Dinner with Nick P and Jared @ Salil's, 12/12/2024

Dinner with Nick P and Jared
@ Châteauneuf-du-Salil, Albany, NY 12/12/2024

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Salil's friend Nick Pagoria flew in from Chicago. Jared drove over the Hudson. And I made the short jaunt to Salil's. Salil hosted us all for a second wonderful meal and wine dinner. All the food was prepared from scratch by Salil.

This was the second evening of Nick's visit. My write up of night one is here.

Starter
Baguette with Comté and Double Cream Brie:

2001 Alfred Merkelbach Erdener Treppchen Riesling Auslese #10 - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
[Opened the previous evening. Kept in fridge with cork back in.] Lovely nose orange peel and a hint of petrol. Mildly sweet, but excellent balance. Blind, I might have guessed spätlese. Complex and delicious. (94 points)

Dinner
Salil's roast chicken thighs with pilaf, broccoli, and Salil's famous Carrots with Tahini:

1998 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Riserva Santo Stefano - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco
[Double-decanted around 5pm.] This took the whole evening to fully show its stuff. Nose of red and black fruit and fruitcake spice. Lovely and tannin. Needs more air.
10pm: Slowly opening and showing its stuff. This never had the weight of earlier SSRs, but the elegant beauty of this wine shows through.
According to Salil, it got even better after I went home. He called it GOD TIER. 🔥 (96 points)
1984 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Martha's Vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
[Double-decanted around 5pm.] Mint and black fruit nose. Juicy long finish. Rich and complex. Gorgeous, classic Martha's. Salil picked up some TCA. Fortunately for me, I didn't. (94 points)
1984 Diamond Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Volcanic Hill - USA, California, Napa Valley, Diamond Mountain
[Pop and pour.] Big smoky red fruit nose. Rich and complex. Still some tannin, but plenty of fruit as well. Delicious wine probably at peak. (94 points)

With seconds:

2005 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Saint-Aubin 1er Cru La Chatenière Blanc - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Saint-Aubin 1er Cru
[Pop and pour.] Nose of citrus, walnuts, and toasted marshmallows. Very flavorful in the mouth. Mature and delicious! (93 points)
2005 Vietti Barolo Lazzarito - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
[Double-decanted about 2 hours before I tasted it.] This is a beautiful beast at this point. Rich red fruit nose. Big in the mouth. Silky rich fruit mostly covers a wall of tannin. Needs another decade. Terrific. (95–97 points)
1998 Domaine de Vallouit Hermitage Les Greffières - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
[Double-decanted about 2 hours before I tasted it.] Big smoky nose. Rough tannins. Black fruit and some barnyard. A little too old-school for me.

Conclusion
We had another wonderful evening of food, wine, and comradery.

My tasting notes posted from CellarTracker.