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DRINKS
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"When serving claret
your meals, the
lighter but sound types should be served with
the entree, while the rich and heavy chateau
bottlings are served best with the roast.
They should be served at the temperature of
the room in which the meal is served. Like the
Red Burgundies, they form sediment and should
be carefully decanted.
Many of the finer class clarets are bottled
at the vineyard in which they are grown, and
are thus known as chateau bottlings. Authentic
chateau bottlings have their vintage and crest
of the chateau plainly marked en cork and label.
The best vintages in the last forty years are as
follows: 1870, 1874, 1875, 1877, 1878, 1888, 1893,
1899, 1904.
Sautemes
Sauternes, no doubt on account of their sweet
ness, are not being given their deserved appre
ciation. Yet, a better and finer wine than a
Chateau Yquem of a good vintage could not bo
found the world over.
Sauternes are of a delicate flavor, pale golden
color, mellow, rich and have fine, agreeable
bouquet.
They are hygienic, not heady, and merit the
description of perfection in white wines. Their
relatively high alcoholic strength is both tonic
and stimulating.
Consumed moderately, they are invaluable to
convalescents after a severe illness, or when it
is necessary to revive an organism extenuated
by high fever, hemorrhage, or long fatigue.
For table service, the dry Sauternes should be
served with the fish course, while the rich and
heavy Yquems are perfect dessert wines, and one
or two glasses at the end of the meal facilitate
digestion and provoke gaiety.
When conditioning Sauternes for the table,
they should be chilled slowly, and be served at
a temperature of not below 42 degrees.