JANUARY GUILD EVENT

The Atlanta Sommelier Guild kicks off its 2014 schedule with an event that celebrates “wintry reds and hearty fare” at a restaurant that is new to me: Au Rendez Vous Bistro in Chamblee.

Good red wines are usually inducement enough, but what sold me on this event was the fact that the evening’s offerings included duck (twice!) and rabbit. I’m all about the duckies and bunnies. Check out the menu:

2009 Woodward Canyon Chardonnay - Columbia Valley, Washington*
Rillette de porc with pickles and French bread

2010 Tensley Camp Four Blanc - Santa Ynez Valley, Central Coast, California**
Vegetable crêpe

2003 La Barroche Châteuneuf-du-Pape - Rhône, France*
2011 Domaine Lafage Tesselae Old Vines - Languedoc Roussillon, France**
2011 Lesec Les Galets Blondes Châteuneuf-du-Pape - Rhône, France***
Aubergine gratinée - roasted eggplant with tomato sauce, beef, spices, topped with cheese

2006 Karl Lawrence Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa, North Coast, California***
Canard et gésier sautés au vin rouge - duck, turnip, onion, herbes de Provence, red wine, brandy

1994 Chappelle Laurette Madiran - France**
1995 Château Montus Madiran - France
Cassoulet - duck confit, pork sausage, and white beans cooked in tomato sauce and fine herbs

2002 Mitolo G.A.M. Shiraz (screw cap closure) - McLaren Vale, Australia***
2002 Mitolo G.A.M. Shiraz (cork closure) - McLaren Vale, Australia
Lapin rôti à la sauce moutarde - rabbit in mustard sauce with herbs and brandy

Rare Wine Company New York Malmsey Special Reserve Madeira****

Lagniappe:
1990 Domaine De Cambes - Bordeaux, France***
2000 Château La Croix Martelle Grande Réserve - Minervois La Liviniere, France**
2007 Marquis Philips Cabernet Sauvignon - McLaren Vale, Australia**

I’ll probably pick at the eggplant - the stuff gives me instant heartburn, so I generally avoid it - but that won’t keep me from enjoying the wines that go with it, or all the other goodies. Duck! Duck! Rabbit! Yow!


The long table set up for our event at Au Rendez Vous.

Update: Good Gawd, I ate enough duckies and bunnies to depopulate a Disney cartoon. We’ll have to come back to this place during regular dining hours. Regular menu prices are reasonable to the point of outright frugality, and the food is well prepared French home cooking.

The two Mitolos were tasted blind, i.e., we were not told which one had the screw cap and which the cork until after we had declared our preferences. The overwhelming favorite (mine as well) was the screw cap version, which tasted bright and young despite its tannins having been smoothed out by over eleven years in the cellar.