Reminiscing over a Bottle of Chateau Haut-Brion 2001

George has been home for 10 days. I planned a simple dinner with pasta and cheese.

“Let’s have the Bordeaux Julien gave us,” said George who hadn’t had a sip of wine since his hospital stay. He was referring to the Chateau La Mission Haut Brion, brought by his brother. I thought it was a brilliant idea.

The Haut Brion was good, but it wasn’t great. I should have opened the bottle two hours ago. But then, who knew?

We had the pasta and enjoyed the Roquefort Société, Goat Gouda and Asiago while reminiscing about the memorable meals we have had on our travels.

“Best fish?” No question. We agreed on Loup de Mère at Tetou in Golfe Juan where we spent two months in a garden apartment across the street from the restaurant. It was only natural that we should become habitués. George opted for the Bouillabaisse at Chez Michel in Marseille—his great love.

“Best chicken?” At L’Ami Louis in Paris where we finished lunch and two bottles of wine at 4 o’clock and appeared that evening, stuffed and tired, at Joël Robuchon where we had made dinner reservations a month ago. The spit-roasted chicken doused in cognac and pistachio nuts by the joke-cracking chef/owner of L’Auberge des Seigneurs in Vence. And the extraordinary, juicy, crisp-skinned Poulette at Michel Bra in Laguiole, an ardenous Schlepp from Montpellier, but worth every kilometer.  .

“Best lunch?” The homemade charcuterie and beef stew at Café Sjiek in Maastrich; in the kitchen at Comme Chez Sois in Brussels; the buffet around the pool at La Mamounia in Marrekesh; in the garden of Le Pigonnet in Aix-en-Provence; and at Azrak in San Sebastian.

Once we hit the memory button, there was no stopping. What about the hors d’oeuvre beneath the Leger ceramics in the courtyard of La Colombe d'Or in St. Paul de Vence after which we named our restaurant in New York? The Bollito Misto at Diana in Bologna. Or dashing to Wheeler’s in London, after the theater, for Dover sole, Stilton and port.

We finished our meal long before we got around to best dinners. We have traveled a lot and eaten at so many places, it would take time to remember them. Besides, why blow it all during one meal? Nothing is more delightful than talking about food while eating.

My Summer Wines

In general, I prefer red wine to white. But during the summer, I lean toward the whites-- with a nod to Rosé--because white wines, served chilled, pair well with our summer dishes. In addition I look for wines with relatively low alcohol content because they are lighter in style and easier on the head.

The following wines are our current staples. All are under $20. I frequently try a newly recommended wine and make changes. Since we don’t have a wine refrigerator, I re-order frequently.

I am not a wine expert and my selections are based on “like a lot”, “like”, “don’t like.” I’ve starred our list accordingly.

White Wines

New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and Alsatian Riesling are my favorite white wines. Alsatian Pinot Gris and Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire run a close second. Lately, I have become enamored with Grüner Veltliner, Austria’s major grape variety. Good Grüner is dry and crisp, with a slight kick. Apremont from the Savoie region of France is another winner. Made with the 100% local Jacquère grape, it is dry and a bit flowery. The wine contains only 11.5% alcohol, but has enough backbone to stand up to food.

***Babich Sauvignon Blanc 2009

**Petit Bourgeois, 2009
Sauvignon Blanc
Vin de Pays du Val de Loire
Henri Bourgeois

***Willm, Riesling Reserve 2008

***Willm, Pinot Gris, 2008

**Pierre Boniface, Apremont, 2009
Vin de Savoie, French Alps

Rosé Wines

I always hesitate before I approach Rosés. Having tasted a lot of different Rosés in the last two months, the following three have made the grade.

Cherry red and mature, Giugal’s Tavel is a Rosé with muscle. Griffin’s Sangiovese Rosé comes from the heart of Washington State. Bright and burthing with flavor, it does Sangiovese proud. I confess, the peach colored, Couer D’Estélles Rosé, made it for sentimental reason: it reminds us of the year we lived with the children in the Provençe.

***E. Giugal , 2007
Tavel

***Barnard Griffin
Sangiovese Rosé, 2009
Columbia Valley

**Coeur Estérellelle, 2009
Côtes de Provence

Red Wines

I discovered the ItalianMontepulciano d’Abruzzo only recently. It is an excellent, well balanced wine that I like to serve with pasta dishes. The Spanish Rioja has been a favorite for quite some time. No reason to change it.

***Cantina Zaccagnini, 2007
Montepulciano d’Abruzzo

**Marqués de Caceres Rioja, Crianza 2005

In addition, I always have a bottle of Prosecco Zartdetto Brut in the refrigerator, in case we are in celebratory mood.

A Word About Wine

I don’t know which I like more: food or wine. Since one compliments the other, it’s a winning situation of which I take full advantage. With rare exceptions, we always have wine with dinner. My choice may not be perfect, but I’m not a purist and don’t fret over it.

If I like a certain wine, I remain faithful to it for a long time, giving one criterion: none costs more than $13. a bottle, including tax. That applies particularly to our house wines: Marqués de Cáceres Rioja Crianza 2005, Côtes du Rhône, Saint-Esprit, 2007, Delas, and Bogle Vineyards, Petite Syrah, 2007. The Rioja is excellent with meat dishes. The Rhône Saint-Esprit is lighter in style and good with chicken and pasta. The Bogle is straight forward and straddles everything.

Our present white house wines are Babich Sauvignon Blanc 2009, and Côtes du Rhône, Guigal Blanc 2007. The Sauvignon Blanc is a wine lover’s dream and deserves a medal for being reliable and utterly delicious. Although there is a lot of good Sauvignon Blanc available, I favor the one from New Zealand.

Beyond that, we have favorites: George likes Sangiovese, the primary wine from Tuscany. I love Riesling, especially the one from the Mosel region. Alas, it’s hard to find. Ever so often Eric Asimov, the wine critic for the NY Times, conducts a Riesling tasting and gives a glowing report. Wine Spectator, which I read avidly, does the same. But try and find their recommendations! It’s totally academic. Fortunately Alsace produces benchmark Rieslings, and I’m happy with them.

Occasionally I will buy a wine to pair with a particular dish. A Muscadet to pair with salad; a dry Vouvray for a salmon preparation; even a Beaujolais-- not my favorite wine—to accompany a simple chicken dish.

When we used to go out for dinner, I liked to have a glass of champagne before we decided on our order. Aside from that, I don’t think champagne pairs well with food. We’ll drink it on New Years’ Eve, to be sure, and maybe to celebrate a birthday. We like Pol Roger and Veuve Clicquot. Prosecco can be fun.

French Bordeaux and Burgundy used to be our favorite wines. Now their prices are out of sight. Maybe that is just as well. Recently a well meaning friend brought us a bottle of Chateau La Mission, Haut Brion 2001.Checking it out in Hugh Johnson’s “Pocket Wine Book”, I read that it is a grand scale, full-bodied, long maturing wine with fine tannins. Other sources exalted the wine for its fantastic richness, silky texture and extraordinary balance. All call it irresistible. Now I wonder what meal would be worthy of such a treasure. I still haven’t figured it out.

I deal with three wine stores: Yorkshire Wines & Spirits, Sherry-Lehmann, and Mr. Wright Fine Wines & Spirits. Yorkshire Wines is located one block from us. They have a good selection of wines, are competitively well priced, and give a 10% discount on 12 bottles. It took me a while to realize that Sherry-Lehmann is anything but an expensive store. Their selection is fabulous and their prices are fair. Marty, one of their salesmen, knows my preferences and advises me accordingly. Comes the summer, Mr. Wright, another neighborhood store, has the most comprehensive selection of Roses. Their mark-up is slightly higher than the previous two stores, but I can depend on Joe, one of their sales people, for needed suggestions.

As always, I welcome your comments.
Cheers!


Yorkshire Wines ((212) 717-5100
Sherry-Lehmann, (212) 838-7500
Mr. Wright (212) 722-4564