We've been trying for ages to find a night that Betsy's bowmaker and
his wife could come over, we finally made it happen last night. Some
other friends joined us too, and we had a lovely mousse to mousse
meal. Really good conversation, nice people, good food, good wine.

While we chatted before going to table, with a trout mousse on
pumpernickel we had:
NV Pierre Peters Blanc de Blancs
This is a pretty good argument for cellaring non-vintage Champagne.
I've had this in cellar for 2-3 years. While I've always liked this
wine, this is best showing yet. Apples, pears, and allspice under a
heady aroma of bread dough just beginning to bake. Good acidity, fine
mousee, lovely. A-

First course was shrimp, little timbales of shrimp, garlic and wine
with a crust (this is a new fallback recipe for us, Betsy can put
together way in advance, only takes a little time in oven at end).

1996 Cazin (Le Petit Chambord) "Cuvée Renaissance" Cour-Cheverny
I love this wine, though it's not a good match. The sweetness is more
than I recall, though there is truly zippy acidity. Minerals, citrus,
and apricots, a little botrytis I think, great length, infanticide. B+
for the wine, C+ for the match.

2005 Selene Hyde Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc (Carneros)
Very good acidity for a California Chardonnay! Oh wait. Sorry. Melon
and tropical fruit, lots of body, a fair dose of oak. This actually
goes better with the shrimp than the Romorantin, its not my preferred
style but I actually like it. I'll say B/B+, but if one were grading
for varietal correctness a C.

Main course was the Zuni roast chicken with bread salad (Betsy felt
she had burned the bread, but it was fine by me) and Brussels sprouts
with garlic.

1979 Ch. du Tertre (Margaux)
Opened an hour before dinner, decanted right before main course.
Another good showing for this wine (for my tastes, I don't think fruit-
loving friend liked as much). Nice mature midweight Margaux, floral
nose with black cherry fruit, on the palate more blackcurrant with a
touch of leather. Cedar & cigarbox get more intense with time, some
forest floor notes, holds up well and I enjoy a glass while doing
dishes 4+ hours after decanting. A-

2001 Domaine Drouhin Pinot Noir (Willamette)
Pretty cherry fruit, lighter style than I remembered, more elegant
than exciting. A bit of sandalwood with time. B/B+

We had a cheese plate (Drunken Goat, Cashel Blue, and Zamarano- all
leftovers, I had hoped to supplement with maybe a Munster but my local
cheese shop was mysteriously closed for the day), and chocolate mousse
(with little crystalized flowers that she made on top). Not the ideal
dessert for the dessert wine, but I always enjoy by itself:

1999 Zind-Humbrecht "Clos Jebsal" Pinot Gris Sélection de Grains
Nobles (375)
I had been saving this for Yung to come to dinner, as he's a ZH fan.
I'm not really a fan of ZH table wines, but have a weakness for ZH
dessert wines. This is pretty damn tasty. Ripe peaches and apricot,
honied botrytis notes, ginger and those little candy orange segments
that my grandmother used to keep. I really like this, even if I enjoy
bashing ZH as much as the next guy. A-

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

NV Pierre Peters Blanc de Blancs
This is a pretty good argument for cellaring non-vintage Champagne.
I've had this in cellar for 2-3 years.

Totally agree Dale, I've bought some very cheap Lanson, tuck it away for a
few years....magic

On 2 May 2007 08:54:31 -0700
DaleW > wrote:

> We've been trying for ages to find a night that Betsy's bowmaker and
> his wife could come over, we finally made it happen last night. Some
> other friends joined us too, and we had a lovely mousse to mousse
> meal. Really good conversation, nice people, good food, good wine.
>

Taking good care of the bowmaker, a very good idea...

[]
> 1996 Cazin (Le Petit Chambord) "Cuvée Renaissance" Cour-Cheverny
> I love this wine, though it's not a good match. The sweetness is more
> than I recall, though there is truly zippy acidity. Minerals, citrus,
> and apricots, a little botrytis I think, great length, infanticide. B+
> for the wine, C+ for the match.
>

Hmm, you make me very sorry to have missed Cazin, although we were
happy at Belier. Sounds terrific.

I couple of opportunities to get there soon, I hope. We are getting a
dog for the kids, the kennel is not too far from there. Of course puppy
choosing requires multiple visits at 2.5 hours each way.

[]
> 1979 Ch. du Tertre (Margaux)
> Opened an hour before dinner, decanted right before main course.
> Another good showing for this wine (for my tastes, I don't think fruit-
> loving friend liked as much). Nice mature midweight Margaux, floral
> nose with black cherry fruit, on the palate more blackcurrant with a
> touch of leather. Cedar & cigarbox get more intense with time, some
> forest floor notes, holds up well and I enjoy a glass while doing
> dishes 4+ hours after decanting. A-
>

Bless, this sounds fine. Hope you have more, my cellar is empty of
79s of any stripe.

Time to go grab a bottle for dinner. Cottage pie, an easy match. Cheers!

-E

[]

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Emery Davis
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