Ok, the wife is cooking pork chops tonight, so I decide to put a favorite Pouilly Fuisse Chard in the fridge because I have no Sauvignon Blanc. She tells me that there is an opened bottle of white wine in the fridge for over two weeks and I should finish that one first. Over two weeks!!! Just dump it, I said. But, at her request I did give it a try. Sometimes my wife is pretty smart. Actually she is usually always right and has me trained very well. The white she had opened for a recipe two weeks ago was a Bordeaux from Barons de Rothschild.(2006 Reserve Speciale) A blend of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc that turned out to be the right choice for tonights pork chop dinner.Tasting Notes(not mine) - Bright, pale straw-yellow. The nose is intense and elegant, with good aromatic complexity (white flowers and citrus fruit, mineral notes). The palate has a good balance between body and liveliness, aromas of fresh fruit and a long finish. This is a wine for pleasure, intense and easy drinking.
On the aroma I get the mineral notes and Tropical fruit with a bit of grapefruit. That's complex enough for me! It does have good balance and finish is long. I almost find Mango or Papaya, a pretty good fruit mix on the finish. That's a first for me(Mangos and Papayas), but then I just started to enjoy white wines.
My wife also added a bit of the wine to the sauerkraut which made the kraut milder and a little sweeter. It made the pairing so much better.
I don't know why I even bought this wine when I did. I think it was just because the label looked so elegant and the name "Barons de Rothschild Bordeaux Reserve Speciale" sounds so expensive.
But, this was only a $12 wine, a very good $12 wine.
Paired well with my pork chops and sauerkraut and looking forward to trying with some of the wife's summer chicken recipes or a light white fish dinner.
Take it from a novice: Great Buy!
Other Reviews:
Travaglini Gattinara 2001 (Italy)
Carpineto Dogajolo 2006 (Italy)
Penfolds Bin 2 Shiraz/Mourvedre 2006 (Australia)
Muga Rioja Reserva 2003 (Spain)
Buttonwood Grove Dry Riesling 2006 (NY)
La Corte Salice Salentino 2006 (Italy)
Damiani vino rosso NV (NY)
Vina Real Rioja 2005 (Spain)
Damiani Pinot Noir 2006 (NY)
5 comments:
The name definitely makes it sound like one of those hoity-toity collectors bottles of French wine. I have been looking for a good white Bordeaux to try and this one sounds like one I would love! Thank you Joe for the great review!
2 weeks huh? I would be really interested in a follow up with a newbottle and see which is better. Or maybe you have supreme preserving skills...or the wife does. Just goes to show that what we think is true (throw wine out after a couple days) isn't always.
Hoity-toity! That's the word I was looking for. You're absolutely right Randy, and that's probably why I bought it.
It sure did surprise me Shelly. She did cork it well, but normally after 5 or 6 days I would expect rapid deterioration.
I am also new to white wine, but you make this sound really good. I will check it out! Funny, my boyfriend makes fun of me when we go out and I want a glass of wine. I always have to ask..."so what was the most recently opened red wine?" guess I never even thought about white wine going bad...
I am so pleased you reviewed this wine as I have been hunting for information on it! Nick is doing a blog on the more affordable wines of Lafite and Mouton (eg Mouton Cadet - which we can get easily over here, but not the Lafite).
One thing that I didn't know that has turned up in my amateur hunting is that both Lafite and Mouton make a Cognac! It's rare, impossible to find and costs a fortune. Have you ever heard of it Joe?
Post a Comment