Burgundy and Peking Duck

The challenge with selecting a bottle of wine to go with dinner for two at a Chinese restaurant lies in the wide variety of food available in the menu and the unknown food choices we might make when we get there. Ideally, one should bring along both a white and a red for full optionality.  However, for two moderate drinkers, turning up at the restaurant armed with two bottles for a casual dinner seemed a bit excessive.  In such circumstances a burgundy is often a good bet, being versatile enough to be compatible with a wide range of Chinese food including some types of seafood and meat dishes.

The wine I decided on was a 2011 Morey St Denis Clos Solon VV, Domaine Fourrier. At a youthful age of only three years, it was still very fresh and was bursting out with fruitiness. With soft silky tannins, it was very balanced, with the some sweetness of fruit.  The smell and taste of red cherries coming foremost to mind.  This was a very good bottle of wine that performed especially well in light of its humble village wine status, and at less than $90,  was also very good value.  

As you can see from the photo, one of the dishes ordered was Peking duck. The MSD was a superb pairing with the light and crispy duck skin.  The sweetness of the wine blended well with the sweet sauce in the pastry.  The acidity of the wine provided a refreshing contrast to the second preparation of the duck meat which was fried and served with fresh lettuce leaves.