Tonight’s menu. Of course we did the wine pairing this time!
December 11, 2023 Bramble & Hare Bookcliff Special Dinner
Bramble & Hare and Bookcliff Vineyards have been working together for a long time and Eric Skokan decided it was finally time to feature a deep vertical tasting of the Bookcliff Meritage. The wines range from 2001 to 2019.
To clearly distinguish between the menu and our descriptions, quotes from the menu will be in a Helvetica Neue font, our descriptions will be in the usual Times New Roman font.
This is a big page, lots of scrolling required!
This was on the table before we were even seated. The rolls are made from grains raised on the farm and are rich and quite soft. At the top left is an onion jam, at the bottom left an herbed goat cheese, and then butter and fruit cake. The fruit cake was really good!
The introduction and welcoming to the new owners of Bookcliff!
The 2001 Merlot. Wow! Absolutely silky smooth, all the tannins are gone. There’s some raspberry and blackberry on the nose, we believe, perhaps a touch of cherry as well.
The 2008 Meritage blend. Wow! The nose is smoky on the 2008. A bit more tannins are present. It’s opened up a bit, getting some strawberry and stone fruit. Bill’s getting some minerality. This is described by the wine maker at about the 8 minute mark in the video above.
The First official Course.
Celery Root Soup Duck Confit, Red Wine Poached Apple
Both of the above wines were served with this and they both paired with it quite well.
The celery root soup is quite thick. The celery is not as pronounced as I would expect, very nice. The poached apples are amazingly bright, and contrast perfectly with the soup. The duck confit is very rich and concentrated. Martin is amazed at how everything worked together.
2011 Meritage, Merlot 46%, Cabernet Sauvignon 38%, Malbec 6%, Petit Verdot 6%, Cabernet Franc 2%, Syrah 2%. A lot of berry, can’t say which one.
The winemaker's description of the 2011 vintage.
The Second Course.
Colorado Striped Bass Spaghetti Squash, Red Wine Poached Fig Puree, Prosciutto Burre Rouge
This is one of the best striped bass Martin has ever had! I can actually smell the prosciutto. Wow, the bass is really complimented by the prosciutto burre rouge. The red wine poached fig purée is really wine forward with a sweetness from the figs.
The winemaker's description of the 2013 vintage.
2013 Meritage
Starting to use seeds in mesh bags and Oak chips to keep the color. Merlot 52%, Cabernet Sauvignon 46%, Malbec 2%. Trying out a “Keeping it simple” approach. The downside to using the seeds is it makes it a little rough at this stage.
We found it to be fairly bright and it had a sparkling bright berry note.
The Third Course.
Pork Belly Farro, Beet & Currant Relish, Arugula
The relish is completely dominated by the currants . The pork belly is really full flavored. The farro provides a supportive base.
The winemaker's description of the 2016 vintage.
2016 Meritage
Cabernet Sauvignon 58%, Merlot 29%, Malbec 5%, Cabernet Franc 5%, Petit Verdot 3%. Cabernet Franc came out because the vines weren’t doing well, phylloxera nailed them.
Really good fruit, they dialed back the tannins. Double gold in San Francisco.
The Fourth Course.
Duo of Lamb Red Wine Jus, Grilled Onion & Golden Raisin Chutney, Kale
The bone in lamb chop is really rich, and the sliced lamb a bit milder. The Jus and Chutney complement both cuts of lamb perfectly.
2019 Meritage
Cabernet Sauvignon 43% , Merlot 30% , Malbec 16% , Cabernet Franc 6%, Petite Verdot 5%
Fruit is even more prominent in this young wine. The berries are quite forward right from the start. Absolutely no tannin problems. Very, very fruity. Strawberry starts to come forward quite soon. This really did go well with the dessert.
The winemaker's description of the 2016 vintage. John finally moved to where I could get him in the shot and not have to go audio only!
The Fifth, Dessert Course.
Chocolate Hazelnut Mousse Blackberry Ganache, Blackberries, Red Wine Reduction, Candied Hazelnuts
Wow! Absolutely amazing. Almost indescribable. The sharp, bright blackberries are just what the sweet mousse needs. The hazelnuts are about as prominent as the chocolate.,