Wine & cheese event

[joeyz6]

Alliance Française held a very nice wine and cheese tasting event last night downtown. Bob Bansberg made the selections and did a short talk on his choices. All French cheeses and French wines. Vouvray with Délice de Bourgogne was my favorite pairing and my favorite of the cheeses as well. There was also a Sancerre paired with Bucheron; cider paired with Pont l'Eveque (they explained that Champagne wasn't in their budget); a red Burgundy paired with Ossau Iraty (Riesling was supposed to be the pairing but the order apparently got messed up); a red CdP paired with Chevrot; and finally of course Sauternes with Roquefort. Notes on a few of the wines ...

2000 Clos du Bourg Gaston Huet
Incidentally, we sell this by the bottle at Trio as well. Yellow with a golden tint, nose of Granny Smith apple, pear and -- is this possible? -- oak and cedar. Full-bodied and buttery with apple notes on the tongue, but also a crisp, lemony acid that cut through the creaminess of the cheese. Bansberg said there were honey notes in the wine as well.

2002 Sancerre Jean Max Roger "Cuvée G.C."
Very light, pale green. Foul kitty litter aroma, along with citrus fruit, wet stone and earth. Tart apple taste with nice acid and mineral undertones. Bansberg said there was gooseberry on the nose but to be honest I don't even know what a gooseberry smells (or looks or tastes) like.

2000 Savigny-les-Beaune (unfortunately I don't have the producer's name)
Deep cherry red, nose of red fruit. Nicely balanced with cherry notes, acid and a soft tannic aftertaste. I didn't care much for this wine/cheese pairing however.

2000 CdP Clos de la Granière
Clear, light red color. Nose of black fruit that follow through on the tongue. Blackberry and cassis. Primarily Grenache with some Mourvèdre and Syrah.

1996 Chateau Gravas Sauternes (Bansberg's comments, not my notes)
Orchard fruit with almond notes and a long rich finish. A counterpoint to the flavor of the Roquefort.