I bought the cassoulet kit from d’Artagnan & had some friends over to help us give it a try last night. I’ll probably buy it again. It was delicious & we still had leftovers, even though there were ten of us.
We started w/ a few appetizers & some bubbly.
NV Jean Lallement Rosé: Strawberries & flowers. Lovely Champagne & one of my favorite NV rosés.
NV Pierre Peters Cuvée Reserve BdB: This is the most recent release, & while I prefer this wine w/ a few years in the cellar, it’s still a great bubbly. Tart apples, toast & bright acidity. Very classy.
Cedric Bouchard Champagne Blanc de Noirs Roses de Jeanne “Les Ursules”: Wow. Very pale yellow for a BdN, but still has obvious Pinot character. Red fruits & faintly toasty notes. Bone dry, but the fruit is pretty enough that it gives it a sense of sweetness. Like the other wines of Bouchard’s that I’ve had, it has that ethereal, weightless intensity. I have no idea how these will age, but it is so fantastic now, who cares?
With the cassoulet…
1999 Vieux Donjon: from a magnum. Black cherries, gamey, musky. Classic CdP. No need to wait on this one, as I think it is probably at it’s peak right now.
1995 Beaucastel: Surprisingly elegant. Cherries & provençal herbs. Very fine, but substantial tannins. In a very nice place right now.
1995 Vieux Télégraphe: from a magnum. Absolutely beautiful. Violets, lavender, leather. Silky tannins. Easily the best red of the night. A lovely Chateauneuf.
With medallions of foie gras with black truffles…
1989 Huet Cuvée Constance: It seems much more advanced than the bottle I had a few years ago. Caramel colored. Pralines, honeysuckle, great balancing acidity. Very, very good, but not at the same level as my previous experience w/ this wine, which was one of my all-time favorites. Clearly an off bottle, but still enjoyable.