SLATE Wine Bar Review

Located in Glover Park, the smartly decorated SLATE opened its doors a little more than 18 months ago in an area that was in great need of a good wine centric restaurant and bar. Sadly, the area is still in need of a good wine centric restaurant and bar. Offering an eclectic although seemingly haphazardly assembled selection of rotating seasonal fare complimented by a small but unique wine list, SLATE falls short of keeping up with the Jones’s in the DC wine bar scene.

While looking over the menu I ordered the 2011 Lagoalva Espirito, one of only 11 still wines offered by the glass, which is white Portuguese blend of Alvarihno, Verdelho and Sauvignon Blanc. It had a lovely floral nose with a bit of citrus, no doubt from the Sav Blanc in the blend. It was nice and dry, with excellent acidity, balance and a slightly longer than normal finish for an aromatic white. I got the citrus and floral notes on the palate as well as a little tart apple on the finish. A very nice wine and a nice start to any meal, although it was served a shade too warm for my taste.

Ahi Poke

The clean acidity of the Espirito I thought would complement nicely the Ahi Tuna Poke and Blistered Shishito Peppers. Both arrived quickly, and although the Tuna was presented in more of a Tuna Tartar fashion, I was eager to try them both with the wine. The tuna was delicious, and sesame and soy flavors were prevalent with some nice light spice that gave it a little kick, making it a very good starter. The peppers were a shade on the soggy side, but came in a sizeable portion. They were blistered nicely and the sear of the skins complimented the mild flavors and light spice of the dish. The Espirito’s acid and crispness worked well with both, and I would highly recommend its pairing with the tuna.

Shishito Peppers Peppers

For entrees, I went with Pan Seared Duck Breast and Mussels with Frites. Since those two were far enough apart on the spectrum, I decided for a red that I would go with the 2009 Genium Cellars Fresc, a big, jammy Spanish red from the Priorat region that’s a blend of Grenache and Carigena (Carignan). It was awesome and by far the highlight of the evening. Priorat was long a wasteland of Spanish wine making, but in the last decade + it has produced some of the finest wines in the country’s long and storied wine making history; many consider Priorat to be of “first growth” quality. It was chocked full of wet tobacco and jammy stewed fruit scents and complimenting them on the palate were big and bold black cherry and black berry flavors. It was a powerhouse wine for sure, and had a big, full mouth feel with nicely balanced acidity that helped cut through the seemingly high alcohol content. It’s rare you see a Priorat by the glass, and this one stars for SLATE, and should not be missed. For a dinner white, I gave the 2011 Cordillera Chardonnay Barrel Fermented from Curico, Chile a shot. It was nice a smooth, with some apple and dried apricot notes and did not overpower with oak; but did have the familiar creamy and slightly buttery notes most expect in a good Chard.

Pan Seared Duck

The seared duck breast was cooked quite well and I could almost cut it with my fork. The dried cherry sauce was excellent atop the duck, and in addition to finishing the dish in style, complimented the crispy skin. A very nice dish and the sweetness of the cherry sauce went well with the jammy tartness of the Priorat. I was less thrilled with the mussels and frites. There was very little of the mustard white wine sauce which left me wondering what to do with the frites. The mussels themselves were a bit on the briny side, but were good; although not great.

Conclusion:

SLATE just seems to miss on several fronts. For a wine bar in a town with quite a few wine bars, the wine list falls short of the lists of its brethren. The expense of the limited selection of wines by the glass pales in comparison to many of its competitors and certainly won’t appeal to the cost conscious with house wines coming in at $9 per glass. And although the full wine list has some nice and rare finds (Gewurzt from NY, Aussie Semillon and reds from Margaux and Priorat) its relative brevity leaves you wanting more. The menu wanders a bit but is reasonably priced with enough variety to make most diners happy. SLATE seems to lack an overall depth, and feels like a work in progress. The location, décor and menu give it promise but as a wine centric restaurant, SLATE still needs some refining before it is a finished concept that can stand alongside most of the other wine bars in DC.