Around 10:00AM, I'm off to the wineries again. Today, I visit three more "pioneers" in Oregon wine...three wineries that have been around since the early 70's.
Eyrie, Erath and Adelsheim all produce a full range of white wines, as well as Pinot Noirs. So, for white wines, they'll make a Pinot Blanc, a Pinot Gris and, on occasion, a Chardonnay. And, for Pinot Noirs, they'll generally make am entry-level blend from wines grown throughout the valley, a "Reserve" made from the best barrels of Pinot Noir each year, and several "Vineyard-designated" Pinot Noirs made from grapes grown in particular vineyards that the winery either owns or has a contract to purchase.
Because I don't have Shannon along as my "designated driver" on this trip, three wineries is about my limit. You pay a "tasting fee" that runs between five and fifteen dollars (refundable if you purchase a bottle or two). So...if you taste, say, eight wines at each winery, it all works out to about five full glasses of wine spread out over the course of the day.
Today is an exception because, in addition to the three aforementioned wineries, I make one last stop at Argyle. Argyle is known for their excellent sparkling wines. This day, I taste a basic blend, a "reserve", a rose...and...two tastes of what they call "extended tirage". These are sparkling wines that have aged for over ten years, and the two that I taste today are outstanding. I end up leaving with a bottle of rose to enjoy later. As I leave Argyle, a beautiful rainbow appears in the sky.
Back at camp, I take two hours or so to check emails, post to the blog, clean the cool
ers, etc. Around 6:00PM, I'm hungry, so it's time to head out for dinner. At all of my "stops" here...wine tastings, grocery shopping, meals, etc., I've been asking about restaurants...what's new, what's really exciting and innovative. And, one particular restaurant has come up in almost every conversation...Paulee.
Paulee is new...it opened in late spring. The chef was formerly the #2 man in the kitchen at the French Laundry out in the Napa Valley of California. Since the French Laundry is regarded by many as the finest restaurant in the country, I'm figuring that Paulee ought to be pretty good.
I am not to be disappointed. The restaurant, itself, is very modern...lots of wood beams, stainless steel and glass. I am lucky enough to get a seat at the "chef's counter" where I can watch everything going on in the kitchen. I meet the chef, and we chat a bit about the French Laundry. I ask the chef if he will do a "tasting menu" for me...of course he will...how about four courses paired with wines for $80.00...perfect.
I can describe the meal that follows with one word...stunning. If I'm lucky, I get to eat a meal at this level maybe once a year. In fact, the last time that i had anything close to this was the tasting menu at Redd, also in the Napa Valley, back in 2010.
The "plates" were as follows...diced sea scallops with an arugula "sorbet", a salad of heirloom tomatoes with basil, basil oil and aged balsamic vinegar, a perfectly-grilled piece of salmon with cous cous, a grilled lamb chop and a piece of lamb sausage with heirloom carrot puree, a brilliant creation of seared foie gras on a piece of toasted brioche with a Cabernet reduction and bitter chocolate sauce containing some stewed cherries. A dessert of poppy seed tart and stone fruits completes my best meal of the trip. If you are counting, you've noticed that that's six courses rather than four. The chef thought that I was enjoying the food so much that he "threw in" two extra courses. And...every course has been served with the perfect wine...sparkling, rose, white, red and dessert. It is an absolute "triumph" of a meal!
Now properly "stuffed", I head back to camp to enjoy my bottle of Argyle Rose and close out what has been a wonderful day.
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