This week’s high/low picks come from the famed French wine producing areas of Burgundy and Bordeuax.
You don’t normally associate Burgundy with value. But, believe it or not, this week’s low (value) wine comes from Burgundy and it’s a Bourgogne Rouge with a bit of funk.
I got home from work late and was hungry. Not surprisingly, I had plenty of wine but not so much food. The only thing in my refrigerator was bread cheese and some random to-go container that wasn’t very appetizing late at night. The choice was obvious – cheese, which would be served with the bottle of Bourgogne Rouge sitting in the corner of my kitchen. I was pleased that I was able to put together a meal where I randomly paired food and wine without blowing the budget.
2009 Bourgogne Rouge, Domaine Bernard Ambroise
The wine was clear, day bright and ruby in color. On the nose the, the wine showed fruit notes of red cherry, red currant, raspberry, and pomegranate and non-fruit aromas of rose petal, as well as an undercurrent of cinnamon and nutmeg suggesting little oak usage. Being Burgundy, it had the required bit of forest floor. On the palate, the wine was dry, with medium plus acidity, moderate tannin, moderate body and medium plus alcohol(13%). The flavors on the palate presented the same as on the nose. Moderate finish.
Give my Burgundy – cheese pairing a try for your next party or impromptu meal. Suggested cheese pairings with this Bourgogne rouge:
- Le Pie d’Angloys– Soft ripened Cows Milk cheese from burgundy.
- Epoisses- Soft ripened cows milk cheese from burgandy.
- Reblochon- Cow’s Milk from the Savoie
Our high wine is not a budget saver and it wasn’t my first thought for pairing with seafood. While the white wines from Bordeaux can be amazing, you don’t necessarily think of them when looking for a white wine to pair with seafood. However, a recent white Bordeaux and crab experiences was sublime. King crab legs with garlic scented drawn butter and Chateau Carbonnieux Blanc… Amazing!
2007 Chateau Carbonnieux Blanc, Pessac Leognan
The wine was clear, bright, lemon yellow with green reflections. On the nose, moderate plus aroma concentration with fresh fruit notes of pink grapefruit, lime, starfruit and guava. Interesting non-fruit aromas of smoke, cedar, vanilla and toasted hazelnuts suggesting moderate plus usage of new French oak. A persistent wet gravel minerality and a under note of grass. The palate confirms the fruit and non-fruit aromas found on the nose. Dry wine with moderate to high acidity, medium plus alcohol (13%), highly complex wine with a long finish. Although an amazing wine I still believe it is a baby and another 5 years on the bottle would be worth waiting for.
