I’d like to bring one good wine in the $50-100 range for him, and a lower cost ($20-40) drinker for the wine-table. Both should pair well with the lamb stew, and sides.
I was considering bringing a Carignan - heavy Corbieres (remainder of blend is Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre) as the low-cost drinker.
Rhone is absolutey perfect, but because he loves surprises I think I wanna go Spanish, because he’ll expect Rhone. I am thinking Rioja. Perhaps on the younger juicier side.
Good point Peter. I asked him and awaiting reply. My sense is that it’s moderate. Not a pasta sauce level of tomato. More of a mix of gravy base and tomatoes moderate tomato.
Thanks Jud! A quick look on wine searcher shows the only LA store with Musar is other side of town. Unfortunately not an option with dinner tomorrow night. I did find the ‘lesser’ Musar label, Hochar, available closer to here. How does the Hochar compare?
Thanks all! I went with a 2005 904 Rioja, 2014 Faury St Joseph Vielles Vignes and a 2012 Paloma Merlot.
The Faury was the gamiest and funkiest, with nice blue fruits (gave it about two hours of decanter airtime). The Rioja got just under an hour in a decanter then back into the bottle and it was fantastically subtle with it’s dust and leather hinted fruit and bit more acid that worked well with the lamb stew. The Paloma got two hours of air in the decanter then re-bottled and left uncorked for the dinner. It had an amazing right-bank-imitator depth and spine but bigger plusher fruit atop it. I liked the Paloma the best as it felt more complex, refined, and kept revealing layers throughought the meal and afterwards. My firend, the birthday boy, loved loved loved the Rioja.