It’s that time of year again, time to loosen your belt buckle and sit down for the annual ThanksGavin!
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The table is set.
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The libations begin with this bubbly.
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1990 Robert Ampeau & Fils Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières. Burghound 93. A truly wonderful nose of simply knockout complexity features notes of yeast and baked bread along with now fully mature aromas of a variety of floral notes and spice hints that gives way to mineral-suffused, round, intense and detailed medium full flavors that also offer outstanding depth on the sappy and mouth coating finish. This is drinking perfectly now and I wouldn’t hesitate to open one anytime as there is no further upside to be had. A beautiful effort of real style and grace. Tasted several times with consistent results save for one bottle that, much to my complete surprise, was showing definite signs of oxidation.
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1993 Faiveley Latricières-Chambertin. 93 points. this wine shows sweet cherries, sharp minerals, and forest floor on the powerful nose. Initially the palate is a bit shy, but with time it gains concentration and volume until it explodes with deep red and black fruits. This is medium bodied and elegant but the fruit is intense, the acids are lively, and there is a strong spice note on the finish. There are still some hard edges and this is probably 5 years from its peak, but it’s wonderful now.
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The first of the two birds comes off the BBQ, cripsy!
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1995 Aldo Conterno Barolo Bussia Riserva. 95 points. The dense 1995 displays a saturated ruby color. The rich, cedary, smoky, tobacco, and tar-scented nose is classic Nebbiolo. Excellent, with a layered texture, and a rich, spicy, austere, moderately tannic finish, it is accessible enough to be drunk, but should evolve nicely for a decade.
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Here is the full spread. Most of this hard work is by our tireless chefs: my mom and aunt.
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A simple salad (you need something simple).
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Cranberry relish (one of two cranberry sauces).
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The other, a spicy chutney. This one is my favorite.
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The turkey itself.
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Delicious stuffing.
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Gravy.
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2008 Castello di Nipozzano Chianti Rufina Riserva. Parker 90, “The 2003 Chianti Refina Riserva exhibits a similarly sweet, open nose along with plenty of vibrant, super-ripe dark fruit, outstanding length and lovely overall balance in a style that is plump and accessible without sacrificing the wine’s underlying structure. It is made from 90% Sangiovese, with the remaining 10% divided among several other varietals, and aged 24 months in French oak barrels.”
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Roasted beets.
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Kale with garlic.
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A new entry, consisting of sweet potatoes. There was a mix of orange and purple, which resulted in this refried bean-like color!
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The official 2013 plate, or you can find the last 10 years of them here.
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1988 Climens. Parker 96. The 1988 reveals layer upon layer of honeyed pineapple-and orange-scented and -flavored fruit, vibrant acidity, high levels of botrytis, and a fabulously long, yet well-focused finish. It is a great wine.
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My mom’s incomparable pecan pie.
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And a new entry, poached pears with homemade syrup.
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And homemade chocolate sauce. The texture reveals its non-commercial origins.
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Pumpkin pie.
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Sweet potato pie.
This was another spectacular homemade ThanksGavin dinner as usual. Particularly impressive given the bit of upset that tore through the family in the proceeding few nights, namely a nasty stomach virus. This left a few of the secondary cooks “unfit” for their duties. Still, once recovered, great fun was had by all.
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My aunt hard at work in the kitchen!