22 June 2009

2008 Chateau de Campuget Rosé

I'm falling a bit behind on my summer rosés--there are lots of wonderful ones out there that I really need to try. The other day I had to give this one a shot... The 2008 Chateau de Campuget Rosé, $12, 13% abv, 70% Syrah and 30% Grenache. From Costières de Nîmes in coastal Southeast France. Cherry and watermelon Jolly Ranchers, pleasantly balanced acidity and a crisp, short finish. In short, everything you could possibly want from a fuller-bodied dry pink.

That's a thick veal chop in the photo, resting prior to grilling. The Roommate doesn't permit veal in the house, and isn't real fond of lamb. I respect her wishes, but when I'm housesitting or in a restaurant, all bets are off. Hell, if I'm at somebody's house and a Girl Scout comes by selling veal shoulders I'll buy the whole lot without even haggling. This rarely occurs.

Rosé and veal go well together, and I paired this with some deli creamed spinach and pasta salad. Throw a little jazz on the stereo, crack open a good book, life is bliss.

6 comments:

Allen said...

That will be 2 boxes of Thin Mints, two veal shoulders and a 10 lbs, of lump natural charcoal. God Bless the Girl Scouts.

Samantha Dugan said...

Hey we have that Rose! I thought it was quite nice, bright fruit and tons of watermelon with just a tiny bit of minerals. Really easy to drink, not complex but tasty as all get out. I'm in the roommate's camp on the baby cow but I would allow it in the house, just cannot ingest it...makes me sad, kinda like quails, just too tiny and baby looking for this ex-veggie.

Benito said...

Dad,

I think you need to talk to Cindy and convince the Girl Scouts to go into the grilling supply business.

Sam,

I did the vegetarian thing for a while back in the late 90s, and will happily adjust my menus for whoever is dining based on allergies, religion, or ethics. But when I'm alone? I tend to go by the notion that if it's legal to eat within the borders of the United States, I'll cook it and eat it.

In high school I worked as a lab assistant and once helped dissect 30 fetal pigs in a single day. Then in college as an anthropology major I spent a lot of time around skeletons and looking at detailed slides of corpses... it takes a lot to trigger my "ick" response.

Cheers,
Benito

fredric koeppel said...

LL is the same way: no lamb or veal for her, so when she's traveling, I fire up the grill, throw on a brace of lamb or veal chops and open a big red wine.

Benito said...

Fredric,

We need to get together when these opportunities for freedom present themselves. Either that or open an all-male restaurant called "She Won't Let Me Eat This".

Cheers,
Benito

fredric koeppel said...

haha, that's a great idea! i have some lamb shanks in the freezer, just waiting.