thats rough. Did it seem more like bottle variation or just fruit dropping off into a dumb phase? I was heavily considering to go buy some based on your first post, now holding back.
I don’t know if this helps, but even after I had the second experience, I went out & bought more. I think what happened was I put the wine in two different trials and one it was the best possible outcome, the other was the other end of the spectrum. For me & this wine 2013 is a bit too young. I usually wait until the wine is at least 10+ years post vintage to open & enjoy with steak. The trial with Chocolate cake was on a whim, and I think was such a hit that I thought I could open the wine with steak sooner than I normally do.
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We look at wine just like any other ingredient to meal. Looking for things that complement or enhance the experience. Some of our favorites that we do often:
- Salad with roasted golden beets and goat cheese crostini with Sancerre
- Pork and Riesling is an obvious one and one of our favorites is dry German Riesling with tonkatsu
- Duck confit with red burgundy is a classic for a reason
- We make pizza once a week and love pairing different wines with different pizzas. Last week was a white base with a little mild Italian sausage and veggies like kale, scallions & mushrooms. Trousseau from Arnot Roberts was a very nice pair
- We have been having Hog Island Oysters ship down at least once a month for a the past few months and either Muscadet or Chablis hits the spot every time
- Roast chicken and roasted potatoes are a house favorite and while red burg works, I strongly prefer white burgundy with our preparation. Roast chicken a few weeks ago with 2017 Ramonet La Boudriotte was on the money
- Mature Barolo and white truffle works for a reason. Hard to bit that combo. Recent white truffle risotto with 99 Cappellano was very nice although the wine probably needs another 10 yrs.
- Wild boar ragu and mature Sangiovese is another. I usually make a big batch of sauce 2-3 times a year and freeze some for quick weekday dinners.
Tonight the plan is a grain salad with farro, arugula and rotisserie chicken from the store. Thinking Chardonnay.
John Morris wrote:
Actually, roast chicken is great with almost any red!
Completely agree with this, John. So many different red wines pair well with roast chicken. Grilled Tri-Tip also goes well with so many different reds.
Ed
Interesting…Will have to give this a shot.
2016 Dagueneau blanc fume de pouilly with grilled spanish octopus
Good lord… Yes, so good.
My first “real” wine pairing meal was at Cyrus in Healdsburg - many years ago. It’s the meal that set the wine pairing hook in me for good, and probably the best meal I’ve ever had too. I do not recall all the courses/pairings, but one was Sauternes and seared Fole Gras on toast with a pear chutney. Amazing…
I attended a wine pairing lecture with Jancis Robinson and her husband. They handed out several pairings and all were good, but one still stands out to me. Air-popped popcorn with black truffle salt (no butter) and sparkling wine. I do not care for any three of those on their own, but together - brilliant!
Vin Jaune and comté with toasted walnuts is the pairing that I’ve been trying to exceed ever since I first had it, but nothing I’ve personally experienced has surpassed the harmony of that combination. Bonus of making Coq au Vin Jaune to pair with the rest of the bottle.
Agreed re mature Nebbiolo/ anything with shaved truffle, Tondonia Blanco and seafood paella, and Champagne with fried chicken and/or potato chips.
Most surprising for me has been Sauternes with a rich, gooey cheeseburger with short rib on top of the patty. Put me in a food coma for hours afterwards, though!
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Great one! About two years ago I had bone marrow with a 1990 auslese on a whim, and it was a revelation.
So many other great ones here — classics and innovations.
My one contribution would probably be Kibbeh and 20+ year Musar. And for the adventurous, kibbeh nayeh (lamb tartare). Although I must admit a 2013 Vernay cote rotie “Blonde du Seigneur” also worked pretty well tonight with fadayeh, Syrian rice and fatoosh.
What is it about the wines with the cuisine of the same homeland? I hate to be overly rigid, but honestly I can’t remember the last red sauce dish I had without Sangiovese/Montepulciano in some form.
No joke- best pairing I ever had was a 30 yr old Auselese with Bibingka (traditional Filipino sponge cake)
Other, non-obvious good ones:
- Sauternes with aged blue cheese
- Rose Champagne with lobster roll (Connecticut style, NOT Maine style, which is a sin; look up the difference if you are not familiar)
- Blanc de blanc with warm Chocolate Chip cookies
- Gewurztraminer with spicy Italian sausage
- Condrieu with Filet Mignon
One more…my favorite steak wine is NOT Cali Cab or Bordeaux, but RIOJA!
This. Roast chicken with white Burgundy, and 2017 Ramonet in Particular, is tough to beat
My wive loves Latour and Carl’s Jr.
I know it’s cliche, but duck and pinot/Burgundy.
Smoked prime rib and cali cab.
They make fresh King Crab at water Grill in Orange County and it’s the best match I’ve even encountered with Didier Dagueneau’s wines. Just call it his ‘house style!’
Aubert chard and salmon is a nice match, for me.
Oregon Pinot Noir and my father in laws smoked salmon.
My favorites are (mostly cliche, but hey, they work):
Salmon (baked or pan-roasted) with a nice Oregon Pinot or Burg
Off-dry Riesling with sushi or spicy asian food
Chianti Classico and sharp cheddar
Bordeaux and lamb
Big ripe cab and a juicy burger
Brunello with a pasta w/red sauce
Champagne w/oysters
White
Krug and fresh sea urchin
Red
Vintage Barolo and white truffle risotto
Good one, Noah.
When we visited Kyoto a year ago, the Wagyu beef we ordered our first night there was served accompanied by a young Rioja and the pairing was amazing.
Cheers,
Doug
champagne- BdB, BdN or Rose and Fried Chicken!
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Its easy to find a good pairing with steak but agree Rioja is one of the best. Best steak I have ever had was chuleton de buey at both Etxebarri and a place called Asador Alameda in Fuenmayor on the same Spain trip. There is something about Galician beef that is just amazing and paired with a nice aged LdH even better.
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