Open That Bottle Night (OTBN) Dinner Round-Up

Well, the money has been spent, the dishes done and the much anticipated big day has passed for another year. Christmas? No, Open that Bottle Night (OTBN) of course. Dreamed up by Wall Street Journal Writers Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher, the premise is that anyone with any interest in wine has at least one bottle that has long been languishing for that "special occasion" that never seems to arrive. Well, OTBN gives you permission to open it!

We did perhaps veer a bit from the original intent this year. One bottle was saved specifically for OTBN for some ten months, and I believe 2 were purchased recently for this night. While these didn't qualify as having been "languishing" they are true to the idea that we ought to enjoy a special bottle from time to time.

Special wine of course calls for good food. My friend John teamed up with me on the cooking, and between us we made quite a nice meal for 4 to accompany the wines. Here's a round-up of what we tried in both the wine & food departments for our OTBN.

2008 Coteaux du Languedoc Picpoul de Pinet This was my first sampling of the the grape Picpoul Blanc. This medium bodied white had a touch of citrus, was fitting for appetizers. Tasted a a bit like Sauvignon Blanc. This bottle was actually the closest to the original theme, as I had it lying around for awhile, not knowing much about it and thus what to have it with. Served with homemade guacamole and cheese/crackers.

2007 Les 3 Lunes Jean Louis Tribouley Cotes du Roussillon Villages Tribouley has definitely earned a spot near the top of my list of favorite producers, and this big wine with plenty of fruit and earthiness didn't disappoint. Blend of Syrah, Carignan, and Grenache. Served with pan fried sausages and an assortment of mustards.

2000 Palazzo Altesi Vendemmia This Tuscan red from Montalcino (the town of Brunello fame) was recommended to serve with the gnocchi John made (more on that to come). You can't go too wrong pairing wine and food from the same region, and this certainly proved to be a good match. John has brought gnocchi over a number of times, and it's always been good. But thanks to practice and tips from Barbara Lynch, he's really perfected the art of making them so they have a lightness to them, but still enough substance to stand up to the hearty Bolognese they were tossed with.

2005 Vieux Telegraphe La Crau Chataeuneuf du Pape I read about Vieux Telegraphe in Kermit Lynch's Adventures on the Wine Route, and splurged for a bottle some time last spring. Despite the warning that it would be best in "5-10 years", I wasn't confident it would keep well that long in our cellar and planned on it for OTBN 2010. Despite a few hours in the decanter, it was still a bit tight and somewhat of a disappointment. I haven't had enough experience tasting wines intended for longer term aging to judge, but I imagine this will improve with time as suggested. However, I do wonder based on my tasting of it if there is enough potential for it to compare with some of the Chat Du Papes I've enjoyed the most, such as the 2003 Chateau La Nerthe. Served with Porterhouse Steak topped with a Garlic Shallot Wine Sauce and a side of roasted fennel & green beans.

My previous post here reported on a four course pairing meal at L'Espalier, which was quite wonderful. Now, I don't know if our home cooked pairing meal can quite compare with a top restaurant like L'Espalier, but we did pretty well for a couple of (serious) amateurs I must say! Looking forward to OTBN 2011!