TN: 1999 Ch. Ste. Anne Bandol CuveÈ Collection

I struggle to think of a decent red wine that wouldn't go well with a elk steak that has been brought within five feet of the flame and held there for a scant fifteen seconds or so per side. An elk backstrap is a wonderful thing.

That being said, the Bandol gets a comment. I've only tasted Bandol twice, and I don't recall the vintner. The first bottle was in a restaurant specializing in mussels done in a dozen or so styles--almost all good, but admittedly not a perfect foil for a red.

The bottle had a nose that would gag a stable mucker and the taste followed through on the promise of the bouquet. Even a friend who will gag down almost anything, found it unbearable. The waiter and maitre' when summoned both confirmed to us that the wine was correct and that was the way it was supposed to taste! We still returned it and ordered something else.

After an otherwise delightful lunch, we retired to the friends house where he recalled a Bandol that he had in the cellar. This one was eighteen years old, rather than the five year old we had (or didn't have) at the restaurant. We opened, swirled, sniffed and swirled again only to be greeted with a much cleaner stable and animals that apparently had benefited from a better diet. Still not good, but at least drinkable.

Mourvedre always seems to my taste to be barnyardy (newly coined descriptor), and while it seldom achieves the rancidity I encountered in one day in those two Bandols, it isn't on my short list for good experiences.

Maybe I should revisit the grape in general and Bandol in particular?

Ed Rasimus Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret) "When Thunder Rolled" www.thunderchief.org www.thundertales.blogspot.com