TN: Good stuff

[Florida Jim]

Corn chips with melted cheese, hummus and salsa:

1999 Paloma, Merlot:

A wine showing good secondary development, excellent balance and depth but too much oak (although some might say its just part of the whole). For me, the oak obscures part of the flavors, narrows the palate and is somewhat drying on the finish. But for the wood component, this is world class wine. 14.3% alcohol and about $44 on release; I’d not buy it again.

Better with the dish than expected but not something I’d repeat.

Roasted sweet dumpling squash; white beans with garlic, onions, EVOO and fresh herbs; and, crusty bread:

1999 Chevillon, Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Pruliers:

Decanted in advance; still fairly closed on the nose but showing dark fruit and earth tones and enough firmness to guess NSG or farther south; sinewy and dark in the mouth with a meaty texture and a reticent, almost brooding flavor profile, well balanced and quite intense; very long finish that seems almost more expressive than the wine in the mouth. Too young, but very intriguing. 13.5% alcohol, imported by Kermit Lynch and about $42 on release; I’d buy it again.

Vegetarians rejoice; good Burgundy does very well with such cuisine.

Red sauce with chicken sausage on pasta:

2002 Clos de la Roilette, Fleurie:

Unexpectedly open and generous with pure dark fruit and earth scents; a deep, clean palate that echoes the nose and excellent length. This is harmonious, supple, lovely wine and although I am in no hurry to drink my remaining bottles, it was riveting tonight. 13% alcohol, imported by Louis/Dressner and about $15, on release; I wish I’d bought more

Fabulous with the dish. I wanted to try Beaujolais with red sauce dish as I can’t ever remember doing it before and this was a world record match. Everything in perfect balance, the umami factor at full song; a union I’ll not forget – a classic.

Whole roasted chicken and root vegetables, and, broccoli with olives:

2005 Dom. Vissoux, Fleurie Poncie:, 12.5% alcohol, imported by Geygandt-Metzler and about $20; worth much more; and 2002 Dom. Les Fines Graves (Janodet), Moulin à Vent, 13% alcohol, imported by The Henry Wine Group and about $13 on release; I’d buy it again:

The Vissoux is just achingly good wine with beautiful fruit and texture, lots of nuance and length and an almost ethereal delivery – a wine for all the senses. And it complimented the dish with additions of sweet fruit and a lovely mouth feel. The Janodet was more earthy with a salty minerality to accent dark fruit and the mouth feel was more about tension; the more savory wine, it was more harmonious with the dish but was more a backdrop than a co-star. Both were good choices but, curiously, neither amounted to the perfect pairing that the previously mentioned Beaujolais and red sauce were.

Leftover red sauced pasta with fresh zucchini and Chinese eggplant sautéed and added to it:

1996 Laurel Glen, Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma Mountain:

Penetrating nose of crushed berries, dark fruit, mint/eucalyptus, freshly turned earth and dark spices – complete, layered and harmonious; full bodied and mouth coating but without artifice or any sign of manipulation, immense dry extract here with a Baker’s chocolate structure that lends flavor, dryness and texture, very juicy fruit that follows the nose and keeps any dryness from taking hold and delivers two bottles of flavor in a single 750ml, intense, perfectly balanced, supple and completely of its place; infinite finish. The most impressive CA cabernet showing I have encountered and although other vintages of Laurel Glen may be likened to Bordeaux, this bottle is 100% California and beautiful because of it. No rush to drink it but it surely is spectacular now. 12.5% alcohol and about $45 on release; considering today’s prices for cabernet, this is stupidly under priced.

Good with the dish but not as good as the Beaujolais pairing reported earlier in this note.

(Aside: I have this dream about making wine in California; it’s the one where I don’t try to make a popular style but rather buy or grow the very best fruit from a really fine site, take what I am given, and do only what is needed to retain that innate quality. Although I don’t see a lot of evidence to make me think that doing it that way can make great wine, there are such wines – and this is one of them. Truly, the stuff of dreams . . .)

Best, Jim

Edited October 10, 2007 by Florida Jim (log)