Le terre parle

[Florida Jim]

Aperitif:

2005 Gaetano D’Aquino, Frascati Superiore:

Bright, floral and citrusy with a musky tone on both the nose and palate, lightweight, mouth-watering and easy to drink. 12% alcohol, imported by D’Aquino Italian Importing and about $5; I’d buy it again.

A nice aperitif that freshens the palate and does not linger.

Sautéed rice pasta with edamame beans, salmon, feta and onions:

2006 Edmunds St. John, Gamay Rosé Bone-Jolly:

Clean strawberry, raspberry and spice tones with a mineral underpinning; focused but still fleshy in the mouth with flavors that follow the nose, good balance and acidity, bone-dry and nice sustain. 13.2% alcohol and about $17; I bought a lot.

On Steve’s suggestion, I chose this with the meal. It was a very good match with flavors that did not overwhelm but did compliment those in the dish and a freshness that cleansed the palate after each sip. Again, a very versatile wine and, IMO, a must for any cellar.

Fresh basil spring rolls and pad Thai:

2005 Dom. du Clos Naudin (Foreau), Vouvray Sec:

The purest chenin; crystalline in delivery, focused, transparent, structured, balanced; lemon, honey, wax, herb tea and mineral on the nose; the same on the palate, savory, lyrical, prismatic flavors - moving and changing; immensely complex yet never anything but totally integrated; succulent and endless. A tribute to nature’s intricate perfection and to a winemaker who understood what he had been given and ‘didn’t screw it up.’ 13.2% alcohol, imported by Rosenthal and about $29 on release; I regret not buying more.

Chosen in hopes that I too, would not screw up the pairing. I had tasted this wine in January and thought it too angular and young. I vowed to let it age and yet, when I saw this in the wine cooler tonight, I could not help myself. Thankfully, it was wonderful with the food; amazingly agile and racy with the spring rolls, more structured and potent with the pad Thai.

(Aside: Over the span of several decades, I have tried to build a diverse cellar based on producers that, IMO, pay attention to detail, are intuitive rather than formulaic and, most importantly, let the earth speak. Giacosa, Chevillon, Hirtzberger, Overnoy, Allemand, Edmunds St. John, John Thomas, Vincent Dauvissat; so many others that are, in their own way, unique. Not a cellar that would garner the big bids at auction, but one that pleases me (as Damon Runyon might say) ‘no little and quite some.’ The Foreau brothers are of this ilk and this wine is about as good as anyone ever needs to bottle. No wonder I couldn’t resist – they should put locks on the closure.)

Best, Jim