Two Awesome Wines

Okay, Thanksgiving is over, now we can get back to bigger reds. These or similar wines would be great with holiday roast beef. The 1989 Chateau Pichon-Longueville Baron blew us away. This deep red wine smells of cigars and cedar, mushrooms and Mr. Lincoln roses. A big wine, but not jammy, more linear than round, full of blackberry, tobacco, and cedar flavors - Awesome! Beautiful with rack of lamb. In contrast, the 2004 Delille "D2" was somewhat lighter, easier, and more fruit forward, but still an outstanding wine. Fabulous fruit suggests its American origins, but its linear style reminds of France. It was great with a buffalo sirloin steak. Considering that by now there is probably a five to one cost ratio between the two, the "D2" is a "bargain" at about $30. In fact, many Washington reds are great values compared to their Californian and European counterparts. Consider wines from Adam's Bench, Fall Line, Cadence, Note Bene, DeLille and many others as "value" gifts for the season. Not unlike U.S. Savings Bonds, you pay "only", perhaps, $30 for a $60 wine