1999 Sancerre Rouge from Francois Cotat

[wondersofwine]

I had one bottle left of the 1999 vintage which I opened Sunday night at our hotel in Alexandria, VA the day after my nephew's wedding. It was slightly chilled in a bucket of ice (comes across as a rose wine so seems to be best at lower than room temperature). This was a big hit as an aperitif before going to dinner at the Chart House. It's dry and yet fruity. 12.5% alcohol. I think I paid somewhere around $20 but don't remember if it was over or under that figure (Cotat wines tend to be more expensive than most Sancerre wines). Parents of the groom were exhausted after the weekend festivities so we didn't congregate again after dinner for an Oscar party or such. I ended up taking two bottles of Henry's Drive Cabernet Sauvignon (Padthaway, Australia) back to North Carolina untouched.
Restaurant recommendations in Alexandria:
The prenuptial dinner was at Portner's in Old Town, Alexandria (converted from an old firehouse). Interesting decor (brick walls, old fireplaces, wrought iron winding stairs,
firepole has been removed). Wine room with
heavy protective gates. Delicious food and very good service in the private room on the third level where we ate. Several out-of-
towners found Cafe Madeline on King Street for breakfasts or French pastry/coffee or latte snacks. The person taking our order got it wrong several times but the food and coffee drinks were good. We had a lunch at Taverna Cretekou (Greek food) where I had eaten previously and which was also recommended by the bride's mother. Also recommended, among others, by the bride's family were Landinis (Italian), La Bergerie (expensive but delicious French food) and another French restaurant that is less expensive than La Bergerie. Five Guys was recommended for the best burgers in town. There's also a Southwest cuisine restaurant, and we saw Thai and Vietnamese restaurants.