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TN: Pine Ridge Stag's Leap District CS and Ridge Pagani

Successful hunt this year meant bambi's young dad in the freezer, so Sunday dinner was venison tenderloin medallions done as "Steak Diane" with Julia Child's great recipe. Mashed taters to soak up that wonderful sauce and brussel sprouts.

Something as wonderful as venison tenderloin demands a bit of extravagance so the wine was 1998 Pine Ridge Stag's Lead District Cabernet. I don't always "get it" when it comes to big cabs, but this one showed what it's all about. Dark purple color and a nose that makes you want to just sniff and inhale it rather than drink. Huge warm dark fruit, vanilla, cedar and spices prevail. When you do get to tasting there's plenty of big blackberry, cassis and spice. Warm and soothing on the tongue, the finish lasts forever with just a bit of tannin dryness at the end. I suspect this wine could be good for many more years. Surprisingly, I noted '98 still available on sale at a local liquor mart here in Colorado Springs. WS: 94! Price still at about $50.

Wanting something to sip on after dinner, I pulled out the Ridge Pagani Ranch 2001 zin. I couple of days ago I mentioned that I'd been mis-shipped the Pagani 2000 in my fall "zin list" bundle and thought it was the best Ridge zin I'd ever tasted. Now, I've got to debate the issue, since the '01 is a similar powerhouse wine. Loads of raspberries and wonderful mouthfeel. Great wines from both years.

Reply to
Ed Rasimus
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thanks for the notes, on both wines. There are some nice '98 Cabs out there, you just need to be selective. Dale

Dale Williams Drop "damnspam" to reply

Reply to
Dale Williams

I had a bottle of Pine Ridge's '98 Rutherford -- it was about USD33 -- last year and I thought it was great. Big, smooth mouthful of fruit and rather complex notes which I can't remember specifically. It also had a beautiful nose. I thought it would hold for several years but was great at the time. I've got the '99 Pine Ridge Rutherford also. I'd sure like to try the Stag's Leap District.

Since we're "talking" about '98 California cabernets, has anyone tried the

1998 Anderson's Conn Valley Eloge -- I just picked up a bottle on sale from USD77 to USD38.50. Anyone tried the Eloge in any other vintages?

And one more thing -- to Ed -- I'd sure like that venison recipe if you'd care to pass it on.

Rob Adelson

Reply to
Rob

Seek out "Julia Child & Company"

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67350177/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/103-4326094-1671862?v=glance&s=books), a great step-by-step picture cookbook by the grand dame of French cuisine. It's still available and you'll find a lot more than Steak Diane to try.

The first rule of elk or venison is always bone out all meat (or have your processor do it.) No sawing through bones like beef butchery. It's the bone dust and marrow that gives the gamey taste. Then the meat can be used like fine beef in any recipe. You don't need special venison recipes. We use elk and deer in steak diane, steak au poive, beef burgundy, hamburgers, tacos, spaghetti bolognese and anything else you can think of that calls for beef. There have been a lot of folks who dined at my house who expounded at great length on how they can't stand deer or elk because of the taste, only to be surprised when the truth was revealed.

And, don't even get me started on antelope. Properly treated, it's more like milk-fed veal than the stringy "goat" that most folks object to.

Reply to
Ed Rasimus

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