Celebrating 4th July

7 July 2012: On 4th July, thanks to Danny for giving us the excuse, we celebrated at Amuse Bouche with a few bottles of Bordeaux (and Bordeaux-style) wines!! The best bottle of the evening was the 2007 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc (estate plantings of around 70% Sauvignon Blanc and 30% Semillon) - so versatile in pairing with different dishes - it beautifully accompanied Danny's pan fried foie gras, Kevin's prawns and avocado and my roasted scampi with sea urchin in creamy mousse! I had it decanted for 40 minutes and it continued to evolve in the glass. Notes of honey, fig, pear, lime blossom, layered with yoghurt and nougat. Gorgeously creamy and viscous texture, well balanced by racy acidity, to give the wine much freshness, at this young age. This wine is going to be an absolutely beauty once it has had more time to let the different elements integrate and harmonise. Love the spicy long finish that lingers in the mouth........until the next drop! A very long life ahead! 18/20
The 2007 Domaine de Chevalier Rouge (63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot plus 7% of Cabernet Franc/Petit Verdot) was already giving a lot of pleasure at this young age. So approachable and easy to drink. Coffee, plum, blackberry, leather and spice. A medium-bodied wine, elegantly structured, offering a supple attack. Lovely finish, but a little short. Drinking very well now, and over next 8 - 10+ years. 15.5/20

The 2009 Le Serre Nuove by Ornellaia (54% Merlot, 31% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc) was equally gorgeous, but in a very different manner, more voluptuous and expressive of the parched, heat-beaten soil of Maremma from the very dry early summer of 2009. Velvety texture. Notes of plum preserve, liquorice, coffee and spices, with nuances of earth and dried herbs. Already accessible with the hallmarks of a worthy second label. This wine would benefit from a couple more years in bottle for the wine to soften up its rather assertive attack and to let the middle palate fill out a bit.  Drink over next 8 - 10 years. 15.5/20
1990 L'Evangile was rather attractive on the palate, with notes of cedar, sweet baked summer fruits, liquorice, coffee, leather and dried autumn leaves, with some gamey nuances developing later on. The medium-bodied palate didn't have blockbuster style stuffing but it did reward us with a silky texture and nicely complex middle palate of flavours building up to a lingering but drying finish. Not sure if this wine would undergo further development to smooth out the edges. If you have a case, I would advise drinking a few bottles over the next 6 - 8 years and keep back a few to see how they evolve over a longer time. 17.5/20
Sorry, Danny, no Californian cabs - we'll find another occasion to enjoy your cabs......14th July??!!!