1993 Brewer-Clifton Blanc de Blancs

Needed a bubbly tonight for a Scallops with Potato Pancakes and Caviar Sauce recipe seen below from Food and Wine Magazine, and this fit the bill. I only needed a cup and a half, so you can bet your bottom dollar that the rest was not going to go to waste.

First thing you'll notice is the petrol and sweetness on the nose. If I was sniffing blind, I would have sworn this was a 7-10 year old Riesling. Some lime and lemon on the nose, with hints of minerality similar to that of stone. Also had some hints of aged sauternes on the nose, and that is not a bad thing in the least. On the palate, there is tons of sweet nectar, peach, and passion fruit, with hints of pineapple. The minerality and acidity of this sparkling wine are very nice, and the finish has a nice sweetness, with still that hint of petrol. For a 17 year old domestic sparkler, this was a real treat, and I would definitely seek this out again in the future if I can find it. 90 points.

What's for dinner? Scallops with Potato Pancakes and Caviar Sauce

Tonight I opted to make a recipe that I saw last week on Food and Wine Magazine's website. I will write more about it when I get a chance, but feel free to check out the link above for the recipe, or see the recipe cut and pasted below. More to come! Cheers!

Ingredients PANCAKES 1 pound baking potatoes, peeled 1 large egg, lightly beaten 1/4 cup matzo meal 1/4 cup grated onion Salt Vegetable oil, for frying SCALLOPS AND CAVIAR SAUCE 1 1/2 cups Champagne 9 black peppercorns 3 thyme sprigs 1 bay leaf 1 large shallot, thinly sliced 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice 1 1/2 tablespoons crème fraîche 1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons 1 ounce caviar Salt Vegetable oil, for frying 20 medium sea scallops (1 pound) 2 tablespoons minced chives

Directions Make the Pancakes: Coarsely shred the potatoes and squeeze out any excess liquid. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the egg, matzo meal, onion and a large pinch of salt. Shape the mixture into 20 scallop-size cakes, about 1/2 inch thick; press the cakes to compress them.

In a large skillet, heat 1/4 inch of vegetable oil until shimmering. Working in batches, fry the pancakes over moderately high heat until browned and crisp, about 3 minutes per side. Lower the heat if the pancakes brown too quickly and add more oil if necessary. Transfer the pancakes to a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt.

Prepare the Scallops and Caviar Sauce: Preheat the oven to 325°. In a small saucepan, combine the Champagne with the peppercorns, thyme sprigs, bay leaf, shallot and lemon juice and boil over high heat until reduced to 1 tablespoon, about 15 minutes. Strain the sauce into another small saucepan. Stir in the crème fraîche and bring to a simmer over moderate heat. Remove from the heat and stir in the softened butter, 1 tablespoon at a time. Stir in the caviar and season lightly with salt. Cover the sauce and keep it warm.

Wipe out the skillet and heat 1/4 inch of oil in it until shimmering. Season the scallops with salt and add half of them to the skillet. Cook over high heat until richly browned, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and keep warm while you cook the remaining scallops. Rewarm the potato pancakes in the oven. Arrange the pancakes on a platter and set a scallop on each one. Add the chives to the caviar butter sauce and spoon over the scallops. Serve right away.

Make Ahead: The pancakes and caviar sauce can stand at room temperature for up to 2 hours. Rewarm the caviar sauce over low heat, stirring constantly.