Winemaker Dinner with special guest Alvaro Palacios
At the Edge Steak and Bar in the Four Seasons Hotel on Brickell
Thursday, May 23rd
7pm
At the Edge Steak and Bar in the Four Seasons Hotel on Brickell
Thursday, May 23rd
7pm
Reception:
2008 Placet Remondo Palacios Rioja Blanc
Price: $30.00 Sale $26.40 Case $306
The only white wine made by famous Spanish winemaker Alvaro Palacios at his family’s Rioja property, Placet is made in very limited quantities from the indigenous Spanish grape variety, Viura, grown on the estate. Placet is a captivating wine that is light gold in color with aromas of honeysuckle, almonds, and fresh orchard fruit. On the palate the wine is both voluptuous and vibrant with good acidity and a long finish that has hints of fresh apricots, soft minerals and lightly toasted oak.
First Course:
salad of salt roasted beets, house made ricotta, pistachio, grilled kale
salad of salt roasted beets, house made ricotta, pistachio, grilled kale
2010 Descendientes de J. Palacios Petalos del Bierzo
Price: $24.75 Sale $21.78 Case $253
(91 Points) “Ripe red- and blackcurrant aromas are complicated by anise, cola and sexy oak spices. Soft dark berry preserve flavors gain minerality and firmness with air. Zesty cherry skin and mineral notes....”International Wine Cellar Sep, 2012
Second Course:
fire roasted duck sausage, foraged mushrooms and eggplants, basil
fire roasted duck sausage, foraged mushrooms and eggplants, basil
2009 Descendientes de J. Palacios Corullon Bierzo
Price: $52.50 Sale $46.20 Case $536
(93 Points) This polished red shows density and harmony, delivering complex, well-integrated flavors of mineral, wild berry, fresh herbs and smoke. Not showy, but has character. Drink now through 2018. 25,000 cases made. –TM Wine Spectator, Issue: Nov 15, 2011
2010 Descendientes de J. Palacios Moncerbal Bierzo
Price: $120.00 Sale $105.60 Case $1224
(91 Points) This plush red delivers black cherry, licorice, mineral and smoke flavors. Harmonious and focused, supported by well-integrated tannins and firm acidity. Not a showy wine, but has complexity and depth. Drink now through 2018. 50,000 cases made. –TM Wine Spectator, Issue: Dec 31, 2012
2001 Descendants de Palacios Corullon Moncerbal Bierzo
Price: $96.00 Sale: $84.48
This is the first vintage of this wine and it will be fun to show it next to the current releases so you can see what is coming with time and what these wines will be like with a few years in your cellar.
Third Course
ham cooked in milk and hay, partridge egg, pink lady apples, white beans and black olives
ham cooked in milk and hay, partridge egg, pink lady apples, white beans and black olives
2011 Alvaro Palacios Les Terrasses Priorat
Price: $41.00 Sale $36.08 Case $419
This is the newest release from the winery and the 2011 vintage looks to be a very good vintage in the Priorat. The temperatures in July were a bit lower than normal but August was quite hot making up for lost time and shortening the vineyard workers vacation time most wineries were harvesting at the end of August and had to do a selection in the fields to avoid over ripe grapes.
Dinner Course
roasted saddle of lamb, five different grains, spinach sauteed with pine nuts and plums
roasted saddle of lamb, five different grains, spinach sauteed with pine nuts and plums
2010 Alvaro Palacios Finca Dofi Priorat
Price: $81.00 Sale $71.28 Case $827
(94 points) "Suave, highly perfumed nose offers fresh raspberry, minerals, candied flowers and Asian spices. Sappy and minerally, offering intense, spice-accented red fruit and floral pastille flavors with superb clarity. Wonderfully supple in texture, with outstanding finishing persistence and only a hint of sweet tannins." Stephen Tanzer IWC
2002 Alvaro Palacios Finca Dofi Priorat
List Price: $82.50 Sale $72.60
This was not a good harvest in the priorat but it is vintages like this where producers like Alvaro Palacios really shine and this wine should be drinking at its peak right now.
Cheese Course
pleasant ridge reserve, sweet potato, Spanish chorizo and golden raisins
pleasant ridge reserve, sweet potato, Spanish chorizo and golden raisins
2000 Alvaro Palacios L'Ermita Priorat
NA
(90 points) Polished, with vivid, alluring flavors of blueberry, blackberry and vanilla. Tannins are firm and well-integrated, and the finish echoes with floral, minty and smoky notes. Best after 2004. 350 cases made. –TM Wine Spectator
2010 Alvaro Palacios L'Ermita Priorat
Price: $1050 Sale $924
This 300 case cuvee of 70+ year old Grenache vineyard is one of the iconic wines of the Priorat and is considered to be among one of the most highly sought after wines in all Spain today. This is the current release.
Chef Aaron Brooks will be serving a special five course tasting menu to accompany the tasting wines. The fee for this dinner is $275+ tax + Gratuity, for reservations call 954-523-9463.
A bit about Alvaro Palacios:
During the late 1980’s, Alvaro Palacios travelled his native Spain selling French barriques to winemakers. But his journeys had a second purpose: to find the best place to achieve his goal of making Spain’s greatest wine.
He ultimately decided, in 1990, on Priorat, where he would achieve worldwide fame with "L'Ermita" and "Finca Dofi." But there had been a close contender: Bierzo. It had all the ingredients that Alvaro wanted-incredibly steep hillside vineyards, distinctive terroirs and, most importantly, ancient vineyards of Mencía-a unique red grape believed brought by French pilgrims during the Middle Ages.
In Pursuit of the Dream.
The idea of making great wine from old-vine Mencía never left Alvaro, and his experience in Priorat-particularly with L'Ermita-convinced him of Bierzo's enormous potential. Meanwhile, his nephew Ricardo Perez had finished enological studies in Bordeaux and was travelling across France-absorbing everything he could about great wines. He worked the harvest at Château Margaux, and did internships at other Bordelais firms like Moueix (Pétrus, Trotanoy, etc.). He also visited Alvaro frequently and came to share a belief in Bierzo's potential. In 1998, the two decided on a joint venture and set out in search of the region's finest old vineyards.
Assembling the Pieces.
Alvaro and Ricardo found promising sites in a number of villages but shortly came to believe that the greatest potential lay in a little town on Bierzo's western border named Corullón. Old vineyards lined the precipitous hillsides there, and the local soils were extremely poor-composed mostly of schist-but with incredible diversity. The minute variations in soils and exposures across this zone immediately reminded the two of Burgundy's Côte d'Or, or Piedmont's Langhe hills. In Corullón, Alvaro and Ricardo believe they have found a unique combination of soils, old vines, and a distinctive variety that will yield their own grands crus. Beginning with 2001, the estate began to make their case with individual vineyard bottlings.
The winery is dedicated to Alvaro's father, and Ricardo's grandfather, who passed away in early 2000. The wines are a worthy tribute to the man who inspired them.
Up to seven wines are made. The first, Pétalos del Bierzo, is assembled from old hillside and hilltop vines from across Bierzo's western edge. The wine is vinified for immediate appeal, but it retains the estate's signature finesse and restraint.
Corullón is an assemblage from old-vine parcels in and around this town. Its combination of generosity and precision makes a case not only for Corullón's special status, but also the superiority of Alvaro's and Ricardo's winemaking.
The estate also produces up to four extraordinary single-vineyard wines: San Martin, Moncerbal, Las Lamas and La Faraona. Each is a distinctive expression of a remarkable and compelling terroir.
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