A Champagne and a red Rhone wine from a rainy weekend

As last weekend was rainy and colder than usual for Romania, it seemed like a good idea to spend it quietly at home watching movies, doing a bit of easy cooking and sipping Champagne. Therefore SUN I opened one of the bottles purchased from our recent trip to Champagne in France in order to match a jar of Salmon eggs purchased from a Russian shop from Piata Norilor with freshly made bread and butter. Incredible combo that gave both products the chance to shine. The saltiness of the Salmon eggs brought up the concentrated fresh citric aromas of the Champagne.

Demiere Ansiot Blanc de Blancs NV Grand Cru Oger-Marne

A medium gold color with intense and smooth bubbles. There is good intensity of aromas on the nose, with notes of brioche, ripe yellow apples, roasted hazelnuts and huge citric fruits. A good acidity in this full bodied sparkling wine that shows a great mix between minerality and citric fruits: the grapefruit takes the front stage. The finish is medium and refreshing with flavors of grapefruit peel and wet rocks. 88 points

Next dish was a mixed grill of rare Argentinian beef steak and chicken breast with spring green salad and vegetables. The dish was paired by a red Rhone wine from an acclaimed vintage in France from Vacqueyras.

2005 Tardieu-Laurent Vacqueyras Vieilles Vignes

Deep dark red-purple color. The nose is very intense and well developed, extremelly peppery,with a freshly crushed black peppercorns dominating aroma, beefy, chocolaty, all spread over a bed of small dark fruits. The taste is medium to full body, fat, with ripe and firm tannins that give balance and freshness, with thick flavors of crushed black peppercorn, anise and dark cherry liquor. A round mouth feel characterizes this fleshy and concentrated wine. The finish is medium plus long with a chocolaty spicy aftertaste. Powerful wine. 91 points

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