To start the evening, we enjoyed a light-bodied Alsace Pinot Noir that paired well with the starter of water crackers with goats cheese wrapped in basil and sun-dried tomatoes. Our next taste was a comparison between an Oregon Pinot Noir and a Cote de Nuits Gevrey-Chambertin Burgundy, both from 2004 and around the £20-£30 price point depending on exchange rates and where you buy them. Even though the Gevrey-Chambertin didn't possess as much funkiness or barnyard smell as you might hope from a solid Burgundy, it was appropriately complex and very nice. The Oregonian Belles Souers Pinot fared exceptionally well against the Gevrey-Chambertin; the fruit was bright but not over ripe.
We put the first two wines aside to try a Californian Chalone Pinot Noir against a Vosne-Romanee Burgundy with the main course. I served lamb with a pomegranate relish alongside mashed potatoes and sauteed spinach, both with adequate but restrained amounts of garlic and pepper. This second set of wines didn't match each other exactly for price or vintage, but were still worthy contenders against each other. They were both quite good, and nearly as excellent as the first pair...but maybe that was our taste buds slacking off after a few glasses.
I feel like I cheated a bit with dessert, serving store bought chocolate souffles by Gu, but to be honest, I don't think I could top this brand even if I had made them from scratch. They are excellent. The hot gooey chocolate souffles served with vanilla ice cream continued to go well with the Pinots into the wee hours of the morning...
A summary of the wines tasted is below:
- 2004 Cave de Turckheim Pinot Noir
(France, Alsace, Turckheim) - 2004 Beaux-Freres Pinot Noir Belles Soeurs
(USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley) - 2004 Domaine Heresztyn Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes
(France, Burgunday, Cote du Nuits) - 2005 Chalone Estate Pinot Noir
(USA, California, Central Coast) - 2001 Domaine Robert Arnoux Vosne-Romanee
(France, Burgundy, Cote de Nuits, Vosne-Romanee)
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