Years ago Chateau Rauzan-Segla changed hands. It had been a Grand Cru Classe from 1855 but had not been making top shelf wines for a number of years. The then new owners took a year or two to get things headed in the right direction. My then drug dealer (wine merchant) put me on to a case this wonderful Margaux for probably $40 a bottle, and that was probably 35 years ago. A week or so after my purchase that wine popped up in Wine Spectator as the 10th beast wine of the year. The supply disappeared and the price went through the roof. I nursed that case for almost a year and enjoyed every bottle.
About a year ago, an online retailer sent out a email looking for buyers for some 2019 vintage that normally sells for $125-$145 a bottle, at around $90 a bottle. Not wanting to leave ALL my money to my kids, I sprung for six bottles.
I had picked up some beef short ribs and was going to vacuum seal them for the freezer, but left them in the refrigerator for number of days without shrink wrapping them! So, I put them on menu.
I rinsed, dried, salt and peppered them, covered them in flour, browned on all sides in some olive oil and butter. Remove them from the La Creuset. To that most versatile lidded pot, I added the chopped carrots, celery, onions and potatoes and caramelized them. Added some herbs of Province, a bay leaf or two, a cup or so of beef broth, and the ribs, along with the juices they had shed while resting, cover the pot an put in the oven a 300-325 degrees for two to three hours, depending on the thickness of the ribs. What you are looking for is when a fork inserted into the thick part of the rib meat goes in easily and come out without lifting the rib. A bit more time in the pot, 15 to 20 minutes should do it.
My second love from Margaux (my first being Chateau Margaux!) paired perfectly with the beef ribs and veggies.
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