Phusion ~ Woods Hole, MA (Pinot Noir Night)
The Phusion tasting was great. Lots of interesting people.
Being one of 3 "single" people, I was placed with the other 2, along with the restaurant owner.
Great experience until one of the 3 got a leetle tipsy and didn't know that I was actually *enjoying* my wine.
who would have guessed that blending a cali. pinot noir with a new zealand pinot
would result in a glass of wine that would be discarded?
Actually, I shouldn't complain too much; it wasn't half bad...
Purely on principle, I don't like Californian wines.
Something about fruit forward and lack of lingering
taste.
Call me a snob, but I like to have a little more complexity in my wines.
On the other hand, one of the best wines I've had came from Cali.
Clos du Bois Marlstone. ooooo mommma. that's some awesome wine.
Thank YOU KeK for introducing me to that...
and Thank YOU SP for providing me with a recent bottle!
The food was, as expected, prepared with skill and presented with modest flair.
The hors d;oeuvres consisted of a earthy mushroom "tapenade" on in house made toasted bread. mmm
The Scallops on Risotto was well paired with the earthy Argentinean pinot. To my palate it was a little bare, but good. It didn't overpower the mild texture and flavor of the scallops. The truffle essence was barely perceptible, and I think lost on all but a few guests.
The foie gras was crispy, warm, mellow, and melted in my mouth. As far as I was concerned, the meal could have stopped here, and I would have gladly paid the $55. But wait, there's more. Pair this with finely sliced crisp white peaches and roasted beets, and you've got a winner...
The pistachio sauce on the side only warmed the flavor and picked up on the nuttiness of not only the wine, but the night... The Cali. Pinot that was paired with this part of the meal was, in my opinion, well placed. I was hoping for something that wouldn't compete with the foie gras, and I certainly got it. As wines go, the Angeline Pinot is a good all around "I like red, and I want something that won't overpower the food." Again, for me, it was a little lacking on the hang-time.
I find that the "fruit-forward" aspect of Cali's is so prominent and so strong, that there is very little left on your palate to enjoy five seconds after you drink some. Why spend ridiculous amounts of money on a wine that doesn't last?
I just don't get it. I guess some people have more developed palates (and wallets) than me. In the mean time, I'll spend my hard earned cash on something that lasts a little longer.
The Halibut on purple sticky rice... This was paired with a NZ pinot. Well chosen, especially with the mango sauce that accompanied the plate. The disappointing part of this was the custom blending of my wine. While I must admit that I was struggling with the astringent quality of this wine, it was growing on me. I was discovering subtle flavors hidden within the... oh, I don't know... "sub-palate?" of the wine. It was right after this that my dining partner (at this point, I'm not sure whether I should allude to the three musketeers or the three stooges) poured the remainder of my Angeline Ca Pinot into my Tohu NZ Pinot. The resulting blend was certainly different. I would say that the astringent qualities were certainly subdued, and the lack of lingering flavor was extended. So maybe she was on to something after all. In any case, I left the glass for pickup and waited for my francois Parent to arrive...
The last bit of tasty goodness was a wonderful medium rare bit of crusted angus tenderloin. This was presented atop a polenta (cornmeal) cake which was made with, among other things, goat cheese. Some of the flavors that were waiting in the wings were vanilla and honey (mostly due to the vanilla infused demi-glace, and the fact that the chef's secret weapon in his sauces is honey (don't tell anyone...))
This was paired with a luscious French Francois Parent Bourgogne PN that was full, rounded, long lasting, and complex, but not confusing. Rounded raspberries and hard citrus flavors reminiscent of honeysuckle were predominant in this wine. I personally loved it.
The whole experience was topped off with a creme brulee that was a little disappointing. I like to think I have a good palate and a good set of taste buds. Consequently, I enjoy finding hidden flavors and subtle hints of scents and such. What we were supposedly presented was a Creme Brulee with a Dona Antonia Port Sauce. What we got was creme brulee. Not a bad creme brulee, but when you say there's a sauce and there's no sauce, I start to wonder. I asked my fellow winos what they thought, incredulously suggesting that someone forgot the sauce, and that perhaps we should ask where it was. I was told that Port is a sweet sugary wine that produces the crust on top of the brulee. OK, so this just sealed it for me. The king has no clothes; the creme has no sauce. This is disappointment central as far as the dessert train goes.
The only thing that could make the lack o' sauce better was...
my dining partner.
While I left the conversation at the table, and spoke with the woman behind me, who kindly informed me that I should look for her books in the stores( and let me digress for a moment... She informed me that she was writing erotica, based in Italy, under the nom de plume of 'Lola' (which I find very funny as that's the name of our dog), and that my wife and I would enjoy it very much as we got married in Italy. Now, I'm not really sure what the connection is there, but I'm sure it's a bit twisted. Let alone the fact that this was the typical "flashy granny"... it really made the experience all the more surreal as her husband turned up his hearing aid and asked what we were talking about... What do you say? But I should come back from the tangent...) It's about this time that I start to hear clattering on my plate. Seems that my table companion has taken it upon herself to try to balance my spoon on its end in my creme. Whereupon in promptly tips over and lands on the floor. I shrug and say, "it's okay, just leave it. I'll ask for another." She responds by picking up the spoon and placing it back in my dish and saying something to the effect of, "it was only down there for a couple of seconds." Oh, I'm glad I was a little tipsy from the wine, disappointed in the dessert, and tired from the day.
Menu Included:
Cockatoo Ridge Brut, Australia
Day boat sea scallops over seasoned risotto cake
with white truffle essence
Alamos Pinot Noir, Argentina
Seared Foie Gras & Peaches, Roasted Beef and
Arrugula Napoleon with a Pistachio Drizzle
Angeline Pinot Noir, Cali.
Crusted Atlantic Halibut on Purple
Sticky Rice with Baby Mustard Greens
and a Warm Mango Puree
Tohu Pinot Noir, NZ
Peppered Angus Tenderloin on a Goat Cheese
Polenta Cake with Buttered Asparagus and a vanilla
infused demi glace
Fernand & Laurrent Pillot Volnay, Fr
Phusion Grille 71 Water Street, Woods Hole Village 508.457.3100
Being one of 3 "single" people, I was placed with the other 2, along with the restaurant owner.
Great experience until one of the 3 got a leetle tipsy and didn't know that I was actually *enjoying* my wine.
who would have guessed that blending a cali. pinot noir with a new zealand pinot
would result in a glass of wine that would be discarded?
Actually, I shouldn't complain too much; it wasn't half bad...
Purely on principle, I don't like Californian wines.
Something about fruit forward and lack of lingering
taste.
Call me a snob, but I like to have a little more complexity in my wines.
On the other hand, one of the best wines I've had came from Cali.
Clos du Bois Marlstone. ooooo mommma. that's some awesome wine.
Thank YOU KeK for introducing me to that...
and Thank YOU SP for providing me with a recent bottle!
The food was, as expected, prepared with skill and presented with modest flair.
The hors d;oeuvres consisted of a earthy mushroom "tapenade" on in house made toasted bread. mmm
The Scallops on Risotto was well paired with the earthy Argentinean pinot. To my palate it was a little bare, but good. It didn't overpower the mild texture and flavor of the scallops. The truffle essence was barely perceptible, and I think lost on all but a few guests.
The foie gras was crispy, warm, mellow, and melted in my mouth. As far as I was concerned, the meal could have stopped here, and I would have gladly paid the $55. But wait, there's more. Pair this with finely sliced crisp white peaches and roasted beets, and you've got a winner...
The pistachio sauce on the side only warmed the flavor and picked up on the nuttiness of not only the wine, but the night... The Cali. Pinot that was paired with this part of the meal was, in my opinion, well placed. I was hoping for something that wouldn't compete with the foie gras, and I certainly got it. As wines go, the Angeline Pinot is a good all around "I like red, and I want something that won't overpower the food." Again, for me, it was a little lacking on the hang-time.
I find that the "fruit-forward" aspect of Cali's is so prominent and so strong, that there is very little left on your palate to enjoy five seconds after you drink some. Why spend ridiculous amounts of money on a wine that doesn't last?
I just don't get it. I guess some people have more developed palates (and wallets) than me. In the mean time, I'll spend my hard earned cash on something that lasts a little longer.
The Halibut on purple sticky rice... This was paired with a NZ pinot. Well chosen, especially with the mango sauce that accompanied the plate. The disappointing part of this was the custom blending of my wine. While I must admit that I was struggling with the astringent quality of this wine, it was growing on me. I was discovering subtle flavors hidden within the... oh, I don't know... "sub-palate?" of the wine. It was right after this that my dining partner (at this point, I'm not sure whether I should allude to the three musketeers or the three stooges) poured the remainder of my Angeline Ca Pinot into my Tohu NZ Pinot. The resulting blend was certainly different. I would say that the astringent qualities were certainly subdued, and the lack of lingering flavor was extended. So maybe she was on to something after all. In any case, I left the glass for pickup and waited for my francois Parent to arrive...
The last bit of tasty goodness was a wonderful medium rare bit of crusted angus tenderloin. This was presented atop a polenta (cornmeal) cake which was made with, among other things, goat cheese. Some of the flavors that were waiting in the wings were vanilla and honey (mostly due to the vanilla infused demi-glace, and the fact that the chef's secret weapon in his sauces is honey (don't tell anyone...))
This was paired with a luscious French Francois Parent Bourgogne PN that was full, rounded, long lasting, and complex, but not confusing. Rounded raspberries and hard citrus flavors reminiscent of honeysuckle were predominant in this wine. I personally loved it.
The whole experience was topped off with a creme brulee that was a little disappointing. I like to think I have a good palate and a good set of taste buds. Consequently, I enjoy finding hidden flavors and subtle hints of scents and such. What we were supposedly presented was a Creme Brulee with a Dona Antonia Port Sauce. What we got was creme brulee. Not a bad creme brulee, but when you say there's a sauce and there's no sauce, I start to wonder. I asked my fellow winos what they thought, incredulously suggesting that someone forgot the sauce, and that perhaps we should ask where it was. I was told that Port is a sweet sugary wine that produces the crust on top of the brulee. OK, so this just sealed it for me. The king has no clothes; the creme has no sauce. This is disappointment central as far as the dessert train goes.
The only thing that could make the lack o' sauce better was...
my dining partner.
While I left the conversation at the table, and spoke with the woman behind me, who kindly informed me that I should look for her books in the stores( and let me digress for a moment... She informed me that she was writing erotica, based in Italy, under the nom de plume of 'Lola' (which I find very funny as that's the name of our dog), and that my wife and I would enjoy it very much as we got married in Italy. Now, I'm not really sure what the connection is there, but I'm sure it's a bit twisted. Let alone the fact that this was the typical "flashy granny"... it really made the experience all the more surreal as her husband turned up his hearing aid and asked what we were talking about... What do you say? But I should come back from the tangent...) It's about this time that I start to hear clattering on my plate. Seems that my table companion has taken it upon herself to try to balance my spoon on its end in my creme. Whereupon in promptly tips over and lands on the floor. I shrug and say, "it's okay, just leave it. I'll ask for another." She responds by picking up the spoon and placing it back in my dish and saying something to the effect of, "it was only down there for a couple of seconds." Oh, I'm glad I was a little tipsy from the wine, disappointed in the dessert, and tired from the day.
Menu Included:
Cockatoo Ridge Brut, Australia
Day boat sea scallops over seasoned risotto cake
with white truffle essence
Alamos Pinot Noir, Argentina
Seared Foie Gras & Peaches, Roasted Beef and
Arrugula Napoleon with a Pistachio Drizzle
Angeline Pinot Noir, Cali.
Crusted Atlantic Halibut on Purple
Sticky Rice with Baby Mustard Greens
and a Warm Mango Puree
Tohu Pinot Noir, NZ
Peppered Angus Tenderloin on a Goat Cheese
Polenta Cake with Buttered Asparagus and a vanilla
infused demi glace
Fernand & Laurrent Pillot Volnay, Fr
Phusion Grille 71 Water Street, Woods Hole Village 508.457.3100
posted by E. Ting at 2:37 PM
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