So, does the title of this post give you a hint as to what kind of wine we had with dinner? It was Dave’s turn to bring the wine this week. He chose a recent K&L Wine Merchants purchase…a 1997 Chateau Destieux Saint-Emilion Grand Cru. Can I just say yum? This kind of editorial comment would be discouraged at our Thursday night tastings until after the wine has been described, but I will allow it just this once!
The evening was completely delightful as Pete did the cooking and Dave brought the wine. All that was left for me to do was consume both, which I did with enthusiasm. Pete chose to prepare a dish from a cookbook we had recently purchased. We are both fans of Rick Bayless, and have his cookbook “Authentic Mexican”. In general, the recipes are day-long projects and not suitable for Monday night dinners, given time restraints. We recently purchased his “Mexican Everyday” cookbook because we were looking for recipes that are faster to prepare. Pete decided to prepare Chicken in Tangy Escabeche of Caramelized Onions, Carrots and Jalapenos. This recipe has very few ingredients, but is extremely flavorful. We served it with smashed yams (no, they weren’t drunk, just smashed). The chicken and wine paired nicely.
The Chateau Destieux had a dark ruby color. The nose was stinky initially, but blew off to reveal smoke, rubber tire and dark fruit ( black cherry). The flavors reflected the smoke with leather, spice and dark fruit. It was a light-bodied wine with moderate tannins and a balanced amount of acid. The length was moderately long and finished with a lot of flavor. The combination of light body and lots of flavor is very pleasing. It was very good with food and also by itself after dinner.
So, to Pete and Dave I say “muchas gracias and merci beaucoup!”
