Recent stuff

[Florida Jim]

With sliced, cold roast beef with horseradish and some blue corn chips with hummus:

2001 Texier, Cote-Rotie VV:

This had strikingly forward fruit on the nose and palate, good depth and ripeness, powdery tannins and reminded me more of Hermitage than C-R both in flavor and texture. Interesting wine that I will not touch another bottle of for several years.

With oven poached cod with avacados; sautéed risotto cakes; and a small green salad:

2000 Raveneau, Montee de Tonnerre:

Opened long before its time but the profile is so dissimilar from the Butteaux of the same vintage, it bears noting. Where the Butteaux was all rain water, integration and grace, this wine is stoney, angular and weighty. It was wonderful with the fish but it has no place on your table until 2006 or so.

With poached apricot and pecan strudel with mascarpone topping:

2000 J.J. Cristoffel, Riesling Spatlese Erdener Treppchen:

The remains of a bottle have been in the cellar (cork in) for almost a week. The wine had lost much of its honeyed tones and palate sweetness in favor of a mineral driven element that had a very slight smoky edge to it. Nice with the dessert.

Corked wine:

2000 Luneau-Papin, Muscadet Clos des Allees:

This makes me angry. They can cork my cabernet and merlot all they want but when they mess with my Muscadet I get pissed. Vive la screwcap!

Best, Jim