Members were blown away by the unexpected Library Wine that Winemaker Josh Jensen hand-picked from his cellar. The ‘97 Reed Pinot was just the beginning of an evening filled with splashes of a number of Pinot Noirs from Calera Wine Company. The Library Room on the 9th floor was a cozy and comfortable setting for this intimate dinner with the winemaker, as just 30 members and guests gathered to hear about Josh Jensen’s philosophy, techniques and tasting suggestions for his handcrafted wines. Chef outdid himself with the menu that evening; he started off with a creamy bone marrow custard set atop a thin layer of raw beef carpaccio, drizzled with earthy truffle oil – all of which melded together to set off the first Pinot Noir very nicely. The second course featured richly braised short ribs in their own braising sauce; the richness was perfectly cut by the sharp bite of fresh horseradish mashed potatoes. In the spirit of the season, a pumpkin flan with a dried fruit compote offered a nice complement to the precious pour of Calera’s Late Harvest Viognier. This was our last winemaker dinner of the year! Make sure to join us for a special Italian multi-winemaker extravaganza coming in February of 2009!
