Chronicles Of Consumption

Languedoc - Domaine L'Aigueliere Tradition (Again)

I have already waffled a bit about this wine, but I have to rant about it again because we had it for a second time tonight and I think it is so bloody good for the price ($20). This wine, Domaine L'Aigueliere 'Tradition' 1996 (reviewed before here) is awesome, one of those gems that you find in the South of France if you look hard enough. Traditionally being a region that mass-produced very cheap Vins de Tables, there is definitely a good deal of average wine down south. Since the advent of the Vin de Pays classification and with the increase in demand for varietal wines, however, some folk are learning that the way forward for them is to produce smaller quantities of higher quality wines. Some of the best wines come from appellations like Corbieres, Minervois, Saint-Chinian, Faugeres and the Coteaux de Languedoc, which has prominent sub-appellations that you should look out for, especially Pic St. Loup and Montpeyroux (my favourites), St. Chinian, Picpoul de Pinet, and the amusingly-named La Clape. This has to be just about the most exciting wine-producing region in France at the moment, as they are producing some awesome wines now at very affordable prices, and who knows how it's going to develop.

But back to the wine: We didn't decant the wine tonight, but it still tasted excellent, I noticed more leather and peppery notes this time and a very slight hint of chocolate (maybe from a touch of grenache), but it still had the same black cherry, smoke and spice as before and the same excellent structure. Very good, 

As I write I am supping on a pretty good value fortified Aussie dessert wine, Yalumba Museum Reserve Muscat (NV, $12 for 375ml), whilst trying to expel all the gas I've had trapped inside (we were at friends and I was being polite) after eating a mountain of MSG-saturated Chinese take-away tonight, and I am feeling better by the second. Unfortunately for me my wife is doing the same and she has just gone to bed, causing me to fear for my safety when I retire later... Dammit.

Percee continued

So after finally waking with a monstrous hangover we dragged ourselves off to Poligny for the final day of the Percee du Vin Jaune with the aid of our new driver the lovely Julie - who had to negotiate through a completely unneccesary fine from the locally bored Gendarmarie on the way into town - walking into the very pictureseque little cobbled streets we had a quick but very satisfactory snack of potatoes morteaux sausage and comte cheese sauce and hit the wine tasting - each producer based in one of the cellars of the houses in the narrowly lined streets - it looked great but after the rain set in and the first few wines tasted were decidedly unpalatbale - not to mention the queing resulting from the substantial crowds of revellers ( a record 50,000 visitors this year) - we made the strategic decision to decamp to the cellars of Domaine Henri Maire reputedly one of the top guys in the Jura and famed for his experiments with the longevity of the local wine (hes currently ageing cases of Vin Jaune at the bottom of a lake to see what happens)- this basically was a large gothic underground drinking den crammed with maybe 200 people seated on stools around wine barrels - my kind of joint - We bought a bottle of 2001 Henri Maire Vin Jaune to accompany our picnic of quiche lorraine - excellent, baguette - superb and rabbit and pork terrine - meat of suspect origin, had better - but the wine was splendid at least for a Vin Jaune which is in itself a very unusual style of wine and one I suspect is best enjoyed in situ - basically this wine is more akin to a Fino Sherry and shares many characteristics, its just not fortified - made 100% from the Savagnin grape (loose relation of the Traminer family) on the nose it smells like a rich Fino, nutty oxidative but with more of a pear/apple cider quality with the better examples like this one having more complexity with hints of quince and cinnamon spice - its most definately not a quaffing wine but can be an excellent pairing with certain foods - naturally with the local Comte, also great choice with strong cheeses like Epoisses and a really good dry alternative to Foie Gras - anyhoo there was much drinking, singing and carousing untill we were all kicked out into the night - have heard you cant get Vin Jaune in the States cause of the bottle size - 620cl I think which apparently is something to do with the angel share during ageing.- don't panic to be honest if you like a good Sherry then stick with that but when in Rome and all that its a good drop. Pictures to follow shortly once my official photographer finally gets his arse back from France.

Please Excuse My Useless Co-Author

Dear me Nahthern, What kind of a shoddy correspondent are you then? Passing out on the job? Failing to fulfill your duty of consuming to the maximum of your abilities? This is the Chronicles Of Consumption you know, not the Chronicles Of Passing Out After One Small Pathetic Drink. Or maybe that was the maximum of your abilities, that would be worrying.

Quick Review Gruaud Larose 93

Tasted the 93 Gruaud tonight - 2nd bottle this week and both looking very good indeed - good depth fully developed on the nose warm and savoury so not decanted - smooth and complete on the palate nice balance ripe rich fruit still evident mature but not fading very attractive classic Bordeaux - a vintage not ranked highly at all but seen quite a few of these lately and the good Chateau seem to all be drinking very nicely right now - Gruaud, Haut Brion and VCC have all looked really good lately - I think a vintage worth a punt just because rated so low and therefore affordable 

Jura and the Percee du Vin Jaune

Right, I'm sure you'll all be relieved to know that Nahthern has returned after an extended leave of absence - my little trip to France was followed by a house move and temporary loss of internet - but nowt to fear - now to more interesting matters and my splendid weekend in the Jura and the Percee du Vin Jaune where, dear reader you will be pleased to note I consumed mightily.

After having had to stay up all night to catch the first flight in to Geneva we train it to the border outpost of La Cure a one horse mountain town where we did manage to find a dodgy little cafe open and waiting for our pick-up, watching the snow coming down hard we settled in with a breakfast of strong espresso, orange juice and Pontalier-Anis - a splendid local Pastis mixed with a sugar cube and a little water - full of flavour herbaciously aromatic and more akin to a fine Absinthe - it was to prove a mainstay of the weekend. By 11.30am we were in good company with some firm Pont drinking on both sides of the bar, I was in the presence of good solid mountain folk.

After getting picked up and driven to our base for the weekend, the charming and suprisingly friendly little town of Champagnole, I promptly passed out for most of the afternoon thus ensuring we missed the first day of the Percee.

No matter it was to prove a most culturally eventful evening as I was introduced to the good people of Champagnole. First off was dinner at Restaurant Pirate with my dining companions Vincent trip organiser extraordinaire, Sebastien our irrepressibly positive Qubecois and Anthony 'Monsieur Rolex' - a restaurant which as the name suggests was liberally decorated with all mannor of parrot related paraphernalia and with service that matched the ambience I did not hold my hopes high - but I was to be pleasantly suprised with a very satisfactory meal, entree was a plate of Grand cru Jambon Fume, local smoke cured ham which was excellent not quite the depth of flavour as an Iberico Jamon but very similar silky texture most impressed - this was followed by a splendid Chateau Briand et Morilles (they use Morilles on everything round here even saw it on a desert - felt this was a step too far) it was cooked perfectly, seared hard on the outside blue in the centre (note to Americans this is how to spell center) a simple thing but hard to find done this well. This was washed down with a couple of bottles of very satisfactory Bordeaux - Ch. Toutes des Graves 05 - not overly complex but at 30euros was a well deserving drop. The only let down was my assiette de fromage which was so crap I cant be bothered to write about it. Then it was on to the Big Ben bar across the road the last stop for local under 30s, a most individual drinking den every square inch floor to ceiling covered in every conceivable piece of pop art kitsch from the US and UK - we quickly settled into the communal tables and hit the Irish coffees - a house speciality which with the amount of whiskey involved proved suprisingly good, and more of the obligatory Pont, again I was most taken with everybodys hospitality and acceptance of the l'Anglais dumb-arse in the corner with the bad french. After kick out it was back to Monsieur Rolexs place for Poker - which he ended up winning and more drinking - the last thing we hit was his Grandmothers home made Mirabelle Eau d Vie - at the time I remember it as being one of the best Eau d Vie I've ever had - it also proved to be my undoing - the last thing I remember is eating the best ham and cheese croissant IN THE WORLD back in my hotel room at 7am - a most splendid evening and many thanks to Mon. Rolex's consistently excellent hospitality.

Tomorrow will post actually making it finally to the Percee du Vin Jaune - this is the annual local festival held in a different town each year to celebrate the release of the Vin Jaune  - this year held in the Town of Poligny - 'Yellow wine' this is a very distinctive oxidative style of wine made from the Savagnin grape wich must be aged for a minimum of 7 years - so this was the realease of the 02 vintage - a most splendid day.

Bistro Bordeaux, Evanston

Since it was St. Valentine's day yesterday and my wife had aroused the incurable English romantic in me, I decided that I should take her to a restaurant of her choice to celebrate that fact that she loves me (believe me, I count my blessings every day....) So we jumped on the El (my favoured romantic mode of transport), and after encountering some interesting 'freestylin' gentlemen at the Howard stop, we arrived at our destination - the brand new Bistro Bordeaux in Evanston. Over the last few years we have tried a number of different French bistro-style restaurants in Chicago, and we haven't had many meals that were consistently good from start to finish. We had a couple of good meals at Bistro Campagne, but the last time we were there it was pretty poor.

Russian Winter Comfort Food (+ French Wine)

Russian food at our friends: borsch, meat pancakes, lamb pilaf, and chocolate, walnut, prune and brandy cake brought over by the other guests. Borsch: a splendid, blood-red, beetroot-based vegetable soup, garnished with sour cream and parsley, often served with meat to make more of a stew-like full meal, but on this occasion without as we had protein to come in the following courses - awesome. Meat pancakes: stuffed with ground beef, folded perfectly into beautiful little parcels, and topped with either melted butter or sour cream (in the interests of science and in my capacity as Fatboy, I had both so that I could determine which was better and report back - the sour cream won for me) - outstanding, I wish I had taken up the offer of a second one, but I didn't want to spoil the rest of the meal. Lamb pilaf: browned rice with vegetables and lamb, excellent flavour, a fantastic winter dish. Chocolate cake: with walnuts, prunes and brandy - perfectly moist, not too heavy. I don't need to say any more - divine!

El Bulli To Close Permanently!!

Following on from last months news that El Bulli was to close for 2 years, we now learn that it will close permanently from December 2011. This year has already booked out, so there are only 8,000 places left next year to fight for before this epicentre of innovative cuisine shuts its doors for good!! Nahthern, find a way to get us there!

http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/12/el-bulli-to-close-permanently/

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/feb/13/ferran-adria-closes-el-bulli?CMP=AFCYAH

Another Go-To American Wine

I have found, much to my surprise, another excellent go-to Yankee wine: 2007 Foxen Old Vines Chenin Blanc (Ernesto Wickenden Vineyard). Actually I have had this wine before, but I haven't had the chance to waffle on about it as yet, so here goes. An eminently quaffable wine, it can be drunk by itself or with food. We had it with a excellent accompaniment of chicken with lemon, cumin and mint, and orzo with courgette, aubergine, tomato and feta, with a dash of lemon - all very healthy and extremely tasty (better not have too much of these kinds of dinners otherwise Fatboy will become Waifboy). The wine has an intense nose of honey, honeysuckle, stone fruits and shedloads of beautiful rocky minerality, The palate has lush, ripe fruit - pineapple, peach and melon with honey and the same excellent minerality, followed a crisp lemony-acidic finish of decent length. Hmmm.... A very good warming winter white, and at $20 its excellent value. In fact, I might have to go and buy some more before it runs out. Stay away from Binny's now people, this one's mine!

Tomorrow night we have an very exciting night of Russian winter comfort food, with vodka and fine wine - I can't wait! Time to revert back to Fatboy after tonight's healthy outing! More soon...

Where are you Nahthern?

I am waiting with heart-pounding excitement for you to regale us with tales of your travels through the French countryside, why are you keeping us waiting like this? Align your chakras, or whatever you soapdodgers do, and fulfill your destiny...