Wednesday, September 10, 2008

2008-2009 Season Kick-Off at Mio, Tuesday September 9, 2008


We kicked off the season with an adventurous pairing of Latin American influenced cuisine and some of Argentina's exciting and robust wines. Manuel Iguina's Mio, one of downtown's lesser known modern American restaurants hosted the Society with inspired cooking in a casual dining setting. We sampled approachable presentations of exciting cuisine from Chef Nicolas Stefanalli – a rising star with impressive credentials that stunned the dinner committee at the tasting dinner with a wonderful experience. These treats were matched with wines selected by Hugo Linares and the dinner committee for a memorable evening.

Passed Hors d'ouvres
Chicken Pinchito- The chicken was served on a skewer with a green sauce made of onions cumin, paprika garlic and cilantro tender chicken with mesquite light taste.

Plantain Goat Cheese and Chorizo- Very unusual (in a good way) combination, soft creamy goat cheese works well with the crispy plantain.

Beet Gazpacho- A fresh, chilled and mild gazpacho easy to drink.

2007 Lurton Pinot Gris- Satiny-textured with thick layers of yellow fruits, citrus peel, butter, floral and peach, and a round clean finish. Light soft and easy to drink. Worked well with the plantain and the chicken.

Beef Carpaccio- The plate was nicely presented. Quail egg was cooked just right, the cheese filling in the beef carpaccio worked very well.

2006 Luca Chardonnay- Laura Catena, daughter of Argentine wine pioneer Nicolás Catena and founder of the Luca label, has a vision of creating a new breed of Argentine wines: small quantities, artisan quality, and true to their individual terroirs. She starts with some of Argentina’s best fruit from low-yield, high elevation vineyards. State-of-the-art winemaking and oak aging (primarily French) elevate the wines to a quality level demanded by true wine connoisseurs. This week we are featuring her 2006 Luca Chardonnay, which received a 92 point rating from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, with the following review:"Luca Chardonnay is annually a candidate for Argentina’s finest Chardonnay, the primary competitor being Catena Zapata. The 2006 Chardonnay was aged for 12 months in French oak, 50% new. It is light gold in color with a superb aromatic display of spicy oak, mineral, butterscotch, poached pear, and tropical fruits. Medium to full-bodied, it is smoothly textured with outstanding depth and concentration and a lengthy finish. It blows away most white Burgundies and California Chardonnays at twice the price."Clean crisp with a hint of oak. The wine worked well with the beef. 92 Points -- Wine Advocate

Gnocchi- The potatoes were in a ceamy sauce with sweet sausage/bacon with smoke flavor.

2004 Susana Balbo Cabernet Sauvignon- Intense, dark ruby color with enticing aromas of ripe, black plums and black currants. The richly textured plum and currant flavors are joined by accents of dark chocolate and some vanilla-scented oak. The ripe, vibrant tannins give the wine beautiful structure and an amazingly long finish.
This wine had an off nose, though brought up the smoky flavors of the dish.
Suckling Pig- The kichen staff presented the roasted pig prior to carving. Additionally, we were served the crispy skin before the main dish was brought to the table.
2005 Mayol Finca Montuiri Malbec- Intense red color, fig jam nose.

Cheese Course-

2006 Luca Malbec- Heady with raspberry and currant confiture aromas followed by a dense palate of warm fig sauce, crushed boysenberry, bramble, bittersweet ganache and Christmas pudding notes. Long powerful finish.

Petite Fours-
Cigar- Cohiba Rubusto
Committee: Brian Kraff – Chairman
Hugo Linares – Wine Committee
Jacques Rogozinski
John Coons
Steven Greenwald – ex officio