Somewhat spurred by an earlier thread accurately pointing out that some do not like discussing or recommending inexpensive wines, I brought two young and inexpensive ones to dinner out with my wife 3 sons, niece and nephew this Saturday. Wine doesn’t have to be highly rated, “name-droppable” or expensive. It just has to be good and go with one’s food. Everything else is showbiz.
With multiple orders each of:
escarots á la bourguignonne, foie gras terrine, shiitake mushrooms with oeuf cocotte
os á moelle (i.e., bone marrow)
With the os á moelle and foie gras terrine in mind, I brought along a bottle of…
2006 Domaine Bott-Geyl Gewürztraminer Les Elements - This is, to me, currently the best value-for-money locally available non-VT/SGN gewürztraminer. I have been purchasing this ever since Sommelier Selection started offering it, and, I believe there is still some stock available.
I met winemaker Valerie Bott-Cartier, wife of domaine owner Jean Cristophe Bott, at Vinexpo Asia-Pacific 2008 (HK, May 2008) and she explained to me the domaine’s philosophy of making biodynamic wines and it’s adherence to terroir as I tasted through some of her wines.
Save for the wine now seeming to have gained just a bit more pleasing heft, my previous notes from the IWFS August 2008 Alsace function at Je Suis Gourmand still hold true:
[C]lean, sweetly fresh flowers, rose petals, spiced lychee and peach in the nose, mirrored in the mouth in a lively, exuberant, racy, slightly-less-than-medium body with good acidic lift and discreet underlying minerality. Light on its feet, it danced on my palate. It is a pity that so few in this country bother to try to get to know the joys of Alsace gewürztraminers. This one was so very pure and clean. Precisely balanced, excellent wine, and, at its very reasonable price…
The children made short shift of the several appetizers. They all looked so happy that I thought of ordering more, but figured they should leave enough room for the main courses; after all, Marc had several specials that night featuring magret de canard and foie gras.
Smoked Magret Salad for my niece (teenage girls always seem to be dieting)
Roast Magret with Seared Foie Gras & Port Wine Sauce for my 2nd son
Roast Lamb Shank with Mashed Potatoes for my eldest
My wife, nephew and I opted for the Roast Magret with Caramelized Apples & Bleu Cheese Salad, which we all (except the youngest) enjoyed with a bottle of…
2006 Jean Paul Dubost Fleurie - one of the top crus of Beaujolais, known for producing, as the name indicates, floral wines. I first tried this during Jérôme Philippon’s recent tasting of 100 French Wines and promptly bought some, among others. My very brief notes from that tasting state: “Lighter in body, more floral and feminine, brighter berries and cherry (compared to the '06 JP Dubost Moulin á Vent). I bought these with my wife in mind and to try out on my friends to show them what a good Beaujolais is like.”
Like the '06 JP Dubost Moulin à Vent, this Fleurie was definitely unlike the usually light and carefree (and more typical, some say) Beaujolais I’ve tried - richer, fuller (over medium-bodied), more concentrated, generous (but not loud) with materially more density and heft. True to its name, the pure, freshly young aromas are redolent with violets, some rose and dark cherries.
In the mouth, there is definite ripeness to the black cherry, blackcurrant, mild spice, violets and a bit of wood. The bold tannins and wood are, as to be expected, not yet fully resolved, but it’s nothing a couple of years more ageing wouldn’t fix. Impressive balance and length. Marc and my wife both noted this wine’s distinctive florality. Very nice indeed.
For dessert, Marc delivered the special fraisée cake that he had told us about the last time we were there - a cake involving fresh, local mountain strawberries.
With the deceivingly light feel of the rich, yet delicately flavored buttercream, the clean freshness of the strawberries, not to mention the homemade strawberry ice cream and the strawberry-vanilla sauce, it was every bit as delicious as it looks. Superb. My nephew opted for his favorite Dark Chocolate Soufflé, while my eldest went for his own old favorite Homemade Dark Chocolate Ice Cream.
Double espressos for the adults and a last glass of green Chartreuse for me, then we called it a night.