I have an appreciation for nom de plumes, and so does The Wine Raconteur Jr., as he gave himself that sobriquet years ago, when he asked me, if he could try guest writing a couple of articles.  I met him when I was posting a job notice at his university, and we have been together ever since.  We attended his wedding, and numerous other events over the years and his children, we consider as our own, and I am sure that they considered me a “crazy uncle” with the nice aunt. 

He is a much busier man, than I am, so I reached out for potential dinner dates, as well as whose house.  I mean his children can’t really disappear at our house as readily as they can at their own home, but they wanted to come here.  We started off with appetizers of cheese, crackers, vegetables, and shrimp; though I think the stuffed peppadews were the big hit.  I also scored some “brownie points” as I asked if it was alright for his children to have a  glass of bubbly, since they are nearing the age of majority and under the watchful eye of their parents; and they were appreciative of the offer.  We started the meal off with a bottle of Albert Bichot Crémant de Bourgogne Brut Rosé NV.  Domaine Albert Bichot is a major family-owned and run negociant house and estate owner in Burgundy, that began in 1831 and is now based in Beaune.  Their focus is Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines and in their more southern holdings they also produce some Gamay in Beaujolais.  Alberic Bichot took over the reins in 1996 and is the sixth generation of family to run the holdings.  They own more than one hundred hectares of sustainably farmed vineyards divided among six estates, and the majority are run organically.  The wine is eighty percent Pinot Noir from the Cote Chalonnaise, ten percent, and more Chardonnay from Auxerrois and less than ten percent Gamay from the Maconnais.  Each grape variety is vinified separately to enhance the qualities of the varietal.  The base wine is thermoregulated in Stainless Steel vats, then blended and aged for at least twelve months on laths, with three additional months after disgorgement before it is released.  A nice coppery-salmon wine with fine even bubbles and offered notes of currants, raspberry, strawberry, and a touch of lemon citrus.  On the palate a bright, fresh wine that showed tones of the red berries, and ended with a nice dry finish. 

We then moved into the dining room for the next courses.  My Bride made her version of Coquilles St. Jacques al crème de Xeres, which is a fancy way of saying Sea Scallops sautéed with  mushrooms and garlic, pan sauced with Sherry and cream and served with Armenian Rice Pilaf.  We paired this course with Chateau d’Yquem “Y” Ygrec Bordeaux 2021, from one of the most legendary wineries in the world (if I may say) and it was stunning; I will offer some background notes, because if you are like me, it is not a wine that one encounters that often.  It was originally made at the end of the harvest with the last bunches of grapes since 1959 and in 1966 the selection of the grapes changed and the wine is basically Sauvignon Blanc picked at the beginning of the harvest and a small amount of Semillon with Botrytis and in 2004 the brand was to be produced every vintage.  They now have a state-of-the-art vat room just to make this wine and the aging on the lees take place in the barrels, one-third of which are new and the lees are regularly stirred for ten months. This is a white wine that is considered by many to cellar for twenty years, and while I do like to get multiple bottles of wine, this one bottle was my self-imposed allotment.  A pale yellow wine with notes of pears, oranges, lime blossoms, vanilla, and almonds.  On the palate rich tones of white fruits, with traces of pear and lime, refreshing acidity, and a very long finish of saline, almonds, and terroir. I thought the 2017 vintage was awesome, this may be the freshest and liveliest white wine that I have ever tasted, and all my Bride said later, was who can we share this with?  Oh, by the way, if you are curious the “Y” is pronounced “ee-grek” in French.