Grand Cru Burgundy...w/ or w/out food?

I know that a nice high acid PN or Burgundy can be great with a meal...but what if I would to splurge and get a nice bottle of Grand Cru Burgundy. Would you all suggest that I drink it separate from a meal or would it be better paired with food?

It was meant for food. Coq au Vin would not be bad. Last time I was in Beaune, it was tripe with a nice Mercurey. Don't forget the mushrooms.

I prefer simple foods with a good Burg. Deli meats are a good choice and I do agree with the mushroom suggestion.

I would also consider a nice 1er Cru as opposed to a GC. Unless you really know hat you're doing, or have an experienced coach, the Grand Cru you select may well take lots of your money then rip your heart out and stomp on it. The 1er d'Angerville Volnay is better than many GCs I've tasted and comes at about half the price. Also, the 1er Jadot Clos des Ursules is a steal if you can find it.

However, if you do happen on a great GC you will be changed forever!

I agree that most wines are best with food, and a good wine needs somewhat simpler dishes, at least without a lot of competing spices, etc.! Give a good Burg plenty of breathing time, and a nice cool serving temperature too!

For after-dinner, try a Tawny Port (even the cheap one from the better Port houses are quite good, when chilled a bit anyway). Or a Vintage Port that has been decanted for at least 8 hours or so. Or a German Auslese, or Beerenauslese, Eiswein, etc.

Before dinner, maybe a German Spatlese, or a slightly sweet Alsatian like Gewurztraminer or Pinot Gris?

[Jenise]

Maria: mushrooms. Or beef stew. Or a veal chop, or...lots of possibilities. If it was a mature GC, I'd personally plan to spend an hour with a glass before dinner. If it's young, it will need food. It will also need a lot of decanting, more than likely. Be sure to give it plenty of time to breathe, like ALL day.

Firstly, if you're going to drop a few hundred dollars on a bottle of Grand Cru Burgundy, I suggest drinking it when it's ready (even in great vintages, youthful wine tends to blur the boundaries of Grand Cru vineyards, making them less Grand than they can be). Depending on what's available to you, that could mean years. Clearly in a case like this, the wine is the focus of the dinner, and the food merely a vessel to extract even more enjoyment. But, the correct dish WILL make the wine even more spectacular. Personally, I like to share special wines with friends over a long, drawn out dinner. AND you could always try Premier Cru first and go from there!


Prost!
Bill

Would you all suggest that I drink it separate from a meal or would it be better paired with food?

Yes and yes.

[David M. Bueker]

Certainly it's not a bad idea to have at least a half glass before the meal to see what the wine is like on its own. Then follow the rest of the bottle through the meal.

Good friend Maureen Nelson has twice made a fantastic bone-in pork loin roast that is roasted atop a bed of garlic cloves and thyme. It is sooooooo yummy, and a great Burg accompaniment.

A few thoughts:

I agree that with a GC Burgundy you want food - but to complement, not dominate. Roast chicken is always good. Duck has a great affinity to Burgundy, as do mushrooms. Pork does well as David suggests.

I agree that you might want to think about a nice 1er rather than a GC. But if you do want a GC, don't panic at mention of "a few hundred dollars." That (or way more) might be standard tariff for Musigny, Richebourg, or Chambertin from a good producer. But in the $50-150 range you can find good producers' Romanee St. Vivant, Grands Echezeaux, Clos de la Roche, Clos St. Denis, etc. Or Clos des Lambrays, and the better situated Clos de Vougeot. All of which can be outstanding. What I would not advise is the Clos de Vougeot, Corton, or Chapelle Chambertin from an obscure producer, which will sell for $50-100 (maybe less for Corton) on the basis of Grand Cru on the label, but almost invariably be not as good as a good producers 1er (or even village).
Producer is the single most important thing to me about any Burgundy.

Vintage matters, too. '99, '01, & '02 are great vintages, but GCs are mostly shut down right now. '98s are a bit variable as to stage. My favorite readily available drink now vintage is 2000 - some wines could use time, but most are fairly open (though the better ones have more life left than some critic's predictions)

If you haven't purchased your wine yet, best bet is to talk to the Burg guy at a serious wine store. He'll generally know what he has that is drinking well. While I think the "Burgundy is a minefield" thing is overstated, there are a lot of variables, and I have had several GC Burgundies where I would have preferred a village wine from a top producer (or even a Bourgogne from Lafarge, Bachelet, or Chevillon).

Boy, there are wonderful food/Burgundy suggestions in this thread.

Piling on -- food with Burgundy always -- simple food with the great Burgundies -- and sip a bit before and perhaps after the meal. But for me, Burgundy demands food.

Regards, Bob

Nice post, Dale!

Maria,

I love Burgundy and, like Rahsaan, could easily go either way. If I can suggest one great, but very simple, dish that works brilliantly with a top Burg - Peking Duck - finely carved (specially marinated and barbequed "fire") duck with slivers of shallot and lebanese cucumber drizzled with just a little fine quality Oyster sauce, a turn of freshly ground black pepper and wrapped in a thin Chinese pancake (about the size of a saucer plate). A marriage made in heaven!

Do you have a specific Grand Cru in mind at this stage?