Unusual ingredient: Monbazillac AOC (along with Clear Creek Apple Brandy and Green Chartreuse.
Here's the key portion:
The local classic was the Oregon-grown and Portland-distilled Clear Creek Apple Brandy. The world classic was the iconic and inimitable Green Chartreuse, that beloved ancient herbal elixir from the Carthusian monks. The surprise ingredient was Monbazillac AOC, a luscious sweet white wine from the village of Monbazillac on the Dordogne River, just inland from Bordeaux. It is somewhat similar to its more famous cousin, Sauternes, although lighter and a bit less intense. The grapes are the same---Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle---but Monbazillac usually has more of the Muscadelle in the blend, which gives if more florality and a lighter texture. The grapes, as in Sauternes, do have to be effected by the “noble rot”, the botrytis cynerea mold that inflicts only certain grapes in humid zones and serves to concentrate the sugars to confectionary levels.
When the Widow’s Kiss is served up, it is visually gorgeous, a delicate golden yellow leaning toward polished bronze that catches the ambient light and seems to glow from within. On the nose it is equally charming, with promises of favors and flavors to come. And on the palate it manages to adroitly pull off that hard-to-achieve but eagerly desired perfect balance, with clean, crisp, alcoholically driven and precisely delineated ingredients. The apple fruit is there. On the other side, the herbaceous tang of Chartreuse is definitively there. But in the middle, and embracing the apple and herb on each side, is the light velvety touch of the Monbazillac. And, yes, it seems the three harmonize beautifully without in any way losing the essential character and definition of each.
As usual, full article if interested, here: http://www.examiner.com/article/portlan ... he-library