Dinner with friends

[Florida Jim]

As our guests arrived, I opened a 2000 Raveneau, Chablis Butteaux, which turned out to be corked. Heartbreaking, as this is one of the best white Burgundies I’ve had and stood the equal of a 2000 Sauzet, Chevalier-Montrachet, tasted within the last year.

Instead, I poured the 2000 J.P. Droin, Chablis Vaillons, which showed quite well. Good depth of flavor, some nuance in the nose and ample cut, it accompanied nicely some crackers with smoked salmon spread. And later, when we all came to he table, it complimented some homemade tomato soup.

Diane had prepared a salad Nicoise with grilled, rare tuna, green beans, oven roasted new potatoes and black olives with some warm, crusty bread on the side. We opened a brought bottle of the 1999 L’Insieme, a cooperative effort of several Piedmont producers which I understand is made up of 50% nebbiolo, 30% cab. and 20% other varieties. It is an oaky, rich, very ripe (14% alcohol) wine that smells like nebbiolo and sangiovese but tastes more like a super-Tuscan cab. blend. Not the best match with the food and little woody for my taste, but I can certainly understand how folks would enjoy this and I have no doubt it will age.

Also opened was the 2000 Copain, Pinot Noir Hein Vnyd. (Anderson Valley). It began a bit stemmy and candied and never got much past that profile, which is not what I remember from tasting the wine at release. Gradually it added some complexity and the fruit filled in but my guess is that these bottles are better left until next year.

Best, Jim