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15th Anniversary Nostalgia Tasting: An Eclectic Evening with Phil Nicholson |
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Thursday, 06 March 2008 |
Reported by Bill Ellis
For our 15th year a series of Nostalgia Tastings have been organized for our membership to enjoy. Who better to lead our first event than Phil Nicholson, Guild Founder and first President?!
 Did you know?
- The Guild’s humble beginnings were in Phil’s living room prior to moving to the Chelsea Club.
- Membership has grown from a handful to over 200 members.
- Phil was one of the founders of the Scholarship Program that annually recognizes outstanding Sommelier Certificate Program students.
- The original intent of the Guild was to keep snobbery out and to make sure wine was accessible and fun.
- Phil has an immense passion for Sherry!
Arriving at the Chelsea Club we were greeted by Phil with a welcoming handshake and a glass of Lustau Palo Cortado “Peninsula” Sherry, Jerez de la Frontera. On a cold Ottawa night this rich and umptuous offering was just what was needed to warm up.
When we arrived at the table Phil and Chef Sean Murphy had created a food and wine pairing experience that allowed us to experiment and decide which food and wine worked best to either match or contrast each other.
The four flights were:
Lobster Bisque
- Bodegas Hidalgo la Gitana Manzanilla Pastrana (Single Vineyard), Sanlucar de Barrameda
- Delgado Zuleta Amontillado Fino, Sanlucar de Barrameda
The two Finos chosen were in contrast to each other, but both had the refreshing, clean, and dry attributes, with just the right balance of acidity to be enjoyed with the bisque. It should be noted that the bisque made by Chef Murphy was decidedly one of the highlights of the night and could easily surpass the best this group had ever enjoyed!
Smoked Salmon – Chive bellini, crème fraise, lump fish caviar
- 2006 Domaine du Chardonnay Chablis Premier Cru “Montmains” AOC
- 2005 Duvergey-Taboureau Mersault AOC
- 2005 Clarence Hill Chardonnay Maclaren Vale
- 2006 Rene Mure Gewurztraminer Alsace AOC
Just when you thought you’d seen it all … pairing a Gewurtz with salmon! Remarkably the simple fruits in the Rene Mure Gewurztraminer worked surprisingly well with the dish. The Domaine du Chardonnay was a typical mineral and floral wine that worked well with the dish. The Duvergey-Taboureau Mersault (Pinot Noir—a classic match) paired well with the smoked salmon as you would expect. The Clarence Hill Chardonnay done in the newer Australian style of fruit driven with less oak was the group’s favorite match for this flight.
 Deconstructed Lamb and Ale Pie with 5 Spice and Thyme
- 2005 Laurent Mabileau St.-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil AOC
- 2005 Château Philippe-Le-Hardi Mercurey AOC
- 2005 Gran Lurton Cabernet Sauvignon Mendoza
- 2005 Kaesler ‘Stonehouse’ Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre Barossa Valley
With this dish we had differing decisions on the best pairing. The Laurent Mabileau St.-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil is 100% Cabernet Franc which was quite fruit forward. It’s herbs and spice, fresh and earthy paired well with the spices in the dish. The Château Philippe-Le- Hardi Mercurey was a simple wine that showed little complexity and stood its ground to the pie. The fruit and pepper in the Kaesler ‘Stonehouse’ did a good job of complimenting the dish. Let’s call this flight a 3 way tie. The least favorite pairing was the Gran Lurton Cabernet Sauvignon. Its ripe fruit aromas and soft but substantial tannins didn’t quite work with the spices.
Silio 8 Year Cheddar (Quebec) / Valdeon Sycamore Leaf-Wrapped Blue (Spain)
- 1996 Marques de Vitoria Rioja, Spain
- 2001 J.P. Moscatel, Moscatel de Setubal
- 1986 Graham’s ‘Malvedos Vintage Port
To finish we had two cheeses with incredible identities. The Silio was aged cheddar from Quebec while the Valdeon was a salty creamy (but not crumbly) blue cheese that had been aged wrapped in a sycamore leaf. Both strong personalities and stood up to well by the robust full bodied fruit in all three wines in the flight. A favorite of the evening was the Moscatel and the blue cheese. The creamy salty blue cheese was complemented by the fruits and acids in the Moscatel.
The evening closed with Phil being recognized as “A most enthusiastic” wine person! Thanks to Phil and his contributions this evening $1,000.00 was raised for the Scholarship Fund. It’s something we do for the wine community and as he said in Latin ... Non vobis, non mihi tamen pro totus nostrum. It is not for you, not for me, but for all of us!
We thank you Phil. |
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 06 April 2008 )
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Moderation |
 The National Capital Sommelier Guild strongly supports moderate and responsible consumption of wine and spirits. Guild dinner events allow a designated driver to attend at a reduced price. The designated driver will not be served alcohol. Guild tasting events provide and encourage the use of spit buckets. |
"Great wine is about nuance, surprise, subtlety, expression, qualities that keep you coming back for another taste. Rejecting a wine because it is not big enough is like rejecting a book because it is not long enough, or a piece of music because it is not loud enough."
—Kermit Lynch in Adventures on the Wine Route |
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