Three meals with Diane

[Florida Jim]

With salad and parmesan-herb bread:

NV Zardetto, Prosecco Brut:

Light and airy, off-dry and not the least cloying, sufficient mineral-earth flavors and scents to keep it interesting, clean finish. Lunch wine, extraordinaire. Best served very cold.

Imported by Winebow.

With cauliflower soup with truffle oil and sautéed shitakes:

1999 Chevillon, Roncieres:

Giving nothing out of the bottle; decanted two hours and the wine was meaty, robust and rich with identifiable Nuits’ scents and flavors, good concentration and very good length. Deserves considerable aging but, if opened soon, does pretty well after a long decant.

The difference after two hours in the decanter was defining; first, it was as substantial a change as I have experienced, and, second, it is clearly indicative of this wine’s potential.

Imported by Kermit Lynch.

With veggie burgers:

1999 Earl Alain Michaud, Brouilly Cuvee Non-Filtre:

Black fruit, stones and spice very tightly coiled and concentrated; good depth and balance, substantial structure and length but not even close to being ready to drink. Deserves a decade.

Pretty intense stuff, this has closed down since release and seems to be following that trend for the better Cru Beaujolais of the ’99 vintage, most of which seem to be doing likewise.

On release, this bottle cost me $13, including shipping charges from NY. I have been able to repeat this kind of QPR very seldom; an amazing value and an amazing wine.

Imported by Becky Wasserman.

Best, Jim