What a wonderful sight, as the table was beautifully decorated with bottles…not just any bottles but foiled bottles! It was a night where ‘blind dates’ were brought to the table! The fun begins as they came filled all the way from Burgundy. Yes, it’s a Burgs night out!

One by one we, the liquid of either juices of the pinkish-red Pinot Noir or golden-yellow Chardonnay started getting us all excited…let me share the joy! Firstly…

CHÂTEAU FUISSÉ, Vieilles Vignes 2008 (Pouilly-Fuisse)
Tasting Notes: Beautiful fresh lemons with floral notes overlapping with great minerality coming along together with peaches and heavy toast. On the palate, it is light to medium bodied with vibrant lemony acidity, ripe fruits on the front before a gravelly mineral midpalate and heavy vanilla oak at the backend. Overall, nice structure with potential but has yet to meld together now.

Maison Louis Jadot, Clos-St-Jacques Premier Cru 2003 (Gevrey-Chambertin)
Ahh…the famed premier cru of Gevrey-Chambertin! One of those climats fabled to be as solid as any Grand Cru…

Tasting Notes: Red cherries, raspberries, white pepper with a whiff of vanilla on the nose. The most enjoyable part of this wine is the purity of the fruit as it reaches your palate! Not those lab produced flavourings but pure ripe red fruits ala cherries and strawberries with a hint of earth and minerality. A rather medium bodied wine with good acid, likely with medium to long term keeping potential to enjoy while Burg-erholics wait for the 2005s to lavish upon.

Domaine Pierre Damoy, Clos de Beze 1992 (Gevrey-Chambertin)
Tasting Notes: Red fruited nose with notable secondary development buzzing off with animally notes over sweet spices. Palate wise, this wine is probably at its peak at the moment. Medium bodied, noticeable soft tannins and acidity at the edge with animal barnyard notes mixed with green capsicum interlaced with red fruits and plums on the midpalate before some beautiful roses to end.

Maison Champy, Clos-St-Denis 2002 (Morey St Denis)
Tasting Notes: The nose reminds me of red currants, red berries, light spices and pepper while the palate flaunts itself with red fruits but the enjoyable part of this bottle is the nicely done intensity on the midpalate with a hint of tea as it opens up with some minerality showing its terroir. A medium bodied beauty with good acid-tannin structure that opens up with time, be patient!

Domaine des Hospices de Beaune, Cuvee Madeleine Collignon 1995 (Mazis-Chambertin)
Tasting Notes: Charming nose – spices, tea, red fruits, raspberry and strawberry cream. Palate wise - medium bodied, edgy acid with a tighter wound tannin structure coming forth with red fruits and a moderate intense tea-ish midpalate. Typical or atypical of a vintage?

Domaine Thomas-Moillard, Bonne-Mares 1997 (Chambolle-Musigny)
Tasting Notes: Wow…Brooding nose! Dark fruits, slightly earthy, sweet savoury spices and liquorice with tonnes of pepper. Among the lot, this is by far the densest wine with a fuller palate, medium acidity yet remaining rather tannic with a profile of dark fruits, plum skins, light spices with peppery notes on the palate. After 24hours in the bottle, the tannins were much more mellowed in the juice as it sung with additional rosemary together with some animal hide on the palate. At almost 14years old, this ‘97 Bonne-Mares, in my opinion is only still an infant if not in its youth. Perhaps a long way before maturity with the kind of stuffing it possesses however the level of potential secondary/tertiary development is always a mystery!



Always trust your PALate, it’s your PAL!

Santé!

Portugal, one of the pioneers in maritime exploration, once guardians of the Straits of Malacca and last but not least they are also part of the old world pioneers fermenting grape juices that we happily sip today. When one thinks of the wines Portugal brings to the table, it is often the popular Port wine which historically has been fortified with strong spirits by sailors to avoid wine spoilage during their voyage off Porto.

Personally, Port wines are good and are indeed enjoyable sips but the rest of Portugal remains undiscovered and underrated. Just as majority of the ‘old world’ wine regions have their own native grapes, so does Portugal. Often these wines are blended together, may it be a blend of the local indigenous grapes or between the indigenous grapes with more renowned new world varietals.

 Vinophiles, here’s a secret to share….

These wines are often a bang for your buck! Real good value, real good deals!

Reason? --> They are gems that remain underrated and quite unheard of! Test yourselves, have you tasted varietals such as Touriga Nacional or even Castelao? Have you tried a ‘green wine’ (vinho verde) before?

If you are looking for these wines to try, they are already available on shores of Singapore! In our local 365 days of summer, a fresh vinho verde can do the trick for an afternoon chiller!

A couple of Local Noses along with a great hangout group were fortunate to have Mr Covas from Viva Vino, a Portugese wine supplier in Singapore to share his passion about his homeland and their offerings. During the session, we were introduced to wines and grape varietals from various regions of Portugal and were able experience the diverse varietals that the Portuguese can boast about. Starting from Minho, in the north travelling south to Douro, Extremadura around Lisbon (unlike the Spanish region), Ribatejo and all the way to Alentejo where it is often scorched, hence producing bigger wines but not without finesse. Last but not least, we travelled back up to Douro again just to end on a sweet note with some Ports!

The following wines that were tasted are available at Viva Vino:

Quinta da Aveleda, 2009 Vinho Verde (Minho)

Tasting Notes: Fresh, light and crisp with intense citrusy floral notes…a great chiller!

Fiuza, 2008 Premium Vinho Branco (Ribatejo)

Tasting Notes: Another quaffer with notes of green asparagus and minerality coming through with fresh acidity before a dry yet buttery finish .

Herdade do Esporao, 2007 Reserva Branco (Alentejo)

Tasting Notes: Cold climate-Chablis like nose with flint and stones with cold climate fruits and herbaceous notes before coming through big and bold with good acid supporting the palate showing tropical fruits and flint with a buttered popcorn finish.

Nieepoort, 2006 Vertente (Douro)

Tasting Notes: Nose of a new world shiraz akin spicy, plumy and chocolaty plus red licorice notes but well restrained with a medium bodied palate, good acidity for balance with plums, melted red licorice, spicy with earthy tones before ending with dry tannins.

Quita do Casal Branco, 2006 Vinho Tinto (Ribatejo)

Tasting Notes: Leafy notes with spicy blackberries on the nose leading to a very easy drinking style with dark berries and hints of earthiness on the palate.

Quinta de Monte D’oiro, 2003 Aurius (Estremadura)

Tasting Notes: One would expect a typical Barossa Shiraz by nosing the wine as it displays big jammy plumy and milk chocolaty bouquet. On the palate it follows through nicely with big jammy sweet ripe fruits ala berry basket with pomegranate smothered in chocolate.

Herdade da Mingorra, 2004 Vinhas da Ira (Alentejo)

Tasting Notes: Nose reminds me of a Hermitage blended with an Amarone that I had previously of earthy, saddle leather, herbs, soy and tar with dried raisins (almost Port like). A big boy on the palate with good vibrancy showcasing intense blackberries, tar and a red fruit compote mid palate finishing off with austere tannins.

Nieepoort, 1998 Colcheita (Douro)

Tasting Notes: Reminisce of a cognac with dark Jaffa chocolate and dried fruits while the palate is medium bodied with sweet plums, hint of floral notes together with chocolaty orange nuances.

Sogrape, 2000 Ferreira Vintage Porto (Douro)

Tasting Notes: Dark cherries, dark chocolate and coffee notes with a herbaceous minty nose. Good acid and structure on the palate presenting with a myriad of flavours -dried raisins, coffee, orange peel , dark cherries and plums and off course ending with soft but fine tannins.  This was decanted for 2 hours….and what’s great is that it is delicious yet not overly cloying on the palate, hence it does makes one continue the joy of having sips after sips!

Let your palate explore new sensations and delights as the Portuguese did!!!

Always trust your PALate, it’s your PAL!

 

Salut!

  
 

 

When at Raffles, experience Dubai…When at Raffles, experience Beijing…so were the advertisement banners in the elevators of Raffles Hotel, Singapore. This time, it shall be “When at Raffles, experience New Zealand” wine growers! It was an evening with the kiwis, wine growers strutting their stuff (some for the very first time) in Singapore. Along with the growers were many from the trade, media and writers such as Singapore’s reknowned palate, Mr Ch’ng Poh Tiong .

It was a great session not only to taste wines but to mingle around the growers and one can definitely sense the enthusiasm and passion that these growers posses. It made wines not just for consumption but also to cherish the labourious efforts these growers have stamped into each vintage and each bottle making the fruits of their labour worth every drop . Another reason that makes masterclasses and events like this worth attending would be the eye opening experience to their local scene which can be rather educational! A very interesting fact that I picked up was how the ‘Abel clone’ also known as the ‘Gumboot clone’ got its reputation. This Abel clone was actually nicked off the famous Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (DRC) in Burgundy and brought in illegally into New Zealand (NZ), hence vineyards with this Abel Clone would have a ‘sense of Burg’ in their wines!

Lastly, when at Raffles (after visiting NZ)…..experience the Raffles cellar! We were fortunate enough to have our guide, Raffles sommelier himself, Dheeraj Bhatia to lead us through the ‘maze’ of Raffles Hotel to the cellar. Once a lifetime? Perhaps not, but surely it was very delightful to have had come this close to the prized collections that many can only dream about. Such bottles/ magnums…Chateau Margaux 1900, Y’quem 1900, La Tache, DRCs!!! Just imagine a ‘car in a bottle’!

Now back to some highlights, (but not limited to) for the night…

Two Paddocks, 2006 Pinot Noir (Central Otago)

Fruits for this Pinot Noir are sourced from three different vineyards across Central Otago. The first of which comes from vines in Gibbston Valley aged around 17 years while the other two vineyards of about 10 years of age are from Alexandra. This Pinot is available from Hermitage Wines.

Bouquet: Floral bouquet opening up with red cherries with a hint of earthiness.

Palate: Fruit focused on the palate with red cherries and light earthiness for a medium bodied wine that has medium acidity.

 

Gibbston Highgate Estate, 2007 Soultake Pinot Noir (Central Otago)

Murky and slightly cloudy…my first question, “Is this filtered?”

Vineyard director, “Unfiltered and unfined”

This Gibbston vineyard is about 25 years old, producing good quality fruits for the final blend of which there is also a proportion of the legendary ‘Abel clone’! Beautiful wine and my understanding is this wine will be made available at Rev Wines.

Bouquet: Sweet strawberry candies (think strawberries and cream), some Turkish delight nuances and light undergrowth

Palate: If the palate is too ‘ripe’…fret not, the fruit here is pure and the palate smooth with flavours of red cherries, some dark plums and light earthy savouryness with a nice acid backbone and soft tannins.

 

Lime Rock, 2007 White Knuckle Road Pinot Noir (Central Hawkes Bay)

Central Hawkes Bay…if you’re thinking why are they growing Pinots in Hawkes Bay? Then, you’re not alone…Central Hawkes Bay is a new and upcoming wine growing region in NZ and (nope) it is not in Hawkes Bay. This is single vineyard Pinot Noir for those who enjoy terroir and the essence of a particular vineyard.

Bouquet: Spicy and floral with cherries and a hint of meatiness.

Palate: Intense cherries with beautiful spice notes and a touch of earthy tones. Simple and nicely done

 

Weka River, 2007 Pinot Noir (Waipara Valley)

Those who enjoy simple wines, here is a good choice. Simple, easy drinking wine for the times that too much thinking has been done over the day and wines are for simple relaxation in the evening!

Bouquet: Dark fruity nose with a savoury touch plus some spiciness.

Palate: Soft tannins for easy enjoyment with some dark cherries coming through on the palate

 

Cambridge Road, 2008 Syrah (Martinborough)

Not all Pinot here, but hang on…YES, SYRAH in Martinborough! The winemaker did not get it wrong, on the contrary, this is the second oldest Syrah vines in NZ, planted in 1986!

Bouquet: Rhone beauty comes to mind with pepper, sweet spices, licorice and bitter dark chocolate.

Palate: Medium bodied, cool climate styled syrah with a nice fruit core showing red fruits, pepper and some spiciness (not alcoholic though) with very soft tannins à perfect for enjoying now!

 

Mount Difficulty, 2002 Pinot Noir (Central Otago)

Yes, an 8 year old Pinot and drinking beautifully.

Bouquet: Musky white pepper, red cherries, spices, ‘dark earthiness’ (if it makes sense) and some meaty notes.

Palate: Nice body and lushes, velvety mouthfeel with soft grained tannins at the back held by vibrant acidity à palate sensations = dark cherries, white pepper, savoury earthiness and a hint of meaty tone as displayed from the nose.

 

Haythornthwaite Wines, 2008 Noble Gewürztraminer (Martinborough)

Good parents = good upbringing = well mannered off springs, while good genes = good quality.

The winemakers themselves are a beautiful couple, which has been reflected in their wines. One may call me bias, but the palate speaks for itself. I have had the honour of vertically tasting the pride of their winery the Susan’s Gewurtztraminier - 2008, 2009, 2010 (speaking of which the 2010 is not even released yet!) The 2008 has developed a great and rich mouthfeel after 2 years in the bottle, I can only imagine how good will the 2010 develop as it current is showing a very promising structure of fruits and acid with a poised balance. Perhaps, we’ll all find out in due time!

Lastly, to end any occasion well…we had a good and NOBLE ‘sticky’ from Haythornthwaite Wines.

Bouquet: Ripe tropical fruits, rich thick honeyed aromas plus ripe apricots and hazelnuts.

Palate: Rich but remains fresh mid way through with layers of ripe mangoes, bananas, apricot crème and a dose of mild hazelnutty ending with lingering residual sweetness.

 

Always trust your PALate, it’s your PAL!

Cheers!

The all time raved about kiwi, the winery that is famed for putting New Zealand‘s wines in the eyes of the world. A vineyard as many others in New Zealand which produce various grape varietals that the kiwis are renowned for with Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc as their main varietals. However, it is their debut Sauvignon Blanc to export markets two and a half decades ago that has brought much attention to this winery, region and country. Cult wine or everyday pleasure, one may ask?!? No matter what, often when one thinks of New Zealand, Marlborough in particular, one thinks of Sauvignon Blanc. For the avid drinkers, a particular brand comes to mind…Cloudy Bay!

Cloudy Bay, located in the north eastern end of New Zealand’s South Island in the wine region of Marlborough was established back in 1985 by a Western Australian Vineyard, Cape Mentelle. The winery and vineyards lie in the cool region of the Wairau Valley in Marlborough which gives the archetypal expression of most Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc that we see in today’s market.

Truly a name created for themselves but has it been a benchmark for many young growers? How justifiable this is depends on an individual. My advice as always, allow the wines to express themselves as each bottle is beautifully crafted by the winemaker.

If you’re keen on New Zealand wines, check out the latest events at TLN!

Without further ado, let me share how the following two Cloudy Bay bottles have spoken to me!

 

Cloudy Bay, 2009 Sauvignon Blanc

Bouquet: A nice typical mix of peppery capsicum, some grassy notes plus gooseberries and light passionfruit nose

Palate: Fresh with a good depth on the palate showcasing grapefruit, kiwi and guava nuances before a dry finish with lingering capsicum notes. A little more flamboyance could do the trick!

 

Cloudy Bay, 2007 Chardonnay

Bouquet: Sweet scented appley-acetone with a buttery musky floral mix

Palate: Medium bodied wine kept in check with vibrant acidity while displaying intense apple and kiwi notes plus a hint of dry toasted oak

 

 

If you are a Pinot lover or passionate about New Zealand wines, be sure to check out the previous two-parter Pinot Noir showdowns! Click here for Part 1 and Part 2.

 

Always trust your PALate, it’s your PAL!

When it comes to Italian vino, the usual suspects are usually the CABBs -->  Chianti, Amarone,  Brunellos, Barolos! Ask any Italian enthusiast and you wouldn’t be surprised to find out that majority of their collection would consist of these bandits. Besides plantings of new world varietals (Cabernet Sauvingnon, Chardonnay, etc) locally, many other Italian local varietals such as Trebbiano, Fiano, Greco, Refosco, Vermentino and many more usually goes unheard of. 

As tourists, where would one visit? Scenery, history, buildings, architecture all leads to various parts of Europe. Italy, Sicily in particular- tourist spot for sceneries, archeological sites and more is booming not only agriculturally but also in its vinous form (and all vino-holics say, “Hallelujah!”). One more region to explore in our palate expansion!

From a wine enthusiast’s perspective, Brunello = Sangiovese, Piedmonte = Barolos, what about Sicily? Nero d’Avola! No doubt, Nero d’Avola has brought much attention to this part of the Italian wine economy; nevertheless many indigenous Greek grapes including other varietals are thriving well in the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Something out of the box this time for local noses…we have 2 wines, one Fiano, an important varietal from the Campania region in Southern Italy and a Merlot which is easily found in most wine regions around the globe.

Fiano is a native white wine varietal in Southern Italy that commonly entices drinkers with its great aromatics and strong flavour characteristics. The first wine this time is a Fiano, not from Campania but from Menfi, Sicily. Planeta, a rather well established producer in Sicily is not only focusing on the local varietals but has also brought in grapes from other regions to experiment with them within their local terroir, Sicily. To their credit, this varietal has managed to thrive and develop well in Sicily, following which into the bottles and unto our palates!

Planeta, Cometa (Fiano) IGT 2007

Firstly, gorgeously golden in colour!

Bouquet: Nice floral notes, hints of orange blossom and talc together with some burnt rubber characteristics while not missing the stone fruits as it opens up with air

Palate: Rich and creamy on the palate with well balanced low-medium acid profile showing stone fruits as it opens up while there is citrus-lemony freshness and mango notes on the mid palate plus apple-ey acetone coupled with rich complex buttery flavours with a slight hint of burnt wood on the finish

(A rather serious wine indeed which is rich yet balanced that continues to open and evolve with time…seriously screaming out for something rich like Carbonara pasta or a Gorgonzola Pear Walnut salad)

Merlot, on the other hand needs no further introduction...a varietal that compliments a Cabernet Sauvignon blend perfectly, as well as outshining many other wines independently on its own. It has managed to root deep and call home at almost every corner of the globe, starting from Bordeaux to Australia to Chile to mainland Italian Super Tuscans and now to the island of Sicily. This other bottle from Planeta is another serious stunner. Merlot has probably rooted itself here once again and found itself a new home in this region, particularly in Menfi and Sambuca di Sicilia.

Planeta, Merlot IGT 2006

Bouquet: Dark plums with dark flavours reminiscing black coloured berries with black spices, some black pepper plus undeniable heavy tobacco and ashtray smoke notes (in a positive manner)

Palate: Full bodied with a good structure, balanced with good concentration – showing dark plums, dark cherries, woody tobacco and whiffs of smoke before an underlying mid palate of dark spices and mild peppery notes.  It’s rather smooth on the palate and finishes off with ripe tannins

Another food wine – bring out the beef!!!

(This reminds me, never judge a book by its cover…the label isn’t stunning but the wine has really caught my palate off guard! If only I had more in the cellar!)

Great Quality to Price Ratio (QPR) wines…it’s a steal if you can manage to lay your hands on these!!

Do share with me…What is the latest wine that has caught you off guard?!?

(Post it on Facebook via http://www.thelocalnose.com/)

 

Always trust your PALate, it’s your PAL!

Salute!

My first wine-sip after a 10-days road trip in north Thailand happens to be with good quality Spanish wines, the Chivite wines to be precise. I attended the Bodegas Chivite lunch at Si Chuan Dou Hua (at UOB Plaza) on 10th June. Mr Eduardo Ruiz, Bodegas Chivite’s  export manager, was at hand to host the lunch.

In a world where wineries are increasingly owned by conglomerates, finance companies, banks and fashion houses; Bodegas Chivite stands as a family-owned winery. Founded in 1647, it stands among one of the oldest wine producing dynasties in Spain with over eleven generations of family members involved over time in producing the Chivite wines.

For this lunch, we tasted 2 whites and 3 reds from the Chivite range of wines accompanied by Chinese (shichuan) cuisine. The wines were:

2006 Chivite Gran Feudo Edicion, Chardonnay Sabre Lias
A chardonnay from the Navarra DO. The grapes harvested for this wine come from the southern part of Navarra. After fermentation, the wine stays on lees for 6 months and is kept in a mix of American and French oak to give it an added dimension in texture and flavour. This wine shows yellow colour of medium intensity, good brilliance and clarity. Hints of citrus, white fruits and wood show in aroma and flavours. A light to medium bodied wine, it is soft, fresh, balanced with good acid adding to its structure. Hints of citrus and acid lingers in its aftertaste.  

2006 Chivite Coleccion 125, Blanco
(This particular label was launched in 1985 to commemorate the 125 year anniversary of the 1st export of Bodegas Chivite wines back in 1860.) Again from the Navarra DO, this is a single varietal wine made from chardonnay. The grapes this time come from the northern part of Navarra. Upon fermentation, this wine spends some time on lees and is aged in small French barriques for 10 months. This wine is yellow in colour with medium intensity, shows aromas and flavours of citrus, butter and oak; holds good structure, shows a supple body in palate with a hint of smooth, buttery texture and a lingering finish. Elegant and enjoyable, this wine is still young and the ample acid in the background hints at further aging potential.  

2007 Chivite Gran Feudo Edicion, Seleccion Especial (Navarra DO)
This is a red wine made from a blend of tempranillo (50%), cabernet sauvignon (30%) and merlot (20%). Its bright red in colour and shows lots of black berries and cherries with a hint of spice on the nose. A medium bodied wine, it shows black cherries, leather and well-integrated oak elements in the palate; slightly astringent in nature with mouth drying quality and shows a good balance. Around 300,000 bottles were produced for the 2007 vintage.

2004 Chivite Gran Feudo Edicion, Vinsa Viejas Reserve (Navarra DO)
This is a red blend made from tempranillo (70%), garnacha (25%) and 5% of cabernet sauvignon and merlot.  The grapes for this wine come from the northern part of Navarra. The tempranillo vines are 40 to 60 years old. During harvest the grapes are hand-picked. Upon fermentation, it is aged for 18 months in new French oak, after which the wine undertakes bottle-aging in the winery to qualify for the reserva status. Less than 200,000 bottles were produced for the 2004 vintage. The wine shows high intensity ruby red colour. In the nose and palate it shows red fruits, plum, earth and tobacco. It is a medium to full bodied wine, well balanced and shows a good structure consisting of ample fruits, tannins, oak and a hint of acid in the finish. 

2005 Chivite Coleccion 125, Reserva (Navarro DO)
This red blend consists of tempranillo (64%), merlot (20%) and cabernet sauvignon (16%) and has been aged in new French oak for 14 months. The colour is deep red; shows aromas and flavours of black fruits, tobacco and cassis; medium to full bodied, slightly brooding in nature, supple and smooth in texture and has a lingering finish. It’s a wine which shows the potential for secondary development with further aging.

I paired the two whites with 3 of the dishes at the table; the Four Delicacies combination (entrée), the Double-boiled shark’s bone soup with fish maw and the Baked cod fish in miso sauce. Though the whites held well against all 3 dishes, I must say they best matched with the baked cod dish.

As for the reds, I tasted all 3 reds with the Braised spare ribs with vinegar dish. For my palate at least, the 2007 Chivite Gran Feudo Edicion, Seleccion Especial (Navarra DO) seemed the best red of the 3 to go with the spare ribs. On its own, without food, the 2005 Chivite Coleccion 125, Reserva (Navarro DO) was the ideal red for the afternoon.

 

I took the opportunity a few days ago (on 21 Apr 2010) to attend the Georges Duboeuf wine tasting at Sentosa Resort and Spa. Though it was raining earlier in the afternoon, luckily it stopped by the time the event began. This helped as at least a third of the space used for this tasting was held outdoors. It was certainly a sizable one with a few hundred guests and the event room was packed with the smartly attired and beautifully dressed.

 

The 4 wines featured for tasting were:

a. 2008 Macon-Villages (Cru du Macconnais)

b. 2005 Fleurie (Cru de Beaujolais)

c. 2008 Julinas, Ch des Poupets (cru de Beaujolais)

d. 2006 Pouilly Fuisse (Cru du Macconnais).

 

To go with these wines, there was an array of food; from barley & duck confit, teriyaki glazed ‘sushi’, duck ragout cherries & chocolate potato waffle, foie gras and scallop in soy balsamic vinaigrette to ravioli with spinach & white balsamic espuma.

Indoors there were an assortment of desserts, fruit trays and caviar to further satiate the guests. The food and wine were complimented with a live band which supported the ambience without overwhelming the on-going banter of the guests.

My 2 favourite wines for the evening were the 2005 Fleurie and the 2006 Pouilly Fuisse. One often talks about a food and wine pairing where one can see a synergistic union in a pairing. I must say the 2006 Pouilly Fuisse and the Ravioli with spinach and white balsamic espuma was one such pairing. The chefs were kept busy dishing out new servings throughout the night and the sommeliers had their hands full in filling up the glasses for the crowd intent on an epicurean pursuit.

I had to leave early as I had FHA to contend with the next day. But I must say it was a pleasant evening.