Single Thread – the wines!

This is the second of two posts about a superlative meal at SingleThread in Sonoma that I described in the first post as the greatest meal that I have had in my life. I won’t go in to all of the background information about the meal and the experience overall – if you want to read about that then please check out my first post (before coming back to this one, I hope!).

I intentionally split the post into two. Normally in my posts I describe the wines alongside the food, but in the case of this meal I felt the wines I tasted deserved a post all of their own.

When there sommelier came to enquire about our wine preferences for the meal they explained that they had three different wine flights designed to accompany the ten-course tasting menu. We were promised that each flight was memorable, but the most expensive set – their ‘Unforgettable’ flight – was designed as a wine lover’s extravaganza that would feature wines that you had only dreamed of tasting. Now, this meal was a special occasion – it was my 40th birthday. To mark this momentous chapter of life I have actually been celebrating all year, alongside my cousin and sister-in-law, who also turned 40 this year. We dubbed it our ‘Year of Bring Ace’ (#YOBA) and came up with a programme of wonderful things for the whole year as we looked to move into our fifth decades with a triumphant air as opposed to bemoaning the passing of time. The key to the #YOBA ethos is taking every opportunity that comes to you and enjoying life today, not worrying about what is to come. Therefore, I looked at Isabelle and asked if I could go for the ‘Unforgettable’ flight (she was paying the bill, after all – it was only polite to ask). She took a deep breath and said ‘of course, go for it’. Well, strap in readers as we take a trip through what certainly was an unforgettable experience.

2004 Dom Pérignon, Plénitude 2, (Champagne, France)

I knew we were on for a brilliant time when the first wine that was served was a 2004 Dom Perignon P2. Plénitude 2 is the ’second life’ of a wine from the legendary Dom Perignon estate, which means that it is held back for a further 10 years of ageing before release. The current ‘normal’ Dom Perignon release (if there is such a thing!) is the 2014 and that is already a rich and structural wine. This 2004 has had that extra 10 years in bottle to develop, which gives it extra structure and complexity. Earlier on in the year when I was in Champagne with my aforementioned #YOBA crew we had a 1983 Dom Perignon, which if a little over the hill (apt I thought) was very special. This wine was in a different league though.

The nose was floral, exotic and aromatic. Dominant aromas of blossom and peach came through. It was just impossibly pretty. But it also contained a slight richness that told you this wine was going to be deep and complex. On tasting it was sublime; rich, profound, and deep. However, at the same time it came across as light and playful. There was a real whip of acidic freshness that belied the nearly 20 years age of the wine. The finish was textured and layered, and extremely long. Just an absolutely perfect wine, which made for a great match against the beautiful snack course that we were served.

Heiwa, Muryozan 30, Junmai Daiginjo, (Wakayama, Japan)

I have been to a few restaurants where they have made a big deal about serving saké in their tasting menus. The umami characteristic and range of flavour profiles, as well as the fact that is is still relatively unknown to western food palates, make it very exciting. Obviously it made sense to feature saké at SingleThread given the Japanese influence redolent throughout the menu. This wine uses the very best of Yamadanishiki brewing rice from the Hyogo Prefecture, and a milling rate of 30% (which is very low and represents exceptional quality). Only a few hundred bottles of this are produced each year. The name ‘Muryozan’ comes from the name of the former temple where it is brewed.

The thing that I remember with the wine was the intensely floral aroma. This was accompanied by a slight creaminess to it too. I felt the dominant profile was a very fresh strawberry, with just a lick of cream alongside. Tasting the wine it was pure, focussed, ripe, and fresh. The wine carries a fair amount of alcohol, but it does it with ease and grace. Alongside the fruity notes it had a side hit of both creaminess and a slight salinity. A really generous wine and one that paired perfectly with the food.     

2009 Domaine Weinbach, Grand Cru Riesling Schlossberg, ‘Cuvée Sainte Catherine’ (Alsace, France)

Riesling is almost always on wine tasting menus as it tends to be a favourite of somms all around the world. This is fortunate for me, as I really, really (Ed.: five additional ‘reallys’ were redacted for being a bit over the top) like Riesling. When you see a wine on the list as an Alsace Grand Cru and particularly one with decent bottle age to it, you know that you are going to be on for a winner. Interestingly, when reading up on this wine and producer afterwards it was noted that this is somewhat unusual as they only produce wine from grapes grown on their own estates (as opposed to sourcing some in from other producers). OK, everyone’s definition of interesting is different, but I found it interesting.

As you would expect the nose on the wine was rich and powerful. The extra bottle age had given it a slightly oxidative and golden aroma that promised richness ahead. On tasting, it was almost off-dry with the fruit notes moving to the tropical end of the spectrum. This was accompanied by a slightly toasty element that I took as a slightly oxidative trait. It was a rich, decadent and powerful wine. Think iron first in a velvet glove.

2019 Domaine Georges Vernay, Coteau de Vernon, (Condrieu, Rhone Valley, France)

The next wine that we were presented had a very interesting story behind it. After WWI there were only 3ha of Viognier left in the whole of Condrieu, all belonging to the Vernay estate. Essentially this producer single-handedly kept Viognier going in the Condrieu region. Nowadays, Viognier is the only grape allowed to be produced within the appellation boundaries. This Coteau de Vernon wine has been produced since 1940.

As you’d expect with Viognier the wine was rich and textured. Had smatterings of pastry notes alongside peach, pear, apricot and vanilla. There were also some slightly honeyed notes. This was a delectable wine, but potentially one that I didn’t quite feel hit the heights of some of the others.

2020 Bonneau du Martray, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru (Burgundy, France)

The pace immediately picked up with our next wine. Our sommelier told us that this is the only domaine in Burgundy where their only holdings are only Grand Cru sites. As such, they only make two wines – Corton Grand Cru or Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru . Their Corton-Charlemagne site faces to the west giving it a great exposure to the sun, but is also on a hillside. Interestingly, the producer says that they can taste the difference between the fruit from the top of the hill (where the vines are adjacent to a forest and they get more floral and citrus fruit notes), to the bottom of the hill (where the soil is richer in minerals and the fruit gets more strength and structure).

The nose was just exquisite: rich, decadent and powerful. It was kissed with citrus fruit and light spices. On tasting it was that classic white Burgundy beauty – citrus fruit notes married with a generous helping of biscuity and buttery goodness. If you know good white Burgundy then you’ll know exactly what I mean. The wine had a precision to it that really lifted it. This is obviously a very young wine and one that I would dearly love to have a case of so that I could see it develop over the years. Sadly at c. £600/bottle I won’t be able to do that unless that lottery win comes through…   

A Pinot-off!

As we moved to our duck course on the tasting menu, the sommelier pulled somewhat of a surprise. Two large Pinot glasses came out at the same time. The sommelier then explained that they wanted to do a France versus California, ‘Judgement of Paris’ style Pinot-off. Both bottles chosen from the same vintage to aid comparison. Two epic Pinots to try alongside the exquisite duck. I mean yes, yes, yes!

2014 Peay ‘Elanus’ Pinot Noir (Sonoma Coast, USA)

Elanus is a wine produced by Peay on the Sonoma Coast only in the very best of years. Apparently, they also only ever select the absolutely best of their fruit for the wine, meaning that they will only ever make less than a thousand bottles of the wine in any vintage (should the vintage be deemed worthy). As a result it is an incredibly rare wine and one that you can’t find to buy on the open market. Our sommelier told us that Singlethread holds the biggest stock of anyone in the world.

The first thing that struck me on the nose was just how pure and concentrated the fruit aromas were. Red cherry dominant, which you expect with Pinot, but accompanied by a little blackcurrant leaf which gave it a little edge. On tasting it was laser-focussed, all balance and poise. A truly beautiful wine. I would say that I thought it brilliantly primary fruit focussed, but if you were looking for some additional depth to the wine that wasn’t really there, which for nearly ten years old surprised me. Still, not everyone wants those ‘sous-bois’ notes.

2014 Comte Georges de Vogüé, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru (Burgundy, France)

2008 Chateau Rayas, Pignan Réservé, (Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhone Valley, France)

The last of the wines for our savoury courses was probably the wine that I will remember this meal for mostly. I admit that when the sommelier said that we were going to the Rhone, I was hoping for a northern Rhone bottle. I was thinking Hermitage. He then said we were going for a Châteauneuf-du-Pape and I was a little taken aback. I find the blockbuster nature of southern Rhone wines a little much sometimes, particularly in CdP. However, this is not your normal CdP. Rayas is a leading producer in the region and one of its most prestigious names – these are the definition of cult wines. They are unusual as they only produce wines made from 100% Grenache, whereas southern Rhone wines are more traditionally known for their ‘GSM’ blends. Unbelievably the Pignan is the estate’s second wine! The land for the Pignan wine is made of up relatively poor sandy soils, which make the vines work very hard to produce fruit.

1983 Chateau Gilette, Créme de Tete (Sauternes, Bordeaux, France)

However, the clever folks at Singlethread knew what they were doing. The wine I was given was something very special. It is made from one of two estates owned by the Gonet-Médeville family, who have been producing Sauternes since the 19th century. Since the 1930s René Médeville established a wine making practice where they keep their grand vins in concrete cuvées for c. 15 – 20 years before releasing them – which means that there is no oak influence on the fruit at all. ‘Créme de Tete’ means the ‘top of the head’, which refers to the fact that they take the very best of the first juices that come from the presses of the grapes. In addition, it just happens to be a birth-year wine for me, which makes it all the more special.

Final thoughts

As you can probably imagine, by the end of the meal I was quite overwhelmed by it all. What an experience! Taking a step back a few weeks after the event I have been giving the line-up some thought. In the few days after the meal I did think of all the stellar names of wines that I would have liked to have seen on the menu. Perhaps some first growth Bordeaux? Or some real titans of the Californian wine scene? However, I then thought about the menu that the wines were being paired with. Any of the heavier red wines just wouldn’t have matched against the cuisine we were having. The wine choices made more and more sense. Plus I learned about different areas, and about different producers. Just the exercise of writing up this post has allowed me to research into the wonderful world of wine a bit deeper. I still wouldn’t have said no to a glass of La Tache though!

This definitely was an unforgettable wine experience. #YOBA!