Sweet new year transition (part 2)

For the main course of the New Year's eve dinner, we had this wonderful Rasteau 2001 du Chateau de la Gardine with Duck breasts with apples and honey. I knew the Chateauneuf-du-Pape from then same winery so I selected this one with confidence. For $18 at Blackwell's wines, it was a perfect match with the food and great pleasure for the palate. Not as popular as the Chateauneuf but from the same area, the Rasteau is an excellent Cote du Rhone for half the price. This appelation is known also for their fortified wines (Vin Doux Naturel).

Sweet new year transition (part 1)

I like the end of the years: it's always the time when you have opportunities to drink good wine or at least better than the everyday wine drunk the rest of the year. Well the down side is that after the holidays we are broke and more likely to try wines around $5 than $10; but let's start the year 2007 with the 2 wines which helped me finish 2006 in joy.
The first one is this Sauternes Hauts Charmes 2003 which was of course selected to pair with a foie gras. For Christmas we had a Montbazillac which we usually find better than cheap Sauternes but this one was perfect for $20 at the new wine store I have started shopping at: Blackwells wines on Geary Bd. They also have half bottles for $11; excellent price for this quality.