Old wine

[jaybee]

I purchased a beautiful hunk of aged prime rib (three ribs, 6.4 lbs) from Fairway to eat on Christmas day. My son-in-law, a newly ardent cook suggested making prime rib and Yorkshire pudding.

He did a superb job, following Cooks Magazine instructions (Dec. 2002). It was the best rib roast I've ever eaten!

Such a roast called for great wine. So I pulled a couple of beauties that have been lying in wait in my cellar since 1970.

1967 Pichon LaLande(Pauillac) and 1966 Chateau Lascombes (Margaux).

The Pauillac was big, powerfully rich tasting with just enough acidity to give it a dry finish that set off the fruit. It stood up nicely to the meat, adding a wonderful flavor to the jus and and the beef. Each sip made me want to hurry to the next bite of meat, and each bite of meat pushed me to the next sip of wine.

The Margaux was amazing. Margaux wines used to be referred to as the most "feminine" of the Bordeaux reds. This one, laid down in 1969 was soft, perfumy, heady and delicate, with no tannin left, but enough structure to provide layers of taste and intensity of fruit. Lascombes is a 2nd growth and, has undergone a decline and recent upgrading. If the 2000 vintage offers anything close to this beauty, buy it. At $37 a bottle (Garnet) it is a bargain.

And if you are in the market for a fantastic rib roast, you can't get better than the aged beef at Fairway.