Date: 15 October 2012
Wine: Domaine Blain-Gagnard 2007 Chassagne-Montrachet Rouge Premier Cru
Cuisine: Lebanese

Wine List: Newcomer Al Mayass provides a smart selection of high quality wines from around the globe. The wines are generally fairly priced (despite an inexplicably expensive Gavi), and a few bargains can be found in the mix.

Pick: Back from Austria for less than 24 hours, I was still in the mood for an elegant, mineral, European wine. The delicious Domaine Blain-Gagnard 2007 Chassagne-Montrachet Rouge Premier Cru for $67 fit that profile perfectly. Chassagne-Montrachet Pinot Noir tends to be lean as the soils are quite high in limestone, and this trait was emphasized by the vintage’s cool weather. Since the food ordered was a broad selection of cold and warm appetizers, refreshment and cleansing acidity were more important than power and complexity.