Mystery Wine Continued

[HAW]

With a hard look through the bottle, this wine appeears to be a red, misterjive. Was advised by a local wine shop to save this to accompany a nice steak or roast. Any other suggestions?

[Bucko]

Yep, have the steak or roast in 2004 - 2006, when the wine is drinking well.

Bucko

[Thomas]

I would have it with a rack of lamb--marinated in wine and then pan seared and topped with a sauce made of wine, quince jelly, garlic, rosemary and mint.

[mrdutton]

I have two racks in the freezer.......

[Scoop]

I'd opt for the rack of lamb as well -- a little more gaminess, some stronger flavors that match the incredible depth of flavors you'll find in a mature Beaucastel CNP (2004-6, as Bucko notes).

I had a bottle of the '89 (one of the best ever)that had, sadly, been in questionable conditions in my apartment for a few years. Fearing that it might be turning into vinegar, I decided to open it for Thanksgiving '98. At the time, I was also completing a wine course, so I viewed it as instructive extracurricular activity.

From the first nosing, it was apparent that it was still a formidable wine. And it was wonderfully complex, with great black fruit and subtle soil and mineral undertones, harmonious structure and an almost never-ending finish. Simply orgasmic.

So the moral of the story? This is a long-lived wine that survived well in bad conditions. Just think what it could do in a good cellar!

And BTW, on my ensuing wine exam a couple of weeks later, we had to describe in a tasting note a "classic" wine. One of the choices: a mature Chateauneuf-du-Pape!

Needless to say, I aced that one!

Scoop