Southbound

[Florida Jim]

Tomorrow I head back to FL for the birth of my first grandchild. This despite spring beginning to touch our mountains, blazing temperatures in the south and 750 miles to go. One last party seemed appropriate.

With assorted goat cheeses (4) and crostini:

1996 Domaine du Closel, Savennières Clos du Papillon Cuvée Spéciale:

Penetrating aromas of straw, quince, herb tea, citrus and gun metal – very complete; flavors echo the nose in the company of a honeycomb note in the bass register and with tremendous viscosity and cut across the palate; deep, very complex and concentrated, balanced, integrated, and, an endlessly long, mouthwatering finish.

At a decade, this wine is still youthful and vivid with some development showing mostly on the nose. But it clearly has the structure and stuffing for several more decades in the cellar. And I don’t think I have ever tasted a better Savennières.

‘Killer with the dish.

With spring pea soup (cream base):

2000 Pieropan, Soave La Rocca:

A wonderful wine that I saved a glass of for the rest of dinner; open and citrus/mineral on the nose with some light spice tones; round and viscous on the palate with flavors that follow the nose, no hint of the wood that this is aged in save for the very slight butterscotch tones on the very outside of the mouth; long, clean finish. Yummy.

With sautéed shrimp on pasta with fresh herbs:

1989 Chateau de Beaucastel, CdP:

Maybe not everyone’s first choice with the dish, but more than worth the try; open, engaging, resolved and expansive nose; very fine on the palate with great complexity and lots of red fruit notes; long, clean finish. This bottle was at peak, thoroughly enjoyable and very impressive. Unlike a recent bottle, this showed all that this wine can be – and that is more than most.

Best, Jim