French Wine Dinner

1-course: Chilled Oyster, Peach Mignonette, Shallot, White Soy served with Louis Roederer 2017 Brut Rose Champagne France Jeb Dunnuck 95 Rating The 2017 Champagne Vintage Rose is co-fermented from a blend made at harvest time. It pours a pristine bright salmon color and shimmers in the glass, offering notes of peaches, fresh berries, white pepper, and Mirabel. The palate has surprisingly good tension and lovely focus. A superb and more gastronomic wine, it has a hint of warmth, but it is more the spice that comes through. Drink 2025-2045.

2-Course: Foie Gras Torchon, Charred Pineapple Coulis, Toasted Brioche served with Chave 2019 Hermitage Blanc Northern Rhone Valley France Jeb Dunnuck 98+ Rating Another incredible white from this family is the 2019 Hermitage Blanc, a powerful, concentrated, and remarkably pure Hermitage that has laser-like focus as well as textbook Marsanne notes of quince, green almond, powdered rock, licorice, and spice. It’s still tight, focused, and inward at present, yet it reminds me of the 2018 with its purity and rare mix of power and elegance. It’s worth trying a bottle any time over the coming 3-5 years, but after that, I’d recommend waiting until after 2031.

3-Course: Seared Duck Breast a’l’ Orange, Vadouvan Carrot Puree, BlackberryGastrique served with: Bouchard Pere & Fils 2018 Chambolle-Musigny Cote de Nuits Burgundy France Wine Spectator 93 Rating Silky and exuding violet, blackberry and black currant, this red is about as alluring as a young Burgundy gets. It firms up on the finish with refined, cocoa powder tannins. Vibrant and long too. Drink now through 2028.

4-Course: Herb Roasted Lamb Lollipop, Summer Ratatouille, Pistou served with: Château de Nalys 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape Southern Rhone Valley France Wine Spectator 95 Rating Highly Recommended Selection #10 Top 100 Wine Spectator 2021 A bright savory note leads off this red, followed quickly by sanguine and bay leaf accents, all melding nicely with the core of steeped blackberry, raspberry and plum fruit flavors as they move through the rich, licorice root–tinged finish. Best from 2022 through 2035.

5-Course: Entrecote a la Bordelaise, Thyme Pomme Fondant, Caramelized Shallots served with: Chateau Phelan Segur 2018 Saint-Estephe Bordeaux France Jeb Dunnuck 95 Rating The flagship 2018 Château Phélan Ségur is a beauty based on 57% Cabernet Sauvignon and 43% Merlot. This was a great vintage for the Médoc, and the 2018 reveals a dense purple hue to go with powerful notes of blackcurrants, iron, smoked tobacco, chocolate, and earth. Rich, full-bodied, and concentrated, it has beautiful tannin’s, remarkable purity of fruit, and just does everything right. It has some up-front appeal today (no doubt due to the high Merlot content), yet it builds with time in the glass and shows more and more structure with air. It deserves 5-6 years of bottle age and will keep for 20-25. It’s every bit as good as the 2016, if not better.

6-Course: Citrus Infused Pot de Creme, Apricot Confit, Shortbread Crumble served with: Chateau Rieussec 2003 Sauternes Bordeaux France James Suckling 97 Rating So rich and powerful with so much dried apricots and citrus aromas and flavors. Caramel and toffee. Full and very sweet. Amazing.

Questions? Text me at 941-404-9685