During Betsty's season we try to schedule "date night" once a week, a
night that we just do something together. Usually we go out, but
Sunday was the day this week, and after a morning speech at a church
and a stiff neck, I couldn't get up enthusiasm for going out. So Betsy
stepped into the breech, and made a fabulous date night at home meal.
All dishes from an old copy of Pierre Franey's 60 Minute gourmet: a
2.5" porterhouse in red wine sauce, potatoes in a cream sauce, and a
dish of turnips, mushrooms, and carrots. There was also salad and she
even picked up 3 cheeses (Valdeon, Pecorino Tartuffo, and Ardrahan)
for me. I opened the 1998 La Louviere (Pessac-Leognan) rouge. Really
lovely middleweight Graves, mostly black currant fruit but an
occasional hint of red berries, as it got some air lots of damp earth
and some cigarbox. Tannins are pretty integrated, but enough body to
stand up to the meat. After an hour it still had vibrant fruit, but a
mushroomy/truffly edge had joined the earthy notes (which made it go
very well with the Pecorino). I think I paid $20-22 for these, hard to
find that kind of value these days. But a very nice example of a
fairly classic styled Bordeaux. A-/B+

Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent
wine, B a good wine, C mediocre. Anything below C means I wouldn't
drink at a party where it was only choice. Furthermore, I offer no
promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.