What Wine Did You Drink Today #1? 2015-2020

We have “flap meat” available on SoCal too, though skirt is more readily available. Of course, we’re not cultured enough to have it sold under the name Bavette. :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye::roll_eyes:

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Costco often carries flap meat/steak.

Not all flap meat is bavette, though. Here’s an image: http://www.franglaisecooking.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/01-bbq-marinated-beef-bavette.jpg . Bavette is a little tougher than ribeye, but it has a deep beefy flavor that expands as you chew on it. Which reminds me, I have a bunch of Cafe Rouge bavettes in my freezer…

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The number of different descriptions/definitions for Bavette that come up via Google is very large and makes it difficult to know exactly what this cut is really supposed to be. I’ve never seen that specific term on a package label or in a butcher’s case so I’m still not sure what to buy to try it. Admittedly we don’t have many ‘real’ butchers around here though. As I said, I do see ‘flap meat’ and it is a thicker cut though similar looking to skirt steak. Looks more like what’s in that pic reference than what’s old here as ‘carne asada’ (seems to be skirt or hanger).

My wife is convinced that these cuts are fattier than she likes. so I usually cook them when she’s away. I tell her they just ‘look’ fattier but the fatty parts cook away and they’re really tasty. Don’t get respect with that.

http://www.beeffoodservice.com/recipecut.aspx?id=235

Thank you for the link. Maybe, if I call it Bavette instead if flap meat she’ll think it’s either different or more refined because it’s French. :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

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From last week . . .

1985 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC (Rhône, France):

Decanted off a moderately heavy sediment, the wine is dark ruby/garnet hue, clear and clean; the heady aromas feature raspberries, strawberries, and cherries, with a touch of lilac, lavender and a sous bois earthiness, coupled with leather and nuanced oak; all this is echoed on the complex palate and lingering finish. From my cellar, and purchased upon release, the wine is now 30 years old, and just superb!

Had it with rib-eye steaks off the grill.

//////////\

In the FWIW Dept. . . .

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Not bretty?

No. Not in any noticeable way.

Brett is an inherent component in Beaucastel – despite their protestations to the contrary – and in some vintages, it can be quite overwhelming. But in this 1985, I got little to no Brett at all . . .

(I say “little to no” because I took no note of it while drinking the wine.)

I asked because I recently read this:

I’ve been making wine from mourvedre for years now, and while it’s, um, earthy, it doesn’t have the common brett characteristics like diapers, band-aids, chicken coop, etc. On the other hand, I once got a Croze Hermitage that reeked of all three. When I tried to return it, the wine shop said it was just a characteristic of that variety. Um, nope.

In my experience . . .

  • The characteristics of Brett are completely different than the characteristics of Mourvèdre/Mataro.

  • Meconium, or “baby poop,” is a common descriptor of Mourvèdre, but that doesn’t smell the same as human feces.

  • A common descriptor of Brettanomyces is “horse manure” or “barnyard,” which smells neither like meconium or adult feces.

  • From a technical point-of-view, Brettanomyces is a spoilage organism in wine (albeit not in some beers). That said, there are multiple strains of Brett, and not all are ruinous to good wine, either Rhône-styled reds or even Pinot Noir. Blind sensory evaluations of these different strains at CSU Fresno showed a consumer preference for the same base wine when certain strains were added (over the control), and a rejection of the same base wine when injected with others. In English, sometimes a little Brett can be a good thing; sometimes, not.

And in the FWIW Mode, since Crozes-Hermitage must be made from not less than 85 percent Syrah (and up to a maximum of 15 percent Marsanne and Roussanne), the characteristics of Mourvèdre are not at issue.

I forgot to mention, re: the dinner with the Beaucastel . . . it wasn’t our first choice of the evening.

First I opened and decanted . . .

1981 Clos Saint-Denis, Grand Cru, Georges Lignier et Fils (Burgundy, France): Brick-red in color, clear after decanting; the bouquet was GORGEOUS – classic Burgundian Pinot Noir at its peak (“The last smell of a dying rose”) – but sadly the wine was dried out on the palate and through the finish.

That’s what I get for forgetting this wine was in the cellar all these years . . . and it was on to the Beacastel!

Yes, I know that about Crozes-Hermitage–I just offered it as the most severe case of brett I’ve ever experienced.

Had this with pizza. Easy drinking.

In Cambridge, where we dined at Craigie on Main last night . . .

Two wines:

  1. 2015 Sancerre, Gerard Boullay (Loire, France): A stunningly delicious Sauvignon Blanc from Chavignol – a great match with oysters and sashimi.

  2. 2014 Cornas, Alain Grillot (Rhône, France): Beautiful Syrah from the northern Rhône, perfect with a lamb rib chop and bone marrow.

I love this wine. Huge flavor, with lots of pepper (green if you ask me), and a spicy finish. Enjoyed with grilled spicy Italian sausages and baguette.

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Crazy busy week. This is the first wine of the week…and it’s Friday! :cry:

So we had a nice bottle tonight.

Served Sunday night with a couple of rib-eyes off the grill, along with Brentwood corn-on-the-cob . . .

1997 Hermitage, Domaine du Colombier (Rhône, France): Decanted off the sediment, the wine is still garnet red in color with no trace of bricking; the bouquet was initially a bit musty (low-level TCA?), but it blew off and the wine opened up beautifully to reveal a bouquet of cherry, plum, blueberry fruits with smokey bacon notes, and combined with a sous bois earthy notes and light mineral accents; on the palate, the mouth echoes all the aromatic notes of the wine, with a medium-full body, supple, velvety texture, still with a firm backbone and finely grained tannins; the finish is long and flavorful.

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Served last night with steamed clams in white wine, more corn, and a tomato-and-burrata salad . . .

2014 Pássaros Alvarinho|Trajadura Escolha Vinho Verde (Monção and Melgaço, Portugal): Bright straw in color, clean and brilliant to the eye; floral and mineral notes dominate the bouquet, while the mouth is supple and silky (no spritz!); this is a more “serious” Vinho Verde (80% Alvarinho, 20% Trajadura), whose bright acidity coupled with the generous flavors, complimented the meal beautifully.

Wow Jason. I have serious envy of your wine cellar!