So what is there not to like? The evening starts off with passed hors d'oeuvres (scallop Ceviche, quail egg canape, miniature crab cakes) and non stop flow of the 2002 Roederer Cristal!
After mingling with some of the old friends and meeting a couple of guests, we are requested to sit down for dinner. I take a look at the menu, and the first thing that catches my eyes is the 1990 Latour! Didn't this wine get 100 points by Wine Spectator and 96 points by Robert Parker? And isn't it too young to open, only 18 years in the bottle? In my mind, the Latour would be the star of the evening! But, I was open to all the possibilities (1992 Dominus, 1992 Groth Reserve, 1990 Haut Brion, 1994 Silver Oak and 1995 Chateaux Coulet)
First Course- Lobster and Spring Vegetable Salad, Carrot Jus- Marquis de Laguiche Chassagne Montrachet 2003- Brian McBride is a very talented DC chef and boy oh boy, did he make an impression with the presentation of this dish. As I tried the lobster with some of the fresh vegetables and took a sip of the Montrachet, I was immediately transported to South of France to one of the outdoor country restaurants in Provence! I could see the blue Sky, the white starched table cloth and the beautiful herb garden! Everything about this course was just right; it was like being in heaven! The vivid colors of lobster claw meat, the spring vegetables, the orange carrot sauce and the temperature of the dish including the plate at about 45 degrees Fahrenheit! I love the white Burgundies, this wine had an elegant pale yellow color, the nose was lemony with a hint of fresh summer herbs, on the palate; crisp and smooth. I turned to my friend Ricardo sitting next to me and told him about my experience. Ricardo smiled in agreement that the course was just perfect. Brian needs to work very hard from here on, I told Ricardo, because, this course would be hard to top!
Second Course- Braised Lamb Shoulder Crepinette, Truffled Potato- Dominus 1992 and Groth Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 1992- The servers did an outstanding job pouring the two wines and told us that the Groth was on the left and the Dominus on the right. Now, last year at Fred Burka's memorial dinner, we did a vertical tasting of the Groth Reserves, if memory serves me well, the vintages were 1990, 1991 and 1992. I remember that the 1992 was the best of the three vintages with a caveat that it would need a couple of more years of cellaring. The color of the Groth was light clear red and not as intense red color of the Dominus. I approached the Groth glass to my nose. It was pure and clean with hints of smoked raspberry fruit aromas, took a little sip and it was again clean, smooth with a hint of sweetness. I have had a lot of California Cabernet and this wine was just by far the best I have ever had the privilege of drinking. Brought the Dominus to my nose and it had this musty aroma and on the palate was just terrible, I thought may be the Groth is so good that it is just destroys this wine. But later found out that the bottle was corked! So, a new glass was brought with a fresh bottle of 1992 Dominus. Although a lot better than the last sample, still did not come even close to the Groth. 
So, I told Ricardo, we need to try these two with the food to see how the marriage is going to be. The second course was served and the presentation was very good, the lamb shoulder was not what I expected, it was ground meat in a sausage casing with intense lamb flavor and a sweet undertone. Brian knows how to do sauces,an the sauce in this course was no exception, big, bold and inviting! Didn't taste the truffle in the potato puree. Now, as far as the marriage goes, the Groth was the clear winner! The wine has a big back bone which stands up well against the sauce and the meat, as a matter of fact, it complemented the lamb flavors tremendously! At this point, the Dominus was not coming close. It was unfair to put these two great wines together, but this is parts of the education in this Society!
Third Course- Cherry Marinated Duck Breast, Roulade of Leg Confit and Duck Liver, Spring Mushrooms- Chateau Haut Brion 1990 and Chateaux Latour 1990- So, here we are at the third course. The servers pour the Latour first and then the Haut Brion. The color on both pourings is very similar; deep red color. The nose on the Latour was big and typical of aged grand cru Bordeaux, with China ink aroma, roasted wood. On the palate, the wine had soft tannins and smooth. I think the Latour needs another 5 years. The Haut Brion was ready and was a bit less forward than the Latour. Again, it is very unfair to have these two great wines side by side. Brian's Duck course went beautifully with both wines. The sauce was bold with subtle sweet under tone.
Fourth Course- Fiscalini Bandage Wrapped Cheddar, Warm Apple- Silver Oak Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1994- By this time, I'm loving life! The 1994 Silver Oak is a 98 point wine, of course the '94 was an outstanding vintage for California Cabernet. I remember when the '94 vintage was released, there was a lot of press about them, and without the doubt, this vintage has turned out to be a great one. So was this Silver Oak; dark intense red color, aromas of red berries and smoked vanilla, on the palate, explosion of fruit and balanced tannin. Just fantastic! The cheese course was a great way to move on to the dessert course!
Dessert Course- Roasted Pear with Hazelnut Cake, Caramel Ice Cream and Cranberry Coulis- Chateau Coutet 1995- If I said that I don't remember much by this time of the dinner, I would not be exaggerating! However, I do remember the wine. The color was clear gold, the nose had hint of saffron and honey suckle, on the palate, the wine was medium body, smooth and not awfully sweet. The marriage with the hazelnut cake and ice cream was one made in heaven!Overall, the evening was one of the most memorable one since my membership at the Society (1993.) The best wine of the evening for me was the 1992 Groth Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. The best marriages were the Lobster course with the Montrachet and the Lamb Shoulder course with the Groth; Fabulous!
The Dinner Committee: Marvin Stirman Mel Greenblat Ed Sands
International Wine and Food Society, DC Chapter, Inc.
Menu By: Chef Brian McBride
Park Hyatt Washington, D.C.
