Sometimes you get a phone call that just makes the day better. Keely and I were trying to decide where we wanted to have dinner to celebrate our first year wedding anniversary. We wanted something nice, naturally, but needed to keep it reasonable. Going through the list of our favorite restaurants was difficult since so many of them came up "too expensive." We'd basically decided on something less than perfect when the in-laws phoned up and said "Happy anniversary, dinner's on us!"
We knew what to do. Call up Barbuto and reserve a table that very instant. Somehow we managed to score a table on the sidewalk at the perfect dinner hour and after a long debate I finally managed to pick out a wine. I was determined to pick a top quality Italian red, but nothing quite fit our food choices. The Barolos were too expensive, as usual. Other Nebbiolos didn't make the cut either. I finally settled on what we really needed. Not Italian, regardless of the pressure to order Italian at an Italian eatery. Instead I found this perfect French Santenay. Not bad to have my first 1er Cru be a Santenay. There's something about the good stuff that makes you savor every drop. I can say this, the Pinot Noir did full justice to the excellent whole fish and lamb, and various sides we ordered.
A few things I didn't know when I ordered: It seems the family entered into viticulture in the 1870's when Emile Colin began cultivating vines. In Chassagne-Montrachet and other villages as well, you can find this incredible expression of Pinot Noir. I've had some but not enough. Obviously, I'm a total fan of quality Russian River and Oregon Pinot Noir, as you can read in past blogs, but when you have a glass of a premier cru Santenay like this one, you know you've reached elegance in wine, not just something good to drink. Thanks for the elegance John and Polly.
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