Masters of Food and Wine 1998

1995 Château Pétrus: "This 100% merlot wine came out of a difficult vintage. It was the first very good vintage of the 1990s. It was the warmest and driest harvest since 1961. There was a gentle rain and we waited for the vines to recover before picking." (SJE tasting notes: brilliant ruby/purple, ripe fruit, perfumy, rich and plummy, pleasant texture, balanced lengthy finish).

1993 Château Pétrus: "An average vintage in Bordeaux—a little lean and weak and lacking in maturation (a little green). My grape thinning had been too severe so the grapes were small and quantity was low. Don’t wait. Drink your ‘93s now or they’ll be a disappointment." (SJE tasting notes: bright ruby/garnet, briary, unctuous, waxy, vanilla, milder fruitiness, firm structure).

1990 Château Pétrus: "A very generous wine—what we call the California style. It was an unusually hot vintage for Bordeaux. Normally the ’90 shows better than it is showing today. I would begin drinking it now from time to time. It’s a dreamy wine." (SJE tasting notes: deep garnet color, prune character, ripe and rich, some mint, large tannins but nicely structured, lacks a firm definition of fruit).

1989 Château Pétrus: "This was a great vintage. Highly rated. We had an early bloom and it was not too hot at harvest. I have a strong preference for it over the ’90. It is classic Bordeaux." (SJE tasting notes: ruby color, explosive herbaceous nose, fennel-style but subdued fruit present, tannic structure is a bit severe, a long dry finish).

1988 Château Pétrus: "This was a cooler vintage, not as ripe and with harder tannins but typical of Bordeaux. It is slightly closed at this time but will open with age. The tannic structure will last and it will soften with age. It’s somewhat like the ’66, a racy, long-runner style." (SJE tasting notes: garnet, intense and concentrated, linear focus, liquorice, large tannic structure, evolves to an integrated, elegant nose).

1982 Château Pétrus: "A great vintage. It reminded my father of the 1947, a year in which the average yield per acre in Bordeaux was 2 tons. It’s unpredictable and there is variation from bottle to bottle. It shows complexity with the particular mood and conditions of drinking it. At one time this wine will be closed and the next time we opened it too early and showwed it too earlly. It’s an intellectual and poetic wine. Give it time to be enjoyed." (SJE tasting notes: mahogany, leather, tea, smoky, charcoal, bell pepper, green olive, complex and generous).

1975 Château Pétrus: "This wine is a classic. We had a very low yield of 1.9 tons this year." (SJE tasting notes: mahogany, smoky, port-like, subtle prune, cola, integrated tannins and supple).

1971 Château Pétrus: "The 1971 is a love story for me. It was my arrival at Pétrus and I wanted to be able to do everything myself and I did the jobs of every man—everything in the vineyard and in the vinification. I made the wine myself. It was a risky vintage (hail and storms in June), but it ended with a low yield—less than 2 tons—and it is charming, not as port-like as the ’75. It’s a little earthier. It’s a romantic, lovely wine, tasting in layers. The length is wonderful. It’s all in the complexity. It was my first baby." (SJE tasting notes: soft mahogany, mint, prune, perfumy, soft tannins, soft palate, liquorice, balanced and elegant).

A careful blending of old traditions with new technology creates the world-class wines of Weingut Robert Weil. Founded in 1867, the estate’s wines have been enjoyed by many of the crowned heads of Europe. The estate is now run by the fourth generation of the Weil family, Wilhelm Weil, who became winemaker in 1987. Weil was named Germany’s "Winemaker of the Year" by the 1997 Gault Millau Wine Guide.

All the wines—one dozen Late Harvest Rieslings—presented for this 1998 Masters vertical tasting were 100% botrytis. Every berry—picked individually—had botrytis. Selections for each wine are made in the vineyard according to concentration.

This vertical tasting presented the most incredible array of sweet wines that could have been imagined, conjured, or longed for in the wildest of dreams. If you have the opportunity to buy any of these wines, don’t hesitate. Some wines were produced in cases of less than 350. I shall merely list the wines as I ran out of superlatives in describing Weingut Robert Weil wines: 1989, 1990, 1991, 1994 Kiedrich Gräfenberg Riesling Auslese, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996 Kiedrich Gräfenberg Riesling Auslese Goldcap, 1973 Kiedrich Gräfenberg Eiswein (this elixir defies description: it was truly a unique experience), 1992 and 1993 Kiedrich Gräfenberg Riesling Beerenaulese Goldcap and the 1994 Kiedrich Gräfenberg Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese.

The Highlands Inn offers nature’s drama and the art of nurture annually at the Masters of Food and Wine. This year (1998) mother nature mercifully ceased her roiling exhibit for the week to let in the sunshine, the chefs, the vintners and the guests.

If you tire of the view from Highlands Inn, you probably belong on another planet. And as if the rugged beauty of the Pacific coastline and prolific gardens aren’t enough, there’s the ambiance and hospitality surrounding the excellent food and wines.

Opening night is an extravaganza of feasting. Vintners and chefs offer tastes of their exquisite fare. Jamie Shannon of Commander’s Palace in New Orleans prepared thin slices of smoked salmon wrapped around a concoction of fresh crab meat; Alan Wong of Alan Wong’s in Honolulu seared tuna and topped it with a nest of sheer shredded vegetables, ginger sauce and cilantro; Dawn Sieber of Cheeca Lodge in Islamorada, Florida, offered crab claws polished like porcelain dipped in creamy horseradish sauce and a pan sauteed orange roughy with citrus and black beans, and Janet Rikala baked her grandmother’s lemon meringue pie.

Meyer Lemon Tartlettes with Sucre Crust
by Pastry Chef Janet Rikala of Postrio

Ingredients for pie filling:
2 ½ cups sugar
pinch of salt
3 cups water
10 each egg yolks (beat in one at a time)
1 cup Meyer lemon juice
¼ cup lemon zest
4 ounces chilled butter, cut into pieces

Ingredients for sucre shell:
1 lb. unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
3 each egg yolks
1 each egg
1 1/2 lbs pastry flour

Ingredients for the meringue:
8 egg white
7 ounces sugar
½ tsp. Cream of tartar
pinch of salt

DIRECTIONS:
Filling: Sift together the sugar, flour and salt in a metal bowl. Place the bain marie over a pot of boiling water. Whisk in the water until thick and translucent. Remove from the heat and add egg yolks, beating after each addition. Return the bain marie to the heat, stir constantly and add the lemon juice and zest. Whisk until think. Remove from heat and whisk in the butter. Chill Before using.

Dough: Combine butter and sugar in Kitchen Aid. Cream with the paddle attachment. Separately, lightly whisk egg yolks and an egg. Add to the butter mixture. Sift the flour and add to mix just until combined. Wrap the dough in saran wrap and chill at least two hours. Roll the dough out on a well floured surface ¼ " thick. Cut into small 3" circles for tartlettes or a large 8-9" circle. Press dough into greased pan. Freeze dough. Fill dough with parchment and baking beans. Pre-bake at 350 degrees for approximately 15 minutes. Let dough cool before filling.

Meringue: In a non reactive bowl, combine the egg whites and sugar. Place over a pot of warm water, whisk until the sugar has dissolved (approximately 3 minutes). Using the whisk atachment on a kitchen aid, whisk the whites with the cream of tartar and salt until stiff peaks, but not dry.

Final preparation: Fill the shells with the filling. Pipe the meringue on top of each shell. Bake at 350 degrees until the meringue is golden brown, approximately 5 minutes. Serve warm.

Champagne Jacquesson was served by Jean-Hervé Chiquet before every event. All expressions—Blancs de Blancs, Signature Brut, or Rosé—were elegant with minuscule bubbles.

I tasted delicious viogniers from Beringer (available only in the tasting room) and Pride; cabernet sauvignons from Staglin and Ferrari-Carano; chardonnays from Chalone, Pahlmeyer, Joseph Phelps and Bernardus; merlots from Havens, Duckhorn and Château La Grave; pinot noirs from Acacia, Domaine de l’Arlot Nuits St. George and many others.

Chefs Charlie Trotter, Wolfgang Puck and Lydia Bastianich held cooking demonstrations on three different mornings. Lydia and Felice Bastianich combined their given names and opened Felidia Ristrorante in 1981 in a converted old brownstone. Lydia develops the menu while Executive Chef Nicotra Fortunato cooks.

**INTERVIEW WITH LYDIA BASTIANICH**
Sarah Jane:	How do trends get started and what do you think about them?
Lydia:	I’m leery of trends and chefs that claim to invent something overnight. The culture of food, I think, is in direct response to the evolution of the land and the people where it is eaten. Therefore, it’s a slow process. It’s in response of that need, whether it be social, pleasurable or just the land and what it gives. So, have I invented anything? I don’t think I have. Have I revisited my culture? Yes, I have. Have I made conscientious changes because of the health issues and concerns of my customers? Yes, I have. But to say that it’s mine, that I invented it and it’s new, I’m leery of that. But what I think is happening in America, and it’s valid, is the fact that American chefs are presenting different cultures just as I do mine. I’m very religious about that, I’m committed to that and that’s what I want to do. I think the American chefs will expand in the presenting of different cultures--like having a pasta dish as well as a Chinese rice dish reflected on the menu. I think we’ll see more of that in the future, providing that the chef is conscientious enough and dedicated enough to do diligent research–to know that he is communicating a culinary history of a people. A lot of the really good chefs are doing that today. You can see it in their cooking. The Asian influence here in the West is obvious. The two major cuisines, Mediterranean and Asian, show a lot of similarity and the philosophy of eating is so sound. They use a lot of vegetables with a sense of diversity. In the Mediterranean culture the ratio is one-third protein to two-thirds vegetables and starches on the plate. Still, here in America, protein reigns, and I think it’s a measure of whether or not the diner received his money’s worth. I think this ratio of the items on the main course plate is the next frontier that American chefs will address. I hope so, anyway.

SJE:	What percentage of a population sustains a food trend?
LB:	There are always the leaders and the explorers. You represent one end of it. You record what is happening to stimulate and help set trends. If you’re going to write something about me and my philosophy, an aspiring chef will read it and try to emulate and so you are very instrumental in this process. But, yes, there is always a group of explorers, some more professional than others. I think any revolution or whatever you want to call it, needs a large momentum. Take the nouvelle cuisine, it was a big momentum—a consciousness to improve presentation. The nouvelle itself—at the end—didn’t have much, but it instigated a process of thinking about presentation and the message was very positive. So I think in these kinds of things that sometimes we tend to be overtaken by the revolution itself. Periodic revolutions in the food industry will happen, but these will not be the ones that remain. They will be stimulated by something that needs to be addressed and then the conscientious chefs will incorporate it into their work.

SJE:	Certainly, evolutions of food styles depend on indigenous products. Technology and transportation have made the world smaller, so products from anywhere are available in short periods of time. Is it still best to use what is out your backdoor?
LB:	Absolutely. I think the Industrial Revolution made possible the quick processing and reprocessing of foods until they have none of the characteristics of their original source. The populace in general has come to realize (chefs have known it for decades) that we want products as close to the source as possible and to enjoy as close to its natural state as it can be. If I could deal directly with the farmer, I would be happy. I think we’re working towards that. Chefs need to demand it, not merely respond to what is given to them, and let growers and the industry respond to them.

SJE:	Often, in adapting food styles to traditional ones, things get contrived and overdone. How much do we have to endure before there’s an honest approach to what is good?
LB:	Simplicity is best in everything and so it is with food to reach that absolute best product. Chefs need to be secure and confident about their cooking and understanding of the product. They must feel comfortable working as little as possible with that product. This requires simplicity at its best, but it is the hardest because all the elements have be in place. It’s easy to mask something with a cup of this or a cup of that, and often the consumer doesn’t know if it’s right or wrong. Consumers can’t know if the correct technique was used. How is the perfect point of completeness reached? It’s buying the right product, being trained and self-confident in knowing how to handle it and being secure enough to refrain from showing your style, imposing your personality on that plate rather than exalting what’s there. That takes a lot of security. Some chefs are under pressure to create this gigantic architecture—to design towers on plates. In simplicity you see the true artists.

SJE:	Do you have limitations on the number of ingredients?
LB:	Use as little as possible. There are certain combinations of spices and herbs that express themselves well and it depends on which direction you want to go. But if you mix cloves and rosemary and bay leaf and cinnamon you get nothing. It’s an awful mess. It’s a confusion. Food is like music. You need to create harmony. If you think of each section of an orchestra playing the wrong music and creating confusion—that’s how some dishes appear to me.

SJE:	If Italians hadn’t had pasta what would they have eaten?
LB:	I would have died (laughter).

SJE:	What are the new directions and what will remain?
LB:	Pasta is going to remain. There will be additions. Starches are a big part of the Italian diet. Pasta is the biggest, but there’s polenta and rice and I think those elements will be featured more but will not lessen pasta. Maybe people will eat pasta for two days and then have a risotto or polenta. Vegetables and meats can be added to them just as to pasta. Sour cabbage and polenta with olive oil is a dish that my mother still makes today. I make it in my restaurant—sour cabbage in olive oil served next to polenta and add a little sausage or bacon. That’s a whole new culture that has to come to light.

DEHLINGER: Started in 1975 by U.C. Davis-trained enologist Tom Dehlinger, the Dehlinger Winery islocated in the heart of its 50-acre vineyard in Sonoma County’s cool Russian River Valley. Production remains under 10,000 cases annually with a focus on perfection of technique and refinement of style. Dehlinger believes in dealing with small, individual portions of the vineyard , harvesting grapes at advanced states of maturity and extended aging in small oak cooperage.

ROCHIOLI: The Rochioli family has been growing grapes at their 130-acre ranch since the 1930s. In 1983, Tom Rochioli, a banker, was drawn back to the family ranch to work the land with his father. The wines they began to create from the Rochioli estate grapes were an instant success. Rochioli wines have consistently received very high ratings in wine magazines and one year the winery was christened "1993 Top Estate Winery of the Year."

PINOT NOIRS TASTED
1996 J. Rochioli West Block: purple garnet, perfumed spices, rich clean cherry nose, great focus, firm texture. (J.R. The wine spent 15 months in 100% new oak (tight grain, medium toast) and grew 2.2 tons per acre.)

1995 Dehlinger, Octogon (single vineyard) Reserve: dark purple garnet, spices, nutmeg, tea, cola, bing cherry, tight and big, large structure. (T.D. In my vineyard, 15 acres equal 15 wines, each fermented separately and blended after racking.)

1995 J. Rochioli West Block Reserve: deep purple ruby, subtle fruit, cedar box, balanced evolution over palate, nicely structured, evidenced tannins manageable.

1994 Dehlinger Reserve: deep, dark purple garnet, lovely concentration of fruit, complex and integrated nose, big, tightly textured but balanced and generous, delicious and clean.

1994 J. Rochioli West Block Reserve: deep purple garnet, cherry-vinous odors, integrated and perfumy, lovely soft tannins add flavor and texture, nice evolution, elegant and big. (J.R. The wine macerated for three days at 58° to 65° on its own yeasts.)

1992 Dehlinger Reserve: mahogany rim with brick-orange hints to light garnet, subdued nose, fresh red meat, cola, powdery perfume, big tannic structure but fruit holds, lovely evolution. (T.D. Warm, whole-cluster grapes with some stems were chilled to 55° and fermented up to 90° in open top tanks, punched down twice a day, one-third new barrels, medium to heavy toast.)

1993 J. Rochioli West Black Reserve: mahogany-chestnut-dark-brown garnet, cola, smoky, leather, spice hints, forest floor, compelling complexity on nose, perfumy, palate of earthiness with firm fruit proliferating, delicious.

1991 Dehlinger Reserve: mahogany tinge, dark brown-red, nose of smoky, charred oak, forest floor, older aging characteristics evident, fruit is gone, palate show tannins and diminished finish. (T.D. One should drink wines at five to ten years of age. The best years have small berries. There are three zones in my vineyards: hilltop grows more slowly, one portion is too vigorous and the other third is just right. The wines that come from areas—even 20 feet a part--make a big difference in their ripeness. )

BERINGER: Ed Sbragia is the third generation member of his family to work in the California wine business. Ed’s father taught him winemaking. After earning a master’s degree in enology at California State University in Fresno and working for a year at a Sonoma winery, Ed became assistant to winemaker Myron Nightingale at Beringer. When Nightingale retired in 1984, Ed was named chief winemaker and has been making lovely Beringer wines since, including the successful Private Reserve program.

DUCKHORN: Dan Duckhorn has been involved in grape growing and grape plant propagation since 1971. This experience, combined with his strong background in corporate finance, has been instrumental in guiding the growth of Duckhorn Vineyards (founded 1976) to international prominence and acclaim. Margaret Duckhorn coordinates all aspects of marketing and sales for the winery, which produces the world-class Merlot sold worldwide.

LEONETTI: Gary Figgins makes superb merlot and cabernet sauvignon, only—and to the disappointment of many wine-lovers—very limited productions. Knowing quality grapes are in short supply, rather than meet the demand with something less than the best, he opted to handcraft rich red wines with small harvests from his vineyard and selected lots from other growers. In an age of powerful red wines, Leonetti Cellar wines are known as among the best in the world, combining intensity of fruit and oak with a finesse mastered by few. Gary’s elegant, beautifully balanced wines are treasures.

PAHLMEYER: A California trail lawyer who found he spent more time reading wine journals than law journals, Jayson Pahlmeyer emerged in the wine field fifteen years ago. His goal has been to make great Bordeaux-style wines by blending classic Bordeaux varietals. Pahlmeyer harvests grapes with high sugars late in the growing season to make big, expansive wines with high viscosity, flavor and alcohol. Since Pahlmeyer’s first release in 1986, his wines have received outstanding reviews from the press and consumers.

MERLOTS TASTED
1996 Leonetti Cellar, American (50% Cal.): deep purple, luscious, opulent fruit, explosive and lovely perfume nose, tightly structured, oak overtones on fruit, young and elegant.

1996 Pahlmeyer Napa Valley: bright dark purple, charcoal, smoky, some bell pepper, big tannins some harshness, modest elemental fruit with oak sweetness, will age well.

1994 Beringer Vineyards Howell Mountain: garnet purple, aromatic earthiness, perfume, spices medley, complex, big tannins and good flavors, plum and pepper.

1994 Duckhorn Vineyards Napa Valley: deep purple, cola, hint brett, less forward nose, fruit underneath, big tannins, nice palate evolution (13 blocks of vineyard in blend).

1995 Leonetti Cellar Columbia Valley: dark purple garnet, fruit forward with coconut and gardenia, fruit and oak complexity, nicely balanced, full-flavored and delicious long finish.

1995 Pahlmeyer Napa Valley: dark purple, fennel, anise, liquorice, lovely fruit and wood complex nose, big/fat/rich, perfume evolves with fruit hints.

1991 Beringer Vineyards Howell Mountain: dark garnet, smoky, toasty, soil character, mint and berries, red meat, big tannins, nice complexity and long finish. (big crop, finished picking Nov. 10—long hang time).

1993 Duckhorn Vineyards Howell Mountain: bright garnet with purple highlights, complex nose, fruity/pepper/subdued fruit, soft tannins, good flavors, nice palate.

1994 Leonetti Cellar Columbia Valley: dark purple, lovely nose of coconut and flowers, frutiness, herbal nuances, burst of flavors on palate, rich, forward, opulent, big and delicious, excellent wine, a classic Leonetti—stunning!

1994 Pahlmeyer Napa Valley: garnet, hint of brett, smoky, dusty, big tannins, nice palate, concentrated on center with a slow evolution.

1987 Beringer Vineyards Bancroft (first vintage release): brick edged garnet, herbal backbone, charcoal, tea, mint, tar, complex, green olive, full flavor with some softness, forest floor.

1987 Duckhorn Vineyards Three Palms Vineyards: brick ruby, complex integrated nose, tea, oak, soft fruit, big structure, nice sweet focus of oak and fruit, dry, it has piqued. (75% merlot—must add a lot of cabernet to this vineyard and new French oak).