Saturday, May 17, 2008

Feelings Cafe: Cheap White Burgundy in the Big Easy

New Orleans is not a town that I associate with wine - alcohol, yes, but not wine. Facing spicy Cajun cooking every night (JambalayaGumbo, Étouffée) I stuck to beer, for the most part (the local Abita is quite good), but our last evening in the Big Easy featured a family dinner at Feelings Cafe and I was pressed into service to pick the wine.

From a wine perspective, Feelings featured a short, but well-selected wine list. Unfortunately, the list did not show the wine vintages and the server had no idea about the wines on the list. The wine service was also lacking, as the red wine (see further below) was served warm and it was not decanted (yes, very anal). 

My white selection was the 2006 Cave de Lugny Mâcon-Lugny "Les Charmes", inspired by the great Mâcon-Loché I tasted in March. Attractive notes of lime and green apple on the nose, some minerality and floral aromas underneath. A smooth and luscious texture, it was minerally bitter-lemon on the palate. A charming wine, and a steal at this price (includes restaurant markup). It paired very well with my Étouffée and Red Snapper. 
cork. 13.5% alcohol
Score: 15.5/20
Price: US$24 (menu)

I should also mention (1) that we ordered a 2002 Penfolds Bin 128 Coonawarra Shiraz, a big hit with those enjoying red wine that evening, and (2) the food was terrific - I highly recommend this restaurant (in a city of great restaurants) for the food alone.

And don't forget to check out Neil's Silver Burgundy post for more wines from Mâcon-Lugny and the Mâconnais.

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