Tonight’s dinner was Shepherd’s Lamb Loin Chops, seasoned with granulated garlic and Mesquite Seasoning and grilled to medium rare, finished with garlic pepper, rosemary, sea salt, and Tuscan EVOO. Veggie was a mixture of cauliflower and broccoli cooked in water with fish sauce and granulated onion; and finished with coarse sea salt and nutmeg. It was a tasty meal, enjoyed out on our patio, watching the rain clouds approach. It had been raining in the mountains, but stayed away from us through the meal. There were a few drops falling as we cleared the table. We very much enjoyed a 1989 Jaboulet Hermitage ‘La Chappelle’ with the meal. Fill was just under the capsule; cork was lightly saturated just under half-way; color was a deep ruby garnet, with no signs of aging; rich complex nose and flavors of spicy dark berries; balanced mid-palate with rich fruits and adequate acidity, resolved tannins;with a very long complex fruit finish. It still has a long life ahead.
Then to finish, we had a crisp Pink Lady apple with grappas; the Sarpa di Poli was much better tonight than previously; Carollee still liked the fruitiness of the Banfi better; I finished with a glass of the wood-aged Sangiovese from Badia á Coltibuono, nice tonight with the end of the rich, crisp apple. The rain never really showed up yet.