Thursday 1 September 2011

Bio-Dynamic Wine Dinner at Tassili, Grand Jersey 25th August 2011

By Kasia & Lucy
Last Thursday 25th August, Kasia and Lucy gladly accepted an invitation from the Grand Jersey Hotel for their 'Biodynamic Wine Dinner' in Tassili Restaurant.

Led through to a serene and relaxing room with a fabulous sea view, we were presented with the first wine of the evening, a rather golden coloured 2009 Afros Loureiro Vinho Verde from Portugal.

This was accompanied by canapés of celery salt straws, a Bellini sphere and a spoonful of scallop and crab. Quite a selection! Much more rounded than your average Vinho Verde, with flavours of ripe pear and apple, it was an excellent match to complement the seared scallop and yet cut through the richness with it's crisp acidity.

We then moved on into the rather elegant Tassili room where we were served Lemon Sole with blackened Jersey butter. To match this was a golden straw coloured Riesling 'Growers Collection' from Rose Vineyard in Pyramid Valley, Marlborough, New Zealand. A wine with mouth watering acidity and rolling flavours of fermented and caramelised apple and a hint of cinnamon on the finish. Round and heavier than modern style Riesling it was one of Lucy's favourite wines of the night (although was slightly hiding the delicate flavours of the fish).

Next was the highly anticipated 'Skeveldra' 2008 Sancerre Blanc by Sebastien Riffault from the Loire Valley, France. Paired with a fabulous combination of goats curd, smokey Iberico ham and zingy gordal olives this was a top combination. The rich, marzipan and stewed peach flavours of the wine counteracted the rich creamy curd and accentuated the salty, smokey cured ham. We could have eaten much, much more!

Then we have moved on to the first red 'Granato' Vigneti Delle Dolomiti Rosso 2006 from Trentino, Italy, made by renowned winemaker and viticulturist Elisabetta Foradori. A dark intense wine full of juicy blackberries, hints of black pepper and soft rounded tannins. Perfect with the fatty Smoked Duck Carpaccio and complemented the bursts of dried cherries that accompanied it.

Then onto another winning combination. We were presented with a cylinder of perfectly tender smoked Angus Beef Fillet with a celeriac and truffle puree and a glass of 2003 '1368' Barranco Oscuro, Cerra Las Monjas, from Spain.

A concoction of varieties including Garnacha and Cabernet Franc create a powerful wine here. Peppery, smokey with a slight menthol nose it was still juicy with predominant flavours of blackcurrant and fig. Double decanted and let to rest for a couple of hours, it was a definite star of the evening according to Kasia.

And with a mixture of sadness and anticipation, we came to dessert. Presented in an unusual glass dish, the malt ice-cream with hay casanade (a type of cream I gather) topped with caramelised granola was a lovely way to finish the mouth watering experience combined with a glass of 'Selection de Grains Nobles' 2001 Riesling from Pierre Frick, Alsace, France. A nose of apricots and honey lead to flavours of pear, pineapple and cinnamon on the palate. Both components supported each other extremely well to provide a long lasting taste to finish a truly delicious and eye opening dinner.

Lucy and Kasia