2004 Rappahannock Claret

On Friday, yet another bottle was to leave the wine rack and be put on ‘wine row’. Dinner selection for the evening was pork loin with rhubarb chutney, spiced string beans and wild rice pilaf. For the wine, I selected a 2004 Rappahannock Claret. The claret is a Bordeaux styled blend containing 27% Cabernet Franc, 27% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Syrah and a 9% Norton. The Claret boasted dark cherry aromas, a very smooth mouth feel, and displayed pleasing flavors of fruit and spice. It had a medium garnet color, and paired nicely with the meal; the jalapeno jelly glaze on the pork loin really enhanced the flavors as well.

The sweet ending to the delicious meal followed with a slice of toasted almond cream cake and a glass of 2004 Madame Fleur Sauternes from Bordeaux. Simply delicious, delectable, and all of the above comes to mind, and I will certainly look for more of the ‘noble rot’ styled wines from the Bordeaux region in the future.


These two wines paired quite nicely with our food selections, and as a newbie, it is becoming quite apparent to me that good wines peak when paired correctly with delicious foods.