There were two desserts to be paired with the Sauternes, a passion fruit panna cotta which I blended with mango cream and melon with orange blossom, rose water and almond cream.
The Porto is a gift from our friends to celebrate the 45th birthday of one of our party. So, I hurry on out to bake the canelés (a small French pastry with a soft and tender custard center and a dark, thick caramelized crust).
The pairing with the Porto is remarkable.
Sauternes: 1990 Château Guiraud
The cap is impregnated to three quarters of its length and feels inflexible.
The color is amber, the nose is slightly less intense than bottles that were previously sampled and evokes oriental spices (curry and saffron), apricot, candied orange and raisins, with hints of honey. The palate is creamy, with a full center that gives off good amplitude, enhanced with roasted fruit. The finish is very persistent, well balanced, with complex flavors and a pleasant underlying freshness that suggests successful aging. All the tasting stages were inferior in quality to those we had with some of the best bottles. Score: 16, same enjoyment score.
Porto: 1967 Krohn Colheita
The color is amber, evoking that of an old brandy aged in vats. The nose is intense, powerful and complex, with aromas of cocoa, coffee, dates, figs, candied fruit, raisins, nuts, and caramel. The palate is crisp and very full from the attack, with a velvety, finely textured feel. The wine takes on a new dimension mid-palate, with tannins that are a little firmer in their constitution, and which gives the wine peps and dynamism while maintaining a fleshy outline. The finish is long, complex (flavors detected at smelling stage), well balanced, and, despite the underlying power of the wine, it has an elegant softness. Score 17.5, enjoyment score: 18.
