. Vite Vinifera De Vino's Blog: Christmas Day in NYC

Monday, December 25, 2006

Christmas Day in NYC

It's Christmas and for a weird reason it seems like the clock went back in time.
I'm watching the Thomas Crown Affair on cable (the original one with Steve McQueen) and sitting on the table next an empty bottle of Bollinger Grande Annee Rose 1999 that served us last night, outside is warm and loudly silent.
I still have in mind the fresh berries flavors of the Champagne that melted greatly with the Skate fish we ate last night. I enjoyed it very much, the perlage was fine and elegant, on the palate the notes of cherries blended in with wild strawberries and minerality.
Joh Jos Prum Riesling Graacher Himmelreich Spatlese 2004 was the wine of choice for our lunch, which was based on Wild Smoked Salmon and Spaghetti with Bottarga. The wine was light in alcohol, that made it more suitable to begin the long day, the sugar residues were balanced by the acidity and the bouquet of fruit was completed by petroleum notes typical of the Mosel Saar Ruwer region. It went really well with the Salmon; the wine enhanced the delicate smoky flavors of the fish leaving the palate cleaned for the next bite and worked also well with the Bottarga, the contrast between the sweetness of the wine and the strong fish and salty flavors was interesting and worth to be tried.
As my lazy day progresses, timed by old movies and occasional naps, I found my self ready for dinner with a nice 3 liters of Sant'Helena Tato, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from Friuli Venezia Giulia waiting to be poured. Full and fruity at the beginning was showing a little to marked vanilla notes lacking in complexity, after some time the herbaceous notes of the Merlot and the peppery flavors of the Cabernet had develop making the wine more elegant and complex.
That was my Christmas day quiet and relaxing with great food and wine like an holiday should be; how was yours?
Buona Bevuta a Tutti

1 comment:

Raymond Fujimoto said...

May Peace be your gift at Christmas and your blessing all year through! Very interesting work.

nice post and thanks for sharing...