Wines with food

[Florida Jim]

With smoked salmon spread and crackers:

2000 R & V Dauvissat, Chablis La Forest:

Decanted one hour but still tight; crystalline on the nose and palate with lemon, floral aromas, mineral and white fruit flavors, intense, concentrated and lots of cut. A very tasty wine without anything overdone. Excellent with the dish.

With tomato and mozzarella salad:

2000 Venica, Tocai Friulano Ronco delle Cime:

More in the apple, mineral, spice style than the peachy, creamy style, this wine had a distinct earthy flavor that reminded me of the taste of corked wine. However, this wine was not corked. In any event, I couldn’t get past that taste; unusual stuff and fair with the dish.

With pasta with roasted butternut squash and sautéed chicken:

2001 Claude Dugat, Bourgogne:

I have little use for this producer due to their extensive use of new oak but this wine was terrific. I guess when it’s simply declassed Gevrey, new wood is too extravagant – Bravo!

Very expansive nose of deep black and red fruit with an earthy tone that developed into something akin to iron; packed with flavor despite its youth and the fact its not yet entirely integrated, excellent concentration and intensity, good balance and length. Kept getting better in the glass. There is a lot of premier cru Gevrey out there that doesn’t come across this well. Good with the dish.

With ricotta tarts with sautéed figs and blueberries:

1999 J J Prum, Riesling Spatlese Wehlener Sonnenuhr:

Sulpher that did not blow off and overwhelmed the palate. I think I detected well concentrated fruit under the stink but if this is all the dissipation of sulpher Prum wines achieve over five years, I haven’t time for them. Disappointing.

Best, Jim