Tonight, we celebrated Jean's return from several days of privation at a
scientific meeting in a New Hampshire boys' school by cooking dinner and
opening a couple of wines.

With a tomato gazpacho:
2006 La Vieille Ferme Cote de Ventoux Rosé
c: lurid hot pink
n: muted, a hint of strawberry
p: fairly simple with a limited sense of fruit, decent acidity

Although not a very exciting rosé, it did stand up well to the tomatoes
in the gazpacho.

With smoked duck, green beans and bread:
1988 de Montille Volnay 1er 'Tailepieds'
c: intense ruby red with faint orange at the rim
n: initially, pencil lead and a green, sappy note; after 45 minutes'
decanting, bright raspberry
p: tart raspberry, resolved tannins, medium body, acidic

Although Jean and I find that Pinot Noir usually pairs better with some
birds other than duck, the smoking of this bird called for a Burgundy
and we just happened to have a few bottles of this lying around the
cellar from an auction lot purchased a year or two ago. The decanting
was essential and several hours might have done it even more good. No
hurry to open up the remaining bottles, that's cetain.

Mark Lipton
--
alt.food.wine FAQ: http://winefaq.hostexcellence.com