During Betsty's season we try to schedule "date night" once a week, a night that we just do something together. Usually we go out, but Sunday was the day this week, and after a morning speech at a church and a stiff neck, I couldn't get up enthusiasm for going out. So Betsy stepped into the breech, and made a fabulous date night at home meal. All dishes from an old copy of Pierre Franey's 60 Minute gourmet: a 2.5" porterhouse in red wine sauce, potatoes in a cream sauce, and a dish of turnips, mushrooms, and carrots. There was also salad and she even picked up 3 cheeses (Valdeon, Pecorino Tartuffo, and Ardrahan) for me. I opened the 1998 La Louviere (Pessac-Leognan) rouge. Really lovely middleweight Graves, mostly black currant fruit but an occasional hint of red berries, as it got some air lots of damp earth and some cigarbox. Tannins are pretty integrated, but enough body to stand up to the meat. After an hour it still had vibrant fruit, but a mushroomy/truffly edge had joined the earthy notes (which made it go very well with the Pecorino). I think I paid $20-22 for these, hard to find that kind of value these days. But a very nice example of a fairly classic styled Bordeaux. A-/B+
Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C mediocre. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a party where it was only choice. Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.
