Opened tonight with a dinner of grilled, garlic= and herb-marinated, butterflied leg of lamb:
1993 Domaine du Pégäu Cuvée Reservée Chateauneuf-du-Pape color: pale garnet with brick at the edge nose: herbal, kirsch, slight alcohol note palate: smooth entry, cherry liqueur, herbs, pepper, good acidity, long finish
From a less-than-heralded vintage in the S. Rhone, this wine proved to be very much alive and in really good shape. Jean had noted that we hadn't opened up any really good wines from the cellar in quite a while, so this was in part a response (it also was chosen to pair with the lamb, which it did in spades). Another delicious testament to the winemaking at this estate. The food/wine pairing is a solid 4 on the Hoare scale.
Mark Lipton