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Good eats, treats at Lodi vineyard
At his first and possibly only winemaker's dinner of the year (he had three last year), the winery owner excited the crowd of four dozen wine enthusiasts by pulling out his 2002 Borra Wines Carru Vineyard Barbera ($16 a bottle) and generously poured as the night's entrée, lamb chops and chicken breast Souvlaki style, was plated with a side of orzo with wild mushrooms, tomatoes and herbs. If there is a gourmet heaven on earth, on the night of Sept. 9 it was under the shade trees along Armstrong Road. Of course, the guests already were jazzed with his 2002 Borra Wines Viognier, taken from his wine library, his 2003 Chardonnay and his 2003 Merlot. The dinner would be capped off with the 2003 Borra Wines Fusion, a blend of syrah, cabernet sauvignon, merlot and zinfandel. With a lineup of wines such as these, chef Julio Camberos Jr. from Black Tie Gourmet, a Lodi catering service, had to be at his best to not be outdone. He met his challenge, first with a rock shrimp, spinach and feta cheese spanikopita; then with goat cheese-filled artichoke heart fritters; then an antipasto salad; followed by the entrée; and finally with an almond pound cake topped with fresh berries and crème. Suprisingly, the wines and the food matched, neither overshadowing the other throughout the three-hour feast. It began with the '02 viognier ($12) from Gill Creek Ranch, a 200-acre vineyard in the Clements Hills area northeast of Lodi. Borra uses the French Geneva clone of viognier in his vineyard to produce a crisp, apple taste. It still had a spice finish from being stored in neutral French oak barrels for four months. Alas, there is less than three cases left of this Rhone white wine that earned a gold medal at the 2004 San Francisco Wine Competition. Borra released his 2003 Gill Creek Ranch Merlot for the diners two months ahead of time. It already is exceptional with silky flavors of dark berry and minerals. Borra's winemaker, Craig Becker, kept the wine in French oak for 15 months to bring out its soft texture. The 2003 Gill Creek Ranch Chardonnay ($16), from 36-year-old vines from the original vineyard, underwent about two-third malolactic fermentation, but retains its fruitiness. The oak finish is stronger than what I like, but it compliments the big front flavors. The sensual delight of the evening was the barbera from the 32-year-old Carru Vineyard just a few yards from party's lawn. The soils of the home vineyard are sandy-clay, very well drained and produce medium-size clusters with small berries. The barbera has bold color and a lovely flavor. The '03 Fusion ($16), like the '02 vintage, is a yummy wine with smells of berries and plums and with hints of chocolate and cedar, a robust taste of more berries and plums and a finish of white pepper framed in soft oak. It was flexible enough to make a symphony of flavors with the lamb and chicken and even dessert - a fitting end to an evening of good tastes. Borra Wines, 1301 E. Armstrong Road, in Lodi, is open from noon to 5 p.m. daily for tastings. Call 368-2446 or visit www.borrawinery.com . |
