TN: Good food and wine

[Florida Jim]

Warm artichoke and parmesan dip with crackers:

2002 Luneau-Papin, Muscadet Clos des Allées:

As always, a fragrant, flavorful, compelling wine that is complex, balanced and very long. It is difficult to believe one can get this much wine for so little money. 12% alcohol, imported by Louis/Dressner and about $7, on sale; bought by the case.

Chosen because artichokes usual do well with zippy wines with cut. Although a good match, not a great one. The flavors of the wine and the food did not compete and their relative strength was balanced but there was no enhancement factor.

Pasta with a pureed sauce of fresh grape tomatoes, basil, garlic, olive oil and almonds:

2003 Giacosa, Nebbiolo d’Alba Valmggiore:

When I first tasted this at release I thought it showed evidence of the vintage: cooked flavors, alcoholic, flamboyant and disjointed – so I lumped it into my general theory that one should not buy European wines from this vintage. Of course, I disregarded the fact that Bruno Giacosa made the wine and that, in all likelihood, he’d seen hot weather vintages before. So much for my generalizations.

This wine is glorious now; big but balanced; strongly fruit driven but also dusty and quite dry. Complex, concentrated, not over the top, not showing alcohol, integrating very nicely and clearly of its place. The maestro knows how to make good wine in any year; shame on me. 14% alcohol, imported by Locascio and about $45, full retail at release – that’s steep for the DOC but the producer makes it worth it.

Chosen for common heritage, this was the perfect match. The almonds and the dryness of the wine kept the palate clean while the flavors of the wine and the dish intermingled in ways that made the whole greater than the sum of its parts. A pairing to remember.

Sautéed grouper topped with sautéed yellow squash, black olives, onions, basil and tomatoes, with a salad and grilled Naan:

1999 Nigl, Riesling Hochacker:

Beautiful, full throated Austrian riesling with balance, fragrance, depth and sustain. A wine of character and presence. 13% alcohol, imported by Skurnik and about $18, on sale; I’d buy a lot at that price.

Chosen more with the vegetable mélange in mind than the fish, this worked well with both. The wine gives a refreshing impression and balances the dish as well as one could ask. Very nice, indeed.

Aged cheddar cheese:

1994 Laurel Glen, Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma Mountain:

Both Diane and I are in awe; this is not California cabernet of the usual variety and blows away the cults, nor is it Bordeaux by any stretch; this is a unique masterpiece of paradox – elegant but rustic, polished yet grippy, fruit driven but restrained, powerful but weightless – a magnificent, very complex wine that is only entering its “drink now” phase and one deserving of the descriptor great. 12.5% alcohol (yeah, that’s right), cork fell apart on opening and about $40 on release; find me a domestic cabernet that performs like this for that price – I just don’t think you can. Oh my!

Chosen on a whim. May the spirits always move me with such insight. Simply fabulous with the cheese.

Best, Jim