The hosts for this dinner were Paul Provost, Kitty Dougherty, and Jim Nejaime.
I sat with my guests, Marc and Jennifer DiBella, and
fellow Chevalier Maria Lull and her guests, Christie and Tom Ellis.
The wines were from the chapter's cellar unless otherwise stated.
None of the wines were decanted, but they were opened for some time before serving.
See each wine note for details.
Click on any image with a border for a larger view of that image.
The Kemble Inn is a lovely historic inn just off Walker Street near the center of
Lenox, MA.
Before Dinner
There was also a non-vintage Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Reserve Champagne which I did not try.
2015 Domaine de Charmoy Chablis - France, Burgundy, Chablis
[Removed from refrigeration at 4pm, opened and served at 4:40pm.
Produced by Domaine Seguinot-Bordet – Propriétaire Récoltant de Chablis À Maligny]
Very flavorful, crisp and delicious. Lemon curd, slate, and just a little vanilla.
A steal at $17. Brought by Jim Nejaime for everyone. (92 points)
Gathering in the parlor before dinner:
Jennifer and Marc chat with John Sprague:
Howie!
Dinner
Grand Sénéchal Joel Hodes encourages everyone to sit down to dinner.
And they do!
First Course
Steak Tartare (steak, capers, anchovies, Dijon mustard).
2008 Hospices de Beaune Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Cuvée Arthur Girard Alain Corcia -
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru
[Opened at 4pm, served at 6:30.]
Fully ready. Some woodsy mulch mixed with dried cherries in the nose.
Nice to have one fully mature wine.
Still has good acidity and fruit, but lots of tertiary aromas.
(93 points)
Second Course
Cioppino (seafood stew in a hearty tomato broth).
2008 Joseph Drouhin Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru -
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru
[Opened at 4:45pm, served at 7pm.]
Strong barnyard nose slowly blows off leaving an appealingly earthy nose.
Ripe red fruit and some complexity. Goes quite with with the fish dish, maybe
because of the tomato and spice. Should drink well for 5-10 years more.
(92 points)
Joel visits with Tom Ellis:
Third Course
Cornish Hen over Quinoa, Thyme, Grapes, & Walnuts.
2009 Domaine Henri Boillot Meursault 1er Cru Les Genevrières -
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault 1er Cru
[Removed from refrigeration at 5pm, opened at 7pm, served at 7:40pm.] Huge buttery nose.
Lots of minerals and butter in the mouth. Expansive and delicious. A terrific wine.
Daring to serve it after two reds (which was fine),
but it was really overpowering even for the hen.
This wine really needs a dish in a cream sauce. (94 points)
Around our table: Christie and Tom Ellis,
Marc and Jennifer DiBella, and fellow Chevalier Maria Lull:
Fourth Course
Beef Tenderloin in Demi-Glace over Romanesco Purée.
2007 Frédéric Magnien Charmes-Chambertin -
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru
[Opened at 4:45pm,served at 8:25pm.] Huge nose of poo fades slowly to minty black cherries.
So tight right now, even with beef. Slowly showing some chocolate, cherry, and mint.
Needs 5-10 years to really open up. (93-?? points)
The dinner wines:
Dessert
Reverse Apple Pie made with local apples.
Too sweet to go with the Sauternes.
Neal’s Yard Dairy Aged English Montgomery’s Cheddar.
Amazing cheese and perfect with the Guiraud.
2001 Château Guiraud - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
Classic complex botrytis nose. Mature and tasty in the mouth.
Brought by Kitty Dougherty for everyone. (91 points)
Table Two:
Co-host Jim Nejaime is acknowledged:
Co-hosts Kitty Dougherty (center) and Paul Provost (partially hidden) are acknowledged:
Joel asks the staff to come out and take a bow:
Chef Adrian Bennett receives Joel's praise and our applause:
Chef Adrian Bennett introduces his kitchen staff.
Pretty impressive that three guys did all this cooking:
General Manager Aliki Serras introduces the waitstaff
including Maître D' Sasha Basasau:
Joel gives the staff a memento of our visit which includes the menu for the evening:
And now we do the La La song:
Conclusion
A lovely evening all around. The food, the wines, and the company were very, very good.
