Woodcocks in the Valley

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Some weeks ago I found that, much to my surprise, Bong Girl actually drinks wine that are not bongwater. Among the wines she posted was a bottle from Domaine de la Mordorée - a winery I had the pleasure of visiting in Tavel. I feel honored that since my visit back in 2011, Fabrice Delorme has followed my gastronomic and vinous adventures via this blog. On the other hand, I kinda feel bad that I haven't tasted many bottles from them since that visit more than a decade ago. So I decided to schedule a meal with Bong Girl in order for me to add a few more tasting notes to my library.

Locanda is a place I have been meaning to revisit for years. I always thinking about going back but somehow, I end up somewhere else. Well, I finally made it back tonight. I got in touch with Gavin, who I haven't seen in a few years, and got ourselves a table. We agreed to share a few plates to start.

It's always good to start with some carta musica. This was really nicely done, and came with some tomato ricotta.

Roasted artichoke, anchovy, burrata cheese, extra virgin olive oil - I'm not always a fan of artichoke, but this was a nice surprise. The artichokes were very nicely roasted and delivered a wonderful fragrance in the mouth, thanks to the EVOO.

Tartare di Fassone Pietmontese, Parmigiano Reggiano, Amalfi lemon - simple but very nice. Plenty of flavor in the Fassone.

Spaghetti chitarra ai frutti di mare: New Zealand scampi, gambero rosso, squid, clams, Datterino - seafood pasta is always the way to go. The chitarra has plenty of bite, and well-coated with the delicous sauce. Loved the seafood, especially the shrimp.

Full blood wagyu oyster blade (M7), Jerusalem artichoke, crispy potato, Masala wine sauce - this was very fatty and tender, very well-executed at medium-rare with nice charring on the outside. Soooo much flavor. The pastry pocket stuffed with Jerusalem artichoke was tasty, too.

Chocolate millefoglie, chocolate and marscapone mousse, espresso, full milk gelato - pretty happy with this coffee and chocolate dessert with a milky angle.

We had a good amount of wine tonight for a casual night out, but the focus was clearly on the pair of Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

2013 Gramona Cava Argent Rosé Gran Reserva - nose was a little bit toasty, and showed some caramelized confit lemon. Good acidity on the palate, on the back of a little ripeness.

2004 Domaine de la Mordorée Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rouge La Reine des Bois - decanted 10 minutes after opening, and started drinking around 30 minutes after opening. Some mint on the nose with a little hint of pepper and some meaty notes. Very soft on the palate, with some silky tannins, and a little sweet on the finish. An hour after opening the nose was very open and fragrant now, but a little sharp on the nose. About 1½ hours after opening, started to feel some tannins on my tongue. With a new pour almost 2 hours in, we've got ripe fruit on the palate, along with fragrant woodsy and cedar notes on the nose. Drinking pretty well now.

2010 Domaine de la Mordorée Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rouge La Reine des Bois - decanted 10 minutes after opening, and started drinking around 40 minutes after opening. This was much more tannic compared to the 2004 and I could feel the tannins coating my tongue right off the bat. The nose was also not as open as the 2004. About an hour after opening the nose improved, and continued to improve almost 2 hours after opening. It's amazing that almost 3 hours after opening the wine was still tannic and grippy on the palate. Needs a few more years of cellaring.

Really happy to have gotten together with Bong Girl to drink some bottles that aren't bongwater, especially as I got to taste two vintages side-by-side - one of which I had actually tasted the experimental blend of at the winery. Also really happy to have finally come back to Locanda, and pretty excited about their casual pasta joint next door. I think we'll be coming back sooner rather than later.