TN: 1990 Ch. de Pez

We were making duck breast for dinner (a dish that produces more smoke than anything else I can think of except searing foie gras) and I thought that a Bordeaux would be suitable.

Just for fun I sorted my cellar list by expected end date and what came up but this wine, estimated by CT pundits to have peaked by 2010. Ha! It turned out to be very good. Deep colour, good fruit, some nice mature aromas. Dark berries and a smooth medium length finish. Unlike many St. Estephes, it wasn't at all hard

Sadly, I can no longer be called a Pez dispenser as it was my last bottle. I note that I do have a small stash of 1990 Les Ormes de Pez - will schedule a test bottle soon (I haven't' been into my 1990s much as I prefer well aged wine and there are other earlier vintages I have been plundering first)

What vintage?

BTW, one of the most memorable wine events I've been to was a tasting of 70 de Pez (and all of it's components) in 2004. Background: Before the assemblage of the 1970 de Pez, the owner M. Dousson was persuaded by his exporter to bottle half barrels of the varietals, which were then used by the L'Ecole du Vin at Chateau Loudenne. When Loudenne was sold, my friend Mark Golodetz was allowed to buy the remaining sets. This was the last set. For my tastes, the Cab Sauvignon edged the final assemblage, but Cab Franc was pretty good too, only the Merlot was really tired.

We were making duck breast for dinner (a dish that produces more smoke than anything else I can think of except searing foie gras)

I don't cook duck or foie gras, but roasting mushrooms is one that pretty regularly sends our smoke alarms into a frenzy. I don't mind so much, but my wife gets irritated with the sound. I've taken to roasting them on lower temperatures, which gives me more control and the smoke is less likely to get going.

Our smoke alarm isn't a stand alone, it is part of our general alarms system for break-ins etc., so smoky cooking will result in a call from the alarm company. I don't think that She-who-must-be-obeyed has forgiven me for the first time it happened when the alarm company called - I told then it was alright, it was just my wife cooking dinner...