Tonight’s dinner was a small Pollo Real Label Rouge chicken (3lb 8oz) cooked in our ancient GE Rotisserie (it was a wedding present), stuffed with shallots and a Sevillian Clementine, and basted with a mixture of butter, blood orange olive oil, SI Poultry Seasoning, Orange Peel, and Mesquite Seasoning. Veggie was Lima Beans cooked in chicken stock, Thai fish sauce, garlic, and marjoram, and finished with butter and black pepper. All was enjoyable with a 2000 Jos. Drouhin Beaune Clos des Mouches Blanc. I had looked for a Beaujolais, didn’t find one; and decided to see if the Beaune Blanc had any PremOx. It didn’t and was very good with the rich chicken - cork saturated less than a quarter inch, except for a seam of a half inch; medium yellow-green gold in color; rich nose and flavors of spicy pear, quince, and light citrus; balanced mid-palate with adequate acidity and lots of spicy fruit; and a long spicy fruit finish. I enjoyed this as much as would have a Beaujolais or light red Burgundy. All this was enjoyed while watching the sunset creep up the mountains, with a roaring fire in the fireplace, and Vivaldi String Symphonies to listen to.
The we retired to the den for dessert and to watch an interview with Lance Armstrong about his plans and expectations for the upcoming season, Stage 5 of the Tour Down Under, and Lidia’s Italian Kitchen (via TiVo), while sharing St. André, Brie de Meaux, and Morbier cheeses; with blueberry, apricot-almond, & pear-vanilla fruit pastes; with a very nice 1988 Ridge Zinfandel Bradford Mountain - cork barely colored; dark ruby in color with no lightness of the edge; rich dark berry fruit in nose & flavors; nice mid-palate with adequate acidity and rich berry fruit; and a medium-long rich berry finish. The zin was very good with the morbier without the fruit pastes, while the drier, richer cheeses worked with the zin and fruit pastes.