Wines with food

[Florida Jim]

With chicken nachos:

1998 Oliver Laflaive, Saint-Aubin 1er Cru, En Remilly:

Pleasantly aromatic and nicely layered; the same on the palate, round and broad but lacking in brightness; smooth, medium length finish. No wood showing and quite open; coupled with the slight lack of acid, I’d say this is for drinking now.

and,

1997 Duclaux, Cote Rotie:

Nothing earth-shattering here, just an honest, bacon scented syrah that is well balanced, delicious and probably needs another 4-5 years to show its best. Delivered more than I anticipated.

With assorted cheeses, olives and breads:

2003 Tue-Boeuf, Gamay Touraine:

Closed on day one and a little smoky-stemmy; a touch reduced. Wonderful on day two with beautiful cherry scents, no reductive elements, deep flavors, round and ripe, bigger in the mouth than expected; nice persistence. A joy to drink but needs some cellar time or, if one insists on drinking it now, some decanter time.

With a salad of mixed baby greens with chopped tomato, chicken, feta cheese and a light vinaigrette:

2003 Pascal Jolivet, Sancerre:

Lime, grapefruit, chalk and peach on the nose (not herbaceous and no cat pee), open and expressive; fairly open on the palate with good viscosity, flavors that follow the nose and add a touch of saline minerality, nice balance and good cut; medium length finish. Perhaps, a little less acid than Jolivet usually does but distinctly Sancerre and off-set by a lovely ripe, roundness that is very charming. For a guy who doesn’t drink much (or care much) for sauvignon, this is nice. Good with the dish.

BTW, the label may say 12.5% alcohol but I would be surprised if that were true; tasted much more alcoholic.

And then, a grand affair:

With Cheddar Pecan Crisps and Shredded Chicken, Avocado, Cucumber and Cilantro wraps:

2002 Mittelbach, Gruner Veltliner Durnsteiner Bergdistel:

A varietally correct and impeccable GruVee that complimented the food, lingered on the palate and was delicious by itself. Very nice stuff and my first experience with this producer.

and,

2001 Tiefenbrunner, Muller-Thurgau Feldmarschall:

This probably matched the food better but did nothing for me; an innocuous vinous quality suffused the nose and palate but seemed to lead nowhere. Pleasant but nothing more.

and,

2003 Coopers Creek, Sauvignon Blanc:

Extremely herbaceous with cat pee and little else to redeem it. NZ makes much better sauvignons than this (I hope).

With the following dishes:

Braised beef with a couple of side dressings

Crab with Sweet Pickled Chili Tart

Corn Soufflé

Eggplant, Tomato and Smoked Mozzarella Tart

Asparagus and Orange Salad

Pear and Apple Salad with Gruyere and Toasted Pecans

2000 Deloach, Zinfandel:

Oak soup, gaaaack!

and,

1998 Hirtzberger, Weifzburgunder, Steinportz Smaragd:

Lovely wine with depth and character and precision; not at the level of some of this producer’s best wines but very near. My first Weifzburgunder from this producer; it made me want to explore the varietal.

and.

2000 Boxler, Riesling Brand:

Not yet showing its “Brand-ness” but more a generic yet well-constructed riesling. Given time, this should be outstanding.

and,

2002 Trevor Jones, Virgin Chardonnay:

Nothing to complain about here – and nothing to recommend it.

and,

1999 Jasmin, Cote Rotie (mag.):

When first opened it smelled and tasted like generic, domestic syrah; after an hour or so it became what it should be – a relatively lightweight, intense and complex example of its terroir that tends toward the feminine side. Lovely wine in need of several years in the cellar. With this kind of balance, it would not surprise me if this needed a decade to show its best.

With Lemon Meringue Pie and Grape and Plum Cobbler:

1998 Mondavi, Sauvignon Blanc Botrytis (375):

Intensely sweet, lovely aromatics but thick and cloying on the palate. I’ll take coffee with the desserts, if you please.

Best, Jim

[tanabutler]

Always to read about an absence of cat pee.

You're the best. How's the poetry chapbook coming along?

[Florida Jim]

How's the poetry chapbook coming along?

Decided I like reading it better than writing it.

Besides, I couldn't find anything to rhyme with cat pee.

Best, Jim