Enoteca Vin Restaurant in Raleigh is running weekly specials of reserve wines being available in 3-oz. pours (generally only sold by the bottle.) I had dinner there Saturday and had 3-oz. pours of two of the $10 pours and one $15 pour plus dinner. All three wines were from the decade of the 90's.
They didn't have quite 3 oz. left of one of the Chablis so gave me a break on the price.
With appetizer of shrimp with lemon aioli and fried green tomatoes over wilted arugula.
I had them bring both Chablis at the same time so I could compare them and enjoy them with the appetizer.
1998 F. Raveneau Chablis "Mont Mains"
Lemon "fizz" or carbonated citrus drink was the initial impression of the nose. The wine was pale and transparent in appearance. Gunmetal flint and an unusual flavor that I couldn't pin down and that I felt would probably not appeal to everybody. I found it took a little getting used to and didn't have the immediate appeal of the other Chablis. Still, enjoyable.
1996 Dauvissat-Camus Chablis "Les Preuses"
This was one of the $15 offerings but was the one that had less than 3 oz. left so I got a break on price. Pale and transparent. Rocks or cement on the nose. On the palate, has the flint I've been missing in recent Chablis tastings. Acidic, but not off-putting. Also frosty lemon drops on the palate. Citrus fruit meets flint. Perhaps more food-friendly with the shrimp dish than the "Mont Mains." Yummy! I want more!
1995 Beaux Freres Pinot Noir, Oregon
This was a $10 offering which I had with my entree of hanger steak medium, pommes frites (something like shoestring potatoes) and morel mushrooms.
Medium garnet or ruby color, somewhat transparent, quite viscous. Aromatic cherries and berries on the nose. Rich, lush fruits on the palate along with considerable pepper. Smooth and balanced. Tastes fresh and young 13 years after harvest. Nice with beef. In my opinion the morels were overcooked so I couldn't really say how the wine paired with the mushrooms. The peppery note was more noticeable without food--too peppery on its own. Not a fault with the food.
After the hanger steak with pommes frites and morel mushrooms and 1995 Beaux Freres, I still had room to sample a cheese and chose the Brebis Ossau Black Label, a sheep's milk cheese from France. Description on menu says strong nuttiness, saltier flavor, great with robust reds. Aged longer than other Brebis and has a firmer texture.