Cafe Pro Bono with Bernard Morey Batard-Montrachet

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Not easy for us to go out these days. Rona is mostly preoccupied with baby activities and plans - Evan is now 2.5 and can say "wine" in three languages! I am swamped at Tango.

But even she couldn't resist the allure of a Batard-Montrachet white Burgundy. Cafe Pro Bono on California Av. in Palo Alto provided a comfortable setting for the grand cru. The 2006 from Bernard Morey showed great depth, rich beeswax color, intense flavor of ripe fruits and minerals with echos of honey, vanilla and cream, and solid (though not searing, fitting the 2006 vintage) acidity. 2006 was the last vintage under the Bernard Morey label, following which this solid domain was divided between his two sons Vincent and Thomas. No rush to drink my other bottle - it should easily last for another 5-7 years. The grilled prawns and lobster ravioli dishes paired beautifully with it. Even the two orders of beef carpaccio that she devoured by herself benefited from the company of this regal Chardonnay. The food was mostly Italian, with few straddlers from other Mediterranean countries, on the traditional side, and very satisfying. $15 corkage. We'll be back.

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