Monday was the Zuni cafe roast chicken with bread salad recipe (still my all time favorite chicken dish), with beet salad and cauliflower. She suggests Pinot Noir, I opened the 2004 Catherine et Claude Maréchal "Cuvée Gravel " Bourgogne. Red and black cherry fruit, some earth and a little pepper. Structured and nicely ripe, I can't see any trace of the green some keep finding in 2004s (though I've mostly been sampling wines from Cotes du Beaune). B+
Tuesday I was in charge, dinner was leftover cassoulet, preceded with some Tennessee proscuitto and accompanied by green beans in a mustard sauce (only I would pair beans and beans). I had done some digging to get out the 1995 Ch,. du Cayrou Cahors. Dark fruit, still a bit tannic though not the tannic monster of some Cahors. Sweeter blackberry fruit notes, some clay-ey earth and leather. A little low-acid for my tastes, but good wine and good match. B
Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C mediocre. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a party where it was only choice. Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.