Philippes en Famille "Tajine d'agneau aux citrons confits et olives " ( Lamb Tajine lemon confit and olives)

What a better way to start spring time , with this very light and refreshing recipe Lamb Tajine with Lemon Confit and olives.. This recipe is a traditional recipe from Marocco .. and it is a good way start to use the Lemons confits left in the salt all winter. Note: you can use chicken / veal / quail / rabbit instead of lamb. Ingredients: 2 teaspoon of ras-el -Hanout ( mixed spices Cumin/coriander/turmeric/ nut meg/ cardamon/cinnamon/ ginger// clove/ chili) 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1/4 paprika hot water 1 lamb shoulder cut into 1.5 inch cube 1 oignon in mirepois 3 garlic cloves finely shopped soup spoon butter 2 soup spoon olive oil salt 1 soup spoon tomato paste 1 cup of green olives 2 lemon confit zest ( sliced) 2 baie leaf 1 soup spoon Honey Preparation 1-put the lamb cube and the mixed Ras-el hanout in a ziplock bag , mix well and marinate in the fridge for few hours to overnight. 2- heat the oil in a large black pot 3- add the lamb brown well and set aside 4- add butter and saute oignon till tender ( about 5 mn) 5 - add garlic and saute few mn 6- add the lamb and cover with water and other ingredients( Salt/ peper/ tomato / baie leaf) 7- bring to a boil to simmer covered until the lamb tender about 2 hours in the oven at 250F 8- add the lemon , olives and honey,cook 20 mn reduce the juice and check seasoning. serve with couscous. garnish with dry golden grapes/ toasted almond./ fresh mint Not easy to match with wine but a good Rhone varietal grape ( Grenache / Syrah ) will work Bon Appetit Philippe

Discover Burgundy - Nuits - Saint-Georges

Today, we invite you to discover a certain appellation. We will keep on doing this every so often and we hope you will enjoy discovering some wines with us. Today, we head toward Burgundy and discover Nuits-Saint-Georges. Located half-way between Beaune to the south and Dijon to the north, it is the village which gives its name to the Côte. Originally known as Nuits, it added the name of its most famous vineyard in the end of the 19th century.

Wines produced under the appellation come from the villages of Nuits St Georges and Premeaux and use the Pinot Noir grape. 41 climats are listed in 1er Cru classification. It became an AOC in 1936 and this is where the Confrérie de Tastevins was created in 1934. The area produces a robust and powerful red wine which sits well with roasted lamb, ribs, or duck breast. As it ages, its animal notes marry it well with game dishes.

In its youth, it will show aromas of cherry, strawberry, and cassis, with notes of rose flower and licorice. As it matures, some gamey notes appear, as well as leather, truffles, and prunes.

We have wines representing this village appellation from two producers on two different vintages, 2006 and 2007.

2006 produced soft wines with tanins showing a nice evolution.

2007 was a surprising vintage. Very particular wines, mellow tanins. A great pleasure.

2006 Louis Jadot Jadot Nuits St Georges (Reg $39.99, Special $35.00)

Here the expressive and pretty red berry fruit nose carries a distinct animale character with an earth and herbal quality that complements the rich, full and frank flavors that offer moderately firm tannins and fine length with good if not truly special depth. While this won't win any awards for elegance, it delivers more than respectable quality for its level and the only nit is a trace of backend warmth. Best from 2011 through 2017.

2007 Louis Jadot Nuits St Georges (Reg $39.99, Special $35.00)

Maison Louis Jadot produces a deeply coloured powerful, fullbodied Nuits-Saint-Georges of intense colour. It develops ripe, robust fruit flavours and nuances of oak in the bouquet.

2006 Faiveley Nuits St Georges (Reg $49.99, Special $44.00)

Herbal and gamy notes give way to concentrated black cherry fruit. Firm and tight, finishing on the dry side. Needs a year or so to settle down. Best from 2010 through 2016.

2007 Faiveley Nuits St Georges (Reg $49.99, Special $44.00)

Attractive currant, bilberry and spice flavors are set in relief by the vibrant structure. Sinewy, balanced and long, with bright red fruit on the aftertaste. Best from 2010 through 2016.

If you would like to purchase some of these wines, please call 337.991.9794 with your order.

Thank you.

A taste of France and Spain to start your weekend off right!

Good afternoon,

we hope you will be able to join us tonight at our Ambassador location from 5pm to 7pm for our weekly Free Wine Tasting.

A very interesting line-up tonight with four wines, split evenly between France and Spain.

From France, two Bordeaux from the outstanding 2009 vintage. The Chateau du Pin which will offer a very nice everyday drinking experience and one from the Blaye-Côtes de Bordeaux appellation called Chateau Roland La Garde - a more serious wine which gives a good preview for that vintage.

From Spain, a new everyday wine here at Philippe's made from 60yr old Garnacha grapes grown in the Calatayud called Retorno. We will also sample a new vintage from an old favorite over here at Philippe's. We have just received the 2006 vintage from Altos de Luzon. Still coming from Jumilla and still made from 50% Monastrell, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 25% Tempranillo, the wine is still as complex than before and offering the same outstanding drinking experience, yet with more elegance and refinement on the new bottling.

We are looking forward to seeing you tonight. Please tell your friends and make it a Wine Tasting Night!

Philippe's Wine Cellar introduces Brew Dog Specialty Beers

We have all heard about them. Or read about them in a magazine, our eyes watery with envy about one day looking at the incredible beers coming from this Scottish brewery. If you are still wondering, they are the strongest beers made in the world. Stronger than Samuel Adams Utopia. And they sport funny names, too!!

Of course, I am talking about the Tactical Nuclear Penguin at 32% alcohol and Sink The Bismarck at 41% alcohol. Yes, you are reading this right. 32% and 41%. We are dealing with incredible brewing achievements. Some might call these "defying the limits". I cannot argue more. I did not think we were ever going to be offered bottles like these. I was wrong....

We, at Philippe's, have a small allocation of both offerings from Brewdog coming. Needless to say that if you are interested, please send me an email as soon as you you can to christophe@philippeswinecellar.com. I will distribute these on a 'first come, first serve" basis.

Oh, prices? Well, $95.00 for the Penguin and $105.00 for the Bismarck. An unique experience awaits the adventurous among you...

Cheers,

Christophe.

2009 Louis Jadot Chateau des Jacques Moulin à Vent

If you have been reading the press, you know by now that 2009 is the best vintage in Beaujolais since the late 1940s. The 2009 vintage was exceptional because the summer was delightfully warm without being too hot - and one defining characteristic of Beaujolais is its relatively high acidity that, in a less ripe vintage, can be uncomfortably dominant but in 2009 is the most delightful complement to all that ripe, crunchy, mouth-watering fruit. The wines have incredible depth and complexity and the best could pass for or compete with Burgundy village appellations - the only difference being they cost a fraction of these....

Today, we are very excited to finally receive the 2009 Moulin à Vent from Louis Jadot. This is a very serious wine and will make believers of even the hardest Beaujolais doubters.

2009 Louis Jadot Chateau des Jacques Moulin à Vent

Representing a blend from all five of their sites but favoring Champ de Cour and Carquelin, Chateau des Jacques’s 2009 Moulin-a-Vent smells of black and red raspberry, with heliotrope and lily overtones. With a striking and surprising sense of seamless oily-richness to its sweetly, exuberantly berry-brimmed palate impression, this reveals satisfying low-toned salted meat stock character that persists all the way through a lingering, lip-smacking finish. I suspect this already exceptional value will gain detail and finesse and be worth following for 4-6 years.

Rated (91-92) by The Wine Advocate.

Philippe's Everyday Price: $21.99 Philippe's Vintage Price: $19.75 or $18.75 if you order 6 or more bottles.

Do not pass it up as we are getting only one shipment. There may not be enough of this wine for everybody...

Please email christophe@philippeswinecellar.com to place an order.

Wine & Cheese Tasting Event Tonight!

Join us tonight at the Ambassador location for a Wine and Cheese Tasting Educational Event with the participation of St James Cheese Company from New Orleans.

It will be a great opportunity to learn more about pairing cheese and wine as you sample through four different plates of cheese, each with three examples of each style paired with different wines. That is a total of twelve cheeses and eleven wines, including two Ports.

Do not miss it! It starts tonight at 5pm at the Ambassador location and will last until 7pm.