Château Puygueraud Côtes de Francs 2005

Shows lovely black currant, floral and black licorice notes. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins and a tight bead of fruit and mineral throughout. Has a long finish. Best after 2009. 10,830 cases made.

Score: 92
Release Price: $18

One of the recommendations from Wine Spectator for the 2005 Vintage of the Century.

Sineann Pinot Noir Willamette Valley Resonance Vineyard 2006

Sineann Pinot Noir Willamette Valley Resonance Vineyard 2006

Bright and juicy, with crisp acidity to carry the fresh dark berry flavors. Not as profound or complex as some vintages, but its impressive length suggests that cellaring might add some depth. Drink now through 2012. 450 cases made.

Score: 89
Release Price: $48

Moto

How was Moto? Wow, what can we say? A co-worker of Cindee's (see Tammy's Tastings Blog) recommended this restaurant to us for our Chicago weekend. We were eager with anticipation and Moto certainly didn't let us down. We had the 10-course dinner with an extra course of the Flapjacks thrown in when I asked them about them at the end of the meal. Great minimalist decore, friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable wait staff, and amazing food.

The menu is essentially three choices. 5-course, 10-course, and GTM (Grand Tasting Moto). We had the 10-course with the wine pairing.

I had my iPhone with me so I took as many photos as I could. Due to ambient lighting, the pictures are somewhat blurry. But, you get the gist of the genius of Homaro Cantu.


Edible Personalized Menu
Not only is it a menu but it's a rebus.
So, you have to think at the same time
you're reading the menu. Along with
the menu which was delicious, we started
with a rose brut champagne. Very nice!


Greek salad
The chip on top was "chilled" in liquid
nitrogen. On top, Octopus with an
avacado puree of some type (I think).
Wine Pairing: Warwick Sauvignon
Blanc Simonsberg-Stellenbosch
Professor Black 2007


Greek salad/liquified
A consume of tomato, cucumber, and a
type of olive oil that I don't remember.
Amazing flavor explosion when you "shoot"
this dish. Palate cleansing and very refreshing.


Nitro pineapple
Upper left hand corner is a stainless steel
serving platter on which were two chunks of
pineapple in jerk sauce. Lower right is a piece
of opakapaka. Served with water cress.
Wine Pairing: Murai Family, Nigori Genshu, Aomori, NV Saki
Next Course: Smoked Pork with collard greens (no picture)
Wine Pairing: Sineann Pinot Noir
Willamette Valley Resonance
Vineyard 2006



Pasta & Quail
Wine Pairing: Betts and Scholl
Grenache Barossa Valley The O.G. 2005



Roadkill of big game
Venison in beet puree. Notice lane
divider marker down middle of plate.
Lower left is some type of liver and a
light cheese with peppercorn salt as
the gravel on the road.
Wine Pairing: Richard Partridge Cabernet
Sauvignon Napa Valley 2003




C O-two Fruit
Carbonated fruit (grapes and apple)
with other assorted goodies I don't remember.


Gin and Tonic
Under spoon is grapefruit. Lower left is
grapefruit foam with a thin cookie. Spoon
has a membrane with a print of a grapefruit
on it. Inside the membrane is the gin & tonic.
When you bite in, it gushes out.


S'Mores
Wine Pairing:
Sutton Cellars, Pagano Vineyard Zinfandel Port
Zinfandel, Russian River Valley 2005




Flapjacks
Cooked on an "anti-griddle" fresh
from a liquid nitrogen bath.


Flapjack is served in a spoonfull of
bourbon barrel aged maple syrup.

We highly recommend you try out Moto. You won't be disappointed!

Vivere

This past Friday, Cindee and I had dinner at Vivere in Chicago. Part of the Italian Village, we had seen this restaurant featured on the Food Network and were eager to eat there. We were not disappointed at all and found the ambience, wait staff, food, and wine selections outstanding. For our dinner we had:

Antipasti Freddi
Carpaccio di Cervo con Formaggio Tartufo Bianco
- thinly sliced raw Venison, white truffle chees, truffle oil, Michigan peaches, micro greens

Antipasti Caldi
Gnocchi di Tartufo Nero con Astice e Spinaci
- Homemade potato and black truffle dumplings, lobster, spinach, white wine shallot sauce

Paste
Agnolottini di Fagiano
- Homemade pheasant filled pasta; butter, sage, Parmigiano-Reggiano
Tordelli Di Coniglio E Porcini
- Tuscan style pasta filled with braised rabbit; and Prosciutto di Parma, wild mushrooms, butter, spinach.

Secondi
Capesante con Crosta di Porcini ai Ferri
- Seared sea scallops dusted with porcini powder and star anise; soft polenta, beluga lentils, shallot-wine sauce
Petto d'Anatra Arrostito con Mandorle
- Pan roasted duck breast encrusted with candied almonds; roasted butternut squash, mission figs, port reduction.

With dinner we had an excellent Barolo: 1999 Franco Molino Rocche dell'Annunziata