Notes from a small wine dinner:
With giant scallops and prawns in sherry-tarragon cream sauce:
2002 Drouhin Puligny Montrachet Folatieres – light straw colour, delicate lemon/vanilla nose, smooth with medium body and decent length.
With seared foie gras on brioche slice:
1999 Ch. Suduiraut – nose of peach and botrytis, seemed slightly high in alcohol, full, rich and fairly sweet with good length. The acidity was only barely sufficient to balance the wine and I’d have liked a bit more. Come to think of it, a drier wine would have complemented the foie gras better.
With duck breast and mushroom crepes:
1989 Drouhin Chambolle Musigny Les Charmes – this wine has drunk well for years and it was a nice garnet red colour with an earthy, truffle nose that developed in the glass. It still shows good fruit and finishes well. Food enhanced the sweetness in the wine and it became even more enjoyable. Should be drunk in the near term.
With sautéed veal and pasta:
1986 Ch. Haut Bages Liberal – nice little Pauillac that showed medium colour, nice mature nose and high acidity.. With food it bloomed as the acidity was tamed.
With rare lamb chops:
1982 Ch. Mouton Rothschild - a swirl gets you a very nice plumy nose with a hint of mint and a bit of sweet pudding. Good balance and acidity, nicely rounded wine with great depth of flavour and very good length Opened nicely with some time in the glass. It is a hard call between this and the monumental 1986, but I think I’d hold out for the latter, though it won’t be ready for years yet.
With cheese:
1985 Rocha Port – a special wine made for the Barros family and more like an LBV in some ways. tawny edges, nose like a vintage Port, palate like a young tawny. Pleasant.
