Last November 19 saw the year's last formal function of the International Wine and Society Manila Branch at Je Suis Gourmand. Jojo was in charge of the function and conceived it as an exploration of Syrah (French) and Shiraz (New World) wines. There would be two French wines, and a wine each from the US, Australia and South Africa. Being such a generous fellow, he also treated us to a bonus bottle from Paso Robles, California - the Esprit de Beaucastel 2005. There was also a sparkling wine and a white. Except for the bonus bottle, all the wines would be served blind and we would vote for our top 2 choices. A vote for #1 would get 2 points and a vote for #2, 1 point.
The welcome drink was a very refreshing, lemony and slightly peppery Aimery Grand Cuvee 1531 from the Loire. Appropriately cleansing to prime us for the reds.
The first course was Roasted Stuffed Duck Neck Confit Salad with Foie Gras Vinaigrette. Paired was Wine A - Very dark. Hint of barnyard. Very dry. Light to medium-bodied. Quite good with the duck neck. I guessed either French or Beaucastel because of the barnyard. Since I found out later the Beaucastel would not be served blind, I settled on French. Guigal Crozes-Hermitage 2005. Group #5.
With the second course of Simmered Bone Marrow Vieille France was Wine B - Extremely dark. Sweet nose. There is oak but it's only obvious on the finish. It also has quite an acidic bite to it. Spicy and rich. Faint rubber aroma. Possibly the South African then. This worked very well with the bone marrow. It had both the richness to match the weight of the dish and the acidity to cut through the fat. Meerendal Shiraz 2005 from Durbanville, South Africa. Group #6. Although it came in last place, it made a convert of Brendan who earlier declared he never had a South African wine he liked but voted it his #2.
We took a break from the reds with a Catena Chardonnay 2006 paired with the Sauteed Seafood Ravioli with Watercress Sabayon. After the two heavy courses, this was a welcome change of pace as the pasta was light with clean flavors. The wine had a medium-gold color which made it look like a dessert wine. Nose of mandarin orange with nutty, and slightly woody flavors. Quite elegant.
The main course of Braised Veal Cheeks Miroton Served with Roasted Root Vegetables was served with 2 wines:
Wine C - Very dark. Just a little hot on the nose. Bright acidity, red fruits, strawberry, raspberry and sour cherry. This is built for food. It got sweeter and the oak became prominent as it warmed up. Broman Napa Valley Syrah 2002. Group #2.
Wine D - Garrigue, dried herbs. Lovely balance. Coarse tannins. Everything in the right place here. Good, ripe plummy fruit as well. Old World. Very good. Jaboulet La Petite Chapelle Hermitage 2004. My#2, Group #3.
Lastly with the reds was a Warm Livarot Tart, again served with 2 wines:
Wine E - Cola, oaky, coffee. Good balance. This has a bit of acidity to it. Spicy, peppery, classic Syrah profile. Dark chocolate. Sweet fruit. Quite complex. Very good and tough to choose between this and Wine D as my favorite but I eventually settled on this. Woodstock The Stocks Shiraz 2006. My #1, Group #1 by an overwhelming majority.
Wine F - As I had just had this wine over the weekend, I shall just use my older notes. Lots of barnyard on the nose which doesn't completely disappear, even with vigorous swirling. At least from smelling, this a convincing copy of Beaucastel (from the very few I've tried so far). Medium to full-bodied wine. The palate is still pretty tight and there are still abundant tannins on the finish. This needs a couple of more years to show full potential but I think it will be an excellent wine in time. This was not served blind. Tablas Creek Esprit de Beaucastel 2005. Group #4. It should be noted that the grapes for this wine came from cuttings of vines from Chateau de Beacastel in Chateauneuf du Pape.
We ended with an excellent dessert of Whole Wheat Crepes with Homemade Cassis Preserves and Spiced Ice Cream.
Not a bad wine in the bunch and with some excellent pairings to boot! The food, as always with JSG was outstanding. Many thanks to Jojo for organizing this wonderful dinner.