Today Jeff and I celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary. On Saturday we’ll be dining at Le Bernardin, but tonight we enjoyed a perfect evening at home together – Jeff cooked a wonderful dinner and we indulged in one of our favorite bottles of wine, Peter Michael Ma Belle-Fille Chardonnay.
We started with some cheese…
…and some meat.
Our favorite cheese accoutrements – honey and fig jam.
And we opened a bottle of 2007 Peter Michael Ma Belle-Fille….
…this wine is delicious, each sip is full of layered flavors.
And for dinner, Jeff made roasted cauliflower…
…corn and chorizo…
…which garnished the salmon with reduced balsamic vinegar and mashed yukon gold potatoes.
A wonderful night with my wonderful husband.
Not long ago we splurged on a few bottles of Peter Michael when we heard it was available at 67 Wine. And a few Fridays ago, Jeff and I decided to open up this bottle of 2007 Belle Cote Chardonnay. Peter Michael makes some of the best Chardonnay in Napa Valley (some would even say the best – you know who you are). This bottle did not disappoint – it was wonderful – creamy and full bodied with pleasing fruit notes. This was definitely a great way to spend a cold winter night – sipping Peter Michael with Jeff in our cozy NYC apartment.
Here are the winemaker’s notes:
“Very intense and powerfully hedonistic aromas of lychee nuts, citrus, rose petal and orange blossom, with a background of mineral, bergamot orange, candied orange, yellow peach, nutmeg, whole nut and toasted almond. The rich seamless palate is weighty in the mouth and very creamy. Notes of brioche and pain grillé coupled with crisp natural acidity complete the mouth feel. The wine is already expressive and will continue to develop for at least a decade.”
Part II – Tasting & Lunch
After an hour or so of driving around the Peter Michael property touring the differnt vineyards within, we returned to the hospitality center to begin our tasting.
My dad picked up his vertical of Peter Michael – which I’m told is almost gone!
We headed upstairs to taste 4 different wines before lunch.
2007 La Carriere Estate Chardonnay
2007 Belle Cote Estate Chardonnay
2008 L’Apres-Midi Estate Sauvignon Blanc
2006 Les Pavots Estate Red Bordeaux Blend
I can’t even really pick one as my favorite because they were all so good.
After our leisurely tasting, we headed back downstairs for lunch and, yes, more wine tasting.
We didn’t actually snap a picture of the salad but it was absolutely delicious – the butter lettuce was a vibrant green and of course the peach was as good as it gets – I miss California produce!
Our lunch was so enjoyable – good food, good wine, good company – definitely some of the best things in life!
Part I – Vineyard Tour
Jeff and I, along with my aunt and uncle, visited my parents in Calistoga this past Labor Day weekend. We always look forward to visiting Napa Valley and enjoy every minute of our time there. My dad had quite a surprise for us this time around. He wouldn’t tell us what it was, but we left the house around 9:30 am and headed north on Highway 29 about 9 miles…. to Peter Michael Winery! Of course we were ecstatic when we realized where we were – we had just arrived at one of the best wineries in the valley for a private tour, tasting, and lunch.
My parents attended the Stars 2008 event at Côte Deux Mille, a mountain top pavillion on the Peter Michael property (see picture below). A live auction, during which my dad bid on this tour and tasting, raised a record amount to benefit innovative prostate cancer research at University of California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences.
Les Pavots was planted in 1989 and has 21 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon, 5 acres of Cabernet Franc, 3 acres of Merlot, and 1 acre of Petit Verdot. The elevation is 1,000 – 1,400 feet and the soil is rocky, volcanic rhyolite.
La Carriere was planted in 1994 with chardonnay grapes. The elevation is 1,200 – 1,700 feet and the soil is also rocky, volcanic rhyolite.
The Peter Michael property has amazing views and is so large and hilly that we had to tour it in a 4-wheel drive van.
Côte Deux Mille is a mountain top pavilion on the Peter Michael property that looks west over the vineyards and the valley to the Pacific Ocean. It has the largest folding umbrella in North America.
Some of the grapes at Peter Michael had been harvested that morning and we got to see a sorting machine in action.
September 2004 ~ Chicago, IL
Catching up on some of our most memorable meals (Part I)
While trying to make a reservation at Trotter’s, the host mentioned that a last minute cancellation had just made the kitchen table available. In 2004, I was definitely a novice to most things epicurean. In fact, I didn’t even know what a kitchen table was and had to ask the woman on the phone. Concerned that a table in the kitchen would not be comfortable for my parents who would be joining us (well, treating us really), I told the woman I would have to call back after confirming that this table would do (ha!). I called my boyfriend (now husband) to inquire more about this whole “kitchen table” thing. All he could manage to say was…”GET IT, GET IT, GET IT” and pretty much hung up on me so I could call Trotter’s back – luckily the table was still available.
The kitchen table at Charlie Trotter’s was an absolute treat – one of, if not the most, memorable dinners I’ve ever had. The small table for four was in the front corner of the kitchen next to the espresso maker which servers actively visited for orders placed from the restaurant. While there was a constant flurry of activity, the kitchen was surprisingly quiet – definitely a tribute to the talented chefs hard at work there.
Of course, the food was incredible – a 17 course meal accompanied by Peter Michael wine, my dad’s favorite.
I’m still trying to find the pictures we took, but for now, here is our menu:
Charlie Trotters Kitchen Table - September 2004