Tonight's dinner of a three chesse baked lasagne called for a robust and
acidic red wine. While down in the cellar in search of such a mythical
beast, I came across a wine that might just fit the bill:

2005 Dom. Etxegaraya Irouleguy
nose: dusty, leafy, bright red fruit
palate: medium body, fresh acids, red fruit, lightly tannic, slightly
bitter finish

Opened in the mistaken belief that this wine was mostly Tannat (it's
actually 40% Cab Franc, 60% Tannat), my first impression was of a young
Cab Franc from the Loire. There might be a bit more tannic structure to
this wine than e.g. a Clos Roche Blanche Pif or Baudry Les Granges, but
all in all it cleaves pretty close to those models. In service of the
food, though, it did quite well, as the acidity and light tannins served
to cut through the tomatoes and cheese of the dish. Imported to the US
by Kermit Lynch.

Mark Lipton
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