Happy Birthday to me, Part II. Gifts

As you have probably just read, today was my 35th birthday. I am so lucky--I got some great gifts. Three especially notable things:

1. Julie got me a bottle of wine. Domaine Pegau Chateauneuf du Pape, 2005, Cuvee Reservee. It probably won't be drinkable for at least a decade, and I'm thinking it might be about right when I celebrate my 45th or 50th birthday. We had a bottle of their 1998 vintage last year at my birthday (at the Earle), and I've had a 2000 at a party. This is a very earthy, almost horsey, barnyardy wine, with a ton of complexity. 2005 was an utterly amazing vintage in the southern Rhone, and this should be a classic wine. Looking forward to the passage of years for this beauty!
2. My mother, in the spirit of free choice, sent me the most fungible of assets -- cash. I turned some of it into a splurge--on another 2005 chateauneuf, in this case, produced by Beaucastel. I got it at a relative steal--about 75% of its usual retail cost, from a local boutique grocery with a killer wine program (Think Whole Foods with reasonable prices, unpretentious staff, locally owned, and sane management.). I have never had a true Beaucastel -- they're not an everyday bottle, by any means. But I've had their 2nd wine (coudoulet, which is a technically a CDR), which is a really beauty, as well as a number of others produced by the Perrins (notably, Perrin & Fils, Vielle Ferme). They all seem to represent a certain "honesty" of approach to the grapes, a real finesse in winemaking. So, again, in 10 or 15 years or so, I'll be enjoying this beauty. Thanks, mom!
3. My inlaws sent me books. Both about food/wine. I'll focus on the food driven one--All About Braising. It's a lovely cookbook which is so much more than your average package of recipes. Sure, there are plenty of those, and they are mostly pretty appealing, complex yet approachable. But what I really like are the real descriptions of the dishes--from their history and tastes, to a certain rationale of why you do what you do, this is a serious book. And most recipes have suggested wine pairings, and many - most are Old World wines, which I happen to love. Thank you, Lyn and Debbie!