Château Kirwan. Tallinn, 10 Vene Street

Those who like to observe weather conditions will remember the year 2010 in Tallinn by its cold and snowy winter. The year 2003 in Bordeaux will be remembered by its hot summer and as a special vintage by those who are interested in wines. February 9, 2010 in Tallinn was a special date because on that day it was as if the famous winery Kirwan was located in Tallinn, on Vene Street.

It is very rare for someone to have the courage to organize a dinner party open for all in Estonia with so expensive wines (the price of a bottle is from 900-1900 kroons in restaurants). Offering four different vintages of the same wine with food is something rather to be done at wine trainings. But such an event took place at the wine restaurant Dominic. And it was sold out!

This picture was taken on the day after the dinner party. Yann Schyler, the owner of Kirwan, Imre Uussaar, the sommelier of the wine restaurant Dominic and the chef Allar Oeselg are clearly pleased with what took place the previous night. Although it did not come easily because Allar’s son was born on the same night whereas Yann’s plane was caught in a snow storm and he only arrived in Tallinn late at night.

According to Yann Schidler, working with wine makes people very close, often even friends. And with the power of friendship any hardship can be conquered. The participants of the dinner party did not have any complaints. There was, however, a generous amount of praise.

In a time, difficult for both wine-makers and restaurants, he looks to the future very optimistically. In Bordeaux there is the best soil and climatic conditions in the world for producing wine. The new world has done miracles with their wine-making technology to make better wine out of quite mediocre grapes. Once these technologies are employed with the best grapes we will get to see new interesting developments.

An invitation to an “only” three course dinner with top wines sounds like an invitation to a fast food dinner. But experts know what they are doing. It does not say in the menu that the dish in question is an appetizer and the duck breast quite obviously is not one.

The wines of Château Kirwan do not tolerate an introduction. A piece of the duck breast and the vintage of 2004 are a marvellous match. The power of the vintage of 1999, however, wipes the taste of the duck from your mouth as if it never was there.

But the onion and parmesan pie comes to the duck’s aid and the black currant broth conclusively conciliates the parties, eager to pick a fight. The ring of parmesan around the fresh salad courageously defends the tender salad from the injury from other tastes.

It is as if the duck has warned the lamb of what it will have to overcome. The lamb rack is very fatty and most intensive. The vintages of 2000 and 2003 are “musclemen in dark suits and tailcoats”. They do not start a tavern fight in your mouth. The first one takes care of the fillet and the other of the rack. With the conniving of the goat cheese and pumpkin puree the stubborn lamb is tamed with James Bondesque elegance.

The same wine, four different vintages = four very different wines.

When such striking grooms as the wines of Château Kirwan come to a small town to woo, the town dwellers will have no eyes for the beauty of the brides (that is the dishes). They do not even try to earn extra attention with food stylistics at the dinner party. A little more attention is paid to the appearance of the food at the photo shoot on the following day.

The wedding is over. But it was one hell of a wedding. It will be remembered for a long time!

Although the wedding of tastes in the mouth has obviously ended, it is not possible for the dinner party that began without an introduction to end without an ending, i.e. a dessert.

The taste buds have enough strength to sense; many consider the harmonisation of the peach crème brûlée and the blue cheese ice cream with Suternes the best of the night. But everything is in its place. The couple of the dessert and wine does not seek too much attention but does end the meal completely decorously.