I went with my friend Kyle. It was actually his idea because he passes by Delius several times a week on his way to work, but has never stopped in. That all changed yesterday because we were already in the area and craving a glass or two (or four) so we rang the place up and headed on over.
I have spent a large portion of my life in the Long Beach area, and let's just say that I don't always equate Long Beach with this kind of dining experience. The restaurant is very modern with dim lighting and a nice, quiet atmosphere; Perfect for a date or simply a night out to enjoy some great wine.
The bartender gave us a 'By The Glass' wine list, which in all honesty was fairly lackluster. The walls of the restaurant were lined with wine bottles, very impressive looking- as if they really wanted to showcase their wine selection...but their wine list was full of Temecula selections. (Nothing against Temecula wines, but one would expect more with a place that looks as impressive as this.)
There were two Napa selections for which I would have settled, but I knew there had to be more to Delius than this. When the bartender came back, I asked to see a 'by-the-bottle' list; he returned shortly with a touchscreen tablet, not unlike an iPad, which had their wine list. Now THAT was cool. You can select wines by varietal, vintage, price and region. Being that i'm on an Old World wine kick, I chose France.
Price points for a venue like this, I feel, were fairly reasonable. Bottles started in the $20s with entrees and appetizers in the $14 and up range. We ended up getting a 2007 Perrin & Fils Rasteau and paired it with their Duck Confit, Overall, a magnificent pairing.
The wine service was very good; The bottle was presented and sampled, all the etiquette was followed and all that. However, if I had to split hairs, it would be over the fact that that their wine glasses were slightly water spotted and not as polished as I would have liked.
The Duck Confit was great. It was served over a bed of upland cress, topped with teardrop tomatoes, dried cranberries, red onion and bleu cheese crumbles. The duck leg itself was garnished with tomato yogurt spheres and mole sauce. I apologize for not taking a photo before we devoured it, but sometimes the stomach thinks faster than the brain.
Overall, a wonderful experience at a reasonable price point. Great place to take a date or simply enjoy a drink in a nice, quiet atmosphere. I will be back.
2007 Perrin & Fils, Rasteau L'Andeol- Cotes du Rhone, France.
At first opening, the wine had very apparent forest floor and tobacco aromas accompanied by subtle plums, red berries and hints of pepper and spice. The lighting was dim, but it appeared to be quite light in colour and intensity- a brick red colour which transitions to an almost watery-clear rim.
On the palate, the earth and minerality comes through before any fruit. The forest floor aroma translated into a clay and loam flavour, typical of Cote du Rhone wines. This particular blend is 80% Grenache and 20% Syrah. Lots of heat from the alcohol content of the Grenache (14% abv), and spicy, peppery texture from the Syrah. At first opening, the wine seemed balanced, but lacked complexity and finish; As it opened up, though, the depth really started to show. Lots of black fruit, cocoa and nice tannin and spice mouthfeel, opening up to a medium plus finish. It was very nice as a stand alone wine, but excellent with the Duck Confit.
At Delius Restaurant- Signal Hill, CA
No comments:
Post a Comment