It was a short week for Denise and me, but a tough one nonetheless. Our Friday night came on Thursday, and we opted to go for what we have come to know as a reliable, feel-good destination. Los Angeles French bistro Salades de Provence is our go-to spot when we just want it to be good without the drama.
We discovered on this evening that Denise has quite a palate for wine. She ordered the rosé she likes – the Côtes de Provence Cuvée du Golfe de St. Tropez Rosé – and immediately she noticed it was paler in color than the wine she usually orders there. She tasted it and noticed it was even smoother and had a better acidity than her fave.
We called the waiter over and inquired as to whether it was, in fact, the same wine or not. As it turns out, it was – and it was not.
The wine was still the Cuvee du Golfe, but it was a different vintage. The waiter told us he could not get the more recent vintage from his distributor and had instead ordered the 2007. Denise liked it better than the other, so all worked out well. Particularly well in the pairing of the rosé with her mushroom soup – still a meal in itself – and the salad with lamb.
My wine was the Les Tours Chardonnay 2007. It's an estate-bottled Vin de Pays d'Oc that goes for $8 per glass at the restaurant. The wine is served a bit too cold, which obscures the nose and makes it difficult for me to discern too much there. It has a creamy mouthfeel with just enough acidity. Pears and a hint of vanilla make up the simple, but delicious, palate. I paired this with a chicken Caesar salad, which worked out nicely.
We discovered on this evening that Denise has quite a palate for wine. She ordered the rosé she likes – the Côtes de Provence Cuvée du Golfe de St. Tropez Rosé – and immediately she noticed it was paler in color than the wine she usually orders there. She tasted it and noticed it was even smoother and had a better acidity than her fave.
We called the waiter over and inquired as to whether it was, in fact, the same wine or not. As it turns out, it was – and it was not.
The wine was still the Cuvee du Golfe, but it was a different vintage. The waiter told us he could not get the more recent vintage from his distributor and had instead ordered the 2007. Denise liked it better than the other, so all worked out well. Particularly well in the pairing of the rosé with her mushroom soup – still a meal in itself – and the salad with lamb.
My wine was the Les Tours Chardonnay 2007. It's an estate-bottled Vin de Pays d'Oc that goes for $8 per glass at the restaurant. The wine is served a bit too cold, which obscures the nose and makes it difficult for me to discern too much there. It has a creamy mouthfeel with just enough acidity. Pears and a hint of vanilla make up the simple, but delicious, palate. I paired this with a chicken Caesar salad, which worked out nicely.
