Crottin de Chavignol

This is one delicious goat's cheese! We had the pleasure of having many wonderful cheeses while in France, but this was one of our very favorites.

Crottin de Chavignol is a goat's milk cheese, made in the tiny town of Chavignol tucked in the hills of the Loire valley, with its very own AOC designation. It has a very distinct goaty aroma and taste, which is intensified with aging. When it's fresh, it has an ivory-white rind and a creamy cheese. As it gets older, the rind turns bluish and the cheese more crumbly and intense, and with even more time turns brown and quite hard and super intense. The fresh young cheese we liked most, but believe we could easily develop a palate for the older and stinkier stuff.

The town of Chavignol is a hillside away from the town of Sancerre, home of steely Sauvignon Blanc, and these two together are a match made in heaven.

If you come across any Crottin de Chavignol, be sure to try it (and let us know where you found it!)!

Cheers, and bon appetit!

2004 Havens Black & Blue Red Wine Napa Valley Estate Vineyard

Dark, deep ruby and vibrant. Opens with sweaty wool and metal toolbox and a little sour funk (pickles). Dark fruit, blueberry, cassis and tar bubbles. Nose becomes sweeter with air with Kit Kat and Starbucks cafe mocha emerging. Drastic changes to the nose with air time. The palate is thick and fat, like thick chocolate - melty and gooey on your tongue. Good acidity and finishes with bittersweet chocolate. Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon blend.

$40

A-

Delicious as a stand-alone wine or with a New York Strip Steak.

2005 Stellenzicht Pinotage Golden Triangle Stellenbosch

Nose is very tight, but dense - graphite, cassis, violets. A thread of mineral/volcanic black rock runs through. Cedar emerges late. The palate is focused and packed with dense, supple tannin. Finishes with slightly bitter baking chocolate. Probably opened this a couple of years before its prime.

Gift from Miss Nadia

A-

2005 Dirler Muscat Grand Cru Searing

Light, pale yellow. Extremely aromatic nose of lychee, citrus oils, coriander spice. A floral honeysuckle and creme soda note also there. Quite exotic. The palate is bone dry with a pleasant medium body - not crisp like a Riesling and not oily like a Gewurz. Finishes with zesty grapefruit rind.

$35

A- : a great example of dry Muscat, although a touch more acid would make it complete.

Paired with an Italian crottin-style cheese.

2006 Knoll Gruner Veltliner Smaragd Trocken Wachau Ried Kreutles Loibner

You'd expect greatness just from the name of this wine! Light gold. Fresh nose of lemon zest, and lime peel and crazy jalapeno pepper stuffed with nougat. Lots of weight on the palate with a viscous and oily texture. Medium plus acidity is suprising given the weight of the wine. Finishes with slight bitter clay-like minerality.

$40

B- : Solid wine, but wouldn't buy again at pricepoint, wanted to score it higher because of the kick ass Medieval, triumphant looking label.

Paired with Linguine and Bodega Bay Clams. Not an ideal pairing, the pasta needed a crisper white.

NV Lucien Albrecht Cremant d'Alsace Brut Rose

Salmon pink in color with a peachy yellow/orange quality. The nose opens with an amazing freshness - white stone, watermelon and strawberry; fragrant and fresh, a delicate candied note emerges late. Medium-fine bead. Medium/medium+ acidity, the palate is full with a 2% milk creaminess. Palate reflects nose - watermelon, honeydew melon, strawberry. Very pretty.

$22

A- : fresh, so well balanced, nice price point, even if a bit simple. Will buy again!

Paired with Cardamom and Black Pepper Potato Curry. This curry was especially delicious and fragrant, grinding the spices ourself really made the difference, and it went amazing with the bubbly.