Pazo Restaurant

1425 Aliceanna Street,

Baltimore, MD 21231

Tel. (410) 534-7296

This fabulous dinner kicked off two intense days of business meetings for The Wine Advocate’s staff. As always, it was a privilege to compare notes with colleagues and tasters I hold in such high regard. Course after course of delicious Mediterranean-inspired dishes married well with this stunning selection of wines from Robert Parker’s cellar. The sea scallop carpaccio, crispy zucchini flowers, head-on shrimp, prime Kansas strip steak and Calaparra rice with lobster were among the highlights of this tasting menu. 

The 2002 Dom Pérignon was a great way to kick off the evening. Once again, I loved the wine’s richness, power and depth, all of which should allow the wine to age exquisitely for several decades. Among the whites, I especially admired the 1995 Chave Hermitage Blanc for its complex bouquet of truffles, honey, flowers and spices, all of which flowed through to the unctuous finish. This rich, explosive wine was utterly captivating. I also loved the 1996, which impressed for its cool, brilliant personality and impeccable finish. Unfortunately, the 1997 was corked. Chave’s 1990 Hermitage Blanc showed intricate layers of smoke and ash that added complexity to the textured fruit. The 1989 Sorrel Hermitage Blanc Les Rocoules had a lot going on. Rich, honeyed fruit emerged from the glass, along with scents of tobacco, licorice and earthiness that rounded the wine out beautifully. It was a complete, harmonious white. The 1990 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc from Rayas was utterly breathtaking. Still remarkably fresh, it showed marvelous complexity in a mid-weight style. Licorice, ash and honey added the final layers of nuance on the rich, multi-dimensional finish.

Bonneau’s 1999 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve des Celestins was utterly captivating right out of the bottle. It showed marvelous depth and richness at first, but then lost some intensity over several hours. A mélange of candied cherries, herbs and dried flowers lingered on the finish. The 1988 Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape (magnum) was stratospheric. Dark, intense and powerful, the wine totally conquered the palate and intellect with superb length and fabulous overall balance. The volatile acidity was on the edge, but this was otherwise an eternal Châteauneuf-du-Pape destined for a long, long life. The 2001 Pegau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Reservée (magnum) was by far the most reticent and shut down bottle in this flight. Clearly a wine of tremendous potential, it needs time – and lots of it. Hints of smoke, leather, licorice and black olives lingered on the deep, powerful finish. The 2001 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Chaupin (magnum) from Domaine de la Janasse was utterly spellbinding in the way it married elements of ripeness with minerality. Fresh and vibrant throughout, the Chaupin showed marvelous intensity and length in its seemingly endless layers of fruit. It was drop-dead gorgeous. The 1998 Vieux Donjon Châteauneuf-du-Pape presented a slightly more restrained, graceful style of Châteauneuf in its silky tannins and graceful, elegant fruit. It, too, was fabulous. The 1990 Chapoutier Châteauneuf-du-Pape Barbe-Rac (magnum) was another stunner. Still incredibly fresh and youthful, the Barbe-Rac showed marvelous integrity in its opulent red fruit, spices and grilled herbs. The 2003 Domaine de la Janasse Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes (magnum) was the only bottle in this flight that didn’t quite turn me on. The heat of the vintage appears to have marked the wine significantly, and I didn’t observe as much development in the glass over time relative to the other wines on the table.

Food:

Snacks; Marcona almonds, Arbequina olives, jamon Iberico, pan con tomate

Sea scallop carpaccio

Roasted local beets

Crispy zucchini flowers

Wood grilled duck pintxo

Potato croquetas

Sea scallops a la planxa

Jibia a la planxa

Head-on shrimp a la planxa

Whole lamb rack

Prime Kansas Strip Steak

Calasparra rice with lobster

Cheeses

Cajeta mousse sundae

Wine:

2002	Moët & Chandon Dom Pérignon	96
1997	Chave Hermitage Blanc	?
1996	Chave Hermitage Blanc	94
1995	Chave Hermitage Blanc	96
1990	Chave Hermitage Blanc	93
1989	Sorrel Hermitage Blanc Les Rocoules (magnum)	93
1990	Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc	95
1999	Bonneau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve des Celestins (magnum)	95
1988	Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape (magnum)	96
2001	Pegau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Reservée (magnum)	95
2001	Domaine de la Janasse Châteauneuf-du-Pape Chaupin (magnum)	97
1998	Vieux Donjon Châteauneuf-du-Pape (magnum)	94
1990	Chapoutier Châteauneuf-du-Pape Barbe-Rac (magnum)	95
2003	Domaine de la Janasse Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes (magnum)	?

[Photo and credit: Pazo, Baltimore]

--Antonio Galloni