Monday Betsy made a great veal stew with mushrooms and tomatoes - I thought about a good Chianti, but didn't have any cheap ones, and was loath to open anything expensive knowing we were leaving next day, and a third to a half would be wasted. So I went with the inexpensive 2005 Ch. d'Oupia Minervois, ripe but with a light acidic backbone, black cherry fruit, a distinct herby note that reminded me of the Rhone. Good length, some ripe tannins. This didn't really excite me, but certainly pleasant enough. I kind of felt it should have excited me, maybe I was just tired. A B, though with a better food match it might show a bit better.
Tuesday we felt to Atlanta for the holidays with my family. My dad is not a wine drinker- he drinks a glass of Lake Country Red for heart reasons, the rest of his cabinet consisted of a couple supermarket cabs and an open bottle of Bonneau du Martray Corton from when we visited a year ago. Urrkk. So I skipped wine with the chili dinner. But afterwards I had a glass of the 2005 Clos du Bois Chardonnay (North Coast) as a digestive (my sister in law likes CalChards). Rather fat, ripe Bartlett pear fruit, a bit dominated by vanillin/toast/oak aromas. Not my preferred style, but I have to concede it's probably better by itself than with food. Think of it as dessert, it's easier than matching. B-/C+