Saturday, October 16, 2010

Technically Correct


There were some fresh sea scallops a dew days ago.  They were simply pan seared in butter, lemon zest and lemon juice.  There was a side of super thin sweet potato French fries and a mixture of fresh corn, peas and carrots.

I reached for a Chablis, in this case a 2005 Domaine Chantemerle, Fourchaume, Premier Cru.  Nice pale color in the glass and a nose of crisp fruit, citrus and herbs.  The flavor was sharp and tart with green apple, yellow apple, lemon zest, and maybe a hint of tarragon.  There was an acceptable depth to the wine, but nothing special.  The finish was of moderate length and ended with a refreshing dose of acid.  

Absolutely everything about this wine was technically correct and it met every criteria for a Chablis.  It was also soul less.  There was nothing here that said anything except, 'this is wine.'  I gave it some  more time in the glass and it still failed to be anything more than common.

I vacuumed the bottle and chilled it in the refrigerator over night.  The next evening there was a chicken breast for dinner.  The Chablis was still correct, and it was still boring an uninteresting.    The Muscadet from last weekend was still fresh in my mind and it would have been a much better match with the scallops.  That wine was alive and singing, the Chablis made me feel like I was at a funeral.

12.5% alcohol and $24.

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