Notes from an anniversary dinner.
Started at home with a demitasse of kubocha squash soup topped with piped whipped cream with a dusting of nutmeg in front of the fire, given the rare presence of snow outside.
Went on to:
1990 Charles Heidsieck Champagne Brut Millésimé – hadn’t tried this in some time. It was an interesting mature bubble, to the English taste (seem to enjoy their Champagne particularly old and their girls particularly young, or so I am told). Lots of colour and very little spritz left, just a haze of tiny bubbles (royalties to Don Ho) clinging to the inside of the flutes, and a nose of freshly toasted bread with an underlay of lemon/pineapple. Excellent acidity carried the whole thing off.
We retired to the dining room for a first course of leek and onion open topped galette with smoky white cheddar and prosciutto. With which I served:
2001 Weingut Max Ferd. Richter Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese – only 8.5% alcohol, apricot petrol and spice nose, lots of acidity so not overly sweet, and a long smooth finish. Still drinking very well and worked with the food. That bodes well for the 2015 Richter Spatlesen I recently bought.
Off to the restaurant (Pear Tree Restaurant in Burnaby BC) and we shared a dozen oysters as a first course and drank a 2014 Tantalus Riesling with them – good choice, very dry and with enough fruit to complement the food flavours.
I had brought a bottle from my cellar for the main course, opened and decanted at home to make sure it was a good bottle.
1994 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape – the colour is getting a bit lighter although not really Burgundian transparent, but the nose was quite Burgundian indeed, with hints of barnyard but also some leather and soy notes. Elegant and with some soft tannins remaining, it showed all sorts of secondary and tertiary elements that reminded us why we like well aged wines. A good bottle that needed the hour after decanting to open up properly. No real rush, but this vintage isn’t going to get any better and should be enjoyed over they next few years.
I love what Beaucastel can do in maturity – still have a half case of the 1989 left, which is indeed showing more like a Burgundy now and continues to please.
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