WTN: Magnum P.I.

[David M. Bueker]

NV Pierre Péters Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut Cuvée de Réserve - France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru (11/26/2020)
From magnum, disgorged June 2012

A small Thanksgiving celebration for just Laura and me. We eschewed the turkey and trimmings (too much food) for lobster crumble and Champagne. From the first sip this was stupendous, initially a bit toasty, but with just a few minutes of air becoming younger, fresher, and filled with vibrant lemon and floral tones. It frankly outshone the lobster, which is hard to do for a New Englander. The more air the wine received the more explosive it became. By the time we finished dinner the wine was bigger than the glass. As much as we wanted to, we could not finish the magnum, so it’s stoppered and waiting for tomorrow’s local ham dinner. Can’t wait!

Nice match!

Did you have any other strong flavoring elements in the crumble designed for the Champagne match?

[David M. Bueker]

Nice match!

Did you have any other strong flavoring elements in the crumble designed for the Champagne match?

There’s a decent splash of lemon juice. And buttery foods always pair well with Blanc de Blancs in my experience.

Nice match!

Did you have any other strong flavoring elements in the crumble designed for the Champagne match?

There’s a decent splash of lemon juice. And buttery foods always pair well with Blanc de Blancs in my experience.

Sounds good. Straightforward but why mess with good stuff.

I made crab cakes on Thanksgiving and in my attempt be clever with the match I added a bit of celery leaf herb to match the 2015 Alzinger Mühlpoint GV Smaragd. I didn't have a control case to see how the match would have been without that slight herbal inflection in the food. But the crab was good and the Alzinger was good, so all was well!

[David M. Bueker]

I like the sound of that prep, but my Baltimore born and bred wife would kill me at the table if I tried it!

Ha! My additional crab cake heresy is that I use jumbo lump. I know it doesn't form the same tight patties and maybe is considered a 'waste' in crab cakes. But the crab is so luscious and delicious and I prefer the big jumbo lump pieces. Plus, it's my kitchen!

[David M. Bueker]

I use jumbo lump when I can get it.

We prefer jumbo lump also. And the seasoning is Old Bay. And so what if they crumble a bit...we aren't making hockey pucks here.

[David M. Bueker]

Old Bay is mandatory.