by Jenise » Fri Mar 28, 2014 9:17 am
Upper half of cork was fine, but bottom 50% was saturated and a big wet chunk had to be pushed into the wine. Garnet-mature in color, with berries and bandaids on the palate. Clearly on the downhill side of the peak with more acid than fruit, but acceptably and enjoyably so for a 33 year old Paulliac. Seems stable here--the last drop was as good as the first. Delightful with a pan-fried, butter-and-garlic basted rib eye but the beef wasn't, it turns out, the best match on the plate--the steak was one-upped, way up, by the crushed brussels sprouts. Cut in half and nuked for slightly-longer than usual (on purpose, four minutes in the case of my microwave) with a few tablespoons of water, a pat of butter, and a few crushed cardamom pods, then tossed with tongs until they fall apart a little, all the harsher raw flavors of the sprouts (which I like, but in other circumstances) are replaced with a heavenly sweetness and the cardamom adds a tell-tale exotic finishing flavor. Between the soft texture, sweet and spice, the match with the old Bordeaux is surprisingly perfect.
My wine shopping and I have never had a problem. Just a perpetual race between the bankruptcy court and Hell.--Rogov