It had been far too long since a group of local wine lovers got together at an area restaurant to share a multicourse tasting menu paired with interesting wines from their own collections.
The challenge of creating a dinner for this group’s reunion was eagerly accepted by Chef Michael Tornillo, owner of the recently opened Gaia Bistro, a byo in Monmouth Beach, who is a knowledgeable wine lover himself, as well as being very creative in the kitchen. He assembled an eight-course tasting menu which provided a special opportunity for pairing the wines that our group brought.
The opener was a unique Amuse Bouche of Crispy Frico cups, (a small, thin, fried cheese cup) filled with Grana Padano “Ice Cream” (the cheese was whipped and then chilled), which was paired with a superb 2002 Pol Roger Cuvee Winston Churchill Champagne which was rich and fully mature, but still has years of life ahead of it. An ideal match!
An antipasto course of homemade Burrata, with black truffle oil and wood-fired tricolor sweet peppers, was creamy and savory, with the marvelous fragrance of truffles. It was paired with a 2013 Marcassin Chardonnay from California, and a 2016 Domaine Leflaive Puligny Montrachet. Under most circumstances the French Puligny would have been the obvious top wine of the two, but the Marcassin was so rich and perfectly balanced, without any of the usual over-oaked or high alcohol notes often associated with California chardonnays that it was the preferred partner for the dish.
We paired a juicy piece of pan-seared, marinated halibut, which sat atop a tasty square of fried Spanish polenta, with two French wines: a 2015 Lynch Bages Blanc, a white Bordeaux, and a 2018 William Fevre Montee de Tonnerre Chablis. Both were very good, but the greater weight in terms of mouthfeel and deeper layers of flavor, made the Chablis the preferred match.
A less frequently seen pasta dish followed…Pasta Gnudi made from ricotta, with white beans, asparagus tips, sweet peas, in a lemon beurre blanc. Gnudi are basically dumplings made of the ricotta filling without the ravioli’s pasta shell. Tender and tasty, they were very enjoyable. We paired them with two Italian reds: 2005 La Spinetta Barbaresco Vigneto Gallina, and a 2000 Rocca Albino Barbaresco Vigneto Brich Ronchi. Both were excellent, mature versions, of the Nebbiolo grape, and equally enjoyable. Perhaps next time, we might pair a full-bodied white wine with this dish. I suspect it might make an even better pairing.
A course of Pollo d’Parma, boneless chicken thighs, combined with Bulgarian feta, roasted red peppers and calamata olives, then wrapped in prosciutto, and sauced in white wine/garlic reduction, with roasted corn and acorn squash was a complex and delicious preparation with a myriad of flavors. We had a stand-alone red Bordeaux, 1982 Chateau Cos D’ Estournel before this dish arrived, and it did not disappoint. Rated by most guests as the wine of the night, it still was youthful with notes of cassis, cherry, and vanilla, with a perfect balance of soft tannins and acidity. We then opened a pair of Grand Cru Bordeaux to compare them. The 1995 Chateaux Margaux, which was rather big for a Margaux, but with loads of red and black fruits, and the 1995 Chateau Mouton Rothschild, which was also a big wine with a layer of still youthful tannins. The group was split on which they preferred.
A Tuscan Veal Chop, with wild honey brandy, Calabrian chili peppers, and a portobello Gran Padano risotto, paired with two highly regarded California Cabernets: 2002 Bryant Family Estate, which had loads of ripe fruit and an amazing youthfulness to it indicating it was still in it’s infancy, and 2005 Hundred Acre Kayli Morgan Vineyard which was equally lush and not quite fully developed yet. Again, the group was divided in which they preferred.
A course of Italian cheeses, called out for the weightier reds of the evening: 2012 Chateau Beaucastel Chateauneuf-du-pape Hommage a Jacques Perrin, which was dense and still unevolved, and a lighter 2001 Henri Bonneau Chateauneuf-du-Pape Reserve des Celestins, which was a bit more rustic, in a good way, and also years from full maturity.
A creamy, rich but not heavy, dessert of Italian Cheesecake, made of ricotta, citrus zest and fresh crème, with a graham cracker crumble, was paired with 1997 Chateau D’Yquem Sauternes, a top-rated sweet wine, which lived up to its reputation. It was sweet without being cloying, and showed layers of secondary characteristics. A wine that will live for decades to come!
If you feel full just from reading this, imagine how the group of eight diners felt. Yes, it was what I call an evening of “wretched excess,” but in the best sense of the words. The food was inventive and flavorful, and Chef Michael rose to the occasion and then some, with several memorable taste sensations. Happily, some of these delicious dishes are also available of the regular dinner menu. There were no bad bottles of wine, which can happen sometimes, especially with older wines. All were good, and several of them very good!
This group of wine lovers truly enjoyed the ambiance, food, and their wines at Gaia Bistro, and vowed to return after the holidays for another special evening.
Bob Sacks, longtime food and wine buff, writes about food, wine and restaurants in this column. Follow him on Instagram @dinnerwithbob.
The article originally appeared in the December 15 – 21, 2022 print edition of The Two River Times.
