Desert Protocol II: Atlas Shrugged

Plans to hit the gym Saturday morning were waylaid by bacon for breakfast, so the new plan was to do some shopping for Sunday's brunch and some cultural excursions.


Such as Chandler's very own pride and joy, the Tumbleweed Christmas Tree...


...and Arizona's finest winery, Kokopelli... home to "Wine-a-rita", a vile neon-green concoction that is more akin to a Fla·Vor·Ice freeze-pop than anything else.

A quick stop at Chandler's In-n-Out Burger yielded our first near-celebrity sighting of the weekend: the flesh and blood version of Kari, the baby-sitter from The Incredibles:



No, really. Incredible. Anyways, washed down the burgers with some Alaska Brewery Winter Ale (brewed with spruce tips) - decent ale, that, some wildberries and very mild minty wood - and then some stretching, in anticipation of a big session.

First, to pick up J., who was showing some of his work at a relative's home. This was also the site of our second near-celebrity sighting, Edna Mode!



To celebrate a successful visit, we opened a few bottles:


J. and B.'s first Clouet, the 2002 André Clouet Champagne Millésimé (Bouzy) - beautifully yeasty, great acidity and mousse, citric. A winner.


Poor J. We did blind-taste him on the Wine-a-Rita (straight from the bottle, so that the colour - true to the photo - could not be seen.) Kindness prevailed though, and we drank the 2008 Le P'tit blanc du Tue-Bœuf (Touraine) - a blend of Menu Pineau and Sauvignon Blanc - crisp and dry, but with surprising body and nice apple and honey notes.

• 2006 Moric Blaufränkisch (Burgenland) - elegant, opening with some time to some clay and tomatoe-y savouriness. Felt a little shut-down.
• 2003 Movia Pinot Nero (Goriška Brda) - perhaps the revelation of the weekend - until this wine, I've been pretty unmoved by the standard red varietal wines made in this area. The nose was full of steamed root vegetables and compost, with fine fresh fruit and earth on the palate. Delicious Pinot, not at all blowsy, overdone, or high octane.

On to dinner, at one of the very few Phoenix-area BYOB's, Atlas Bistro. I'll say it now - worth going to Atlas Bistro, dodgy mathematics on corkage aside ($10 per bottle, we somehow got charged for more bottles than we brought, but weren't very sharp at the time we came to the reckoning.) My meal consisted of La Belle Duck Confit with Gingered Garnet Yam Latke, Persimmon Mostarda and Baby Frisee, Niman Pork "Two-Ways" Tenderloin & Pork Belly with Sweet Potatoes, Kraut, Horseradish Jus, and Wilcox Apples & Golden Raisins on Almond Pound Cake and Maple Cinnamon Panna Cotta. I also snuck a bite of the Foie Gras on Pumpkin Bread dessert, which was ridiculously good. I choose poorly. But drank well:

To start, N.V. Egly-Ouriet Champagne Brut 'Les Vignes de Vrigny' (Vrigny / Petite Montaigne de Reims) - 100% Pinot Meunier aged 40 months on the lees - good concentration, dry, a little soft, but no toastiness/yeastiness - a tasty but unusual Champagne.

Then, a super white flight:

• 1990 Blackwood Canyon Chardonnay (Yakima Valley, Washington) - shapeshifting nose, walnut, butterscotch popcorn, very bright and tangy.
• 1988 Kalin Cellars Chardonnay Cuvée LV (Sonoma) - more marine and mellow than the Blackwood, some nuts and creamy/sherried notes.
• 1990 Chateau Musar Blanc (Bekaa Valley) - the odd-man out, much smoother, tannic and savoury than the other two, apples, smoky and saline.

Continuing, a little something pink:

• 1995 R. López de Heredia Viña Tondonia Rosado (Rioja) - savoury, brothy, petrichor, every bit as delicious as a year ago.
• 1995 Chateau Musar Rosé (Bekaa Valley) - as I understand it, this has never been imported into the U.S., so I'm sitting on a wee pot of Musarian gold, and was delighted to open the first bottle with these folks. The nose was like a distilled, subtle version of the classic rouge, but clean and light. Super, and an intriguing contrast to the Heredia.

Then, the reds:

• 1981 R. López de Heredia Viña Bosconia Gran Reserva (Rioja) - lots of funk and depth, but very approachable and delicious. A feminine wine with a wild streak.
  
• 1981 R. López de Heredia Viña Tondonia Gran Reserva (Rioja) - by comparison, very tight and tannic, but started to open as the evening continued, showing real elegance.
  
• 1977 Chateau Musar Rouge (Bekaa Valley) - deliciously animale to start, like a lathered thoroughbred, sweet fruit and spicy tasting, seems impossibly young. Wish we'd had more time with this, with all three really, but we drank them off.

And last, but not least:

• 1998 Alois Kracher Scheurebe TBA #12 Zwischen den Seen (Burgenland) - this is ambrosia - super balance, bright acidity on the attack, and then apricot jam on a raft of buttercream.

We outlasted every diner, and all the kitchen staff. A superb evening, and no doubt, Atlas will be the site of future Desert Protocols.

On to Sunday