I can't decide what red to open with dinner. Any suggestions?

Pierronte Barolo 2005
Chateau La Couronne St Emilion 2002
Domaine Les Yeuses "Les Soure" Merlot Syrah 2008
Domaine Haut Lirou 2009
Reserve de Hospatiliers CdR Villages Cairanne 2006

Everything else is too cold.

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tribs

....Or you could open a nice bottle of wine. Or a beer.

Actually a nice dark ale would work. Must rack my brains and remember what I've got.

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tribs

If the casserole is made with red wine I would opt for something robust, the Barolo perhaps.

Or a nice bottle of draught guinness.

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Yep, Im still here.

Went with the Chateau La Couronne since the casserole was not overly rich and I've got quite a few of these and they aren't going to last forever. Plus it'll go well with cheese later.

I think I am going to adopt Goose's current philosophy with wine to cheese, in particular Stilton. Nothing quite compares to Waitrose's Organic Bishop Cropwell from the Deli counter or Colston Bassett (which I can't find locally). The rest just doesn't do it for me anymore.

Any other Stilton fans?

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tribs

Couronne - excellent choice with beef casserole.

Not sure about the ripe stilton with mature St Emilion though ! They may fight one and another.
I'd rather take a sweeter red of the same fullness with these sorts of blue cheeses. How dry is that Barrolo ?

Tricky to get right, when there is only two of you.

How savoury is that Reserve de Hospatiliers CdR Villages Cairanne 2006 ?
Mind you, '06 Cairanne, '06 was a drier vintage in southern rhone, so not so fine with the Stilton. That is a powerful cheese you are trying to marry, and calls for port of course, or a quality sticky blanc with some age.

Let us know.

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Duncan

Grahams Crusted '02?

How long do you normally keep port once its open?

Not tried the Barolo yet. I hope it's good. I took another 6. I expect it to be quite dry, same with the Cairanne.

The Couronne is a pleasure to enjoy on its own. Which I am doing as I type

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tribs

Clearly, but too sweet for the casserole on the '02



The golden rule for fortified wines is to consider, how full it is, it's alcohol level, and how sweet and oaked it is. With fino wines, which are light and possibly lightly oaked, not much more that 5 days or so. For a golden Oloroso, which is fuller and less dry, it may be kept in the fridge or a low setting on your wine cooler for 2 weeks. Therefore as you progress with fullness and sweetness and richness, you may safely apply longer keeping periods in the fridge or cooler. For dark red ports, again you may apply similar principles, except for very old and fine vintage ones, that should be drunk over 3 or 4 days....they have become fragile, yet super fine.
For LBV and crusted, much will depend on the age and the style, a young, and possibly sweeter crusted port may be kept for up to 4 weeks max in the fridge, provided you pour and seal and put back promptly.

Some folks say up to five weeks for a very young LBV port or sweet sherry that is refrigerated between glasses. If looking for real pleasure; Freshness is important with some sherry wines, so monitor as you go

I am envious of your wine budget, I would have taken 4 of those Barolo's myself.



Couronne goes into the mature claret star gallery for QPR this year, only eclipsed by one other parcel from Mähler-Besse, the 1996 St Estephe from Mähler-Besse, Chateau Picard for £12.99, which to be fair was £4 quid more. I dont know if you scored that Mr T. If you did - very very nice indeed, more length, more structure. Matured in Mähler-Besse cellars, as was the Couronne '02.

Enjoy, good to 'ave a claret imbiber here.

Yep ....For mature claret bargain parcels bought in 2010 - Majestic rules OK.

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Duncan

La Couronne - Saint Emilion Grand Cru 2002


A year has passed, and I have devoured a bottle of La Couronne with my son-in-law this evening.

Actually we were devouring a chicken, devouring it mediEvil style. La Couronne '02 is brilliant at the mo. This particular bottle had a lot of black sediment in it, and the bottom of the bottle was quite cloudy by the time we'd tipped most of it into our glasses. Affordable mature claret with plenty of sediment is a good bet, a damn good omen.

This wine with the "3 hour rested" roast chicken was brill. Tribs, I know you have some stock of this wine. The wine is displaying a cigar box nose, as well as the other things I said in the TN and is 'A Point now. Try one with roast light meats, The mature ripe fruit comes to the fore, when devouring the chicken, (or a similar roast) and will blow you away

Just can't believe that we both managed to bag this for £9 pb, very exceptional QPR...Well done Majestic.

I don't know why cellartracker folks don't mark this higher for the value of this right bank wine, even in indifferent years. Recent TNs by quallified reviewers give the 2009, an enjoyable 90 points. Further, the wine will mature properly, 30% new oak is employed and there is structure.

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Duncan