On Tuesday, Feb. 6th, Carl Sutton of Sutton Cellars teamed up with Michael Pierce of Maverick on 17th and Mission for an evening of excellent wine pairings with Chef Scott Youkilis' stylish new American food at Maverick. Carl provided 5 of his current wines and Michael helped develop the menu. The photo on the right is Carl Sutton and Michael Pierce in front of Maverick.
(You can click on the menu to see a full size view of the image on the left)
When we first sat down, we got a nice cool glass of his 2003 Rattlesnake Rose from Russian River Valley which was a blend of 85% Pinot Noir and 15% Carignane. This was pleasantly tart and slightly off-dry with a full mouth feel thanks for the sur-lie aging and full malo fermentation.
Next came his Chardonnay, which was a real treat and a perfect pairing with the Squid and Bay Scallop Salad. The Sonoma Coast Clone 4, 2003 showed controlled butterscotch and vanilla overtones with just enough creaminess to cut through the acid of the citrus dressing on the fish. No way a Sauvignon Blanc would work with this dish. The squid was perfectly grilled, as were the scallops. Off to a great start.
Next came the 2003 West County Pinot paired with a great little dish of duck breast wrapped in puff pastry with some little dollops of wonderful beet and onion relish sauces. The wine was meaty, earthy, and had a lovely Burgundian mushroom scent. Big brooding cherry flavors came through to match the richness of the duck perfectly. Carl came up with "wet tea" to describe this wine. (I got that with a little concentrated sniffing...) Definitely my favorite wine of the night.
Next came a heady 2002 Bennett Valley Syrah, which I am astounded to see on his website for only $19.00. This comes from a property near the Matanzas Creek winery and the cool nights make this a rich and layered wine. The high acid of the wine really cut through the rich, fatty (and I mean that in a good way) short ribs. This presentation, with a root vegetable puree and turnip s screamed out for something other than another soft Aussie Syrah. Carl's was earthy, peppery, and mouth-filling.
With dessert, Carl brought out some 2003 Zinfandel Port, which was from the Mirabelle Ranch in Russian River. This was a perfectly credible zinfandel port and a nice foil to the chocolate-cherry bread pudding, but overall it was still too new skool for my buds.
On Carl Sutton
Carl was much younger than I expected, especially since the writing on his site is so mature and authoritative. His knowledge of the terroir of Sonoma Coast regions is really astounding. He really understands the micro-climes of the region and works with his growers to pick at just the right time. All of the wines I have tried from his winery show great promise, most, if not all are all unfined and unfiltered which makes for a meatier presentation.
Thanks, Carl, for letting me know about this treat! I can't wait for the next event like this.