The evening began with cocktails, created specifically for this occasion using mostly Italian ingredients- Inferno Rosso Vermouth (50% dolcetto, 50% cortese), Paradiso Rose’ (88% cortese, 12% nebbiolo), and Purgatorio Extra Dry Vermouth (100% arneis), all DOC. Delightfully refreshing.
While guests sipped, servers circulated with amuse trays. The first two featured the usual suspects- Italian cheeses and meats on skewers, bite-sized, really tasty, and well-conceived to match the cocktails. Two more, however, took us into another league- small lamb chops, tender and deeply flavored, followed by scallops, perfectly seared, buttery in flavor and texture.
On to the main events.
This dinner featured the wines of Mura Mura, in Piedmonte, Italy. The owners, Guido Martinetti and Federico Grom, friends from military service, started out making gelato, and they were really successful at it. That funding paved the way to their real ambition, a winery. Martinetti had studied agronomy and earned a master’s degree in viticulture and enology; he interned at Chateau Margaux and Vignetti Massa. He eventually worked at Gaja, which he always regarded as wine’s pinnacle.
After selling the Grom gelato chain, they built a winery and received a rare license to grow and produce Barolo and Barbaresco wines, although they are located outside the designated appellations. Now, they produce about a dozen wines. In addition to the winery, they now operate a restaurant and guest house with fourteen rooms on the property.
Barolo and Barbaresco wines are made from Nebbiolo grapes, in this case, all estate grown. Mura Mura wines are characterized by soft, smooth textures and low tannins.
Compliments to the 1703 kitchen for conceiving and executing two vegetarian dishes for the first two courses.
Persimmon, Harmony Ridge tomato, mulled muscadine syrup, mozzarella cheese, pesto sauce and thinly-sliced Fresno chili married well with the only white wine of the evening, Beatrice Derthona, made from the rare Timorasso grape in the Colli Tortonesi DOC. My wife characterized this wine as “elegant,” a compliment she rarely bestows. It paired especially well with the slightly edgy flavor of the persimmon.
Polenta con Funghi utilized heritage harvest mushrooms, plus heirloom tomatoes, from Harmony Ridge in Tobaccoville (harmonyridgefarms.square.site), surrounded with a light application of truffle infused olive oil, yielding rich, earthy flavors blended with the mellow polenta. The wine was Mercuzio Nebbiolo, Langhe, DOC. I caught its nose from across the table before the glass even reached my position. One again, my wife paid a high complment: “eloquent” and a high value at the restaurant price of $29.
The entrée was Short Rib Agnoletti, homemade pasta purses filled with short rib bites, resting in Barolo braising jus. This cut of beef is uniquely tender and deeply flavorful, and the 1703 kitchen nailed its preparation and delivery. We received two wines with the main course, Starderi Barbaresco and Sorano Barolo, both DOCG (the strictest standard), both very good, epitomizing that soft, smooth quality that this winery aspires to. The Barolo is a bit darker and heavier in flavor, the Barbaresco a bit lighter. Both excellent.
And there was dessert! Chocolate Hazelnut Panna Cotta, decadent in its depth, bisected with a hazelnut cookie sail. Crasto 20 year Tawny Port capped off the evening’s wines.
1703’s wine dinners are among the best in the Triad, and I rank the restaurant (1703restaurant.com) in the same category, overall. Joe and Molly Curran are the owners; Curtis Hackaday is chef.
The next event is scheduled for December 17. Mark your calendar and get on the mailing list!
