Post Hotel Dining Archives - Small Barrels Magazine

Review of 2013 Cliff Lede Cabernet Sauvignon Stardust Heaven- at the Post Hotel, Lake Louise, Alberta

January 16, 2019 By karin Leave a Comment

We wanted a wine with a massive personality, and maximum impact. Can’t go wrong then choosing a California Cabernet Sauvignon with a name inspired by “Ziggy Stardust” and “Stairway to Heaven”.

Selected from the Post Hotel’s renowned wine cellar, this bottle of 2013 Stardust Heaven was a great way to toast the last evening of our Rocky Mountain holiday, and a great (if sometimes quirky) companion for the Tasting Menu in which we decided to indulge. If you’re not going to do a wine pairing experience, there will always be moments when food and wine clash just a little – so you might as well do as we did and make it a standout wine in its own right.

The 2013 Cliff Lede Stardust Heaven is just that – a standout characterized by an inky purple colour (for rock royalty?), bold blackberry and dark berry flavors, as well as earthy licorice notes. And you’ve just got to love the spirit and the story behind it, and all the Cliff Lede “Rock Blocks” wines – the various vineyard blocks are named after class rock tunes by The Who, Pink Floyd, and in the case of our bottle here, Bowie and Zeppelin.

We enjoyed every morsel of the tasting menu, described below, but we don’t apologize for letting Stardust Heaven strut its stuff across the stage and literally steal the show…

Here’s a run down of the fabulous menu (even if it did play back up at times as we sipped our wine…):

Last day of vacation, so we went out with a bang, knowing we were in for the Post’s generous portions and intriguing flavors. We’ve sampled several tasting menus crafted by Chef Hans Sauter in the past – this was one of our favourites.

Duck Breast with Maple Whiskey Ice Cream

Delicate slices of smoked duck breast served with a whiskey ice cream began the feast. It looked gorgeous and the duck was perfect. The ice cream was not perhaps my favourite, but I could appreciate the composition of flavors with the whiskey being a nice match for the smoked meat.

The prawns on the other hand look fairly simple, but the dish was a standout – really, really delicious. Tender and meaty, the prawns’ terrific flavor was beautifully enhanced by the thyme vinaigrette. And the tender, toasty quesadilla with creamy avocado made the dish complete. Easily our favourite course!

The main course was the pork tenderloin and tagliatelle with a rich and creamy porcini mushroom sauce. This is a plate to satisfy a cold-weather craving. I consider this dish “vintage Post Hotel” with its hearty sauce and tender, buttery homemade noodles. While this particular pork tenderloin and tagliatelle dish doesn’t generally appear on the menu, if you’re looking for something similar choose either the veal tenderloin with creamy morel sauce on homemade Spinach fettuccini, or the beef tenderloin “stroganoff” with homemade egg tagliatelle (both dishes have been regular features at the Post for years – with good cause).

Another view of a scrumptious take on a cheese course! — Goat Cheese Mousseline with Plum Compote

This dish – the Goat Cheese Mousseline with Plum Compote – was an unexpected treat. A tangy, creamy, savory dollop of cheese mixed and melded gorgeously with a deeply-flavored plum compote. If I hadn’t been so full, and if there wasn’t an actual dessert course to come, I would have had two. Delish!

Yes, there was dessert – a rich, moist carrot cake thickly laden with cream cheese icing (the reason to eat carrot cake?) – and this is the second time in recent posts that I’ve neglected to grab a photo. My reason is a pretty good one, I think. It was basically the last evening the Post Hotel’s dining room would be open before the five-week closure between Canadian Thanksgiving and ski season. We noticed another couple- fellow port aficionados- nearby. It seemed natural to pull our chairs together, and toast a beautiful meal in a beautiful place together. So, no photo, but great conversation.

A massive wine, a tasty, multi-course feast and lovely new friends – great end to a great vacation!

For more information on dining at the Post Hotel or to view a dinner menu, please visit www.posthotel.com

Review of 2014 Sea Smoke Chardonnay at Fondue Stubli – Lake Louise, Alberta

January 15, 2019 By karin Leave a Comment

We enjoyed the 2014 Sea Smoke Chardonnay, an elegant California wine, on a recent stay at the Post Hotel in Lake Louise, Alberta. While most of our evenings were spent in the comfortable, elegant main restaurant, on this particular night we booked dinner for two at the Fondue Stubli, a cozy nook just off the main dining room, formerly the hotel’s cigar lounge.

We were craving a Chardonnay to pair with our traditional swiss cheese fondue. The 2014 Sea Smoke was very appealing, buttery enough to suit our tastes, but bright and fruity enough to offset the richness of the cheese and heartiness of the charcuterie board – it had almost a light, cleansing effect paired with such rich foods. Something lovely , wispy and evocative about the vineyard’s name, too. Very happy with this choice, especially after all the bold reds we’d been enjoying with our our other meals!

Here are some tantalizing pictures of the rest of our Fondue Stubli experience (the charming restaurant has a small, traditional menu – but all perfectly on point for a traditional fondue experience.).

The Post Hotel Charcuterie Board, heaps of sausages, air dried meats sliced ribbon-thin, fresh house-made pates, and pickled vegetables is generous and delicious, to say the least:

Here is shot of the beautiful, silky traditional Swiss cheese fondue. There had to be far over a pound of cheese bubbling in this pot. We found it impossible to finish, but managed to scoop out just enough to those lovely browned bits that begin to crackle on the bottom…

A taste of port to end the evening, the outstanding Dow’s 1994 Vintage Port.

If you’re at the Post Hotel, do seek out the Fondue Stubli and a bottle of Sea Smoke Chardonnay, apres-ski, or whatever your plans. Be sure to book ahead as there are only a handful or tables (perhaps 5 or 6).

For more information about Fondue Stubli at the Post Hotel, visit www.posthotel.com

A Stellar Sine Qua Non and a Fine Meal at the Post Hotel – Lake Louise, Alberta

November 15, 2018 By karin Leave a Comment

The Post Hotel Dining Room offers a tempting and ever-changing Tasting Menu daily. We knew that during our four day stay we’d go there at least once or twice. But on some evenings, it’s nice to let the wine steal the show. So, for the first dinner of our four day stay, that’s what we did selecting a rare bottle indeed – the 2012 Sine Qua Non Rattrapante.

Before the big wine event, we kicked things off with a cocktail and the chef’s terrine for the evening, featuring venison mousse, tarragon and pork.

Let's begin in style... — Let’s begin in style…

Presentation is always beautifully done at the Post, and without fail, portions are generous (even when it comes to their tasting menus.) This terrine was delicious, surprising, and filling. We shared it – difficult to imagine this as an appetizer for one…

Terrine - Venison mousse, tarragon pork — Terrine – Venison mousse, tarragon pork

We moved on to soups for a second course, Lobster Bisque for him, and for me the featured soup – a cheerful, smooth and pleasantly spicy blend of Carrot and Ginger.

In terms of quantity, it wasn’t necessary to have a soup course, but enjoyable (and we did split the terrine, after all). We also quite literally did not have anywhere to rush off to tucked away in this tiny mountain village…might as well enjoy a great meal!

Now back to the wine. Boasting a collection of over 25,000 bottles and 2300 selections, the Post’s wine cellar is reason enough to make the trip. In recent years, it seems that the inventory has been diminishing somewhat. But nevertheless, there always something special to be found. The phone book sized wine list is still fun to sift through, and the sommelier can provide further guidance. On this evening, we narrowed our choice to an intriguing California Grenache, the 2012 Sine Qua Non Rattrapante.

Sine Qua Non wines are hard to find and always interesting and memorable. This particular wine was big and beautiful with a lovely color (decanting was necessary, no surprise there). The quirky label adds to the impression that this is a rather eccentric one-of-a-kind wine, one you’ll not soon see again.

The wine paired very well with our main courses (although we would have sipped it anyway). For him – Roasted Alberta “Valley Ridge Farms” Free Range Chicken Breast and risotto with chanterelles. We were surprised at the ‘bite’ on the risotto – a bit underdone this evening when it’s usually outstanding. We’ve dined here often enough to declare this to be an outlier (I wouldn’t hesitate to order it again).

Chicken Breast, Risotto with Chanterelles — Chicken Breast with with Chanterelles

For me, I wanted something that I knew would let the wine shine, no contest. I played it very safe and went with the Beef Tenderloin with Port Wine Sauce and Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes. It was everything I’d hoped, more than I needed, and yes – went great with the wine.

To satisfy a sweet tooth, we ordered the famous Coupe Danemark, a glorified and glorious hot fudge sundae with a fresh-baked chocolate chip cookie.

Finally, to cap off a great meal we ordered a bottle of 1994 Dow’s Vintage Port. It was spectacular, and after enjoying a glass we had our wonderful server put it aside in the cellar so that we could revisit it after our following meals.

For more information on dining at the Post Hotel or to view a dinner menu, please visit www.posthotel.com