Californication

 Opening three such show-stoppers from Napa Valley, demands careful consideration on an evening’s menu.

 Shafer One Point Five (left) and Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Artemis (centre), two Cabernet blends from two of the very best producers in the famous Napa subregion Stag’s Leap District. Caymus Special Selection (right) is a 100% Cabernet from the subregion Rutherford, and been a collector’s item for quite some years.

 Tenderloin of pork with Pommes Anna, sautéed fennel, crispy Parma ham, and a reduced juice of the Artemis.

 Warren Winiarski’s Stag’s Leap releases are truly among the finest Cabernets made in California, and include the single vineyard wines Fay, S.L.V. and their icon Cask 23. His winery is for the same reason considered among Napa’s first growth estates.

 Artemis after the Greek goddess of the hunt, is a Napa Cabernet blended with small quantities of Merlot from a collection of growers spread over the valley, and aged 18 months in new French oak.

 An elegant wine with velvet layers of blackberry, cassis, vanilla and violets which paired well with the pork.

 The tenderloin is flavoured with white pepper, lemon zest and salt. Grilled and finished until medium-rare in a water-bath.

 Pommes Anna is ultra-thin layers of potato and shallots doused with extravagant quantities of melted butter. Oven-baked in a covered tray under press for an hour or more. Should be flavoured with plenty of salt and pepper, and eg. nutmeg, and thyme. Needs to rest at least 24 hours in a fridge, before cutting it to your preferred sized servings and finished by roasting them in a hot oven for approximately 15 minutes.

 Fennel is sautéed at low heat in butter until it is again crispy.

 Parma ham is made under press. Laying it between two trays in an oven, to avoid it from curling up like bacon on a hot pan.

 Caymus Vineyards Special Selection Cabernet followed the Artemis ending the first course.

 Chuck Wagner took his father’s fruit and pushed it to make two very original Cabernets. By practising the risky technique of increasing the grapes’ hang time on the vine, he achieves super soft tannins, velvet textures seldom seen; making their wines even approachable at a young age.

 Flagship wine is their Special Selection from the very best barrels of a vintage and only released in good years, it has gained cult status and international fame. Its luxurious flavours of liquorice, vanilla and prunes matched the fennel perfectly. An exquisite and very special wine experience.

 Can almost feel the warm ambience and contentment endowed by these wines.

 Shafer Vineyards is another Stag’s Leap District winery that have gained a significant reputation worldwide. Their icon Hillside Select is also a collector’s item, and one of Napa’s most profound Cabernets.

 One Point Five takes its name from the term a generation and a half, and is the product of a father-and-son partnership. The 2009 is made of 98% Cabernet, and 2% Petit Verdot, from Stag’s Leap Vineyards, aged 20 months in new French Oak barrels. Definitely the most concentrated of the three, but the considerable ageing has tamed its tannins and makes it very approachable. Super delicious.

 Sautéed breast of duck, roasted beetroot, caramelised onions and pea sprouts on a bed of carrot purée. Served with a glace of reduced balsamic vinegar.

 The flavours of the Caymus Special Selection paired perhaps better with the duck, yet the Shafer’s concentration was much needed to give the course a balanced opponent.

 The mixing colours of the carrot purée and beetroot when tucking in.