Burgundy @ Schuyler Meadows, Loudonville, NY, 6/9/2018

2018 Chapitre and Induction Dinner of the Chevaliers du Tastevin
Schuyler Meadows Club, Loudonville, NY, 6/9/2018

The Albany-Capital Region chapter of La Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin held its 2018 Chapitre and Induction Dinner at Schuyler Meadows Club, in Loudonville, NY.

The hosts for this dinner were Tom and Ann Marie Marusak. They are members of the Schuyler Meadows Club.

The wines were from the chapter's cellar. 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, and in many cases more image.

The Venue

The Schuyler Meadows Club was founded in 1926 in Loudonville, NY. A group of local residents bought a local farm for the purpose of creating a club with an 18-hole golf course and tennis courts.

Amy and I were running late, so I was unable to get photos of the exterior this time. However, I took these photos in September of 2015 at a previous dinnner at the club. As you can see, the grounds and the clubhouse are quite lovely:

The Induction

This was the first Confrérie event for our brand new Grand Sénéchal Larry Teal. Larry, Paul Curtin (Grand Sénéchal of the Central NY Chapter), and our regional Délégué Général Ned Weihman presided over the induction of new Chevalier Adrian Chiota, as well as the elevation of Jared Shulman to Argentier, the elevation of John Fritze from Chevalier to Commandeur, and the recognition of Severn Goodwin as a new Chevalier. He was inducted during his recent visit to Clos Vougeot.

You can find a large collection of photos of the entire induction ceremony here.

Dinner

The lovely menu cover, the menu, and the list of wines:

The part of Vanna White in the above photos was played by Larry Snavley.

Pre-Dinner Wines
Before the induction ceremonies, two wines were served with passed appetizers. Since we got there late, I did not taste them, but we have had them both before. Here is a previous note and photos for the 2015 Jean Baptiste Ponsot Rully Bas de Vauvry. There was also a non-vintage Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Reserve Champagne which is pleasant and refreshing. Really special was the wine used in the induction ceremony:

2003 Domaine Château De La Tour Clos Vougeot - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos Vougeot Grand Cru
[Opened about 5:30pm. Not decanted. Tasted around 6:30pm.] This was the wine used in the induction ceremony. I was able to get a taste before dinner started. Rich, full, ripe, but not over-ripe. Still has tannin. Balanced and young. (92-93 points)

Ned Weihman, Délégué Général Nord-Est, has a few kind words about
retiring Grand Sénéchal Joel Hodes and our new Grand Sénéchal Larry Teal:

Tom Marusak tells us about the venue and our dinner:

Paul Curtin talks about the close relationship between his Central NY chapter and ours:

Amy catches the Fine Wine Geek in action:

First Course
Chablis Poached Eggs in Butter Sauce with Salmon Caviar, Country Pate, Sesame Toast & Radish Curls:

2009 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Les Preuses - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru
[Removed from refrigerator and opened about 5:45pm. Not decanted. Served around 6:45pm.] Crisp full complex nose. Loads of almonds and subtle lemon tart flavors. Should drink well for at least another 5-8 years. (92 points)

Second Course
Lobster & Scallop in Saffron broth with Chili Coulis, Sweet Peas, Potatoes & Cracked Pepper Whipped Cream:

2017 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Rosé de Pinot-Noir - France, Burgundy, Bourgogne
[Removed from refrigerator and opened about 6:15pm. Not decanted. Served around 7:30pm.] Soft and delicious. Cherries. So tasty. A wine you could drink all day with almost any food. (91 points)

Jared tells us about the Colin-Morey Rosé:

Third Course
Sous Vide Hudson Valley Duck with Cointreau Glaze, Pomegranate Molasses & Nasturtium Salad finished with Duck Skin Lardons & Brandied Duck Confit:

2008 La Pousse d'Or Volnay 1er Cru Caillerets - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru
[Opened about 5:30pm. Not decanted. Served around 8:15pm.] Rich, tart black cherries in the nose and mouth. So delicious. Classic Volnay. Fully ready. Goes really well with the duck. Amy likes it a lot. (93 points)

Larry chats with Joel and Bobby Mac who are visiting our table:

Fourth Course
Truffle Dusted Tenderloin Medallions with Pan Seared Foie Gras, Morels, Petit Squash & Sweet Potatoes:

2004 Domaine Ponsot Clos de la Roche Vieilles Vignes - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru
[Opened about 5:30pm. Not decanted. Served around 8:45pm.] Gorgeous, complex nose with tons of red and black fruits, minerals, and spice. In the mouth, complex, tannic red and black fruit. Long. Just stunningly good. More ready than the bottle I brought to at Le Canard Enchaîné (Kingston, NY, 10/1/2017), but still quite young. So much there. (95-97 points)

Photos of the Tables

There was a bit of a time before the next course came out, so I went around and took photos of the people at each of the tables.

Fifth Course
French Cheese Plate:

2008 Domaine Humbert Frères Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Poissenot - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru
[Opened about 6pm. Not decanted. Served around 9:15pm.] Another big, rich wines, but all black fruits here. Lots of ripe fruit, but a hint of greenness that concerns me a bit. Still eminently drinkable today. (93? points)