Another year has passed, and so has another Blend 2022 came, punctual as an early autumn dream. A dream, like that of Umberto Cosmoin which I read the desire to create a sustainable alternative to the usual events in the wine world. And a certainty, the Dolada Restaurant in Alpago - 1 Michelin star - led by chef Riccardo De Prà and his delightful family. Every year a journalist is at the table with a producer and (also) this year I felt really lucky because I met (another) intelligent and very pleasant man: Riku Väänänen of Chateau Puybarbe (Bordeaux).
You know, when it comes to Bordeaux, I always get excited. I have magical memories of when I won the Millésima Blog Awards and I toured the Primeur and visited some of the châmost beautiful teau. So, in this cosy and elegant environment dominated by the lit fireplace, I got to know the passion and expertise of Riku Väänänen.
Dolada Restaurant: an aperitif with Bellenda's 'Sei Uno' Prosecco
But let's go in order... and start with the aperitif. This year we started with the "Sei Uno', Conegliano Valdobbiadene Superiore Prosecco DOCG Rive di Carpesica di Bellenda. Sei Uno is a prosecco that breaks the mould both for its re-fermentation in the bottle (ageing on the lees for 12 months) and for its very low dosage. I like it because the nose brings back classic prosecco aromas such as apple, mint and linden blossom, while in the mouth it is consistent, structured, crisp and with a good persistence of fresh hazelnut.
This year, as an aperitif, chef Riccardo De Prà proposed a highly concentrated pigeon broth. In the Alpago it is quite cool in the evenings even when it is warm in the rest of Italy, and the Albergo Ristorante Dolada is located in Plois, a hamlet at almost 900 metres above sea level. I love pigeon and still dream of it what he prepared for us last yearso I really appreciated it.
Dolada Restaurant, Alpago: cod with Roger Coulon's 'L'Hommée' Champagne
Food. A perfectly cooked cod croquette with a soft, crispy pastry resting on a potato velouté in which the squid ink and parsley stand out organoleptically.
Wine. It is an intense, brilliant straw yellow with a very fine, very numerous and persistent perlage. The nose has intense and elegant notes of honey, white chocolate and candied citron. In the mouth it is fresh, consistent, structured and very drinkable. Particularly crisp, probably a recent disgorgement.
The pairing. Perfect, the bubble degreases the croquette, the champagne's good aromaticity enhances the squid ink and parsley while the dosage balances the salt cod's savouriness.
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Dolada Restaurant, Alpago: sedanini with cuttlefish, mushrooms and truffle with the 2018 verdeja from Bodegas Menade
Food. Lots of truffles and mushrooms cover up the taste of the cuttlefish a little, but despite this the taste works and the dish is very pleasant. I made the second round and would have made the third and fourth as well.
Wine. It is pale straw yellow and brilliant. The nose, although very closed, reveals interesting aromas. In the mouth, it is balanced, fresh, savoury and very vertical. Definitely not one of its best vintages, although it remains a wine I adore.
The pairing. The wine, partly due to not being at its best, does not hold up to the aromaticity of the dish.
Dolada Restaurant, Alpago: vitello tonnato all'Artusi with Chateau Puybarbe's Côtes de Bourg 2018
Food. Well, a veal tonnato like this I didn't think I would ever eat in my life: I must delve into this Artusi recipe. The veal is cooked to perfection, very tender inside and with a crusty outside that also gives that delicious toasted note due to a perfectly executed Maillard Reaction. The vegetables, perhaps steamed, have their natural flavour. The tuna sauce is perfect in texture and taste, very balanced. I particularly liked the meat served in pieces and not sliced.
Wine. It is an intense, impenetrable ruby red, consistent. The nose is very intense, with a broad bouquet of different spices, a balsamic note, a slight hint of freshly ground coffee and an intense scent of undergrowth. In the mouth it is consistent, very soft, tannic, balanced and with a long, toasty finish.
The pairing. A perfectly successful combination, as happens when wine and food enhance each other.
Dolada Restaurant, Alpago: Chantilly pear, caramel and pistachio with Traminac 2016 from Iločki Podrumi
Food. I am not a dessert lover, but this is likely to be the best dessert I have ever had. It just lacked a touch of salt in the caramel (oh my God, I try to imagine it with salted caramel and I enjoy it!). The pear is cooked to perfection, the chantilly cream has a delicate and not too sugary taste and underneath there is a pastry base that is almost impalpable in the mouth. The pistachios provide aromaticity and crunch. An original and successful reinterpretation of the classic combination of cheese and pears.
Wine. It is an intense old gold yellow with amber hues, bright and consistent. The nose is intense, broad, with notes of candied orange, honey, herbs and chocolate. In the mouth it is consistent, very pleasant, soft, you can barely feel the sugar and it is so voluptuous that it envelops the palate. Balanced, structured and with a savoury streak. Very long finish. EXTRAORDINARY.
The pairing. When you have two products as perfect as this cake and this wine, it is hard to go wrong. I made the second round of the wine and really enjoyed it together with the pistachio pear.
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Dolada Restaurant, Alpago: caramelised fruit with Saussignac from Chateau Le Payral
Food. The fruit is special: the caramel is cooked to perfection and not at all bitter. The layer is so thin that it delicately envelops the fruit, giving it crispness without altering the flavour too much with sweet or bitter notes (depending on the degree of cooking of the caramel).
Wine. It has a beautiful, bright, intense golden yellow colour with amber hues at the edges, consistent. On the nose one can smell the Botrytis cinerea with its characteristic aromas. Intense notes of caramel, acacia honey, apricot both fresh and jam and candied mandarin. Long hazelnut finish. AMAZING.
The pairing. An unexpected pairing, which I made as this wonderful wine arrived at our table for tasting. I must say that it was a very pleasant food and wine pairing, although a Saussignac like this should be enhanced with oysters, blue cheeses, foie gras and undercooked goose or duck meat. With a goose ham it would create a contrast between savouriness and sweetness that I get excited just thinking about.
After the caramelised fruit, a Dolada restaurant classic: chestnuts cooked in the fireplace during dinner. A pampering that, again this year, I enjoyed so much, partly because I love chestnuts, and partly because it always makes me feel at home. Thank you. Too bad I was full and ate them mostly with my eyes.
A delicious dinner that - together with a long bath with red fruit herbal tea in my beautiful room at Mosto Fiore di Conegliano - prepared me for the next day: Blend 2022. But I will tell you about that in another article!
Cheers 🍷
Chiara
P.S. I also invite you to read this article Alpago: oenological symmetries Pre-Blend 2021 talking about last year's dinner and pairings.
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