Happy Friday!

Welcome to those new to to us that I met at last night's concert at the InterContinental Hotel -- it was a night to remember because you where there. (The swanky setting didn't hurt either ;))

Here's your week's pairing:

Juice

White Bordeaux is one of my favorite things. I think of it as an unexpected classic —- and we have a great example in the Château du Grand Bos “Cuvee Spinoza” 2021.

This wine delivers on tradition and verve both. It’s a blend of two Sauvignons (Blanc and Gris) and Sémillon. It’s got it all — orange blossom aroma and brisk acid, surrounded by a waxen baked nectariney richness on the palate, and a pleasingly bitter grace note to finish.

Some words come to mind — tradition, energy, richness. It’s easy to take for granted something so quintessentially of it’s kind, but it takes a lot of technique to pull it off in a way that delivers with this much life.

This wine is somewhere between $21-$26,. You can find excellent examples for less — (look for a similar-ish blend) and if you’re in the mood for something special, Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte blanc is a great choice for more investment.

Jazz

Remy Le Boeuf is a saxophonist/composer, and his “Architecture of Storms” (2021) album is a jazz orchestral opus that is so good I almost can’t stand it.

I chose the track “Secondhand Smile” to pair with this wine because out of the gate its is an energy rush, and has a dizzying evocations of great composers (flashes of Copeland, Bernstein to name a few.) Importantly all the references only inform, never eclipse, the personality of the work.

LeBoeuf’s alto solo is like the Sémillon in the blend — bringing welcome warmth and expansivity, and that closing triangle is a piquant finish that you can almost taste.

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Secondhand Smile Remy Le Boeuf PREVIEW   ​

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Other tracks I love from this album: "The Melancholy Architecture of Storms" is too gorgeous to pair with anything, and "Neener Neener" might better go with a very strong espresso drink.:)

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Let me know what you think! Till next week...

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Truly,

Kristen