Dinner with friends
Traci and I spent a superb evening with good friends recently and had some notable bottles. We served up steak frites and if there’s a better feel good meal out there, I want to know about it… Fresh fries right out of the pot are truly a magical thing.
The evening started off with a tightly wound 2005 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc. Toasted almond, white flowers, a little floor wax and lemon curd aromas mixed with lots of crushed stone and mineral notes show up on the nose and the palate is medium bodied, tight and slightly compact. This fleshed out with air and is an outstanding, rich white to drink over the near term or with a good 5 more years in the cellar.
The steaks came off the grill at this point and we followed the white up with a stunning Chateauneuf look alike from the central coast. The 2007 McPrice Myers Grenache L’Ange Rouge showed fantastic kirsch and raspberry fruit, full body and a great finish. This is the second time I’ve had this wine inside the month and I’ll have a full write up on this producer in November. A 2005 Château Le Pey was over shadowed by the McPrice but offered medium fruit with some tannic grip on the finish.
The evening was capped with a rocking bottle of 2003 Graham Vintage Porto. Yeessh, a serious wine that is just packed with blackberry fruit, spice, underbrush and jam notes. Full bodied, decadent and balanced, this is a beauty that should have a long life ahead of it. Didn’t pair up too well with the creme brulee but both were knockouts none the less.
A great evening with good friends and fun wines.
2005 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc - 91 pts.
2007 McPrice Myers Grenache L’Ange Rouge - 93 pts.
2003 Graham Vintage Porto - 95 pts.
September 29th, 2009 at 4:38 pm
Hey Jeb -
Nice notes! My wife and I just finished up steak and frites as well this evening, but made from sweet potatoes. Yum. Nicely downed with a 2007 Cosme Gigondas, which is only gaining depth on us. I need to pick up more.
Have you had the 2007 Calendal by Phillip Cambie? My local retailer just got it for $29.00. Some nice notes on CT. They also got another one I know nothing about: 2007 Gilles Troullier L’Espirit du Temps. Both of the guys I know well, and respect well, called it a mid-90s wine. I’m a bit skeptical, but I guess for $30 it’s worth a shot. No information anywhere on the web.
Had some total losers this past weekend:
2005 Paradis (tradition and the upper end). The 2007 vintage Parker rating 92-95. Waiting on my order. The ’05s suck. I’m not feeling confident.
2007 Ch. de Peyrassol - Another horrid CDR rendition. Could not get past the acetone nose. Poured it out. Worse than “sucked”!
Total of $65 bucks in sucky wine. So much for relying on the recs of a retailer I rarely visit, and visits henceforth will be even more rare.
Fortunately the 2004 Leoville Poyferre was damn good.
Cheers man!
Robert
October 5th, 2009 at 6:55 pm
How was the Gigondas?
I haven’t had the ‘07 Calendal but I was a big fan of the ‘06… I probably under rated that wine in retrospect. Big stuff for sure. Sorry to hear ’bout the crap bottles. Once I’m done with the next newsletter… seriously, I’m working through 4 to 5 bottles a night… and the November 1st date I set is scaring me… I’ll jump back into the cotes du rhone villages. If you find any gems, holler!
Later Robert and thanks for the post.