Tonight, after an exhausting week of dealing with a sick kindergartner,
I decided that we needed a good dinner. Andrew, coming off a day at
school after missing 3 days with a high fever, went to bed early tonight
at 7:30, so I smoked a pheasant on the grill and made a risotto Milanese
to accompany some sauteed late-season Bok Choy. This was a dish that
called for a Burgundy to me, so I fetched from the cellar one of our
older bottles:

1996 Joseph Drouhin Beaune Clos des Mouches
color: brick red, going orange at the rim
nose: initially, soy sauce, orange rind, spices, raspberry fruit; later
becoming more overtly spicy, with notes of tea leaves
palate: high acidity, medium-light body

After reading a few less-than-salutary reviews on Cellartracker, I
approached this wine with some concern, but found that it was totally
unfounded. First of all, the cork was as sound and pristine as I've
seen in a wine of this age. Secondly, although there were plenty of
tertiary elements, this was a wine still in its maturity. Very nice
with the smoked pheasant and risotto, which brought the fruit out of the
wine. Altogether fine, and very satisfying.

Mark Lipton
--
alt.food.wine FAQ: http://winefaq.cwdjr.net

On Nov 13, 10:25�pm, Mark Lipton > wrote:
> Tonight, after an exhausting week of dealing with a sick kindergartner,
> I decided that we needed a good dinner. �Andrew, coming off a day at
> school after missing 3 days with a high fever, went to bed early tonight
> at 7:30, so I smoked a pheasant on the grill and made a risotto Milanese
> to accompany some sauteed late-season Bok Choy. �This was a dish that
> called for a Burgundy to me, so I fetched from the cellar one of our
> older bottles:
>
> 1996 Joseph Drouhin Beaune Clos des Mouches
> color: brick red, going orange at the rim
> nose: initially, soy sauce, orange rind, spices, raspberry fruit; later
> becoming more overtly spicy, with notes of tea leaves
> palate: high acidity, medium-light body
>
> After reading a few less-than-salutary reviews on Cellartracker, I
> approached this wine with some concern, but found that it was totally
> unfounded. �First of all, the cork was as sound and pristine as I've
> seen in a wine of this age. �Secondly, although there were plenty of
> tertiary elements, this was a wine still in its maturity. �Very nice
> with the smoked pheasant and risotto, which brought the fruit out of the
> wine. �Altogether fine, and very satisfying.
>
> Mark Lipton
> --
> alt.food.wine FAQ: �http://winefaq.cwdjr.net

Good to know....I have a few bottles left of the '96. Interesting
note on the soy element...I find it in all of the Clos de Mouches.

On Nov 13, 10:25*pm, Mark Lipton > wrote:
> Tonight, after an exhausting week of dealing with a sick kindergartner,
> I decided that we needed a good dinner. *Andrew, coming off a day at
> school after missing 3 days with a high fever, went to bed early tonight
> at 7:30, so I smoked a pheasant on the grill and made a risotto Milanese
> to accompany some sauteed late-season Bok Choy. *This was a dish that
> called for a Burgundy to me, so I fetched from the cellar one of our
> older bottles:
>
> 1996 Joseph Drouhin Beaune Clos des Mouches
> color: brick red, going orange at the rim
> nose: initially, soy sauce, orange rind, spices, raspberry fruit; later
> becoming more overtly spicy, with notes of tea leaves
> palate: high acidity, medium-light body
>
> After reading a few less-than-salutary reviews on Cellartracker, I
> approached this wine with some concern, but found that it was totally
> unfounded. *First of all, the cork was as sound and pristine as I've
> seen in a wine of this age. *Secondly, although there were plenty of
> tertiary elements, this was a wine still in its maturity. *Very nice
> with the smoked pheasant and risotto, which brought the fruit out of the
> wine. *Altogether fine, and very satisfying.
>
> Mark Lipton
> --
> alt.food.wine FAQ: *http://winefaq.cwdjr.net

I generally really like this bottling. I just looked at CT, there's
really only one derogatory note, from a taster I don't recognize. The
fact that he decided a 96 was probably past it before he tasted makes
me a bit ....shall we say less likely to listen to him for Burgundy
advice.