I am in Los Angeles working on a commercial shoot this week and had the chance to go to XIV by Michael Mina this evening. The bar offerings are top shelf, and the meal and restaurant staff were fantastic. Sommelier Christopher Lavin answered all of my questions and provided thoughtful recommendations.
We had one white and two reds. I'll start with the white wine tonight, which was a hit with the table, and cover the reds during the coming days. The wine list at XIV is breathtaking, including several cult Screaming Eagle vintages that top $5,000 a bottle. But you can drink reasonably priced bottles that have been selected with care.
Hirsch 2007 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay was a nice ripe fruit varietal to start our meal. The winery experimented with various forms of aging for the juice, including glass, oak, and stainless steel fermentation, plus aging on oak some of the wine fermented in stainless. The wine we enjoyed had a crisp apple start and a pretty clean finish. There was a slight hint of butter in the base of the wine. This is a very accessable wine that matches well with grilled fish and other seafood.
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