Surf and Turf with Old Bordeaux

To celebrate my birthday in April we had some old and new friends around and opened up some 10, 20 and 30 year old bottles of Bordeaux.  With these wines and some other white, sweet and sparkling Bordeaux I designed a "Surf and Turf menu" that Jane willingly executed.

Red Bordeaux wines from 2005, 1995 and 1985

Guests at our Bordeaux Surf and Turf dinner having an aperitif of Cremant de Bordeaux and cheese and anchovy puff pastry sticks.

First course was scallops with crispy bacon and pea purée served with an unusual Bordeaux white made with Sauvignon Gris grapes.

Second course was carpaccio of beef served on a salad of young leaves with rosemary smoked langoustine and caviar.  This was served with an exceptional Saint Emilion Grand Cru Classé - a 2005 Château La Gaffelière.

Our menu

Service!   The first of our main courses was roast lamb cooked with anchovies and served with a balsamic smear and olive soil.  This was matched with our second 2005 - a Château Tour de Pez Saint Estephe.

Everyone enjoying the fine wines!

Second main course was slow cooked beef cheek with an oyster beignet.  This was accompanied by a 1995 Saint Julien - a Château Langoa Barton.  Very nice.  The crispy Oyster was wonderful!

Cheese platter of a local Dreux cheese, a Salers and an Ossau Iraty.  With this we had our 1985 Château Ducru Beaucaillou.

One of our guests, Pascal,  brought along a yummy orange and chocolate dessert cake which we served with some homemade marmalade and a 1999 Sweet White Bordeaux.

A golden dessert Bordeaux 

Our order of preference for the reds with the 1995 lagoa Barton and the 2005 La Gaffeliere coming out top

Thanks to Jane for executing perhaps our best wine tasting dinner to date.  An adventurous menu but one that worked!  Believe it or not the langoustines and fried oysters worked well with our mature red Bordeaux wines.  Be adventurous with your food and wine pairing and dare to beak the rules!