An old-school French dinner w/ friends

Tasted Saturday, December 30, 2006 by AndrewSGHall with 667 views

Introduction

A busy holiday season winds down with making a relaxing dinner for some friends. Deliberately old-school and laid back with wines to match.

Menu :

Cheese Gougeres
Cream of Acorn Squash soup w/ Lagioule cheese quenelle and hazelnut crisp (Michel Bras recipe)
Salmon en Croute w/ watercress puree and Winter Veg Gratin
Cheeses
Rhum Raisin Spice Cake

Flight 1 (5 Notes)

  • NV Jacques Selosse Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs

    France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

    Big nose with crackers, rose hips and butter. Big body and structure, round acidic fruit and a velvety mousse texture. Balanced and integrated with lemon and bread on the finish. Very curvy and lush Perfect pairing w/ gougeres.

    This NV requires aging to tame it and round it off. This was the last of a batch purchased in 2002 and the best bottle.

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  • 1999 Domaine Marc Kreydenweiss Pinot Gris Moenchberg Vendanges Tardives

    France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru

    Dense nose with dried apricots, fatty nuts and a slight plasticine quality. Big on the palate, really pushes hard. Perception of sugar w/o being overly sweet and good acids. Somewhat sloppy and imprecise, but appealling notes of fruit, flowers and nut oil. Perfect pairing with cream of acorn squash soup, Laguoile cheese quenelle and hazelnut crisp.

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  • 2000 Domaine Truchot-Martin Charmes-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru

    Crystalline and light colour. Pretty nose with green cut branches and some earth. Light on the palate with good precise and tart raspberry fruits and a nice intensity. Clove, sweet potato and a bit of blood on the finish. Very classy. Ideal pairing with salmon en croute w/ watercress puree and winter veg gratin.

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  • 2003 Sine Qua Non Syrah Papa

    USA, California, Central Coast

    Incredible nose just rolls out of the glass - meat far, fruits and a remarkable parfum blend w/ chypre, vetiver and oriental notes worth of a top house. One of the single best young noses ever.

    The wine doesn't deliver the promise of the nose. Clearly Syrah-esque, but hot and overly thick. Just a mass on the tongue with artificial fruit, sweetness and tar. Very clumsy.

    At the table, this wine did pair wonderfully with a cheese plate (Humbolt Fog, Thomasville Tomme and Forme d'Ambert) and the accompaniments of fig preserve and fruit compote. The port-like body and intensity powered through both the cheeses and the problematic accompaniment. The wine fufullied my intention, but is not good wine on its own merits.

    For fun, this was inserted into a very French dinner and served to wine appreciators - not hardcores - completely blind. The consensus matched my notes pretty much with some disliking it more by itself. As an aside, a final sip from my tasting glass made a Banyuls feel watery and light.

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  • 2000 Domaine de la Rectorie Banyuls Le Muté sur Grains

    France, Languedoc Roussillon, Roussillon, Banyuls

    Pretty consistent with previous note with nice walnut honey notes and a good figgy component. Very light and soft with nice acids. Charming with a rhum-raisin-spice cake, but not particularly distinguished on its own.

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