WTN: Wines with Dinner

[Brad Ballinger]

Once in a while we do a two-house progressive dinner with our next-door neighbors. Tonight, it was appetizers there, dinner here, dessert there.

2004 Inama Soave Classico. With beet and chevre napoleons. I've always liked this wine vintage in and vintage out. And I've really liked the price. And it's the only Inama wine that isn't oaked. I'd usually reach for a Sancerre, but the wife in the other couple doesn't like Sancerre. She liked this. Flowers, minerals and a bit of waxy texture. Stone fruits, decent acidity. Rain water finish. Nice pairing.

1999 Bodegas Mauro "Mauro," Vina de la Terra, Castilla y Leon. Served with braised pork shoulder. Bodegas Mauro is a small winery in central Spain in the village of Tudela de Duero. Mauro is their primary wine. Smaller amounts of a Vendemmia Seleccionada (think of it as a reserve wine) is also made. And in exceptional vintages, they make a wine called Terreus. Their vineyards produce tempranillo, syrah, and garnacha from 20-year old vines. Like many Spanish producers, Bodegas Mauro uses American oak, but they also use some French oak. The wines are a bit on the modern side, but not to the point where they lack character. The 1999 "Mauro" is 90% tempranillo with the rest of the grapes a combination of syrah and garnacha. It was aged in oak for 13 motnhs. The wine has a lovely perfumed nose of violets, ripe cherries, a bit of vanilla, and a touch of molasses. In the mouth, the fruit takes center stage. There is a bright red fruit flavor profile mellowed by oak. The tannins are soft, providing just enough structure. It's a wine that can be enjoyed young, but at a little over six years old is still holding its own.

2000 Philipp Kuhn Laumersheimer Mandelberg Huxelrebe Beerenauslese, Pfalz. Served with Earl Grey pots de creme (more on that later). This was from a 375 ml bottle I hand-carried back from Germany. I'm not sure it's exported outside the country, but Kuhn has been enjoying a growing following in the region and makes some good spatburgunder. The wine still shows a fair amount of youth, but opening it was not an act of infanticide. Honeyed tropical notes. A bit floral. Bright acid. Not quite as complex as I'd like, but paired well with the dessert.

This Earl Grey pots de creme was unbelievable. And it came from an old Martha Stewart recipe. Our neighbors made it, but I've now got a copy of the recipe and will definitely be making it again and again.