If I’m still thinking about a meal I had two days ago, then it means it’s time
to write about it. It wasn’t at a top-rated restaurant. It wasn’t a culinary masterpiece or elaborately prepared. It wasn’t even free. It was a home-cooked dinner of Risotto Primavera (ok, so the recipe was from the old Le Cirque, adapted by former New York Times Food Critic, Ruth Riechl, in her book Garlic and Sapphires) prepared with my boyfriend. Perhaps it was the act of cooking together which in and of itself is not a big deal, but when you consider that we are morphing into that other breed of Manhattanites—the ones who actually cook—the “act” is still fun and new for us. But it was the bottle of 2006 Geyser Peak Chardonnay which pulled it all together.
It’s not rated by WE, WS or RP and at $13, it’s one of those good-to-have-on-hand bottles for everyday drinking. The wine immediately gave off aromas of tropical fruits like pineapple and banana as well as notes of vanilla. (Watch for my upcoming post Wine Words: Crock of Shit or Gospel?) The first sip gave us butter and caramel with a very creamy texture. As with California Chardonnays, the oak was definitely detectable, but it didn’t overwhelm. The bottle’s label also suggested pear, figs and crisp finish, but I didn’t get the crispness.
to write about it. It wasn’t at a top-rated restaurant. It wasn’t a culinary masterpiece or elaborately prepared. It wasn’t even free. It was a home-cooked dinner of Risotto Primavera (ok, so the recipe was from the old Le Cirque, adapted by former New York Times Food Critic, Ruth Riechl, in her book Garlic and Sapphires) prepared with my boyfriend. Perhaps it was the act of cooking together which in and of itself is not a big deal, but when you consider that we are morphing into that other breed of Manhattanites—the ones who actually cook—the “act” is still fun and new for us. But it was the bottle of 2006 Geyser Peak Chardonnay which pulled it all together.It’s not rated by WE, WS or RP and at $13, it’s one of those good-to-have-on-hand bottles for everyday drinking. The wine immediately gave off aromas of tropical fruits like pineapple and banana as well as notes of vanilla. (Watch for my upcoming post Wine Words: Crock of Shit or Gospel?) The first sip gave us butter and caramel with a very creamy texture. As with California Chardonnays, the oak was definitely detectable, but it didn’t overwhelm. The bottle’s label also suggested pear, figs and crisp finish, but I didn’t get the crispness.
PS 1st sip rating: good, may buy again. PS end-of-the-night rating: mm mm good!
The “mm-mm-good” status happens when I manage not to burn my dinner and when the flavors of a wine and meal play off each so that 1+1=3. This was about the perfect h
armony between the wine, the meal and our On-Demand movie, Tropic Thunder. The creaminess of the wine complimented our Risotto which was equally buttery, golden from the saffron, with a teeny al-dente bite, and a hint of sweetness from the carrots and peas. We were so loving the meal that it didn’t matter what movie was on, except that Ben Stiller and Robert Downey Jr. played off each other like Batman and Robin. Downey’s character, a Black man from a another era, was slightly offensive, totally believable and downright hysterical. When it was time for dessert, Haagen Dazs Pineapple Coconut ice cream, we still had some wine left over. I would normally wait until after dessert to finish my wine so that it doesn’t taste like sour grapes, BUT… we experimented, and to my surprise, the tropical Geyser Peak Chardonnay worked beautifully with our tropical ice-cream. Harmony is a great way to start 2009.p.s. Wine.com recommendeds this wine with Sea Bass in a ginger coconut broth.
p.p.s. This wine also reminded me of the 2006 La Crema Chardonnay, also from Sonoma County. It's $15, widely available, and RP gives it a 90. As the name suggests, it's CREAMY.
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