Nice Bottles Don't Necessarily Make Good Pairings: Exhibit "A".

WINE TALK
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Cheers to that!:clinking_glasses:

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Congrats on your anniversary! Looks like it was an awesome meal.

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Thanks, Jeremy! :clinking_glasses:

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Ha, you missed this best part!

I had my usual Seared Magret de Canard as a main course, paired with a 2000 ChĆ¢teau Cheval Blanc

A man of great taste. One of my favorite wines of 2019. An exceptional wine. Sad to hear it was ponderous with that pairing, as I found it anything but that.

Happy anniversary!

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Happy anniversary!

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Happy anniversary, Noel, and I hope that you enjoy many more. Every thread that you have started along these lines in the history of this board merits reading and viewing for the stories and photos of extraordinary food and wine, and family and friends, fashioned thoughtfully, graciously and humbly.

(Itā€™s unfortunate that one of Nathanā€™s ignorant and senseless lectures appears in this thread but, if he shows up, thatā€™s exactly what can be expected.)

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Thanks, Robert. Yes, definitely a good wine which I am certain shall continue to improve over a very long time. Iā€™d check on it again in, say, 5-7 years from now, just to see how itā€™s coming along.

Best,

N

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Thank you, Joshua!

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Many thanks for your kind words, Martin. I am happy you enjoy my posts.

As regards Nathan, well, heā€™s harmless enough (I think); and amusing if in an annoying kind of way.

Best,

N

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champagne.gif Love the pithy response! [winner.gif]

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Happy Anni and great notes.

I can see how the Selosse VO might be a tough pairing champagne. I find itā€™s nutty, slightly oxidative characteristic better suited as an aperitif than a food wine.

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:champagne::clinking_glasses:

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Thank you, Kelly.

I agree; very good indeed as an aperitif. Iā€™ve had it (and a few other of their bottlings) with terrine of goose foie gras. It goes well enough.

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Charlie Fu was selling caviar for Berserkerday here recently and in that thread was an interesting and enlightening conversation about what to drink with caviar. People discussed how Champagne can wash the caviar flavor away. Your notes are written in a way that make me think that had I been there with you, I would have agreed with you.

Calling the 2000 Cheval Blanc ponderous with the duck and on the lower acid side also sounds quite accurate and is not a criticism of the wine itself. Young Bordeaux varieties can be very hard to match with anything besides a salted steak and are hard to serve after other wines. Like the Champagne seeming more of an aperitif, I often wonder whether I am meant to drink young merlot and cabs and cab franc with only appetizers, not a meal, other than a bloody salty steak, and not after eg red Burgundy.

I helped a friend with matching wines to some meals he was organizing. The wines for each course that matched the best were never the wines Iā€™d be the most excited to drink by themselves, and often the choices were clear yet very surprising.