Hello Wine Lovers,
On Wednesday, March 3rd we are hosting a titan of the wine world, Bartholomew Broadbent. Bartholomew is the founder and CEO of Broadbent Selections, a wine import business focused on representing high quality family owned wineries from as far away as Lebanon, New Zealand, and South Africa. For our dinner we have the priveledge to be tasting exclusively from Bartholomew's Portuguese selection. Bartholomew is a very engaging speaker, who possesses a great wealth of knowledge and experience.
He is the son of the highly respected Michael Broadbent, who as head of the Christie's Wine Auction for over fifty years is one of the world's foremost expert on aged wines. Bartholomew worked around the world, from Cognac to Australia, to Canada, and then to the United States, where he set up a Port import business. It is at this time that Bartholomew started to become known as one of the foremost experts in Port and Madeira. He started his own Port and Madeira label in 1994, and in 1996 started Broadbent Selections, which represents properties all over the world. He is a frequent lecturer, teacher, and auction host, and was nominated as Wine and Spirits Importer of the Year in 2005, and as one of Decanter Magazine's 50 most influential wine professionals.
We will start the evening off with in the Garden House with a white port cocktail, Ferreira white port and Dolin Vermouth, and hors d'oeuvres created by Fearrington House's Executive Chef Colin Bedford.
The wines at dinner will showcase some of the best wines that Portugal is making and highlight how Portugal has transformed itself into a modern high-quality dry wine producer. Colin and I had a lot of fun working on ideas for this menu; these wines all have lots of personality, and are all nuanced and complex. We will have the Quinta do Crasto, Branco, a white blend of indigenous Portoguese grapes, which is fresh with citrus and herbal elements, refreshing on the palate while still being rich, and a mineral laden finish. Then onto the Casa Ferreirinha, Vinha Grande, 2002 from the Douro Valley; it is a blend of Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo), and Tinta Barocca. This wine is very complex, with aromas of dark cherry, tobacco, roasted coffee beans, and cocoa, while on the palate it is medium bodied, with powerful acidity; this is a great wine to pair with food. Then on to the star of the show, the Quinta do Crasto, Touriga Nacional, Single Quinta, 2005. This wine needs to be decanted well before serving; it is a powerful wine with aromas of blackberries, graphite, leather, and smoked plum, very full bodied on the palate. It is powerful yet elegant, great to drink now, but will be amazing to see what it will be like in the decades to come. Then we will finish of with Bartholomew's Broadbent 10 Year Madeira, made from 100% Malvasia, and a perfect way to finish off dinner. Please view the menu on our website.
I look forward to seeing you at the dinner.