The Loire Valley wines had been treating us very well through
the first half of our meal. We still had three courses to go, and
despite being pretty full at this point, we forged, or should I
say, gorged ahead.
The Loire Valley wines had been treating us very well through the first half of our meal. We still had three courses to go, and despite being pretty full at this point, we forged, or should I say, gorged ahead.
The fourth course for dinner was going to feature some roasted Cornish game hens. The skins of the hens had been rubbed with thyme, butter and salt. Some white wine was put into the roasting pan to keep the birds from burning, but also for the nice basting broth that would come from the drippings. Cornish games hens, as opposed to regular chicken, were a good choice for the red wines we were going to enjoy. The slightly more pungent, gamey flesh would pair nicely with the earthy wines from the Loire region. Fresh steamed baby carrots and broccoli were served on the side.
Our second Chinon was served, a 2002 Charles Joguet – Chinon “Cuvee de la Cure.” This fruity red wine was so balanced and it literally seemed to dance on my tongue – probably my personal favorite of the night ($19).
The next wine was a 2000 Chanteleusserie Bourguiel “Vielles Vignes.” This old vine cabernet franc wine was rustic, herbaceous and dry. The soft fruit came through in the finish and was priced at $14.
Our host was again compelled to show us some more variations on the Loire Valley, and no one in the dinner party seemed to mind when he brought out a 2002 Lucien Crochet Sancerre.
“Glad you were sincere about the Sancerre,” someone quipped. This wine was almost effervescent, light and racy with good acidity.
We actually took a break, stretched and walked around, trying to let our stomachs digest a bit. The next two courses would feature much lighter fare.
The fifth course was a simple salad, made with fresh butter leaf lettuce and other spring greens.
A vinaigrette was tossed with the leaves and the plates were garnished with three types of goat cheese, including a soft cheese from Sonoma, a three-month aged French and a French cheese that had been aged a year. Its texture was hard, almost like Italian parmesan.
The salad was to be paired with a 2000 Didier Dagueneau – Pouilly Fume “Pur Sang.” Dagueneau is one of the most revered winemakers in the region, crafting extraordinary wines using both traditional techniques and fusing them with modern winemaking technology.
There are some vineyards where Dagueneau will only use a horse drawn plow, afraid the weight of tractors will damage the vines below ground.
This Pouilly Fume, as with all others, is made from the sauvignon blanc grape. The combination of fruit and terroir, leading to great balance and an awesome finish, were nothing short of captivating.
“I want to smell this wine all night long,” said one fan. “I would not even need to drink it,” said another ($45).
The final course was an assortment of dried and fresh fruits, including apricots, plums and apples. The host had reserved a special wine to end the evening. Rather than going with a sweet dessert style wine, he instead went with an aged Vouvray.
A 1990 Domaine du Viking – Vouvray was opened and distributed to the group.
After so much food, and so much wine, one would think there would be fatigue on our palates.
Perhaps a more ordinary wine would cause boredom, but not this one. Our host always reserves comments on the food and wine prior to letting us taste for ourselves, but he even confided before the first sip that “this wine will blow your mind.”
It was pure, clean, refreshing and concentrated with many flavors, including some floral notes, maple syrup and caramel – yet not sweet.
Low in alcohol at 12 percent, it did have a tiny, oily finish at the end, but this was not offensive at all. Heck, the white wine had been in bottle for almost two decades!
I was surprised to learn this wine was around $23, I would have guessed more. I liked it more than the Dagueneau.
Keep expanding your palates by trying not-so-popular wines. Learn from friends, keep an open mind and always let your taste decide what you like.
Cheers!
