also be a very large plate of raw herbs and garlic cloves with which to start the meal; copious amounts of Greek Easter bread on the table; an abundance of grilled vegetables; and as dessert most likely a raspberry topped mahlabi.

I am bringing several bottles of wine with me - two each of Carmel's Limited Edition, Katzrin and Margalit's Special Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (all from the 2005 vintage).

A joyous holiday to all who celebrate Easter. And to those who do not, a joyous period of Spring and the season of "re-birth".

Best
Rogov

What are you eating on Sunday? More importantly, will you be pouring anything special? What wines will you pour? How much asparagus will be consumed? What is the dessert of choice? Let's roll it out here!

Probably nothing special on any front. Although we may make a dessert, which is a rarity and a special event in and of itself (usually just eat fruit).

I did buy some asparagus this weekend but unfortunately up here it is not yet local!

Usually I roast a semi-boneless leg of lamb, but this year we'll be at another person's home and they don't feel like cooking much, so instead of my usual Rhone (either syrah-based or Chateauneuf), Bordeaux, or Bandol, I'll be bringing the wines, since I am 'the wine-guy', and haven't really decided yet. So far, I'm thinking along the lines of a Cava, a light pinot noir, cab franc, Beaujolais, a Sicillian, and possibly a chenin blanc afterward. Choices, so many choices!~

James, it'll just be Liz and me having wine with dinner (Lamb or roast pork, not ham) so I'm thinking a bottle of '04 Lagier-Meredith Syrah. It may have several more years to go but it'll be wonderful. I'm sure.

I debated about making a reservation at Elliott's on Linden in Pinehurst (roast leg of lamb, stuffed chicken breast or veal saltimbocca were the entree choices) but decided to eat at home. It will be ham with au gratin potatoes and possibly pound cake and strawberries for dessert. I think I'll be opening a 2006 Kosta Browne Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir but may also be finishing a bottle of Albarino which I will open tonight. Last night we had a Maundy Thursday service at church with an instructional seder meal and lamb stew (vegetarian soup as well for those that don't eat meat.) Rabbi Levanon provided the seder instruction for us a couple times and now we do it ourselves. We formed a friendship with the rabbi when our church hosted a "Genesis" series based on the William Moyer series on PBS. We also had the participation of the local iman and some of the Muslim community.

Betsy is playing Sunday afternoon, I'm going to a party at her sister's (it's going to be gorgeous and probably mostly outdoors, so I'll probably bring white or rose)
Then we're having some friends over for dinner, leg of lamb. Probably Bordeaux, but if prep or sides (I am cook, haven't decided yet) dictates, might switch to Rhone

Wow it's going to be a gorgeous Easter in NY! We'll be out on the East End of Long Island starting off with ravioli, probably with a ZIn my brother will bring. Bone-In Leg of lamb for the main course, gotta have lamb on Easter! With the lamb a 1973 Rioja Alta 904 and a 1986 Meyney. Homemade pineapple upside down cake for dessert and then a nice long walk in the 70+ degree air to see what's blooming!

My older sister will be having the Easter dinner this year (to give my mom a break), so we’ll all be heading to her house. She promised my father, she would prepare the “traditional” Easter dinner. Deviled eggs, assortment of cheeses, breads, and crackers, dandelion soup with beef broth and mini-meatballs, ravioli, leg of lamb, asparagus and egg with diced prosciutto, sweet potatoes, and stuffed mushrooms. I’ll bring plenty bottles of homemade Zin and Barbera. Enjoy the Holiday everyone!

Salute

Wow it's going to be a gorgeous Easter in NY! //! With the lamb a 1973 Rioja Alta 904 and a 1986 Meyney.

Indeed, incredible weekend. I love the 86 Meyney, it and the 89 are my all time favorites. Haven't had the 904, but some recent 73 Lopez de Heredia were superb.

Jon, that is a good choice. We are also roasting a semi-boneless leg of lamb. Will pop an '04 Tobin James, Silver Reserve, Syrah with it! May have to go with something else too as I'm not sure how wine drinkers will be here.

Wow it's going to be a gorgeous Easter in NY! //! With the lamb a 1973 Rioja Alta 904 and a 1986 Meyney.

Indeed, incredible weekend. I love the 86 Meyney, it and the 89 are my all time favorites. Haven't had the 904, but some recent 73 Lopez de Heredia were superb.

Glad to hear that on both counts Dale! Haven't had the 904 in well over a year and it'll be my first bottle of the Meyney from a case I've had in perfect cellar conditions for a number of years. Wishing A Happy Holiday to All! Tom

Well that 904 was really delicious! Soft, fragrant, delicious old rioja that came across as almost a little sweet in a way. Really wonderful with the lamb!

As for the Meyney , I popped it 6 or 7 hours before dinner pouring out a glass an hour before and returning it to the bottle. The wine was quite closed. It seemed to have depth but really didn't show too much and had a bitterness on the finish. I saved some for the next day but it was pretty much the same. Looking up the vintage on Parker's vintage chart I noticed he lists the 1986's from this part of Bordeaux as still being "tannic, youthful, or slow to mature". I wonder if this wine is still years away from it's sweet spot or if it may never really get there. Confusing to me. I've read notes on CT from folks who felt this wine was fully mature and even beyond that, perhaps a lot has to do with how the wines were stored. Mine have been in perfect off site storage for the past 15 or more years!

Just wondering, anyone have an opinion as to what they would do with these wines?

Well that 904 was really delicious! Soft, fragrant, delicious old rioja that came across as almost a little sweet in a way. Really wonderful with the lamb!

As for the Meyney , I popped it 6 or 7 hours before dinner pouring out a glass an hour before and returning it to the bottle. The wine was quite closed. It seemed to have depth but really didn't show too much and had a bitterness on the finish. I saved some for the next day but it was pretty much the same. Looking up the vintage on Parker's vintage chart I noticed he lists the 1986's from this part of Bordeaux as still being "tannic, youthful, or slow to mature". I wonder if this wine is still years away from it's sweet spot or if it may never really get there. Confusing to me. I've read notes on CT from folks who felt this wine was fully mature and even beyond that, perhaps a lot has to do with how the wines were stored. Mine have been in perfect off site storage for the past 15 or more years!

Just wondering, anyone have an opinion as to what they would do with these wines?

Tom,
We opened a Champagne (Henriot) and '00 Meyney with Easter lamb. '00 is not my favorite vintage but approachable with classic nose and components, just a little big. I have had the '86 several times and have never had a problem. It will last longer but enjoyable to drink now. Sounds like you opened a bad bottle. Certainly don't remember any bitterness. Meyney has had some ups and downs, particularly after the sale by Cordier, but in general a pretty solid wine and reasonable.
Walt

[quote="wrcstl"
Tom,
We opened a Champagne (Henriot) and '00 Meyney with Easter lamb. '00 is not my favorite vintage but approachable with classic nose and components, just a little big. I have had the '86 several times and have never had a problem. It will last longer but enjoyable to drink now. Sounds like you opened a bad bottle. Certainly don't remember any bitterness. Meyney has had some ups and downs, particularly after the sale by Cordier, but in general a pretty solid wine and reasonable.
Walt[/quote]


Hope you're right Walt, maybe just a bad bottle. I'll have to try another one soon and see. I have enjoyed all the Cordier wines I've had in the past, although they weren't '86s. If the next one disappoints maybe I'll forget about them for a few years and then try again. Tom

Hi James,

We had fresh rosemary encrusted roasted pork tenderloin with a mushroom sauce that, in my mind, called out for pinot noir. My brother James brought a pinot from Argentina, a 2008 Luigi Bosca pinot reserve and I brought a 2006 bourgogne called Burgundy Hills. We both liked the bourgogne better than the Argentinian pinot which seemed to have a bit of uncharacteristically tannic bite to it for a pinot. The Burgundy Hills was a nicely balanced pinot with good acidity, tart cherries, a medium to long finish and matched up nicely with the pork and mushrooms.

[James Roscoe]

We had rare rack of lamb with a lovely Cotes du Rhones Villages which I didn't write down and A couple of nice bottles from California. (where is Jon Webster these days?) We also had a smoked leg of lamb that was wonderful and piles of asparagus, potato salad, carrot raisin salad, spinach salad, and other goodies.

With the spiral ham we had some knock your-socks-off spatlese Riesling that was singing! It had great balance and minerality and really balanced the Provence mustard (the green stuff!) that we had. Again, I don't remember the name. There was also a Rousanne from Australia and a great Spanish Blanco!

We actually started the day with a French cremant Jean-Louise? and cheese! Yummo!

Sounds like there was a lot of good stuff going down last weekend..

the Provence mustard (the green stuff!)..

Green mustard?

Is that from green peppercorns?

A phenomenal dinner party with friends at their country farm retreat on the way to Bowral over the Easter weekend. I supplied the wine, the fare, from our hosts.

Starters - well matured/perfectly breathed Tasmanian Heritage double brie upon nashi pear slices - a great match with an exquisite bottle of 1995 Dom Perignon (94).

Entree - ripe rock melon wrapped in Parma prosciutto - Trimbach 1989 CFE Riesling VT (96) - another match made in heaven. Even better bottle here than the last one I opened a few days prior.

Mains - garlic and rosemary infused Weber-baked Leg of Lamb, Thai salad with a roast potato - 1985 Chateau Palmer (Margaux) (94) - what a gorgeously mature Claret - and have a guess - proved a great match to the "melt in your mouth" pink lamb.

Dessert - Strawberries marinated in Champagne topped with a very special blend of Gippsland yoghurt and very rich cream with home-grown passion fruit swirl served with a most beautiful bottle of fully mature and amazingly complimentary, 1983 Chateau Suidaraut (Sauternes) (93).

With very high calibre espresso coffee a very small amount from a pristine and stellar bottle of 1971 Stonyfell Metala Langhorne Creek Vintage Port. (93).

A memorable night of great wine and food.

Hi James,

We had fresh rosemary encrusted roasted pork tenderloin with a mushroom sauce that, in my mind, called out for pinot noir. My brother James brought a pinot from Argentina, a 2008 Luigi Bosca pinot reserve and I brought a 2006 bourgogne called Burgundy Hills. We both liked the bourgogne better than the Argentinian pinot which seemed to have a bit of uncharacteristically tannic bite to it for a pinot. The Burgundy Hills was a nicely balanced pinot with good acidity, tart cherries, a medium to long finish and matched up nicely with the pork and mushrooms.

Hi Tom!
I would be interested in hearing how you went about doing that pork roast for Easter d\inner. I just picked up a full pork loin that I will cut into (for the most part) pork roasts, and will also cut some of it into medallions. Some of the medallions I will pound into pork cutlets and do them in a German style something like a schnitzel. For the schnitzel, I will explore grinding some dried mushroom to a dust and mixing with the flour I will use for dredging. Then make a mushroom gravy to accompany. (if that is not too much mushroom. I find that I can find dried shitake shrooms in Asian market locally very inexpensive. ( I almost said dirt cheap, but that forms an unwanted picture in my mind. Actually I think they might be from china which gives me a moments pause, but for grinding like in this instance they will do the trick.

Actually what I am wondering how you went about insuring that the rosemary stayed on while cooking. Thanks a lot.

[James Roscoe]

the Provence mustard (the green stuff!)..

Green mustard?

Is that from green peppercorns?

Moutarde verte l'estragon (Tarragon Dijon Mustard) Edmond Fallot
made in Beune

Moutarde verte l'estragon (Tarragon Dijon Mustard) Edmond Fallot
made in Beune

Thanks. Sounds interesting.

[James Roscoe]

Moutarde verte l'estragon (Tarragon Dijon Mustard) Edmond Fallot
made in Beune

Thanks. Sounds interesting.

We are going to try it as the glue for crab cakes this summer! Add some Muscadet and Voila!