Stepping onto the grounds at the Cairdean Estate is, at first glance,
unremarkable. To the right of the parking lot, heavy machinery stands in front
of a wide building. To the left, a series of low-slung buildings sit quietly,
as if waiting for something to happen. There is little noise, other than the
occasional whoosh of passing cars. Walk into the Estate’s main area, however,
and you immediately remember why that first impressions are often unreliable.
There are numerous buildings in the main compound, each
adding their own distinct voice to the Cairdean composite. The tasting room
is likely to be your first stop. Stand at the bar to enjoy a flight of tastes
across the spectrum of Cairdean’s wines, then relax on one of the cozy couches
and chairs while you contemplate what lies across the courtyard. Twinned to the
tasting room by a covered walkway is the clubbier winemaker’s den. Furnished
with a fireplace and deep leather club chairs, this room is available by
reservation only. Across the green courtyard, past the Curaçao blue shimmer of
a cascading waterfall, another building, still under construction, will become
a banquet space. (Once the banquet space is open, bridal parties will surely
pose in front of the waterfall.)
Up a short ramp stands and nearly hidden behind trellises
and wide, vine-covered awnings shielding a broad deck stands Butterscots, a culinary
market, deli and bakery. The entire menu is designed for picnicking; everything
is easy to pack into your own bag or one of the cute picnic baskets from the
market. Savor a cheddar and scallion scone, sandwiches such as the pork
“knuckle sandwich” with caramelized onions and cheddar or a salad (available in
small, medium or large) like the butternut squash, pickled shrimp, pistachio
and lime. Scotch eggs are a specialty of the house and are not to be missed.
Inside layers of chile-infused sausage and a crisp panko crust hides a silken
egg, its yolk not hard like every other Scotch egg I have ever experienced, but
soft and runny, giving each bite layers of texture and just a hint of heat.
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Scotch egg |
The creations at Butterscots are the work
of Joseph Humphrey, Cairdean Estate’s Executive Chef. Humphrey launched his
cooking career at New Orlean’s Palace Café and honed his California Cuisine
chops by opening the Restaurant at Meadowood and at Auberge du Soleil where he
was Executive Chef. Acclaimed for his southern accented California Cuisine,
Humphrey continues to pay tribute to his southern heritage and upbringing on
the menu at Butterscots and The Farmer & the
Fox, the gastropub across the breezeway that rounds out the food offerings
at Cairdean.
Situated in a similarly low-slung, putty colored building as
the rest of the compound, The Farmer & the
Fox is open only for dinner. Dark wood tables, made cozy with the soft
light from shaded lamps, are framed by tufted maroon banquettes. The evening I
visited, the music was classical, the vibe calming if not quite romantic. On
the menu,
Humphrey adds clear Californian and Southern touches to dishes familiar to the
British and Scottish gastropub cannon. A complimentary kale salad amuse bouche,
the components artistically arranged to modern effect, was as whimsical as it
was local. Last of the season tomatoes were settled in a subtle tomato water
and adorned with seaweed toast.
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Kale amuse bouche |
Whiskey cured salmon with Scottish beer bread,
pickled onions and herbs was lush and surprisingly fresh, large feathers of
dill riffing off the whiskey’s smoky sweetness. Lamb tartare with mint and
curry brioche was equally impossible to stop eating. The meat’s distinct
mineral tang, softened by the buttery bread, found depth of flavor from the
curry and a brightness from the mint. Every dish, from the rabbit Wellington to
the butter poached shrimp with oatmeal cracker and sour orange chutney, was a
revelry in the flavors of the British diaspora and a showcase for Humphrey’s
abundant talents.
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Whiskey cured salmon |
The short wine list is less about showcasing Napa varietals
and more about revealing beautiful wines from sometimes less familiar grapes, sotto voce. It all began with a zippy
Lucien Albrecht cremant, an ideal partner for the tomatoes and Brussels sprouts
before transitioning to an Abbazia di Novacella “Kerner” with the salmon and
the lamb tartare. Guided by our
competent server, we enjoyed the Saint Cyr, a lively Gamay, with the duck wings
and wrapped up with a Cabernet France from Cairdean’s Acquaintance Vineyard.
Truly there were no off notes to my Cairdean experience, not
a one. The meal was a highlight of the season, the individual components of the
restaurant working together in sonic harmony.
Labels: butterscots, cairdean estate, cairdean winery, chef joseph humphrey, napa valley restaurants, napa valley wine tasting, the farmer & the fox, what do do in napa valley