03.18.08 /RGWD 2006 Sangiovese "Ca del Solo"

Interesting that this wine is only 80% Sangiovese, with other Italian Varietals thrown in as well - Colorino, Nero de Avalo, and Cinsault. It was paired with a seared organic squab with brussels leaves, dried cranberry and heirloom potatoes with a mushroom glace. The question I had was do I like squab and do I like this wine? The pairing was superb, but I did not really like the two elements.

Sometimes it works when you try to make a European blend with American grapes - sometimes it does not. To me it tasted over cooked with rich, raisiny flavours. Tons of earth on the nose with a heavy prune. The squab breast was really gamey and rare - but chewy. The leg was fantastic.

03.18.08 /RGWD 2003 Le Cigare Volant

To close out the evening, we had one of Randall's signature wines, Le Cigare Volant, of the famed 2003 vintage. He said it was his homage to Chauteauneuf de Pape with a 5 grapes blend of Grenache, Mouvedre, Syrah, Cinsault and one other grape. I did not like this wine as much as everyone else seemed to moon over it. I found it to be a little acidic and featured a lot of sweet cherry and pine flavours. I did not order any for the restaurant, even though our sales person really wanted us to put it on our list.

03.18.08 /RGWD Syrah Le Pousseur

This was my favorite wine of the night. It was paired with dry baby back ribs. The menu said it was accompanied by a slaw, which was not served. There was no fat on the ribs, and for such a rich wine as this Syrah, you need a bit of fat.

The wine had the characteristic Rhone stinky inky baby diaper scent, followed by roasted plums and blackberry on the palate. Randall called it an "anomalous new world wine that captures the life force". I should have taken better notes, as he rambled on about the wine and the process.

It is definitely a new world wine, but made in an old world style that you don't find in Central Coast Syrahs.

The price was right, and I bought five cases for BONDA to serve by the glass.

03.18.09 /RGWD 2006 Albarino Ca Del Sol

Albarino in California? Randall bought the Soledad Vineyard near Solinas, and realized the climate and salt air really mirrored the micro climate of Galicia. He planted the vines 7 years ago, and the '06 is his first bottling. I bought a case for the spring.

On the nose, notes of plasticy goodness. Randall called it an "acoustic version" of Albarino, a little milder than what you would find from Spain, with hints of saline and citrus in the finish. A nice, dry wine, luscious in the mid-palate.

To pair, Seared Day Boat Scallops (I don't know how local these could have been this time of year) with beets, pomello segments, micro arugula and mustard oil. The arugula and mustard oil really jazzed up the perfectly cooked scallops - one of the best dishes I have had at the Dressing Room. The pomello didn't really add anything, and the beet added nice earth tones.

03.18.08 /RGWD 2006 Vin Gris Cigare Volant

A rose blend of five different grapes. Randall listed them, Syrah, Nebbiolo, and then I forgot. When hespoke, you really had to listen and not take notes. He felt like Bonny Doon had become a brand or label instead of a winery. He was across the board: importing wines, making blends, consulting.

In 2005, they sold 450K cases of wine. This year, he will make 35K. Still a fair amount of wine, but a significant reduction. He sold off all of his big brands, and is now focusing on a few specialty wines. I remember when I lived in LA drinking a lot of Heart of Darkness and Pacific Rim Riesling (a label he sold as a separate entity).

He is one of the few wine pioneers, who actually made (I think) a fair amount of money.

The rose is light and refreshing, but still packs a fair amount of flavour. I bought a case for the restaurant to serve by the glass in the spring. He told us the story of the Cigar Volant - Flying Cigar - but I cannot remember it exactly. Something about people from somewhere all seeing flying saucers that resemble cigars?? or something like that.

The pairing was Heirloom Potato and Smoked Cheese Fritters served family style. They were a little leaden and room temperature. I can imagine they were going for a Spanish croqueta, but it didn't really work. They also served CT Oysters "Beacon Style" - a recipe stolen from Waldy Malouf. They were delish - butter and lemon zest on freshly shucked, local oysters put in the oven slightly. I usually do not like warm oysters, but these were fantastic.

Michel Nischon (sp) said it is one of Paul's favorite dishes, so he asked to poach it!

03.18.08 /Randall Graham Wine Dinner

Michael Skurnik hosted a wine tasting dinner with Bonny Doon owner and winemaker, Randall Graham. This was the day we got back from Florida, so I rushed from the airport to the Dressing Room. A handful of restaurant owners and wine shop stewards attended, with a few tables of "Friends and Family" of the Dressing Room.

It was the first artisan wine tasting dinner they hosted, and they did a pretty good job. Unfortunately it started pretty late (an hour or so) while waiting for everyone to show up. Luckily Tony and Davide from Fountainhead/Fat Cat were there, and we got to sit with Randall himself, while sipping on his wine, learning his secrets and listening to stories from the last 20 years in California winemaking.

I am going to split the dinner up into four/five posts, describing both the wines and their pairings. It was definitely close to what we do at BONDA for a wine tasting dinner, and the best I have attended in awhile. They were very quick to refill glasses, the service was the best it has been in the last couple of months, and the food was quite tasty.