Flodigarry Country House/Three Chimneys, Skye

This is the first post on this Blog so by way of brief introduction:

Welcome to WineChap's musings on wine and gastronomy, providing a repository of tips and suggestions on all things vinous as well as a platform for reviews and forum for discussion.
Well - that's the plan anyway...

On a recent getaway to Skye with an old school friend, WineChap ate and drank at two of the island's most highly-regarded establishments: Flodigarry Country House Hotel and The Three Chimneys.

First up - a simple supper in Flodigarry's bistro (the next door dining room was suspiciously denuded of punters):
We both took the seafood chowder to start; more of a creamy broth than the potato-thickened almost-stew I'd been imagining, and a touch under-seasoned but generously portioned with a plentiful variety of shell and other fish, all plucked out of the water nearby one supposes.
Wine: A perfectly acceptable Sonoma County Chardonnay (Simi, 2003) with typically rich, tropical fruits, toasty almond essence and oak tones; the respectable acidity and couple of year's bottle ageing almost enough to convince me I can like Californian Chardonnay.
Next came the obligatory tourist in Scotland dining experience: I can't understand why so many people (even self-proclaimed foodies) wrinkle their noses in disgust at haggis. Its so un-offally, so unmeaty, so nutty, spicy and herby, more like a vegetarian sausage that just happens to have meat in it. Here it was very good, moist but textured and richly flavoursome.
Wine: The classic partner to haggis as everyone knows is Uruguayan Tannat and we enjoyed the inexpensive (£15) Cata Mayor '06 from Castillo Viejo. Dark-fruited, with a hint of licquorice and broad, herbaceous tannins in support, this was more than drinkable. NB - Tannat is becoming for Uruguay what Malbec is already to Argentina; both grapes are prominent in South-West France (Madiran and Cahors respectively), but tend to produce wines which are more fruit-driven and less tannic in South America where they enjoy signature varietal status.
Finished the meal with a large Oban - an unctuous, oily malt, sweet and peaty with a dense mouthfeel and richness, described on the hotel's Whisky list as 'smooth but slightly vicious' - appropriate given my tendency to be obsequiously condescending in provincial restaurants.

The Three Chimneys
One of Scotland's top destinations for high-flying gastronomes (literally - a patch of grass out front is known as 'the heli-pad' for the list of celebs who are choppered in to the remote location on a regular basis)
Aperitivo: Champagne Tarlant, Zéro. Equal 1/3rds Chardonnay and the Pinots and no dosage gave a richly dry, very minerally wine, austere and with a green apple tartness that slightly dominated the finish.
After an appetizer of a crab tortellino on spiced apple (flavours pleasantly reminiscent of a steamed gyoza) and a selection of home-baked rolls, Alex called dibs for the Colbost crab with potato and caper salad and dark crabmeat creme fraiche so I opted for the smoked salmon with pickled cucumber, beetroot relish and quails eggs. Such traditional dishes require excellent execution to impress and both did; the salmon a reassuringly translucent inner-onion-skin colour and the eggs soft-boiled, the crab combo a perfectly nuanced blend of complimentary flavours.
Wine: Vernaccia 'Vigna a Solatio' 2006, Ricciardo Falchini. Candied limes on the nose with hints of marzipan, ginger and mint. Palate is sweeter, with some lychee fruit and a slight nuttiness suggestive of sugared almonds. A year or so more would see the flavours flesh out a little and take on more richness.
Mains courses followed: Saddle of wild rabbit, with hare and wood pigeon, served with lentils, tattie scone and spring greens, and a blaeberry and bitter chocolate sauce was slightly underwhelming - the pan-fried rabbit, the least exciting of the trio of game, was a touch dry, but the juicy, richly-metallic flavour of the pigeon impressed. Alex's lamb loin, kidney, heart, sweetbreads and braised flank with hairst bree (harvest broth) was a consummately-crafted flesh-fest and I must confess to a degree of food envy.
Wine: Aglianico 'Donnaluna' 2004, Viticoltori de Conciliis. (From Campania and a very good vintage in Italy) the Donnaluna had complex loamy, mossy aromas, some varnish and currants, 'like a damp mahogany dresser' - suggested Alex, with rather mature fruit on the palate and tannins which were a touch raw.
I wanted an excuse to drink the '96 Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Auslese, from Selbach-Oster which at £6.50 a glass was a bargain so we shared the cheese plate served with fresh fruit slices (so much better than the jammy confections that often accompany cheese and overpower the more delicate sweetness of the wine) and followed it with the Chimneys' justly famous hot marmalade pudding and Drambuie custard. The old Auslese, delicate and fragranced more like waxed jacket than petrol, worked well with the fairly mild local cheeses, but was of course obliterated by the pudding, arguing effectively for choosing a sweet wine or dessert but not both together.
Overall the meal was very good, the service efficient and friendly but not obtrusive (it was nice to eat in a top establishment which recognises that leaving you to replenish your own wine after initial pouring will not be mistaken for neglect), the location picturesque and the decor tasteful rather than twee. My only dig was that despite being fully-booked the atmosphere was rather muted, as though our fellow diners were awed into solemnity by the gravitas of eating in such a hallowed restaurant. I usually prefer to have to make at least a small effort to be overheard - however if the very merry Glaswegian couple braving the midges outside for their post-dinner cigarettes had been next to us, I'm sure this would have been a moot point.

Flodigarry Country House Hotel
Flodigarry
01470 552203
www.flodigarry.co.uk

The Three Chimneys
Colbost
Dunvegan
01470 511258
www.threechimneys.co.uk

Coming up in future posts: notes from a Lagrange vertical, Cocktail-making in Amsterdam, Selfridges' WonderBar, Brunello Dinner at Sartoria, Truffle Hunting and Barolo in Piemonte...