After a very warm September, temperatures have finally cooled to
Fall-like temperatures. This perhaps prompted us to harvest some of our
"crop" (Habaneros, sage and basil) and supplement it with a run to the
Farmer's Market on Saturday. The results were some fresh tomato sauce
from some "San Marzano" pomodoros, a ton of pesto and a new batch of our
regionally famous jerk sauce on Sunday. We celebrated this bounty by
applewood smoking a duck on Sunday and serving it with some roasted
sweet potatoes and a salad. With that meal, we opened:

1999 Bois de Boursan Chateauneuf-du-Pape (13.5% ABV)
nose: cherry liqueur, a hint of meat and minerals
palate: medium body, good acidity, cherryish fruit

This wine was the product of my search for a "feminine" CdP, as we both
felt that the wood smoke would be too much for Pinot Noir. Although
there were many older bottles beckoning, the combination of the softer
'99 vintage with the traditionality and simplicity of the producer made
for a good duck wine. The ABV tells the story of this wine, which was
not overly big or dark and a pleasure to drink on a Sunday night.

Tonight we made fresh cheese ravioli, which we served with tomato and
pesto sauces. In need of a pasta wine, I ended up with:

2005 Porter Creek Carignane (Sonoma)
nose: mixed black berry fruits, tar
palate: balanced, medium body, tarry fruit, good acidity

I purchased this wine at the winery over a year ago. At the time, it
had bright, forward blueberry fruit, but the 5 months of additional
bottle age have toned down the fruitiness and brought out some tarry
elements. Very appealing, and a good match for the pasta.

Mark Lipton
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