Some wine notes from the last week

With duck breasts in a pomegranate sauce, we drank 2006 Texier Cote du Rhone Brezeme; lovely smell of dark cherries and coffee grounds, texture is a little chewy and the wine is a bit rustic, but the structure is excellent and the fruit fresh and vibrant. I loved this.

With fresh pasta in a ragu of venison and duck, we has the 2003 Castello di Monastero Chianti Classico Riserva; the wine goes down very easily and has no rough edges at all, smooth and dark, with some layers of mocha, this is not exactly a typical Chianti but still very nice. A bit more ripe and oaky than I prefer but still nicer than most 2003 Bordeaux I had.

For the Jewish New Year, we had lamb stew with quince accompanied by white rice, the 2004 Malartic Lagraviere, Pessac Leognan; this is one of my favorite Bordeaux from 2004. Dark with a shiny texture, smells of cassis and cedar, bright and juicy with minerals and herbs. I loved this but Jill found it too sweet; I think it pairs just right with the tart quinces.

With pan fried grass-fed ribeyes, roast potatoes and steamed spinach, we drank 2000 Chateau Clarke Listrac; nice smell of cassis and earth, this is well made, bright and fruity. A little lacking in depth (so maybe more watery than I expect) but a good bargain nonetheless.

With sauteed turbot and summer vegetables, we had a 2007 Pouilly Fuisse Ferret; Lovely yellow color, a little oak but the wine is bright and focused, flowery but with an abundance of minerals, it is very well stuctured with a long finish. Maybe a little expensive but I think it's worth it.

[Jenise]

With duck breasts in a pomegranate sauce, we drank 2006 Texier Cote du Rhone Brezeme; lovely smell of dark cherries and coffee grounds, texture is a little chewy and the wine is a bit rustic, but the structure is excellent and the fruit fresh and vibrant. I loved this.

With fresh pasta in a ragu of venison and duck, we has the 2003 Castello di Monastero Chianti Classico Riserva; the wine goes down very easily and has no rough edges at all, smooth and dark, with some layers of mocha, this is not exactly a typical Chianti but still very nice. A bit more ripe and oaky than I prefer but still nicer than most 2003 Bordeaux I had.

For the Jewish New Year, we had lamb stew with quince accompanied by white rice, the 2004 Malartic Lagraviere, Pessac Leognan; this is one of my favorite Bordeaux from 2004. Dark with a shiny texture, smells of cassis and cedar, bright and juicy with minerals and herbs. I loved this but Jill found it too sweet; I think it pairs just right with the tart quinces.

With pan fried grass-fed ribeyes, roast potatoes and steamed spinach, we drank 2000 Chateau Clarke Listrac; nice smell of cassis and earth, this is well made, bright and fruity. A little lacking in depth (so maybe more watery than I expect) but a good bargain nonetheless.

With sauteed turbot and summer vegetables, we had a 2007 Pouilly Fuisse Ferret; Lovely yellow color, a little oak but the wine is bright and focused, flowery but with an abundance of minerals, it is very well stuctured with a long finish. Maybe a little expensive but I think it's worth it.

Thanks for the notes. Am surprised to read an 04 Bordeaux described as too sweet--not a hallmark of the vintage from what I understand. I actually own various 04's, just haven't opened a single bottle yet. Think the wine has that much RS or is it just passing through a phase that will integrate later?

The Clarke--remind me whose property that is. I'm sure I had a Clark not long ago and it was Rothschild property or some such.

Hi Jenise,

My lovely wife thought it was a bit sweet, I remember her complaining about it a first but I disagreed and I couldn't understand why she would say that. We finished two bottles of the Malartic that evening and everyone, especially me, thought it was very good.

The Clarke's wooden case says Baron Edmond de Rothschild. I believe it's somewhat related to Lafite or owned by a cousin of the owners of Lafite.

Sometimes tart foods make otherwise balanced wines taste sweet to me, so maybe Jill would find it balanced in a different context... Just trying to save your remaining bottles!

Glad you liked the 06 Texier. I had it a couple of months ago but was a little underwhelmed, perhaps because buzz was such that expectations were too high.