Last night Betsy's niece and nephew came over to help prepare dinner; they recently stayed at an agroturisimo in Tuscany and were eager to share tips they learned re pasta making with her. The crew made ravioli and tortellini with a variety of fillings (ricotta-parmesan-spinach, butternut squash, pancetta-spinach, etc.) as well as a fresh tomato sauce and a sage butter. The crew also made a mess, but I happily cleaned up for being fed. Betsy's sister and bro-in-law brought a salad, and we had great pasta and some wine:
2008 Ermita de Nieve Rueda
Light bodied, citrus and nectarine, good acidity, clean if not exciting. B-
1988 Castello d`Albola "Acciaiolo" (Toscano IGT)
A cheap SuperTuscan (65% sangiovese/35 CS) that's actually holding on well, black cherry and cassis, lots of leathery notes. Fruit is fresh for the age, but wine is a bit short and plain for a great score. But Dave was happy to try another birthyear wine. B
2005 Viticcio Chianti Classico
Warm black cherry and plum fruit, light tannins, a bit soft on the acid front. Clean, ripe, could use a bit more zip. B/B-
Wines were ok, company better. While I worked on kitchen (looked like a flour bomb exploded) others watched a video the female members had made on a trip earlier in summer, definitely one of those "funnier if you had been there" DVDs.
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.