TN: Recent meals

[Florida Jim]

Pasta with spinach and chicken in a light cream sauce:

2001 Hirtzberger, Riesling Singerriedel:

A honeyed, rich bouquet with white stone fruit and warm stone accents; deep, pure and rich in the mouth with good cut, intensity and sustain. A serious but delicious bottle. 13.5% alcohol, imported by Vin Davino and about $47 wholesale on release; I’d buy it again.

Chosen to cut the cream sauce and soften the bite of the greens. It worked to do both but the flavors are not as good a match as I’d like. It’s good with the meal but not memorable.

Pasta with chicken and pesto:

2002 Overnoy/Houillon, Arbois Pupillin Poulsard:

Pomegranate, earth, old clothes kind of nose – odd but interesting; initially a bit thin but it fleshes out over an evening and becomes a bright, lyrical wine with great complexity and sustain. Idiosyncratic and certainly not for everyone but, for me, this is knockin’ on heaven’s door. 12.5% alcohol, imported by Louis/Dressner and about $21; I bought plenty.

2004 Tenuta della Terre Nerre, Etna Rosso Calderara Sottana:

Lifted red fruit aromas with melon and earth tones; medium weight and intensely flavored although it seems lighter in the mouth, layered, elegant and of medium length. Another unusual wine but one that captivates me. 14% alcohol, imported by Skurnik and about $30, full retail; I bought plenty.

Both of these wines went well with the dish. The Rosso was the riper of the two and brought out a sweetness in the chicken. The Arbois was drier and seemed to enhance the pesto portion. Either would be a good choice but I would keep in mind that these are distinctive, character driven wines and will not be everyone’s glass of vino, with or without food.

Roast pork, sweet potato soufflé and collards:

2003 L’hiver, Syrah:

This is from Mendocino and a Copain product although that name does not appear on the label; plum and meat tones on the nose with some spice; fleshy in the mouth with flavors that echo the nose and show some oak, moderate concentration and length. A fairly straight-forward rendition with perhaps a touch too much wood – still a nice bottle. 14.1% alcohol and $28 in a restaurant; I’d buy it again.

Went quite well with the meal and it surprised me that the collards didn’t fight with it. This wine clearly can go with a number of differing dishes; very versatile.

Pasta with chick peas, onions and feta:

2002 Clos de la Roilette, Fleurie:

Expansive red fruit and talcum powder nose; deep, supple delivery that is layered, distinctive, well concentrated and balanced; long, clean finish. Sensational juice at a good place but I think this will have lots of good places during its life. 13% alcohol, imported by Louis/Dressner and about $15 on release; ‘wish I’d have bought more.

Excellent with the dish as the flavors are not too intense for a fairly plain dish and the textures match well. Also mighty fine without food.

Best, Jim