Learn About Wine Blog

On Thursday, December 15^th, 2011, Ian Blackburn of LearnAboutWine.com hosted a special dinner featuring top wines of Burgundy.

The event was taken place at Michelin 2 stars French restaurant Melisse in Santa Monica.

Ian Blackburn invited a special guest Ursula Hermacinski.   She is an Auction Expert, Leading Voice in Wine, Former Director of Screaming Eagle, Jonada, currently taking role as Senior Advisor at Zachys.

Following is the detail info about the event:

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File Under – Intimate Dinner – Private Room at Melisse – 10 Course Meal – 12 Grand Crus – 1 night only

Inclusive of all wines, tax, and tip, Valued over $1000
$799 – advanced Sale
Vintage Members $749

- Wine List -

Welcome Whites
Dominque Lafon, Mersault “Clos de la Barre” 2002 – Valued at $100
Domaine Faiveley, Corton Charlemagne, Grand Cru 2009 – Valued at $150
Domaine Michel Niellon, Batard-Montrachet, Grand Cru 2005 – Valued at $500
Etienne Sauzet, Montrachet,  Grand Cru 2008 – Valued over $500

Chambolle-Musigny
Domaine Comte Georges de Vogue, Bonnes-Mares, Grand Cru 1990 – Valued at $500
Drouhin, Bonnes Mares, Grand Cru 2007 – Valued at $300
Louis Jadot, Musigny, Grand Cru 2004 – Valued at $400

Vosne-Romanee
Domaine De La Romanee-Conti, Richebourg, Grand Cru 1998 – Valued at $1200+
Jayer-Gilles, Echezeau Grand Cru 1993 – Valued $400+
Domaine De La Romanee-Conti, Echezeaux Grand Cru 2002 – Valued at $1000+

Chambertain and Others
Camille Giroud, Chambertain, 2005 – Valued at $300

One bottle of wine will be opened per guest – 14 guests maximum

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The 10-course menu will accompany 10 of the greatest burgundy wines ever produced.

Menu ”10″ By Josiah Citrin

Amuse
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1. Egg Caviar
Soft Poached Egg, Lemon Crème Fraîche, American Caviar
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2. Wild Japanese Hamachi “Inada”
Fairview Baby Turnips, 7 Year Aged Acquerello Rice, Santa Barbara Uni, Meyer Lemon
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3. Roasted Mushroom Consommé
Lentils de Puy, Black Truffle Mousse
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4. Seared Foie Gras
Quince, Orange and Ceylon Cinnamon
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5. Santa Barbara Spot Prawn
Matsutake Mushrooms, Sunchokes, Roasted Sunchoke Emulsion
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6. Black Bass “En Ecailles”
European Crayfish, Tromboncchino Squash, Lobster Mushrooms, Nantua Sauce
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7. Prime Beef Rib Eye
Braised Swiss Chard, Bone Marrow, Brentwood Corn, Red Wine Herb Jus
Or
Jimenez Farms Lamb
Red, Chiogga and Gold Beets, Nantes Carrots, Portabella Mushroom, Lamb Jus
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8. Fourme d’Ambert
Roasted Flame Grapes, Candied Pecans, Peppered Honey
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9. Chocolate and Caramel Fondant
Hazelnut Crumble, Valrhona Abiano Sorbet, Mochaccino
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10. Second dessert

To read Ian Blackburn’s comments on the wines: CLICK HERE

To see future Vintage Dinner schedule: CLICK HERE

Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the world’s most celebrated and important grape varieties, in terms of total plantings and total dollars.

Rivaled only by Merlot as the most planted dark-skinned grapes and gaining ground on Grenache as one of the most planted varietals on earth.

Cabernet serves as a dominate blending varietal backing up a majority of the Medoc/Haut Medoc’s productions and the elite wines or Napa Valley, Chile, and Argentina.

Cabernet is the king of red wine varietal offerings with strong retail, wine by the glass, high volume productions as well as artisan productions with even the highest of price tags.

Cabernet Sauvignon is a relative newcomer onto the world scene of fine red wine production; it did not make its way into the wines of Médoc and Graves until the late-18^th century.   Today, the late-ripening Cabernet is now the dominant varietal on the left bank of Bordeaux and is creeping into the right back as well.

Planted all over Europe, it is the blending varietal with Sangiovese in Italy’s Super Tuscans and stretches from Spain to lesser-known winegrowing regions like Georgia, Russia and Lebanon. In North America, Cabernet Sauvignon has found its niche as a pure varietal in almost every region in California as well as Washington.   In South America, it is seeing a meteoric rise in Chile and Argentina and to a lesser extent Brazil, Uruguay, Mexico, Peru and Bolivia.

Cabernet Sauvignon’s origin was under much speculation until 1997 when DNA profiling proved that it was the result of a cross between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc; thought to have been a happy accident in one of the many vineyards planted with a mixture of vines.

The distinctive small berries and their high ratio of pip to pulp are the major factors behind Cabernet’s tannic power and structure while the thickness of its dark skins account for the depth of color, ability for long maceration and worthiness of long-term aging.

Cabernet’s most remarkable quality is its signature cassis and blackcurrant fruit, eucalyptus/mint/menthol and green pepper/vegetal like aromas and its sturdy tannin structure.

Cabernet Sauvignon has an ability to convey individual vintage and individual vineyard characteristics and to showcase winemaking and aging techniques and most importantly find a wide audience of eager enthusiasts.

AKA:  Bouchet, Sauvignon Rouge, and Vidure