French Laundry...more evidence that we are indeed special.

Chef's Tasting Menu
3 February 2008

"Oysters and Pearls"
Sabayon of Pearl Tapioca with Island Creek Oysters and White Sturgeon Caviar
---

Salad of Purple-Top Turnips
Ruby Red Grapefruit, Garden Mache, and Sicilian Pistachio Puree
---

Confit of Bluefin Tuna
Baby Artichokes, Wilted Arugula, Sweet Peppers and Nicoise Olive Oil

Marinated Spanish Mackerel
Ginger "Pearls," Red Radish, Perilla and Bonito Vinaigrette
---

"Lobster Curry"
Sweet Butter-Poached Maine Lobster "Mitts," Basmati Rice, Cilantro Shoots and Green Curry "Ragout"
---

Four Story Hill Farm "Poularde"
Potato Confit, Melted Green Garlic, Glazed Carrots and Black Truffle Sauce
---

Snake River Farms "Calotte de Boeuf Grillee"
Lilly Bulb Salad, Crispy Hen-of-the-Woods Mushroom, Broccoli Puree and "Sauce Japonaise"
---

Mrs. Quicke's Cheddar
Swiss Chard "Subric," San Marzano Tomato Compote and Mustard Seed Emulsion
---

Diane St. Claire Buttermilk Sherbet
with Honey-Glazed Cranberries and Spiced Streusel
---

Valrhona Chocolate "Dobos"
Chestnut Butter, Candied Chestnuts and Brown Bread Ice Cream

Maui Pineapple "Pavlova"
Coconut-Pineapple Curd and "Pate de Fruits Exotiques"
---

"Mignardises"
---

The wines we enjoyed...
Lazy Creek Vineyards Riesling and
Radio-Coteau "Las Colinas" Syrah

Heading into the kitchen for a quick tour...

I felt like I took pictures of absolutely everything! Especially the chicken and the lobster! Those pictures must be hidden somewhere....

Blue Sky and sunny day

We wake up to an amazing day in Yountville. I head over to Bouchon Bakery for breakfast goodies and coffee, and we get going for the first AM appointment: Steltzner.

Enjoying barrel tastings at Steltzner! We love the '06 Syrah!

At Steltzner we go thru a great tasting in the tasting room (with Kory, a native of Akron, OH) and then head down to the caves to try some barrels. We think the '06s in barrels are even better than the '05s we tried in the tasting room; watch out for this next vintage!

After we leave Stelzner we have a bit of time before our next appointment, so we stop by Robert Sinskey for a quick tour. The tasting room is fantastic, and our wines are paired with tiny courses from the open kitchen set up 10 feet away. Our taster is a native of MA as well, and takes us thru a speed walk of the caves and production facilities. (Melissa's note: if you like shellfish, pair with the Robert Sinskey Abraxus, which is a blend of pinot gris, reisling, gewurtz, and pinot blanc. )

Sinskey's tasting room....

....and their library, deep in the caves!

Off to our next appointment: Duckhorn. Enroute, Kelly just happen to mention her father's offer to treat us to dinner at the French Laundry during our stay (menu and pictures to follow). We figure, what the hell, it's Super Bowl Sunday, call, and get a 9pm reservation for the 3 of us.

We arrive at Duckhorn, and are pretty full of ourselves. We have an appointment for a private tasting and tour, but are once again shuffled in with the yokels from Mississippi and Indiana. We ditch the tour (pictures to follow) and head to a Mexican Cantina (where is the logic in that...9 courses coming soon!) for a lite lunch of fajitas and burritos then back to Mr. Larkin's for the Super Bowl. (Melissa's note: Being trapped in a condo with a Giants fan and a Patriots fan was quite the "Dear Diary" moment. While Kelly's ritual is to sport a "I HATE PEYTON MANNING; ELI SUCKS TOO" shirt and scream at the television, Kim prefers a more passive technique of hiding under the covers of the bed when things aren't looking good for Eli. She can tell by the noise of Kelly and me when she can come out.)

we survived!

After the Super Bowl, we put on our finest digs and walk (it's literally 100 yards from Sean's) to dinner. Kelly will post it all on it's own, but I will say that we walked home at 1:15 am.

Duckhorn Wine Company

We weren't there long enough to form any opinions, but here are pic's of our meltdown.

Robert Sinskey Vineyards...

Robert Sinskey Vineyards is an organic farm. This means that all grapes used in making RSV wines have been certified Organic by the California Certified Organic Farmers. Robert Sinskey Vineyards is now one of the largest and most progressive organic vineyard operations in Napa Valley. Organic refers to methods of growing that rely on the earth's natural resources. Pests and weeds are managed using earth-friendly means such as beneficial insects and mechanical controls. Organic farmers work to build natural nutrients in the soil, which help fertilize plants without the use of synthetics. Certified organic produce is grown according to strict standards. CCOF annually inspects farms to insure that no harmful chemicals have been used for at least three years and that growers keep detailed records of their practices.

RSV employs a method of organic farming known as Biodynamic. Biodynamics looks at the farm as a whole system of interrelated organisms. The goal is to promote the individual character of the vineyard in order to create unique wines with a sense of place. To illustrate the heart of Biodynamics, we paraphrase this passage from the Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Association:
"Biodynamics is a science of life forces, a recognition of the basic principles at work in nature and an approach to agriculture which takes these principles into account to bring about balance and healing. Biodynamics is an ongoing path of knowledge rather than an assemblage of methods and techniques.Biodynamics recognizes that soil itself can be alive and this vitality supports and affects the quality and health of the plants that grow in it. One of the fundamental efforts is to build up stable humus in the soil through composting.Biodynamic farmers and gardeners aim for quality not quantity."

The cathedral-like winery, carved into the Stags Leap District foothills, is built of native Napa stone and California redwood. Designed by family friend and architect, Oscar Leidenfrost, the RSV winery is the ideal playground for the perfectionist winemaker. The design allows the flexibility to work with many small lots separately and provides the ideal environment for aging wine in an eighteen thousand square foot network of underground caves.