The Event: Pahlmeyer (California) wine dinner

The Date and Time: Tuesday, November 18, 2014  7Pm to 10 PM

The Event: Pahlmeyer (California) wine dinner

The Venue: Le Select

The Target Audience: wine writers

The Availability/Catalogue: the wines are available through a variety of distribution channels (see below)

The Quote/Background:

The Wines: There was also a Jayson Cabernet Sauvignon 2012, but it was corked.

 

**** BEST -- Four Stars (91+ in Quality/Price Rating terms):

-Wayfarer Chardonnay 2012 Sonoma, $110 private order [Wayfarer was originally bottled by Pahlmeyer, but by 2012 a decision separated the two labels from Napa and Sonoma; Pahlmeyer's daughter Cleo is at the Wayfarer helm. 4 clones are used. 600 cases.]

-Pahlmeyer Napa Chardonnay 2013, April Vintages

-Pahlmeyer Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2012, $99 May 2015 Vintages

-Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red 2011 Napa, $160.95 Vintages [Meritage, 95% cab sauv] March 2015

 

 

***1/2 BETTER -- Three and a Half Stars (88 – 90 in Quality/Price Rating terms):

-Wayfarer Pinot Noir 2012 Sonoma, private order [12 clones are used]

-Jayson Chardonnay 2012 North Coast, $70

-Pahlmeyer Merlot 2012 Napa, Vintages [2011 in Classics], $85US March 2015

-Pahlmeyer Pinot Noir 2012 Sonoma Coast, Vintages

 

 

The Food: we had dinner with the tasting, to show off the wines as food wines, beginning with country style pate matched with Wayfarer Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. This was followed by a light, airy terrine de poisson fume that was part smoked Georgian Bay whitefish and a lot of cream, coupled with focaccia. Paired with Three chardonnays – Jayson Chardonnay, Napa Chardonnay, and Sonoma Coast. I added the rest of my Wayfarer for a taste comparison, giving me three 2012s and one 2013 (Napa). Wayfarer won. With the bison steak tartare (I had just had bison heart sausage for brunch!) and frites came the lighter reds of Pinot Noir and Merlot. And finally, with the gigot d'agneau from Alberta and Peruvian potatoes, we had the Jayson Cabernet Sauvignon (but it was corked) and the Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red, succulent and dense with the food. No dessert of course.

The Downside: I was a few minutes late, having just disembarked from an airplane at Pearson.

The Upside: a chance to taste a variety of some well-constructed California red and white wines.

The Contact Person: holly@pahlmeyer.com; epna@rogers.com

The Event's Marketing Effectiveness and Execution (numerical grade): 90.

Chimo! www.deantudor.com