Tuesday night was pork chops, sauteed arugula, and a half bottle of the 2001 Ponsot "Cuvee des Alouettes" Morey St. Denis 1er. Very nce midbodied Burg- clean red cherry fruit, earth, smoke, a flinty mineral note. Good acidity, light tannins, good length. If I have a complaint it's that I thought it might be showing a few more mature notes from 375, this is young and not especially evolved. If I had another I'd hold a while. B+/A-
Wednesday was a scorcher, but tons of people showed up at the park for the first riverfront concert of the season. My blanket was in midst of a large group of friends and friends-of-friends, our section strategically chosen for shade. With the shade and Hudson breeze it wasn't at all uncomfortable. I had carried cheeses, slaw, grain salad, and Chinese pickles. Much food was shared, and lots of wine too:
2009 Le Blanc Bonhomme (Blaye, Cotes de Bordeaux)
This is the white of Peybonhomme, a little estate where I like the red. I actually really didn't like this when first opened- seemed tart and shrill, thin with a lot of grassy notes. But a revisit showed much better, fuller with sweet grapefruit and melon notes, some ginger (and some grass) on nose. Solid wine. B
2009 Terres Dorees Rose d'Folie (JP Brun)
Nice pink, light but with some backbone. Strawberry fruit with a little limey note, balanced, tasty. B+
2008 "Unknown" Chablis 1er Beauroy
No producer listed. Seriously. Fred got a case from a cousin for virtually nothing, label looked like a sample. Decent midbodied Chablis, apples and oyster shell, maybe a bit lacking on midpalate. B
NV Brunet "Le Naturel" Vouvray
Light petillance, light sweetness. This doesn't have the gravitas of the Huet or even the Pinon, but fun and refreshing bubbly for a hot day. Light, apples and cinnamon, light yeasty notes. B/B+
2009 Wolffner Estate rose (South Fork of Long Island I believe)
A big hit with the group, I liked it a bit less than others, but not bad. Cherry, orange zest, a pleasant bitter note. Good acidity, but a strange clipped finish. B-
2007 Nathalie & Gilles Fevre Chablis
Good acidity, nice length, clean and crisp. Not especially compelling, but typical and nice. B
2006 Bouchaine Pinot Noir
Light, a bit hot, with cola, oak, and cherry flavors. A funky/musty note on end -more old mushroom than corked though. I really disliked this, but unsure if maybe I just didn't want red in heat. C/C+
There was also a NV Gruet Brut and a NV Gruet rose, I liked both but didn't make any actual notes.
Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C mediocre. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a party where it was only choice. Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.