Laura and I just spent a lovely weekend with Thor and Theresa Iverson (and very special guest David Cornwell). The weather was great, Thor played well when we went golfing (I was 1/3 really good and 2/3 absolutely horrific), and the food, wine and friendship were all great.
Usually when we have these get togethers the white wines steal the show. We did have some good ones (e.g. Gaston-Chiquet Carte Verte Tradition NV, a couple of Gewurztraminers from producers unfamiliar to me, a '90 Muller-Catoir Rieslaner Auslese that divided the room into red and blue states...), but it was 2 bottles of red wine that stole the weekend.
Friday night with our cheese fondue (all fondue dinner with a chcoclate ganache over fruit for dessert):
1998 Armand Rousseau Ruchottes-Chambertin Clos des Ruchottes
Ruby red color. Aromas of red cherry, meat, leather, turned earth and forest floor. Medium bodied, silky, yet with a touch of tannic grip from the mid-palate back, and cherry/earth flavors. All this seemed nice enough, except that the finish was infinite. This wine would not stop. The finish was so long, clear and commanding that it slowed us down. Taking the next bite or next sip was like stepping on the wine's tail. So everything slowed down, conversation lingered, and we spent a long time exploring what the wine had to offer while catching up as "old" friends (old in parentheses in deference to Theresa). Both the '98 vintage and Rousseau's Ruchottes-Chambertin have recieved their share of dings over the years, but this was a compelling, eye-opening bottle that will linger in my memory almost as long as the finish lingered on my palate.
Saturday night after golf we were joined by David Cornwell. A little foie, some mini-crabcakes and pork dumplings went past our plates (and into our stomachs) with a selection of white wines (including a barely yet still more regrettably corked '98 Weinbach Gewurztraminer) passed through our glasses.
We then came to Thor's buffalo stew with smoked paprika and chipotle peppers over saffron rice. The dish was designed to complement a specific wine, and it performed admirably.
1997 Thierry Allemand Cornas Chaillot
David Cornwell brought this wine in magnum. We initially had zero thoughts of drinking it all, as (no surprise) there were many other reds on offer. What happened was that the Cornas had us totally charmed. Sip after sip it blossomed with more meat, spice and dark fruit, accompanying the stew, and again lubricating conversation. While hte wine on its own had plenty of structure, it appeared to melt into the background when paired with the food, leaving heady aromas and a medium to full bodied, flavor rich essence of Syrah. Again from a year/wine that has gained no great critical acclaim this proved that as usual, the wine has the last word.