Dinner at Alex and Christine's Home

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stefan
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Dinner at Alex and Christine's Home

Post by stefan »

AlexR invited Maureen & Ian and Lucie & me to their house with their friends Dewey Markham, author of "1855: A History of the Bordeaux Classification" and Emilie. It was a great opportunity to renew old acquaintances and make new ones in an intimate setting. The food (an imaginative appetizer of shredded crab, lentils, and greens dressed with a delicate olive oil and balsamic sauce), roasted goose confit, roasted potatoes, and broad [fava, I think] beans, cheese, and lemon meringue tart was excellent, as were the wines, and of course the company best of all. Alex selected the dinner wines (2000 Pavillon Blanc from Chateau Margaux, 2004 Montrachet from Domaine Baron Baron Chenard, and four 1995 right bank wines served blind--Canon, Cheval Blanc, Figeac, and (pre Perse) Pavie. All were excellent save for the corked Pavie, although Alex dished the Pavillon Blanc for having too little substance and a finish that was short. If truth be told, the length of the Montrachet did contrast dramatically with the finish of the Margaux, but I thought the Pavillon Blanc was quite good and proper for a white Bordeaux. I distinguished myself on the blind reds by correctly guessing before even seeing the wines that they were all Bordeaux, but later reverted to my usual after Ian & Maureen correctly guessed that all four were from the same vintage and I ventured that they were all right bank wines from 1985 after Alex hinted that they were from a "5" year. The Canon and Figeac were rich and fruity with Cabernet, while the lighter Cheval Blanc had greater depth.

We next drank a 1990 Dom Perignon provided by Ian. This is an excellent Champagne that Lucie and I know well courtesy of my cousin Rysard. It has held up very well and now is in its prime drinking time. We finished with a 1998 Yquem that I returned to Bordeaux via Israel. It is good Yquem that tastes of tangerines and kumquats and has good minerality. The '97 will surpass this in time, I think, but for now the '98 is a fine way to conclude such a feast.

Thank you, Christine and Alex, for a fantastic beginning for our Bordeaux Odyssey.
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stefan
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Re: Dinner at Alex and Christine's Home

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stefan
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Re: Dinner at Alex and Christine's Home

Post by stefan »

My people pics from last night mostly did not turn out, but I'll link to some that are OK.
The first one is of Alex with Ian's head in the foreground.

http://www.math.tamu.edu/~johnson/2015- ... ex&Ian.jpg
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stefan
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Re: Dinner at Alex and Christine's Home

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stefan
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Re: Dinner at Alex and Christine's Home

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stefan
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Re: Dinner at Alex and Christine's Home

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My snapshots of the elusive Christine did not turn out, but you can see her as well as Lucie past the wine bottles:

http://www.math.tamu.edu/~johnson/2015- ... istine.jpg
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Comte Flaneur
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Re: Dinner at Alex and Christine's Home

Post by Comte Flaneur »

Nice notes Bill and we would like to add out thanks to Alex and Christine for putting on a superb evening. It was a wonderful way to start proceedings with seven old friends and one new face.

The three BWErs and their respective significant others were nicely complimented by the eccentric and outspoken Dewey the New Yorker and author of the seminal 1855 classification and Emily an inquisitive and very bright young lady, who was keen to learn more about wine and practice her English. 

The wine was complimented by a superb crab and lentil dish to start, crispy goose for main cooked perfectly and lemon meringue for dessert. A selection of cheeses followed. 

Here are my notes with plenty of input from Maureen. 

Pavilion Blanc De Chateau Margaux 2000

Luxurious entry of honeysuckle and lanolin, thick textured and exotic, but falls away a bit on the finish. Still exciting to drink. 90 

Baron De Thenard Montrachet 2004

The colour is a very evolved dark golden. It looks older than it is. Tasted blind we initially that it could come from the Rhone or elsewhere. Emily nailed it as a burgundy, which led me to believe it was most probably a Grand Cru with a lot of age. This is an excellent wine: the full oak treatment has integrated into the wine, which is full-bodied and full throttle with an unctuous palate of exotic fruits and minerals leading into a fine finish. A good old fashioned Montrachet. 93

Chateau Canon 1995

Tasted blind this was Bright garnet with alluring right bank nose. The tannins are fully resolved leaving delicious raspberry and dark berry fruits still to the fore with hints of forest floor and other secondary aromas. Delightful but perhaps lacking in complexity and longevity? 90

Chateau Cheval Blanc 1995

Tasted blind next to Canon, this wine had more density on the mid palate, more power and more complexity. It combines tobacco and plummy notes, with an overlay of earth, minerals, olives and cedar leading into a fine finish. It is understated and elegant and has fine equilibrium. A fine and probably under-appreciated Cheval Blanc to drink now and over the next 20 years. 94

Chateau Figeac 1995

Also tasted blind this could have easily passed for a right bank with some dense lead pencil notes on the entry. It is a complex wine with tobacco, cedar, minerals, herbs and a cool leafiness. This example was marked by more attenuated olives tapenade and a certain high tone-ness. Very good wine but I have had better examples.

Chateau Pavie 1995

This was wine four, and others picked up TCA immediately. I didn't, and rarely do. Shame because this was a marvellous wine underneath, and one to rival the Cheval Blanc. The irony is that Pavie is good enough to compete with Cheval a Blanc and Ausone if left to its own devices. NR 

Dom Perignon 1990

A fine deep golden colour, and entering the stage where the fizz beats a dignified retreat leaving a fine complex wine with a thick texture and marked by notes of Apple strudel. Long and persistent. 92

Chateau D'Yquem 1998

Bright copper-toned making it look older than 17. However on the palate it is youthful, fresh and vibrant with citrus notes to the fore, notably tangerine rind, but also with luscious apricots lurking in the background. Profound, complex and thrilling as D'Yquem usually is with a cut of refreshing acidity, which gives the wine a perfect equilibrium and edge (that was lacking in Climens of the same vintage tasted a few days earlier). It has a fine texture and a fabulously luxurious and lingering finish. 96

The Yquem was a fitting way to finish and probably wine of the night in a very strong field. 

I suspect if it were years of yore we would have then reached for the cognac and Cuban cigars. But only Alex was game for the latter. 

It was a perfect way to start the tour. Roll on Sunday dinner tonight at La Tupina!
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AKR
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Re: Dinner at Alex and Christine's Home

Post by AKR »

Is goose something easy to find in French markets? Here is its a seasonal/specialty butcher item.

The SO hates when I make messy things like that (i've not made a goose, but I guess duck is close enought) as it gets the oven all fat spattered.
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