wine tasting dinner sept.19th saturday first call

Bon Appétit: Liquid Gems from France
September 19, 2009 with Michael Paré of L'Eft Bank Wine Company

30 dollars/person includes: mushrooms Durand/tomato coulis/French rice salad or soupand pork hachee/ scallops bourride/ poulet avec basil frommage/ tourte de blette

2008 Graville-Lacoste Graves Blanc
The Chateau Graville-Lacoste Graves 2008 is something like the return of a long-lost family member, who was lost-at-sea/lost-in-the-mountains/lost-in-the-Amazon-jungle… a lost soul just now finding its way back, a bit like Odysseus. This is a blend of 70% Semillon, 25% Sauvignon Blanc and 5% Muscadelle. Loaded with characteristics of limestone, redstone and grey silex, there are notes of lemon, fresh cut hay, thyme and traces of grapefruit and guava are intermingling in a context of well-balanced acidity and vibrant, racy fruit appeal. It’s certainly one of the best, if not the best value, in white Bordeaux on the market today. Produced by revered vigneron Hevre Dubourdieu of Chateau Romieu-Lacoste, this is an exceptional white wine that would be a likely choice for Fruti de Mer, a rather spicy sautéed seafood dish, traditional to French cafés and bistros this time of year.


2007 Meyer-Fonné Gentil
An assemblage of 30% Muscat, 40% Pinot Blanc, and %15 each Riesling and Gewurztraminer. This vintage is very aromatic, and lightly musky. It is a dry and well structured wine for enjoyment in all kinds of contexts, ranging from an aperitif to wine with a meal and friends.


2007 Lapierre Morgon Beaujolais
100% Gamay in the heart of the CRUS of Beaujolais. Biodynamic grape growing and wine making since 1981. From the winery: “Respectful of the environment and concerned by the quality of our wines, we do not use artificial fertilisers or weed killers, we prefer compost and plough our vines in order to keep them strong. Furthermore, for the protection of the vineyard, we prefer use of organic treatments, preserving yeast living on the bunch. You shouldn’t close the door to the progress, but the goal is to stimulate natural defences.


2007 Kermit Lynch Cotes du Rhone
A blend of mostly Grenche with some Syrah and Mourvedre thrown in for good measure. A pleasing wine: solid strawberry, cherry fruit from the Grenache, with weight from the dark fruit of Syrah and Mourvedre. 2007 was an exceptional year for wines from the Rhone Valley, and the best buys in the marketplace right now are found from this appellation. Enjoy, and, ideally, enjoy often.


2006 Domaine de Terrebrune Vin de Pays Terre d’Ombre
80% Mourvedre, 10 Grenache and 10% Cinsault. A baby Bandol. Bandol? Well, the reigning price of Mourvedre-based wines, with vineyards literally right up against the Mediterranean in the eastern part of southern France. Why a baby? Bandol wines need 18 months in wood, whereas this wine gets only 9 months. So the rich, intense, dark concentrated Mouvedre is in a nearly pure format, with the Grenache to add lightness and perfume, and the Cinsault to add complexity and a spicy richness at the back of the palate.