What to eat with these wines?

A search (google groups) will show several threads re good books, for a real novice I'd suggest the rather clear "Wine for Dummies."

As to your wines: Exigence D'Yvon Mau Bordeaux Superieur 2000 Good news is good year, bad news is not my favorite producer. Expect a fairly ripe merlot/cab sauv blend, I'd go with a meat dish.

Pur Sang Didier Dagueneau Blanc fume de pouilly 1998 Great if atypical producer, ok year. This is a big Sauvignon Blanc. I had one bottle of this, a surprisingly good combo was a salad with goat cheese and tomatoes (goat cheese is a typical rec with Pouilly Fume, but this is an atypical PF. But the tomato's acidity cut the oakiness of the Pur Sang). Safer combo would be a fish dish.

Savigny-Narbantons Premier Cru Domaine Camus-Bruchon 1996 Don't know producer, but my favorite vineyard in Savigny. Good year. Expect a fairly high-acid Pinot Noir. I'd go for a dish featuring mushrooms, or possibly duck.

Chateauneuf-du-Pape Domaine Du Galet Des Papes Jean-Luc Mayard 1998 Lamb with herbs. If you drink now, open and decant well in advance (if you have a cool place to store, I personally would drink this in 5 years).

Chateau De Saint Cosme Gigondas 1999 Probably more ready. Also good with lamb with provencal herbs.

PLease report what you think, no matter what you eat! Dale

Dale Williams Drop "damnspam" to reply

A few additional thoughts:

While I'm no Yvon Mau fan, and have never heard of the Exigence , my guess is this is an attempt at a luxury wine in the Bordeaux Superieur AC (kind of like Reignac). Big year, so lots fo ripe fruit and my guess is lots of new oak. So I'd say red meat, like steak.

Chateauneuf-du-Pape Domaine Du Galet Des Papes Jean-Luc Mayard 1998

CdP is made from a combo of up to 13 grapes, the most commonly used being Grenache, Mouvedre, and Syrah. 1998 was a very good year, the reason I mentioned waiting (or decanting a lot if now) is that CdP is well-known for "going to sleep" soon after release, my guess is opening a bottle now and pouring right away will give you a somewhat muted expereince (though unlike big Medoc wines, I seldom find sleeping CdP unpleasant)

Chateau De Saint Cosme Gigondas 1999

This doesn't say Valbelle does it? The Valbelle is the more expensive (and oakier) cuvee. The regular is a nice wine that can be drunk fairly early (similar grapes to CdP, usually mostly Grenache with some Mouvedre and Syrah).

HTH Dale

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