Jean recently ordered various duck bits from D'Artagnan, so with a pan-seared Moulard duck breast (the size of a small roast) and some duck confit, I opened a Burgundy from the cellar:
1999 Dom. Maurice Écard Savigny-les-Beaune "Les Jarrons" 1er Cru
After a bit of barnyard was allowed to blow off the nose, what was left was a very robust and lively Pinot Noir: earthy, tart raspberry and vivid acidity. Really a fine match with the duck, too.
This bottle was a cellar orphan, as I found that I had the '02 version in CellarTracker but not this. Upon investigation, I found that this was my last remaining bottle of Écard's Savigny (I did have the '02 but must have consumed it in the last few years), which was cause for a bit of melancholy as I am quite sure that I will never again have a bottle of his wine. As a fare-thee-well, it functioned fabulously, and Jean and I both toasted M. Écard's good health.
Mark Lipton