Sizzling steak and Bordeaux on the Deck

Sizzling steak and Bordeaux on the Deck

For a delightful summer evening dinner on the deck under the bright Blue Moon at friends Beth and Bill's, Bill and I paired a duo of vintage Bordeaux to highlight the grilled steak au poivre dinner with sliced buttered potatoes and green beans with onions.

I had just dropped off a selection of wine at Winebid.com as part of a cellar thinning exercise, including an OWC (original wood case) of Chateau Clerc Milon '95. I pulled two bottles from the case to retain so I had one ready at hand to take as I headed directly over for dinner.

To pair with the Clerc Milon, Bill pulled from the cellar a Chateau Giscours Margaux 1998. This provided not only a perfect pairing with the grilled beef steak, but an interesting contrast in styles reflecting their respective terroir of Pauillac vs Margaux.

Chateau Clerc Milon Pauillac 1995

This second wine of legendary first growth Chateau Mouton Rothschild can rival its regal premier label in top vintages. Showing classic Pauillac terroir character and profile, this may be at its prime at twenty years of age.  Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, complex but nicely balanced slightly subdued black berry and black raspberry fruits accented by tones of black tea, tobacco and truffles with hints of pencil shavings and cassis on a lingering firm, gripping but smooth tannin finish.

RM 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4864








Chateau Giscours Margaux Grand Cru Classe 1998

We enjoyed meeting the producer and tasting Giscours as one of the standouts of recent UGC vintage release tour tastings here in Chicago. This was an interesting study in Bordeaux terroir, a fun comparison against the Pauillac.  Dark ruby colored, medium full bodied, this showed classic Margaux floral violet aromas and flavors punctuating the bright expressive black raspberry and plum tones, showing complex but polished and balanced weight and body, accented by hints of earth and leather, turning to a lingering tongue coating powder dry soft silky tannin layer that filled the mouth with a berry-floral tone that lingered for minutes on the finish.

RM 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=30802