We happy that Bernard, who has sampled so many wines, has shared his notes with us. We do have, or have had for sale a few of the wines Bernard writes about, and we include a link to our stock page whenever it is a producer we carry (but since the stock page is kept up-to-date and the wines are sold, don't expect any but the newest of wines to show up in our stock!). Mostly though, since we specialize in County of Santa Barbara Wine and Central Coast Wine, we don't carry a lot of the wines Bernard writes about. But we think it is important that you be able to have an idea what they're like in case you are planning to buy some somewhere, or have them in your own collection. Enjoy.

Here are Bernard's notes from December 31, 1999:

To warm the palates for things to come, while we were still pulling things together in the kitchen, we opened
 

Then what we were there for...

Petrossian Ossetra Caviar with home made buckwheat blini (fantastic eggs!) Home cured gravlax with butter and toast (Note: Gravlax was cured with brown sugar, salt, tequila and dill.) Rondele cheese stuffed cherry tomatoes

90 Dom Perignon--Great bubbly and my favorite wine of the night. 96

Mini-pulpit #1: Some people were saying that caviar and Champagne don't mix, better to go with vodka. Well, hey, this was Champagne night and I thought the pair was  just wonderful. I couldn't get enough of either.

The next course... Sauteed Foie Gras (source: French duck) on frisee tossed with sherry and  champagne vinegars and grape seed oil, topped with lingonberries and drizzled with extra vecchio balsamic vinegar, paired with

88 Domaine Cauhape (Jurancon) Quintessence--A choice based on the natural pairing with foie gras. This has a bright orange-gold color. Lots of botrytis, a little lacking in viscosity and depth. I thought the finish was a little flat. Could have suffered from a bit a corkiness, but it was pretty subtle. 89

At this point I recessed to visit a neighbor who had stopped by earlier to invite us over. Just for 10 minutes and had a chance to try the 97 Ridge Lytton Springs zin. Not bad, but a bit understated for my preferences. Then back home.

The next course was a simple palate cleanser...

Salad of Fennel, Belgian Endive, Radicchio and Fuji Apple tossed in Champagne Vinaigrette

This was a touch bitter. Next time I'll try a remoulade dressing.

Now came my piece-de-resistance of the dinner...

Ravioli stuffed with foie gras, Puy lentil puree and black truffle slice served in a double rich duck broth with morels, braised leeks, and more sliced black truffle

92 Comte de Vogue Musigny--Gorgeous aromatics. Although the wine has faded since I first tried it in 1994, it went nicely with this dish. On its own, the wine is somewhat thin in the middle, with a lackluster finish. But it did go well, not overpowering the subtlety of the dish.  88

Then came 

Roast Duck with cranberry port demi-glace reduction Roasted root vegetables (carrot, celery root, turnip, rutabaga and potato) Green beans with lime zest and mint

70 Vega Sicilia Unico--Pretty aromatics, slightly gamy married nicely with the duck. Seemless, smooth, rich young fruity and clean. Not as lush and ripe as I'd have expected. And not as long. But very fine. 93

This was followed by 85 Krug at midnite. The Krug was real good, but I think too young. It was complex and all, but I preferred the elegance of the Dom. Give it a 94.

Then dessert... Persimmon souffle and various chocolate things

and more Quintessence

Pulpit #2: This was a wonderful memorable way to start the new millennium. I hope everyone else had a great time, and best wishes for the New Year!