The 2009 terrine event, T-6 is now over, and all of the participants
were grateful that the heat wave we experienced in the Pacific
Northwest had abated, at least enough to make things liveable, as none
of us fancied holding a food and wine event in a sauna. As it was, I
made sure that lots of fluids were available and the sous chef advises
me that we went through 9 litres of cold water and club soda.

First up (and we have found that being early in the running is a
definite advantage, thereafter being able to relax and not worry about
whether your course will melt by the time it gets from the kitchen
down to the garden eating area ) was the seafood entry from our
international contingent.

Terrine Fruits de Mer Marseillaise (lobster, shrimp, scallops, ling
cod and vegetables suspended in a tomato-saffron-wine gelatine
garnished with a cool salad of shaved fennel and potatoes with
rouille)

The art in all this, aside from cooking, is to present two different
wines with which you hope to at least bracket perfection if not hit
it. Given that there are almost always more than one ‘right’ answer to
any food and wine pairing question, great fun and discussion always
ensues.

2002 La Chablisienne Vaillons – obvious choice for a seafood dish. A
really attractive lemony nose, clean, a little softer on palate than I
had expected, yet not to low in acidity, and tasty.

2004 Girardin Chassagne Montrachet Les Caillerets – more toast in this
nose and some pear. Rich smooth wine with a creamy texture that
finished long and clean.

Terrine de Foie Gras (with endive almond salad and shallot confit) – I
have formed the view that what almost everyone touts as the classic
combination with foie gras – Sauternes – is simply not the best match,
and I have always tried to mate it with less sweet wines from Alsace,
and Germany, among others. The preparation was classic – some Port,
salt, white pepper and a good shot of fresh ground nutmeg, and then
cooked to about 120 deg. (very carefully, and sealed with some of the
clarified fat that comes off the foie gras). This was a whole goose
liver – many people prefer duck and that is certainly easier to obtain
and less expensive, but I like goose.

2006 Max Ferdinand Richter Wehlener Sonnenuhr Spatlese – I liked this
wine quite a lot. It had a beautiful nose of petrol and apples with
some spice, was sweeter than many Spatlesen (late picked, but still
only hitting 9% alcohol), very long in the mouth and had plenty of
clean acidity that made this one the best match with the rich foie
gras.

1999 Dr. Thanisch Braunberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Auslese – I also
enjoyed this wine - , and thought that the nose was a bit more
interesting in terms of complexity and depth, and although this wine
wasn’t all that sweeter than the previous one, the 2006 won out from
the point of view of freshness and acidity. Taken on its’ own, this
wine is delightful.
Méli-Mélo aux agrumes (Chicken breast and turkey breast strips,
marinated in citrus. Farce of pork, mushroom duxelles and orange and
lemon slices) – excellent dish that was lightened amazingly by the
citrus content. The ‘bridge’ course where we switched from white to
red wines.

2002 Albert Mann Furstentum Gewurztraminer Vielles Vignes – big
grapefruit nose with some spice, full bodied and a tad hot at 14%,
with a smoothness and good length.


2003 Duboeuf Moulin-a-Vent Tour de Bief – the nose on this fairly dark
wine was the best part, with a rather un-Beaujolais like cherry-cocoa
quality, but it was frankly a bit bizarre in the mouth, where it
exhibited a sour chocolate taste finishing very dry. Preferred the
white.

Rabbit terrine with pistachios and olives – classic, simple country
fare that came across very typical and not at al heavy.

2003 George Duboeuf Julienas La Trinquee – now this was what one
expects of a cru Baujolais! Lots of dark berry fruit, excellent
concentration and nice persistence.

1996 Francois Lamarche Vosne Romanee 1er Cru Malconsorts – while the
previous wine was very good with the food, this one edged it out for
me. Showing nice development, it had a nose that was both smoky, and
after a bit of airing, also slightly minty. Medium body and length,
good fruit in the middle, still with faint tannin at the end.

The Rest of the Duck (Country Style Terrine with leafy greens)

2007 Brusset Gigondas Grand Montmirail – dark purple sappy wine with
plumy fruit and good acidity and tannin. Very drinkable at this young
age.

2000 Brusset Gigondas Les Haut de Montmirail – the difference here was
the complexity that bottle age brings, melding the undeniable but now
integrated vanilla/oak with the fruit notes – here, mostly blackberry
– and a very long finish. Glad I also have a few bottles of this – no
rush.

Lamb Terrine with black currents and a splash of crème de cassis
served with radish and blueberries

2002 Chimney Rock Elevage – the only non-European wine, this was a
good choice as it exhibits none of the brash (and to many,
overpowering) ripe fruit one so often gets in California cabs, where
these days, more always seems better t the producers, including
alcohol, ripeness, and residual sugar! The wine was fairly dark, with
a big cab nose of cassis and a hint of cinnamon, medium bodied, medium
length and tasty, if not quite as persistent in the mouth as I’d have
liked.

After a mini course of Thomas Haas chocolates, and a few games of
bocce, the crew faded away into the twilight, happy and sated – until
T-7.

On Aug 2, 2:22*pm, "Bill S." > wrote:
> The 2009 terrine event, T-6 is now over, and all of the participants
> were grateful that the heat wave we experienced in the Pacific
> Northwest had abated, at least enough to make things liveable, as none
> of us fancied holding a food and wine event in a sauna. *As it was, I
> made sure that lots of fluids were available and the sous chef advises
> me that we went through 9 litres of cold water and club soda.
>
> First up (and we have found that being early in the running is a
> definite advantage, thereafter being able to relax and not worry about
> whether your course will melt by the time it gets from the kitchen
> down to the garden eating area ) was the seafood entry from our
> international contingent.
>
> Terrine Fruits de Mer Marseillaise (lobster, shrimp, scallops, ling
> cod and vegetables *suspended in a tomato-saffron-wine gelatine
> garnished with a cool salad of shaved fennel and potatoes with
> rouille)
>
> The art in all this, aside from cooking, is to present two different
> wines with which you hope to at least bracket perfection if not hit
> it. Given that there are almost always more than one ‘right’ answer to
> any food and wine pairing question, great fun and discussion always
> ensues.
>
> 2002 La Chablisienne Vaillons – obvious choice for a seafood dish. A
> really attractive lemony nose, clean, a little softer on palate than I
> had expected, yet not to low in acidity, and tasty.
>
> 2004 Girardin Chassagne Montrachet Les Caillerets – more toast in this
> nose and some pear. Rich smooth wine with a creamy texture that
> finished long and clean.
>
> Terrine de Foie Gras (with endive almond salad and shallot confit) – I
> have formed the view that what almost everyone touts as the classic
> combination with foie gras – Sauternes – is simply not the best match,
> and I have always tried to mate it with less sweet wines from Alsace,
> and Germany, among others. *The preparation was classic – some Port,
> salt, white pepper and a good shot of fresh ground nutmeg, and then
> cooked to about 120 deg. (very carefully, and sealed with some of the
> clarified fat that comes off the foie gras). *This was a whole goose
> liver – many people prefer duck and that is certainly easier to obtain
> and less expensive, but I like goose.
>
> 2006 Max Ferdinand Richter Wehlener Sonnenuhr Spatlese – I liked this
> wine quite a lot. It had a beautiful nose of petrol and apples with
> some spice, was sweeter than many Spatlesen (late picked, but still
> only hitting 9% alcohol), very long in the mouth and had plenty of
> clean acidity that made this one the best match with the rich foie
> gras.
>
> 1999 Dr. Thanisch Braunberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Auslese – I also
> enjoyed this wine - , and thought that the nose was a bit more
> interesting in terms of complexity and depth, and although this wine
> wasn’t all that sweeter than the previous one, the 2006 won out from
> the point of view of freshness and acidity. *Taken on its’ own, this
> wine is delightful.
> Méli-Mélo aux agrumes (Chicken breast and turkey breast strips,
> marinated in citrus. Farce of pork, mushroom duxelles and orange and
> lemon slices) – excellent dish that was lightened amazingly by the
> citrus content. *The ‘bridge’ course where we switched from white to
> red wines.
>
> 2002 Albert Mann Furstentum Gewurztraminer Vielles Vignes – big
> grapefruit nose with some spice, full bodied and a tad hot at 14%,
> with a smoothness and good length.
>
> 2003 Duboeuf Moulin-a-Vent Tour de Bief – the nose on this fairly dark
> wine was the best part, with a rather un-Beaujolais like cherry-cocoa
> quality, but it was frankly a bit bizarre in the mouth, where it
> exhibited a sour chocolate taste finishing very dry. *Preferred the
> white.
>
> Rabbit terrine with pistachios and olives – classic, simple country
> fare that came across very typical and not at al heavy.
>
> 2003 George Duboeuf Julienas La Trinquee – now this was what one
> expects of a cru Baujolais! *Lots of dark berry fruit, excellent
> concentration and nice persistence.
>
> 1996 Francois Lamarche Vosne Romanee 1er Cru Malconsorts – while the
> previous wine was very good with the food, this one edged it out for
> me. *Showing nice development, it had a nose that was both smoky, and
> after a bit of airing, also slightly minty. Medium body and length,
> good fruit in the middle, still with faint tannin at the end.
>
> The Rest of the Duck (Country Style Terrine with leafy greens)
>
> 2007 Brusset Gigondas Grand Montmirail – dark purple sappy wine with
> plumy fruit and good acidity and tannin. Very drinkable at this young
> age.
>
> 2000 Brusset Gigondas Les Haut de Montmirail – the difference here was
> the complexity that bottle age brings, melding the undeniable but now
> integrated vanilla/oak with the fruit notes – here, mostly blackberry
> – and a very long finish. Glad I also have a few bottles of this – no
> rush.
>
> Lamb Terrine with black currents and a splash of crème de cassis
> served with radish and blueberries
>
> 2002 Chimney Rock Elevage – the only non-European wine, this was a
> good choice as it exhibits none of the brash (and to many,
> overpowering) ripe fruit one so often gets in California cabs, where
> these days, more always seems better t the producers, including
> alcohol, ripeness, and residual sugar! The wine was fairly dark, with
> a big cab nose of cassis and a hint of cinnamon, medium bodied, medium
> length and tasty, if not quite as persistent in the mouth as I’d have
> liked.
>
> After a mini course of Thomas Haas chocolates, and a few games of
> bocce, the crew faded away into the twilight, happy and sated – until
> T-7.

Sounds like a great event. I particularly like the idea of terrine-
bringers offering 2 choices with their creations, to see what works