Comfort Dinner: Pork Chops and a St. Joseph

So we bought an entire organic pig…. Getting older can be a weird thing sometimes.

The Food

Pretty straight up, broiled chops with herbe de provence, braized sweet and sour cabbage À la Wally (cooked in apple juice with raisins and a touch of curry), and a little stir fry of zuchinni, red bells peppers, thyme and a touch of tarragon.

The Wine

Saint-Joseph 1999, Clos de Cuminaille, Pierre Gaillard ($29, at the time)
I met Pierre a couple of years ago and when I asked him about this bottle in particular, he said it was in a bit of a dormant stage, so best to wait until at least 2005. From what I remember, it was way too tannic for my burgundian, white-loving palette.
The fun of keeping wine is trying to pick the right moment to begin to open those bottles that you have been eyeing and dying to drink. I have slapped this one back on the racks a couple of times but tonight the spidey senses were tingling, so here’s how it went.
Well integrated tannins, very dark serious fruit with an almost kirsch-like finish. Underneath the fruit, loads of black pepper mixed with could be best described as bay leaves. Not the richest northern rhone that I have ever drunk, but long and elegant, staying in the background and adding a little complexity to everything on the plate. Wouldn’t have worked in 2002, that’s what you get for patience.