So I drop in on some friends the other day, and before I can swallow the perfunctory refreshing glass of water, we’ve gone through a few bottles of 2006 Paul Jaboulet Ainé "Parallele 45'' Côtes Du Rhône Rosé with aperitif nibbles. I didn’t even look at the label until later, so there was no anti-Jaboulet bias at work. This was pleasing crisp solid confident wine. A fine enough way to start the evening at someone else’s home.
The 2006 Tenuta Delle Terre Nere Etna Rosso Rosato was a more ambitious pink wine. Of course it wasn’t pink. It was red. And the bottle said 13.5% alcohol. But, it was not soft or heavy. It had nice smoky acidity and plenty of juicy “chewy” character. Not sure I could drink as much of this as I could of the Jaboulet. But, that may be a good thing. Also, this was the best match with the splendid bouillabaisse.
My contribution of the 2005 Domaine du Closel Savennières “La Jalousie” was a less-than-ideal match as the strong alcohol of the wine clashed with the strong flavors of the rouille. But, on its own, this was a lovely wine. Ripe and refined at the same time, and seemed to show good length. I’ve not had aged example of this cuvee (i.e. in comparison to the Papillon), but, it could be interesting in years like 2005.
Somewhere in the mix was a bottle of 2006 Andre et Michel Quenard “Chignin” Vin de Savoie, which was good straight-forward Chignin from a year with plenty of fruit.
But, it didn’t get the attention of the 1977 Dow’s Port which was opened, decanted, and poured, and was a beauty. I remember a bottle from December in which I couldn’t get past the smell and taste of the alcohol. (I could also have been suffering from all the previous bottles already consumed that evening). But, this one showed plenty of warm maturing flavors, and was a real treat to roll around the mouth. It may not have had the same ideal storage as the bottle from December. So it may have been showing more advanced. But, it wasn’t damaged. And, on this night, it was all the more pleasure for us.