"Ed Rasimus" skrev i meddelandet news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com...
>
>>Consumed last night with grilled elk steaks (a Hugh Johnson recommended
>>pairing - dead on)
>>
>>nose: brambly blackberry and a slight meatiness
>>palate: big, loads of berry fruit, lightly tannic with good structure
>>and a noticeable meaty character, long finish
>>
>>This 98% Mourvedre cuvée from the Dutheil sisters was purchased
>>ex-domaine while visiting there with Mike Tommasi, Nils and Christina
>>Lindgren and hand-carried back to the US. Still young and somewhat
>>tight, it really benefitted from the pairing with the elk, which brought
>>out the fruity elements and rounded out the wine nicely. A really good
>>wine and a good food match, there is no hurry to drink this puppy as
>>it'll easily go another 5-10 years.
>>
>>Mark Lipton
>
> I struggle to think of a decent red wine that wouldn't go well with a
> elk steak that has been brought within five feet of the flame and held
> there for a scant fifteen seconds or so per side. An elk backstrap is
> a wonderful thing.
>
> That being said, the Bandol gets a comment. I've only tasted Bandol
> twice, and I don't recall the vintner. The first bottle was in a
> restaurant specializing in mussels done in a dozen or so
> styles--almost all good, but admittedly not a perfect foil for a red. >
> The bottle had a nose that would gag a stable mucker and the taste
> followed through on the promise of the bouquet. Even a friend who will
> gag down almost anything, found it unbearable. The waiter and maitre'
> when summoned both confirmed to us that the wine was correct and that
> was the way it was supposed to taste! We still returned it and ordered > something else.
>
> After an otherwise delightful lunch, we retired to the friends house
> where he recalled a Bandol that he had in the cellar. This one was
> eighteen years old, rather than the five year old we had (or didn't
> have) at the restaurant. We opened, swirled, sniffed and swirled again
> only to be greeted with a much cleaner stable and animals that
> apparently had benefited from a better diet. Still not good, but at > least drinkable.
>
> Mourvedre always seems to my taste to be barnyardy (newly coined
> descriptor), and while it seldom achieves the rancidity I encountered
> in one day in those two Bandols, it isn't on my short list for good > experiences.
>
> Maybe I should revisit the grape in general and Bandol in particular?
Mike T apparently being out of town (he usually hears the word "Bandol" mentioned on the NG even while fast asleep) I will go in and vouch for the worthwhileness of such a visit.
Cheers
Nils Gustaf