Tonight’s dinner, on a clear warming evening, was penne rigate topped with a sauce of Shepherd’s Lamb sausages with green chile in a Chipotle Alfredo. Since the last time we had this batch of sausage, it wasn’t as hot as previous ones, I decided to spice up the Alfredo. The combination of the green chile lamb, chipotle, and rich creamy cheese sauce was very tasty. Wine was an amazingly fruity 1983 Chateau Montelena Zinfandel Estate - fill just above the bottom of the neck; dark garnet in color with a very thin light edge; rich, spicy blackberry and raspberry fruit, with a bit of tertiary characteristic; rich, balanced mid-palate with enough acidity and little tannins; and a long complex fruit finish.
Then for dessert, while watching TiVo’d Castle, Iron Chef, & House, we had a nice ripe Bosc pear with La Tur and Cravanzina cheeses, with a young, but delightful 2005 Ch. Rieussec - dry, with complex fruit, minerals, and flowers, and a long finish; it was very good with the pear and cheeses.