The first pairing was with beef stew. The wine was very round and full. It was long, multilayered and complex. A little bit went a long way. There were some spices. I usually taste tobacco in Pinot Noir, but not here. I didn't miss it.

I next paired this wine with cold salmon filet accompanied by a ketchup and mayonnaise sauce and pearl onions, and a tomato, cucumber, and red onion salad. The wine was very full and moderately long. This time I tasted tobacco. The combination was excellent. I finished my glass with a slice of mint chocolate cake. I cannot recommend this combination; the cake denatured the wine. So I finished the cake before finishing the wine, and it bounced back.

My last meal associated with this wine consisted of filet of sole wrapped around salmon accompanied by two types of fried potatoes. The commercial fish preparation sounded much better than it actually was. The concoction took forever to cook and the final product was overcooked, undercooked, and waterlogged. Furthermore, there was so little salmon that it was hard to get an idea of its taste, or how it paired with this wine. However, we are reviewing the wine, not the meal itself. The fish did not adversely affect the wine. But I would rather savor this Pinot Noir in the presence of a nicely grilled salmon steak drizzled with lemon. I don't think I would be disappointed.

I tasted this wine with French Camembert cheese and German Limberger cheese. I don't recommend either combination. When paired with a fairly ripe Camembert the wine was no longer excellent. Interestingly enough, the wine did hold up better with the now pungent Limberger cheese, but why waste such a fine wine?

Final verdict. This is an excellent wine, but I feel that it costs more than it should. I don't really think that I will buy it again; there are so many other Pinot Noirs on the market, if not all that many from Alsace.

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