Paying homage to the vintage year of 1954, the year that Fontainebleau Miami Beach originally opened, Cellar 1954, Wine & Dinner Series is an exclusive, monthly series pairing the world’s most prestigious wines and winemakers with the award-winning cuisine of Fontainebleau Miami Beach.

This month's Cellar 1954 dinner was hosted at Gotham Steak and featured wines from Quintessa winery. Quintessa’s 280-acre Rutherford, Napa Valley estate includes a valley, lake, river, five hills, four microclimates, and numerous soil types. The vineyard’s many microclimates, soil types, elevations, and exposures have been planted to a wide selection of rootstocks and clones, with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and small plots of Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Carmenère.

Master Sommelier, Larry Stone started the evening by taking guests thought a Terroir tasting. Terroir can be very loosely translated as "a sense of place," which is embodied in certain characteristic qualities imparted from the land from which the grapes are grown. The Quintessa Vineyard's blocks, chosen for this tasting were the Corona Norte, Dragon’s Terraces, Riviera Norte and the Tesoro block. The soils here range from white volcanic ash to Reddish volcanic, sandy loam.

2011 Cabernet Sauvignon from the Dragon’s Terraces was softer and more refined than the Cabernet Franc from the Riviera Norte block which was bolder with noticeably more bite and tannins.

The first course was Chilled Maine Lobster with beet purée, mango, avocado, shaved baby fennel, citrus vinaigrette paired with a 2011 Illumination Sauvignon Blanc. The Fontainebleau hotel has their own fleet of fishing boats and the lobster was delivered fresh that very morning.

The Illumination Sauvignon Blanc is 57% Sauvignon Blanc, 25% Sauvignon Blanc Musque, 18% Semillon. Bright citrus aromas mingle alongside an unrestrained floral bouquet with notes of fresh herbs and stone fruit. Key lime zest, peach and hints of grapefruit notes lead to a full, round mid-palate with richness and a long, mouth-filling finish.

Our second course was a Muscovy Duck Breast with celery root purée, and a cabernet reduction. The duck was exceptional, perfectly seasoned, remarkably lean with almost no trace of fat.

This was paired with the 2006 Quintessa Napa Valley Red Wine. The 2006 showed good fruit flavors was well balanced, nice earth and spice notes, peppery and smokey with a long finish.

The Gotham Steak Flight, was our next course. A trio of Australian wagyu, Japanese A5 wagyu, and American Locker 28 dry-aged Prime with potato purée, cream spinach custard and baby carrots. 

This was paired with a vertical wine flight comprised of Quintessa Napa Valley Red Wine, 2005, Quintessa Napa Valley Red Wine, 2007 and Quintessa Napa Valley Red Wine, 2009.

The 2009 is a exceptional wine with fresh floral, violet aroma mingles with plum and currant in the nose. Warm clove spice, sassafras and a touch of vanilla complement nuances of toast to deliver a complex mix of flavors and texture in the mouth. The wine finishes long and satisfying with dark berry fruits, cassis and chocolate.

Finally we ended the evening with the Composed Gotham Cheese plate and Petit fours.

Master Sommelier Larry Stone became the first American to win the prestigious Grand Prix de Sopexa for the title of the Best International Sommelier in French Wines in Paris over 20 years ago.