It is a rare but happy occasion when one discovers a new venue, with a passionate owner, coupled with a flair for design and style and last but not least a wine bargain for a wine lover.
Such was my experience last night at Vino Strada in Strasbourg, a two-level wine bar on a boat docked on Strasbourg’s lovely Ill river, a western tributary to the Rhine. Just on the outskirts of the lovely Middle Ages old town of Strasbourg, Vino Strada is a “happening” place, always full of people attracted by good wines, including many non French choices (still a rarity in France, especially in the provinces). It only opened last year, and owner Stéphan Maure and his lovely wife Isabelle have done a great service to Strasbourg inhabitants like yours truly. It has become my watering hole.
Only more so when last night, with my girlfriend and another couple, I finally ordered an offlist wine I had been eyeing for some time: Ducru Beaucaillou 1975. For the lovely price of €109. I was a little nervous about it, because provenance is key and at this age there are no good wines, only good bottles. But the cork was in good shape and there was no fault on the aroma… Popped and poured, it was fine and elegant - and nicely cold from a cellar with a good base neck level. It started with light truffle notes and displayed a medium-bodied aspect, then opening up in glass with distinct and pleasurable notes of cigar box. Over another hour - we made a point to drink slowly - this wine showed fine dark chocolate aromas and flavours. To be sure, this was no 1982. It lacked the concentration of that better vintage, but the tannins were very well integrated, and the maturity of the Cabernet (again, that lovely cigar box) made this wine feel almost like a fine Cognac… without the distilled aspect (of course!) and certainly à point for current drinking.
In any case, a very fair price for a 30+ year old bottle of a top wine from the Medoc. If you go to Strasbourg, be sure to visit Vino Strada. I am not sure you will have such an experience, although Stéphan has some interesting off list examples, but the many other wines on the list are fairly priced, the food is appropriate for wine: simple but good, and the service attentive and always with a smile.