Tonight, Andrew took Jean and myself out to dinner with a $100 check from my mother. We walked downtown to dine al fresco at one of the better restaurants in town on their "all French wine is 50% off" night. Andrew got the duck breasts (we had to talk him out of the rack of lamb because it had an herbs de Provence rub that he might have found off-putting), while Jean got a smoked salmon omelet and I got Alaskan char with a tomato risotto. With our meal, we got:
2007 Domaines Schlumberger Pinot Gris "Les Princes Abbés" nose: minerals, citrus, tropical fruits palate: medium bodied, off-dry, firm acidity, rich mouthfeel, balanced
(Andrew had lemonade with his duck)
Speaking as someone who is not a big fancier of Pinot Gris, this was an excellent example of the genre. It managed to avoid being too big, ripe or alcoholic and preserved a good sense of balance that helped it pair with our food. It made for a very enjoyable meal and Andrew was thrilled that it came in just under his $100 budget! ;-)
Mark Lipton