These are notes from the induction dinner for new members of the Chaine des Rotisseurs in Manila.
Cremant de Bourgogne Brut Blason de Bourgogne 2004 - With the canapes and small slices of roast boar, deer and duck. Sweetish, friendly. Apples and a little grapey. easy to drink. Reminds me of Oz sparklers. Not quite a match for the roasts but quite good with the canapes.
Domaine du Grand Arc Cuvee des Quarante Corbieres 2002 - Somebody made a mistake and served this with ballotine of chicken breast and salad. The wine was way too powerful for the food. It would have been better with the roasts. Berry, slightly barnyardy in the nose. Savory with good fruit. Dry but with some sweetness in the finish. Medium to full bodied. Modern in style. Young and tannic. A good wine but mismatched with the food. Mostly Carignan with some Syrah and Grenache.
Bott-Gey Pinot d'Alsace 2004 - Semi-sweet with a slightly bitter finish that might be off-putting for some but not a problem for me. Close to Gewurz in nose and flavor - lychee and rose. Friendly. Quite good. Would have been a better match for the ballotine but a decent match for the celery root consomme. Pinot Blanc, Auxerrois and Pinot Gris.
Chateau Guibeau Domaine Henry Bourlon Puiseeguin St. Emilion 2002 - Berryish nose. Light, rather insubstantial. Very dry and tannic on the finish. Tasted diluted. Unbalanced and totally inadequate for the beef tenderloin. Most of the people where I was seated requested for more Corbieres rather than drink this. 70% Merlot but you would never guess it from tasting.
Domaine du Petit Paris Patrick Geneste Monbazillac Cuvee Tradition 2004 - Botrytis and burnt sugar on the nose. A light wine. Straightforward with little complexity but a decent match for the bread pudding and berries dessert. 90% Semillon 10% Muscadelle.
Champagne Besserat de Bellefon Grand Tradition Brut 2000 - Very dry, light, lemony, lemon peel. Finishes a bit weak but again a decent decent wine.
No truly outstanding wines and some of the pairings were off but at least the food was good.