The Western All Terrine and Pate Eaters Society "WATAPEAS" held the First Annual International Terrine Tasting "FAITT" on Saturday. The rules of engagement were simple - bring an interesting terrine (ballotines, galantines, pates also eligible) and a couple of bottles of wine that you think might go with it.
The advantage of this event was that although some of the cooking was arduous and extended (one contestant compressed a traditional 5 day recipe into only 3 days), all of it was done before hand, leaving everyone free to enjoy themselves on the day. The other suitable aspect was that all of the courses were served cold, which fit into the weather and the venue - dining in the garden - perfectly.
Combat commenced at 4 PM and continued until the torches were lit and we sat about chatting in the twilight. Although each team were allowed complete freedom of choice, the dishes chosen could not have fit together in a better progression if we had carefully orchestrated the whole thing.
The first up was our international entry from below the border (Washington State, which as the rest of us are Canadian based, at least allowed us to claim international status). It was a delightful crab and scallop terrine with a white pinot noir aspic and carrot vinaigrette.
2001 Michel Colin-Deleger & Fils Saint Aubin 1er Cru Le Charmois - very clean crisp nose with nice minerality - I might have guessed Chablis had I been tasting blind. Light on its feet, elegant and smooth with good length.2003 Isenhower Snapdragon - a 52% Viognier 48% Rousanne from Washington State, this wine was quite a contrast with the previous one. Big juicy warm (14.5%) nose that showed unctuous tropical fruit, but perfectly balanced on palate and with good length. Hard choice her. The traditionalists liked the Burgundy, but were drawn to the new world wine.
Next up was a very smooth textured chicken mousseline of vegetables (morels, artichokes, zukes etc.) arranged in a millefiore pattern that was a treat for the eyes as much as the palate. It was lapped with a tomato vinaigrette.
2000 Bouchard Beaune du Chateau - a blend of several premier cru wines, this Burgundy had a medium big chardonnay nose, medium body and good fruit.2001 Willi Haag Riesling Kabinett Brauneberger Juffer - excellent greenish nose, and while the wine started out fairly sweet in the mouth, there was an almost instant onslaught of energetic acidity that carried through to the long end, and matched very well with the dish. I preferred this one with the dish.
The next dish was the pivotal one where we switched over to red wines, and the segue was accomplished seamlessly by the presentation of one white and one red with a chicken galantine stuffed with pork, veal, tongue and truffle and coated with aspic and decoration..
1998 Ch. Couhins-Lurton (Pessac Leognan) - made, I believe, from 100% sauvignon blanc, it had some excellent development in the nose at this age with some complex melony things happening, and was supple and smooth in the mouth.1991 Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especiale - you won't find a more striking contrast than this pair of wines, and yet both worked superlatively well with the galantine. Still a good colour, this wine from a modest vintage showed a lot of oak in the nose, but not too much, was a little hot, and with the tannins essentially resolved was smooth on palate. I had a very hard time choosing here, but finally opted for the Rioja as being such an interesting match.
I was up next and had prepared a traditional pork terrine using leeks instead of pork liver to lighten the effect a bit, and with pistachios. It was served with red onion and currant confit, as well as an arrangement of cherry tomato halves and a gherkin that apparently struck one female entrant as rather risqué….
1993 Moillard Santenay 1er Cru - at just over a decade of age, this wine is drinking perfectly now, and I must say this is possibly the best bottle I've had from the case. Good colour, very good balance and right at peak. I think this was the favourite of everyone, although I don't recall if I had a response from the lady that still seemed preoccupied with the gherkins….1994 Daniel Rion Vosne Romanee - I thought that a better wine from a lesser vintage might be interesting and while this had some very attractive fruit in the nose, when it came to palate, the 1993 had it all over the leaner and slightly edgy 1994.
We then moved on to the 'main course' category, which was a rather labour intensive oxtail terrine - braised with carrots, scallions, and tomatoes, then stripped of meat and made into a terrine - no additional binding agent needed considering the gelatin present in oxtails.
1995 Swanson Napa Sangiovese - American Sangios are seldom anything like Tuscan ones, though they are sometimes worthy wines in their own right, and that proved to be the case here. A hot sweet nose with some leather, but none of the cherries you'd think to see, this could have been a Syrah. Big hot and long in the mouth, I'd have also agreed it could be a Rhone had I tasted it blind.1997 Amador Foothills Winery Murrill Vineyard Carignane - I alwsy enjoy this winery for its odd lots of interesting wine. The nose on this one was big, warm (only 13%, mind you), and raspberry. Made from 80 year old vines, it was smooth and interesting. Hard to choose here.
With chocolate terrine:
2001 Maculan Dindarello - very sweet wine with tangerine Muscat nose. Pretty well balanced but just a bit too sweet for my taste.With terrine of blue and chevre cheeses layered with candied spiced walnuts:
1985 Rocha Port - a minor Portuguese house, but a decent Port - hot nose, sweet and hot in mouth ( typical, it seems, from this house) with abundant fruit . I thought it drank well now, but another Port aficionado said it would benefit from another 5 years. Having drunk my way through most of a case, perhaps I'll take his advice and leave the last couple of bottles a few years.And that was the end of the terrine event. Winners? Everyone there, without doubt. It was resolved to make it an annual event, so I have a year to find the definitive recipe…..