Wow. We just finished a really wonderful Zoom dinner with our San Francisco younger friends Bob and Coley. What we do for Covid, but we adapt and it works well. Come on, vaccine!
Here's the entree: Pan-roasted chicken thighs with Blackberries and Thyme:
https://oregon-berries.com/recipe/pan-roasted-chicken-thighs-with-blackberries-and-thyme/
It is stunningly good. Why restaurants only serve chicken breast meat, I will never understand. Just try it! Cast iron skillet, and everything. It's so simple. So French. So well-calculated (thanks, friend Bob) to go with these wines:
1. 2016 Reserve Comtesse de Lalande (2nd wine of Chateau Pichon Lalande): Wow! is the only word that does it justice: Decanted an hour: It opens with purple fruits carrying lofty notes of oak, cedar, sandlewood--a real wordworker's paradise. As the 2.5 hour dinner goes along (NEVER rush your dinner--it ruins the wine experience and shortens your life!!!), the wine never loses sight of its essence, but somehow its notes become purer and more angelic. This is a stupendous wine, and especially for a 2nd wine of a Super-Second Growth. 94 points, James Suckling. About $50 and well worth it! This is why we buy certain Bordeaux futures. I would grade it this way, over two hours: A- to A. What a great wine. And it's not even the chateau's best wine! This is why I collect more Pichon Lalande, for drinking, than any other Bordeaux (or any other wine in the world). I buy the First Growths for investment, but this is what I buy to drink (on special occasions)! (As you know, because I say it incessantly, you can drink GREAT wine for about $12-15 per bottle; anyone can overpay for wine--it takes no skill; the challenge is finding the many great wines out there which are less-expensive but deliver great quality.)
2. 2016 K Vintners Milbrandt Syrah (Walla Walla WA): 93 points, Jeb Dunnuck: "Dark red with ruby tones. Pungent aromas of cassis, blueberry, prosciutto, licorice, menthol, mint and minerals. Juicy and intense, conveying an exhilarating combination of sweetness and lively acidity to its red and darker berry and spice flavors. A savory element provides a further leavening influence. Finishes long, with firm but suave tannins. Lovely wine with real personality." . About $32. Wow! This opens fast and big. Opulent. Purple robe. If this is a horserace, this wine is first out of the gate. But then, over about an hour, it fades and the bouquet is gone, and there's a note of VA (volatile acidity) that ruins the experience. I'm thinking, "Damn! This blows." The Lalande was really singing, an hour in, while the Milbrandt really sucked. But then (and you live for moments like this) the Milbrandt recovered and the VA was gone, and the wine threw me for a loop with the most-wonderful olive and pickle juice notes, with just the barest hint of bracing acidity and a touch of the bare thought of menthol. I loved it! Its score went from A- to C- to A. What a wild ride! I'm sad that Charles Smith has sold out and there will be no more wines with souls like this, from his shop. Can't we engineer a society where fortunes are not made this way? Why is "a mountain of money" the goal? Sustained excellence, over generations, should be the goal. Let's move toward non-profit corporations, whose purpose is to serve customers and employees, not shareholders. Is that possible?
Just look at these two wines, for everything you need to know about America vs Europe: In the US, we're all about contriving a great experience for NOW (in corporate parlance "this quarter's earnings"), and who cares about the future? This short-changes the children's children and we are curse-worthy for our myopia and greed. In Europe (as in Asia), plans are made for the long term, and the Lalande shows this, with steady excellence throughout its tasting experience tonight. As my friend Nick likes to say, "China's working on its fourth dynasty," whereas there is real question (in my scared opinion) whether the US can survive much longer. I suggest that we find ways to mend our divisions, and quickly. Meanwhile, if you can, get these two wines (probably both still available) and compare them!
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